Any idea why ebay is giving away so much free money lately?

[Luke]

For a long time there was nothing, now it seems like there's a way to save everyday. Anybody know, or want to guess why?

[brianp-beme]

Someone in a previous thread mentioned that the end of March is the end of their fiscal year.

Brian

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by brianp-beme

Someone in a previous thread mentioned that the end of March is the end of their fiscal year.

Brian

I don't understand that though. If they're giving 15% in eBay Bucks, but only collecting 10% FVFs (correct me if that number is wrong), it doesn't take a genius to figure that they're losing money.

[Slinger]

Maybe they just need a boost in gross revenue to hit targets for shareholders?

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

I don't understand that though. If they're giving 15% in eBay Bucks, but only collecting 10% FVFs (correct me if that number is wrong), it doesn't take a genius to figure that they're losing money.

They're also collecting 10% of shipping fees and collecting monthly store fees from sellers.

Also, it's not like they're giving away straight cash. You have to put those Ebay bucks back into the system eventually, which they get a cut of again.

A Temporary slight loss leader maybe, and an injection of short term cash for the stockholder report. I think they'll be fine.

We might not be though, when they take back their pound of flesh from sellers, when the next Ebay update comes out............whenever.

[rsdill2]

March is end of quarter so it's the end of your ebay bucks earning period. Seems like there's always good ebay bucks bonus promos at the end of a quarter. Don't count on having an ebay bucks promo again for a few weeks. They usually wait a few weeks after your ebay bucks is issued to have another bonus promo. I guess the thinking is they don't want you earning bonus bucks when you spend bucks.

But the XX% off any item is a new one for me. Not sure why they started offering it the last couple weeks. Definitely a great promo though and it's made me buy a few things I wouldn't have bought without it.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

I don't understand that though. If they're giving 15% in eBay Bucks, but only collecting 10% FVFs (correct me if that number is wrong), it doesn't take a genius to figure that they're losing money.

When you spend the ebay bucks they'll get 1.5 percent back, so the gap is smaller than that, but I am guessing they probably have determined there is a general stimulatory effect on sales with so many people looking for places to spend.

[Fballguy]

15% Coupon yesterday...10% eBay bucks today. They're dong wonders for my collection...but not my wallet.

Edit...And now another 15% coupon today as well. 10% eBay bucks on the app.

I wish there was more to choose from on Ebay right now. I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel on items.

[Peter_Spaeth]

What's the code on the coupon and is it capped?

[Leon]

My gut tells me that if we whittle down to the real reason, ebay might have good bottom line numbers but not top line. Give away a little margin for sales ....and yes, probably to try to please analysts and therefore shareholders. Regardless if that is the answer or not, the answer is always Money.

[Jantz]

Ebay is also allowing some sellers the promo to list 100 auctions with no listing fee.

If an item is listed and it doesn't sell, it doesn't change your total. So if 50 of your 100 auctions don't sell, well then list 50 more auctions free.

[Luke]

There's another 15% promo today as well? I'm guessing that was a typo, but I hope not

[kmac32]

Originally Posted by Luke

There's another 15% promo today as well? I'm guessing that was a typo, but I hope not

It is on limited sellers so does not apply to everything

[jburl]

Some sellers also have a promo for 40% off final value fees for items that sell over $500.

[Jenx34]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

When you spend the ebay bucks they'll get 1.5 percent back, so the gap is smaller than that, but I am guessing they probably have determined there is a general stimulatory effect on sales with so many people looking for places to spend.

Exactly. It's just part of their overall ad budget and strategy. They're running TV ads too, more than I remember a year or even 6 months ago. Last night, I spent $393 (before 15% discount). The threshold to max at the $50 mark was $333.33. I'm sure I'm not the only one that spent over that threshold.

The simplest answer is just advertising. This is one way they chose to do so. I hope they deem it as effective and keep doing so!

[packs]

Maybe they're able to classify the giveaways as "donations" for tax purposes.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Excellent point. Many people probably exceed the threshold and on the delta they are making their regular fee with no giveback.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by kmac32

It is on limited sellers so does not apply to everything

How do you know which sellers have it?

[Sean1125]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

How do you know which sellers have it?

There are between 100 to 150 sellers per category-- it covers many fixed price and mid to high level sellers.

Make sure you enter "PSPRINGBF" at checkout--- I believe this one can be used twice over the next three days ending April 1st at 8 AM.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Sean1125

There are between 100 to 150 sellers per category-- it covers many fixed price and mid to high level sellers.

Make sure you enter "PSPRINGBF" at checkout--- I believe this one can be used twice over the next three days ending April 1st at 8 AM.

Sean thanks, I must be missing this, but how do I know before I buy the item whether I am going to get the discount or not?

[Sean1125]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Sean thanks, I must be missing this, but how do I know before I buy the item whether I am going to get the discount or not?

