Alternatives to eBay?

[Dischoard]

So I just sold my last item on eBay. I had a record that sold for $255 plus $5 shipping for a total of $260. But because my payments are managed by eBay they assessed a final value fee based on that number plus $15.50 in taxes and a $.30 fee to top it all off. I owe eBay $35 leaving me a grand total of $225 PLUS I still have to pay to ship this thing. What I should do is take that $200 and buy stock in eBay because it seems they certainly know how to get exorbitant amounts of money out of folks.

So the question is: what's the new startup/auction site for the little guy because eBay has definitely become more like an actual storefront and not the online garage sale that it once was. Anyone know of other alternatives? I use FaceBook marketplace for local things, anyone use it for nation-wide selling?

[Phono-Phan]

You could set a price and list items in the Yankee Trader section or on the APS website.

[epigramophone]

The only way to force eBay to treat sellers fairly is serious competition, but none exists in the UK where eBay has a virtual monopoly.
Craigslist barely registers in the UK. I had never heard of it until I joined this forum, and many people would not think of Facebook Marketplace as a source of the specialist items which we buy sell and collect.
We are stuck with eBay, which with all it's faults is still a cheaper alternative to conventional auction houses whose fees have escalated during the pandemic. Does it really cost them that much more to run an online auction than a live one on the premises?

[soundgen]

The only way to force eBay to treat sellers fairly is serious competition, but none exists in the UK where eBay has a virtual monopoly.
Craigslist barely registers in the UK. I had never heard of it until I joined this forum, and many people would not think of Facebook Marketplace as a source of the specialist items which we buy sell and collect.
We are stuck with eBay, which with all it's faults is still a cheaper alternative to conventional auction houses whose fees have escalated during the pandemic. Does it really cost them that much more to run an online auction than a live one on the premises?

Yes stuck with Ebay , there are other selling places https://www.ebid.net/uk/ free to list and with no fees if you pay a lifetime fee , I,ve sold 40 items since being on it Etsy https://www.etsy.com/uk not much gramophonic here many others nut not gramophones

[AZ*]

Question for the OP,

So if the approximately 20% in total fees charged by ebay to market your record to a potential worldwide customer base are considered "exorbitant," what amount would you consider "fair"?

Just curious.

[Curt A]

So I just sold my last item on eBay. I had a record that sold for $255 plus $5 shipping for a total of $260. But because my payments are managed by eBay they assessed a final value fee based on that number plus $15.50 in taxes and a $.30 fee to top it all off. I owe eBay $35 leaving me a grand total of $225 PLUS I still have to pay to ship this thing.

You can't avoid taxes online anymore, so that isn't an eBay fee... The question is, what did you pay for the record? If less than $225, then you made out OK and didn't lose money...

[Garret]

So I just sold my last item on eBay. I had a record that sold for $255 plus $5 shipping for a total of $260. But because my payments are managed by eBay they assessed a final value fee based on that number plus $15.50 in taxes and a $.30 fee to top it all off. I owe eBay $35 leaving me a grand total of $225 PLUS I still have to pay to ship this thing.

That's pretty bad.

I've long thought eBay needs competition; it's rested on its laurels and Weird Al for too long. The closest I've found is CataWiki.

Garret

[Raphael]

I dislike eBay as much as anybody else, but compared to the 20-30% most auction houses are collecting on both ends of a sale, eBay looks very favorable. Scheduling is also very flexible (at the seller’s convenience) and once a sale is made funds come within a few days. Having them handle the sales taxes is also a major convenience. I’m going through a major audit and all of my eBay sales were no-brainers to the auditors as I had zero responsibility for the collection and remittance of the taxes. See my post in the Parlor section about this: https://forum.talkingmachine.info/view ... 18&t=50287

Raphael

[JerryVan]

... they assessed a final value fee based on that number plus $15.50 in taxes and a $.30 fee to top it all off.

Well, when I buy stuff at live, in-person, auctions, and I pay my 15% - 25% Buyer's Premium, it too is also calculated after the tax is added. Kind of standard stuff it seems.

BTW, why do you still have to pay shipping? Wasn't the buyer charged a shipping fee to cover that for you?

[Curt A]

It won't be too long before online sales taxes are not a big issue. Now, or soon, any deposits to or withdrawals from your bank account that exceed $600 (it has been $10,000) will be reported to and scrutinized by the IRS and I expect cash will be eliminated as a form of payment. It's not just eBay... it's Big Brother... Buy something for $50 and sell it for $700 = $650 capital gains... Plus, you will need records to prove every transaction or it will be considered 100% taxable income...