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Wha?

WildWestDesigns

Active Member
I think what is more bothersome is the fact that it's on ebay. Other then that, it's really not all that much different then just using a template at any of the print places that the cheapie people like to go to.
 

Fanaticus

New Member
We do over $300k a year in sales on ebay. Ebay has a terrible reputation that it's desperately trying to repair. First the sellers were screwing the buyers, so ebay changed some things.... which opened holes and the buyers started screwing the sellers. So nobody trusts anybody on ebay anymore.

We don't sell junk on ebay and are far from the lowest price, in fact, we are one of the most expensive sellers for what we sell. We've found that when we lower our prices we end up dealing with bottom-feeders and they use the buyer protection program to get their money back and a free item. (False claims, ebay will return their money regardless of the reason and then tells us to call the police if we've been defrauded).

Low priced items don't really mean it's junk - wholesalers selling to the public, or really desperate people willing to work like slaves. Selling history and feedback will tell you a lot about a seller and the product.

Just wait though, ebay has been suggesting to us sellers to offer "Free Shipping" on all items. Which means we have to raise the item price to do so. And, if it follows suit of their previous suggestions, it will become mandatory in about 6-9 months. Not to mention, they're also taking 11% FVF of total cost, including shipping costs. So, along with paypal, they now take a total of about 16.5% of the total value as their commission.

These low prices won't last forever unless the sellers can find a way to absorb that kind of inflation.
 

ucmj22

New Member
Just wait though, ebay has been suggesting to us sellers to offer "Free Shipping" on all items. Which means we have to raise the item price to do so. And, if it follows suit of their previous suggestions, it will become mandatory in about 6-9 months. Not to mention, they're also taking 11% FVF of total cost, including shipping costs. So, along with paypal, they now take a total of about 16.5% of the total value as their commission.

These low prices won't last forever unless the sellers can find a way to absorb that kind of inflation.

you know why they are doing this right..? they dont get a percentage of the shipping cost , only the final sale price before shipping, so they know that if they force you to build in your shipping price their percentage draw goes up. I guess they have too though since there are so many sellers now who are selling their items at .99 with $90 shipping so they dont have to pay ebay.
 

Fanaticus

New Member
you know why they are doing this right..? they dont get a percentage of the shipping cost , only the final sale price before shipping, so they know that if they force you to build in your shipping price their percentage draw goes up. I guess they have too though since there are so many sellers now who are selling their items at .99 with $90 shipping so they dont have to pay ebay.

Yes, they want more money in their pockets. BUT, as a volume seller we also know the pains of dealing with customers who can't understand that we have to pay for items to be shipped and that it is expensive. And when a customer orders more than 1 item they want the shipping combined and accurate, so they want any overage refunded to them. It's a real pain to spend time refunding 20 people $1.50 every day. But, if we don't they'll give us a negative and low DSR scores, which gives us lowered exposure and fewer sales.

The .99 cent listings with $90 shipping are a thing of the past. The DSR scores are pretty much taken care of every seller doing that crap. Just a few low scores on shipping really bites into your exposure and sales. Any seller who wants to sell something won't do that anymore. 3 years ago almost every seller had to in order to stay in business on ebay since fee's were so high.

The major impact will come from the fact the offering free shipping means the seller needs to calculate the furthest domestic distance (where does it cost the most to ship to domestically)... then they have to add 16.5% to that amount, and that's the amount they have to raise their prices.

NOW... when a domestic customer buys more than one item, they are paying the price as if they were buying them seperately and we were shipping them seperately. It puts more money in the sellers pockets, and more money in ebay's pockets.

I personally don't like it. I don't think someone who lives 100 miles away should pay the same amount for shipping as someone who lives 1000 miles away. It's not right and it's not fair. But, according to ebay, customers have been screaming for free shipping for years now. This is the solution.

NOW.....

Foreign orders. Foreigners are still charged a shipping cost. The regular shipping cost. So, they have to pay the increased amount due to free domestic shipping PLUS what it costs to ship to their location (super inflation).