Here is a comprehensive list of sellers that this coupon works for:

aabalat_fine_and_rare_wines
adamswines
allied_trade_group
alwaysacceptingoffers
americanlegacyfishing
ankerdirect
antonlinedeals
apluschoice
as_seen_on_tv
bargainsnmore11
beachcamera
betweenthehedges1980
bidonrugs
bigfishbuddy
bigvalueinc
bissell_homecare_inc
brillianteers
buybeehive
candcmoissanite
carlfan
cheapgamestuff
chicagowinebroker
collectionbijoux100
comfy-home
cork-wine-online
cozyarray
crocsoutlet
cultwines
deal.fisher
devinesuperstore
drinkdispatch
dukewine
Dymoda
e-techgalaxy
easyterms
echo-and-optics
electronic_express
factory_outlet
finajewelers
foxrox1
gamesandcards.com
gameusedguru88
gdriveblack
geekdeal
gemstoneking
golf44bob
goodgram
goodlibationswineshoppe
grandwineexchange
grapehilltraders
gvineyards
hollywoodmemorabilia
hookedonwine
hoover-outlet-store
hottercooler
hubcitysportsstore
idonowidont
ienjoyhome
imperial123
jewelry.com
jewelry4less_atl
jewelryunlimited786
jjbuckleywines
jlhrick
jr4241
kastkingfishing
kitchen_appliances
knwine
lajollajewelry
linda*s***stuff
linen2go
lionbrewingsolutions
little_star_electronics
longevitywines
lornajaneactive_us
luxurybazaar
maisonduprixwines
melandrose
mikaelians-jewelry
mlgjewelry
my-diamonds
nashvilleshoewarehouse
northwest-outdoor
oakgem
officialpumastore
okgogold
overstock
pelletestate
pennantdynasty
plumeridgebottleshop
pompeii3
qualidiam
quimperettechan
retailfashionoutlet
retro2heritage
rockwelltools
rosewill_inc
rsawineman
saverightaway
scmvwine4u
sflmaven
shoesandfashions
shop-invicta
ShopitFashion
silveroakfan
sophiejanejewels
sportsmansoutfitters
sportsmemorabilia
ssgssg10
steinersports
street-moda
superdrystore-us
superlight.diamonds
teespring_inc
terravinoinc
the_boss_gts
thewinebro
tkwine
toppersports
travelerschoice
triacetackle2016
triwico
tshirthoarders
twobirchjewelers
twoguyswineclub7
unwined
vampirevineyards
verabradley
vergest23
victorioussales22
videoandaudiocenter
vividice
wilsonbrothersjewelry
wilsonsleather
wine-merchant-usa
winedirectwines
winemart
wineonbroadway
winespies
winester
wineworld1
worxgt
www.mrvalue.com
xtremegems2010
yescomusa
yianniswine
zromaya2304
zwilling_j.a._henckels

[Fballguy]

Originally Posted by kmac32

It is on limited sellers so does not apply to everything

Mine applied to everything in the sports card and memorabilia dept.

[bigfanNY]

I think Ebay is under a lot of pressure from competitors most of whom few on this board consider competition. Facebook for one, the volume of local sales on Facebook is enormous. Couple that with let go and similar sites and they are taking a big bite out of Ebay and they will continue to. At some point soon faceboik/ Instagram figure a way to monetize the sales probability with their own version of paypal. Bottom line more than one Gorilla in the room now. Jmho.
J

[Fballguy]

I guess I didn't scroll down far enough on the details page and as luck would have it, the seller I just sent $300 to was on the list. All good.

[Fballguy]

Todays 15% coupon you can use twice. Yesterdays I was only able to use once.

[ValKehl]

Some eBay sellers routinely pay a FVF of less than 10%. What eBay has been doing lately is good for building sales, but not so much for building net profits. The biggest problem I see for eBay is potential BIN purchasers deferring their purchases until the next significant eBay promotion comes along; this certainly is the case with me, as a 6%-or-less eBay bucks promotion gets a "meh" out of me - it now takes 8% or better to get my attention!

[aljurgela]

Originally Posted by Leon

My gut tells me that if we whittle down to the real reason, ebay might have good bottom line numbers but not top line. Give away a little margin for sales ....and yes, probably to try to please analysts and therefore shareholders. Regardless if that is the answer or not, the answer is always Money.

Managing earnings... trying to get people back to eBay

[jfkheat]

In addition to the buyer promotions, eBay is giving promotions to sellers too. A couple weeks ago I got one where the final value fee was capped at $20. I sold a $1000 card and paid $20 in fees.
James

[Ronnie73]

Originally Posted by Luke

For a long time there was nothing, now it seems like there's a way to save everyday. Anybody know, or want to guess why?

Not sure why all the ebay specials but I've purchased a card from you for the last two 15% off specials. Saved me $100. I'd say it worked out for both of us. Hopefully there will be more of these specials.

