I started selling on eBay again after nearly a year, and much to my surprise, a lot of policies have changed, and others have been more strictly enforced. While the changes are supposed to be for the better, it seems like selling on eBay is catered more towards satisfying buyers than being a mutual deal.

 

 

One of the positive changes I've noticed has been the decrease in listing fees. Last time I was selling on eBay, it would cost a minimum of $0.35 without any 'frills', and this time, with the same format, it only cost me $0.15 . While to some, it's not a big deal, when you sell 100+ items, the savings do add up! Now, one of the issues that bugged me is that I had some of my auctions canceled because I mentioned 'cash' in the listing as an acceptable payment option. eBay cancelled the auctions, kept the listing fee, and indicated it could be re-listed for another $0.15 ! Flash ahead a little, and upon receiving payment, it was time to give feedback, and closer inspection shows that no matter what, a seller on eBay CANNOT give negative feedback ever! Apparently, people were giving retaliatory negative feedback, and the folks at eBay decided 'enough was enough' and have removed the ability for a seller to give negative feedback. The buyers, however can still give a negative to a seller on eBay, and I don't believe that is all that fair. I've had non-paying bidders, and have lost a few sales in the years I've been selling on eBay; apparently the most I can do besides file a non-paying buyer is give them a neutral. I also noticed that the Final Value Fees assessed to sellers on eBay have gone up to 8%... a little much considering it used to be only 3.25%.

 

 

Selling on eBay used to be quite a moneymaker for me. I was warned ahead of time by other sellers just how much has changed, and many sellers on eBay have left and are making money off their own websites. Sadly, I believe I may end up taking the same route, and just stick with what works... not what's in the best interest of just one party, but mutual interaction. Just my 2 cents...

 

 

This rant written by Joe Rosendorf Jr.  This is merely an opinion based on personal experiences, and is intended to inform based on those experiences.