Ebay doesn't take 11% of what it costs to ship to foreign countries, instead they calculate your lowest domestic shipping cost and take 11% of that for foreign orders. So, if you offer free shipping domestically they only take 11% of the item cost for foreign orders.

Get this....

We raised an items price from $138.00 to $177.00 in order to give it free domestic shipping (it weighs 11 pounds and ships priority USPS). A guy in Cyprus just bought 3 of them. So he had to pay $117 MORE than he would have if the domestic ebay shoppers weren't such bi7ches about paying regular shipping costs.

The further we get into talking about this, the more complex and unfair it really becomes for all the buyers. Sellers are making more money, ebay is making more money, but the buyers are really getting screwed and it's forcing inflation.

But, after everybody raises prices and things settle down, who will remember what it used to be like?

The newer generations of online buyers will never know how good things USED to be.

Just like the older generations tell us young'uns how good things used to be and we smile but don't really understand.
 

TheSnowman

New Member
Dude, I can have 365 print those, ship direct to the customer AS I NEED THEM, and double my money...doesn't seem too terrible...is it a good retail price, not really, but I could still make money selling those.
 

Pat Whatley

New Member
Especially since you'd be selling the same design over and over. Just another way technology is turning half the market into "signs by the pound"
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber



It came to this about 29 years ago, when Gerber introduced the computerized sign making machine. It's only gotten worse as the years go by.

Do you honestly know how many people would never be here or in this industry if it wasn't for automation or these advancements in technology ??

Sure, it's a tool and it helps, but when you rely on automation solely to do your work.... you're bound to find competition around every frickin' corner. Get used to it and find something those people can't do.... like quality and customer service and most of all.... being here in ten years, because those fly-by-night places are a dime a dozen and as fast as they pop up.... another one puts them out of business. The turnover is tremendous. Don't fret the little things in life. It ain't worth it. :wink:
 

Fanaticus

New Member
Dude, I can have 365 print those, ship direct to the customer AS I NEED THEM, and double my money...doesn't seem too terrible...is it a good retail price, not really, but I could still make money selling those.

The downside to drop shipping is that the customer will blame you for any problems that happen. You'll get the negative and low scores regardless of who's fault it is. Even if it's an act of God. Say if a tornado hits the delivery truck and kills the drivers and scatters the goods over a 20 mile radius... that's not a good enough reason for it to arrive a day late.

Thats what ebay buyers are like.

Then, they'll complain to ebay and ebay will give them ALL of their money back and paypal will take it out of your account, since you're not covered by the seller protection program, and you'll have bought that customers banner for him.

THEN -- he's going to tell all his friends, who will also try to get free items. When you refuse to give into their demands, or don't believe their bogus claims, they'll just have ebay, paypal, or their credit card company give them their money back. Then, they'll give you negative feedbacks and low scores just to screw you even more.

Not to mention, what will you do when they damage it trying to install it and claim it was delivered damaged?

I read a lot on here about people who have to deal with crappy customers who come into their shops or call on the phone. Imagine dealing with that day in and day out, all day long. Our website customers aren't like that. Our shop customers aren't like that. Our Amazon customers aren't like that.

Just ebay customers.

We block a lot of ebay buyers just for asking dumb questions, if we don't we know that they'll just be a problem for us further down the road.
 

Colin

New Member
not to awful a design! actually thats a damn good idea to make some money!

At $38.00 for a 2x6 banner, and the inherent potential grief with ebay and shipping, how is it a damn good idea to make money?
 
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Gino

Premium Subscriber
With the right equipment and connections, that banner could be made for $3.00 even plus whatever edging method you choose.

Since this is the most 'OPEN' of all forums, I won't go into how or where, but suffice it to say, that's the part of the equation you guys are missing.
 
banners can be made cheap granted, but once you factor in the time to make, the labour costs etc, at $3.25 per square foot, thats a ridiculasly low price to sell to the general public
 
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