[JollyElm]

I'm pretty sure the ole save 15% scenarios could be just a bit of fairy dust. Virtually every time one is listed, I get gung-ho and jump all over it, but am I truly saving anything?? Dunno. I usually use sites like PSA Auction Prices Realized to get a decent idea of what I should expect to pay for certain cards I want to grab up. A week or two ago there was a discount, so I purchased a couple of Mantles (generally, all other things aside, at the cheapest/close to the cheapest prices listed for the particular grades) and, man, the pricing was nowhere near what it 'should have been.' Of course, Mantles are highly sought after, so it's just the wild west out there. The comparably graded ones I DIDN'T buy were overpriced into the ionosphere.

I guess it boils down to how much stock you put into tools like VCP, etc. If something 'should be' available for $100, yet all of the cards (and there are many) on ebay are listed for $200 and higher (and none are OBO), you gotta wonder how realistic said tools are. So we save 15% on a card that is purposefully way 'overpriced' to begin with?? The $100 price tag in this scenario doesn't reflect reality at all. If I want the card, then it's going to cost me two c-notes, not one. The whole thing is kind of funny in a way.

With the latest 15% off special, I bought these three 1961 cards:
PSA 8 #572, Brooks Robinson All Star, which was netted for about $90
PSA 8 #580, Al Kaline All Star, which was netted for about $85
PSA 7 #417, Juan Marichal RC, which was netted for about $100

The first two look real nice and are basically always listed for the 'before' price I paid for them. The Marichal is a little O/C and there's a bit of scuffing on it at the border from the printing process. The label shows it to be an early card graded by PSA. You could argue a little that I bought the slab rather than the card, but the other 7's were $200 and up, so I went for it to knock it off of my need list. Not sure how I did VCP-wise, but I think I did pretty well on the trio...but in reality, did I?? Dunno.

[Ronnie73]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

I'm pretty sure the ole save 15% scenarios could be just a bit of fairy dust. Virtually every time one is listed, I get gung-ho and jump all over it, but am I truly saving anything?? Dunno. I usually use sites like PSA Auction Prices Realized to get a decent idea of what I should expect to pay for certain cards I want to grab up. A week or two ago there was a discount, so I purchased a couple of Mantles (generally, all other things aside, at the cheapest/close to the cheapest prices listed for the particular grades) and, man, the pricing was nowhere near what it 'should have been.' Of course, Mantles are highly sought after, so it's just the wild west out there. The comparably graded ones I DIDN'T buy were overpriced into the ionosphere.

I guess it boils down to how much stock you put into tools like VCP, etc. If something 'should be' available for $100, yet all of the cards (and there are many) on ebay are listed for $200 and higher (and none are OBO), you gotta wonder how realistic said tools are. So we save 15% on a card that is purposefully way 'overpriced' to begin with?? The $100 price tag in this scenario doesn't reflect reality at all. If I want the card, then it's going to cost me two c-notes, not one. The whole thing is kind of funny in a way.

With the latest 15% off special, I bought these three 1961 cards:
PSA 8 #572, Brooks Robinson All Star, which was netted for about $90
PSA 8 #580, Al Kaline All Star, which was netted for about $85
PSA 7 #417, Juan Marichal RC, which was netted for about $100

The first two look real nice and are basically always listed for the 'before' price I paid for them. The Marichal is a little O/C and there's a bit of scuffing on it at the border from the printing process. The label shows it to be an early card graded by PSA. You could argue a little that I bought the slab rather than the card, but the other 7's were $200 and up, so I went for it to knock it off of my need list. Not sure how I did VCP-wise, but I think I did pretty well on the trio...but in reality, did I?? Dunno.

I understand questioning if you really saved anything. I have to assume mostly everyone is making smart purchases and getting a card that was fairly priced to begin with and then getting a true savings of 15% off with a max savings of $50 after that. My savings of $100 over the last two specials with Luke were carefully planned out. First, making sure it's actually a card I truly want and need, which in that case, there are usually more than just one card. Next, looking at past sale prices, how often the cards come up for sale, and determining the true populations between all the cards interested in. By doing all of that, I'm sure to get a card I need at the best price possible while the card being the most uncommon and likely the most difficult to purchase in the future if not purchased at that moment. By following these simple steps, I've never made a T206 purchase I've regretted but I've regretted not purchasing other T206's that come up and score high with my calculations but maybe at the time I can only afford one of two cards. The card I don't purchase, ends up being purchased very quickly by someone else, while other cards that didn't score as high, still sit there unsold.

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

I don't understand that though. If they're giving 15% in eBay Bucks, but only collecting 10% FVFs (correct me if that number is wrong), it doesn't take a genius to figure that they're losing money.

Their stock is way down lately. I don't have the exact numbers, but maybe 10% over the last week? Who woulda thought it?

[Batpig]

The problem is they've created an environment now where people wait for these discounts to buy.