posted on October 31, 2000 08:59:39 PM new
twelvepole-
I would rather see you start with a little higher min bid.
If I thought I could get away with a higher min bid and still get the same results, I'd have been doing it already.
edited to add...
I suspect that either...
a little higher min bid or a little higher shipping fee will be quietly added by many sellers.
Sellers had the opportunity to learn what "always free" meant when spoken by PayPal a little while ago. That is now trickling down to the buyers, and they don't seem to be any happier to find out that "always free" doesn't necessarily mean what they thought it did.
[ edited by mrpotatoheadd on Oct 31, 2000 09:31 PM ]
posted on November 1, 2000 12:48:30 AM new
"Just like I would be turned off by going into a shop and paying extra for using the bathroom. Yes, in theory this means they pay for the amount of toilet paper and soap I use, but charging me for that amount seems very tacky."
Well, let's see, it's called overhead, and you do pay for overhead everytime you make a purchase in a store. Wait, I get it, ignorance is bliss so it's better that they don't disclose it, and just hide the cost into the price otherwise they'll be called "tacky." Maybe I can go to the store with a wink and a smile and get the manager to confess .10¢ of my every purchase pays for the toilet paper he uses on his break, then ask to have this .10¢ removed from the total price because it's the "priciple of the matter." This world has gone loony.
posted on November 1, 2000 03:30:08 AM new
the amount of the profit is not the point.
most of my stuff sells for 2.49
so if paypal takes .25 cents thats 10% - now
how about all you guys paying 10% of your SELLING price just to accept a payment.
posted on November 1, 2000 05:05:32 AM new
I'm with mballai on this.
These fees are a cost of doing business, just like paying for a computer, ISP, gas to the post office, etc.
Would you put a note in your auctions that your ISP charged you more this month so add 12 cents to your payment to cover the cost?
If a grocery store started to charge for the number of bags used in your order, wouldn't you just go to the store that didn't charge?
The bottom line is that there are very few things that you can get on E-Bay that you can't get elsewhere, or from another e-Bay seller, so why would anyone want to make it harder for someone to buy their stuff? All this nit-picky, whiny "I have to pay more for that so you'll have to reimburse me" stuff really looks unprofessional.
posted on November 1, 2000 06:01:54 AM newAll this nit-picky, whiny "I have to pay more for that so you'll have to reimburse me" stuff really looks unprofessional.
posted on November 1, 2000 06:28:59 AM new
paying for a computer - MY choice - I pay
Paying for ISP - MY choice - I pay
Gas to Post Office - MY choice - I pay
paying by paypal - BUYER choice - Buyer pay
posted on November 1, 2000 07:07:05 AM new
I don't have any problems waiting for checks to come in the mail. I didn't start offering PayPal in order to get my money faster- I started offering it because bidders were asking for it. And for that, I should pay? I don't think so.
There are threads started here regularly which discuss payment options, whether or not to accept checks, etc. and one of the usual comments is that it is a good practice for sellers to offer a variety of payment options, as a convenience for the buyer.
posted on November 1, 2000 07:31:27 AM new
mrpotatoheadd,
I started offering it because bidders were asking for it.
It was YOUR choice to sign up for it, regardless of what your buyers want. If you didn't WANT to offer PayPal, nobody made you sign up for it.
You CHOSE to offer it, you could have stuck with a decision to take only checks, or money orders or cash.
Yes, PayPal & other electronic means are often touted as a convenience for the buyer & it is. But I've seen JUST as many threads talking about how PP is convenient for the seller because of bounced checks, some semblence of guarantee of getting their money, getting their money FAST, etc.
If you CHOOSE to only take checks, are you going to add a cost to your TOS to cover having to open a checking account, maintain a certain limit or pay a monthly fee?
This can all be taken from the sublime to the ridiculous. But the bottom line is that this was your choice to offer as a seller.
posted on November 1, 2000 07:41:14 AM new
sc219, sellers are charged fees when accepting Paypal payment. Most of the large sellers have already exceeded that $500 limit for personnal account.
Here is my stand on online payments which in my mind seems to be the latest fad since Pokemon cards (hit kids on their heads & mums in the pockets).
I accept Paypal for my customer benefits. I was doing fine before Paypal taking in checks & money orders (and I still do). I have no preference. Money is money. Yeah its fast, yeah is supposed to be easy but as long as you pay me, what the heck do I care what shape of form I get it.
Its there for you, my customer...its not there for me. Its going to cost you to buy a Money Order & mailing me a letter cost you money too. It cost me zip. However Paypal cost me money for something that benefits you...not me. Hey mail me a check if you think Paypal helps me & not the buyer. Please don't help me...just pay me.
If you think the smart sellers are not charging you for using Paypal you got to be kidding. The smart ones hide it behind increased shipping or handling or starting prices. Its gets you in the end.
Do the math?. Lets just say seller has stated that there will be a X cents Paypal fee incurred for using Paypal. Lets just say you really want that thing that you need to get...you can't live without it. Would it be cheaper to buy a money order,stamps or use Paypal. If its cheaper to use Paypal by paying X cents to the seller...doesn't it benefit you. Online payment is just another option. Yeah its fast...yeah its easy but if Paypal closes shop tomorrow...the sun will still shine right. Put things into perspective.
posted on November 1, 2000 07:43:19 AM new
Actually many sellers have been charging all along for their gas to the post office and a great many of their other expenses. They call it a handling fee...it's been working well for those that I know that use such a fee. Just add PayPal charges to the handling fee...seems simple enough, and unobjectionable to most buyers.
posted on November 1, 2000 07:51:31 AM new
mrpotatoheadd, just add that 25 cents cost to your shipping. If you have a standard shipping fee, just up it by 25 cents. No one can say its attributed to Paypal. So no matter if the customer uses Paypal or not, you are covered. Hey its overheads & that has to be taken into consideration.
I am up front about all my shipping cost & if the buyer thinks its too high, he can always skip my auctions.
posted on November 1, 2000 08:03:38 AM newIf you CHOOSE to only take checks, are you going to add a cost to your TOS to cover having to open a checking account, maintain a certain limit or pay a monthly fee?
Well, since I already have a checking acount, I don't need to deal with the expenses of opening one, so there are no costs there.
But I've seen JUST as many threads talking about how PP is convenient for the seller because of bounced checks, some semblence of guarantee of getting their money, getting their money FAST, etc.
Then you've probably seen the threads talking about accounts being frozen, and people unable to access their money. These have nearly all been sellers. Not very fast or convenient, if it happens to you. As for bounced checks- based on the experience of a majority of posters at AW, I'd say that is pretty much a non-issue.
It was YOUR choice to sign up for it, regardless of what your buyers want. If you didn't WANT to offer PayPal, nobody made you sign up for it.
Of course it was my choice. I never said anybody MADE me sign up, and nobody is going to MAKE me remain signed up. I have removed PayPal as a payment option in my auctions. If a buyer asks, I will accept his payment through PayPal until I reach the $500 limit.
At that point, I will re-evaluate the situation, and if I decide to upgrade and continue allowing buyers to pay that way, even though I do not advertise it as a payment option, I will include this note:
"Although PayPal is not an option in my auction listing, I can accept your payment of $X.XX ($X.XX bid + $X.XX S/H&I). This total is higher than the original quote, since the original total reflects a discount for paying by check or one of the free online payment services offered."
I don't pay for the buyer's stamps, envelopes and money orders and I have seen no convincing reason yet why I should pay for the online costs of having their payment delivered to me.
No-one is recommending you not recoup the cost of doing business, in this particular instance, the cost of offering PayPal to customer's.
What IS being recommended in most cases, due to the possibility that DIRECTLY listing this charge in your TOS could get you in trouble with ebay, is to add it to either your starting price, add it to your handling fee (as recommended by toke & comic123) or recover it through profits.
posted on November 1, 2000 08:21:54 AM new
eventer-
add it to either your starting price...
This doesn't work if you start your items out with a low opening bid. Raising the opening from $1.00 to $1.25 on a $20.00 item does nothing to recover the increased cost.
...add it to your handling fee...
This penalizes buyers who pay by check, money order or one of the other online payment services which are free (at this time, anyway).
...or recover it through profits.
This is never assured (especially considering eBay's sporadic operation lately)- the bidders set the final value, not the seller.
As I noted in my previous post, in order to be fair to all bidders, I'm not offering PayPal at all, and I will include the added cost for any who specifically request to pay that way.
posted on November 1, 2000 09:14:53 AM new
eventer
I see your point if I accepted paypal ONLY !!
But when I allow payment with Cash, Check, Money Order, Exchange Path, Bidpay, Paydirect, etc,etc and the buyer CHOOSES paypal then they should pay, not me.
I really don't see how it can be seen in any other way
posted on November 1, 2000 10:15:29 AM new
I am soooo confused.
Okay I opened a paypal account to use to pay for an item that I privately negotiated with a seller for. I used my credit card. He didn't say anything about credit cards.
Last week I won an auction the EOA said if I use paypal I need to pay a fee.
Since I am not abreast of the rules aside from ebays no CC surcharge I asked safeharbor. They wanted info on the seller.
I also am incorporating paypal into my auctions - as a personal account because I am not listing so much during the slump - but does this mean people can pay with CC?
Thanks
Capriole
ack!
posted on November 1, 2000 10:31:00 AM newLast week I won an auction the EOA said if I use paypal I need to pay a fee. Since I am not abreast of the rules aside from ebays no CC surcharge
You may have been charged a fee by the seller, but it couldn't have been a CC surcharge, since the seller was not the one to charge your credit card. When you get your CC statement, it will say "XCOM", not "Joe's Widgets". XCOM (PayPal) is the merchant in your CC transaction, and their TOU page says just that:
...PayPal.com fully stands behind all credit card transactions by accepting disputes customers lodge with their issuing bank. The consumer is fully protected and as the merchant of record we accept final responsibility for all card transactions. As such, we afford customers all the rights and privileges expected of a credit card transaction...
