posted on March 14, 2001 12:23:10 PM
I sell a lot of small things and most of my auctions end at a few dollars. I like paypal but don't like having to pay the fees and so I would like to pass that along to my buyers. (Or else I would just have to stop accepting paypal which I would rather not do.)
Most of my auctions offer free shipping so I have started adding the following (not exact words but something like this)...
Paying by check or money order=free shipping.
Paying by credit card through paypal please add .30 shipping (still cheaper than buying a stamp and mailing me a payment.)
My understanding is that as long as it is worded so that it is "shipping", it is acceptable? Am I wrong?
posted on March 14, 2001 12:46:49 PM
Even if you could do it "legally," it will stuff turn bidders off. It would be more palatable to bidders to start your auctions at 25 or 30 cents more than you do now, with no fees tacked on.
Gas stations used to give a discount to people who would pay cash because of the fees they'd incur for credit card payments. I don't see them doing that anymore... probably because they wised up and just raised their prices. That way extra costs are transparent to the customers.
posted on March 14, 2001 12:52:25 PM
This was in my email this morning from PayPal:
"EBay Fee Policy As a reminder, eBay's policy states that sellers may not impose additional fees on buyers for using an online payment service that processes credit cards. PayPal asks that eBay sellers accepting PayPal follow this policy."
posted on March 14, 2001 12:56:52 PM
as a buyer, that would have me pounding the back button outta there...
it's not that I object to the charge pre se...
I DO however object to having it thrown in my face...
all businesses work the costs, including the "fees" into their purchase price...
if doing that (working it into your starting bid) has such a great affect on your "bottom line" (being able to sell it), maybe you ought to have another look at your "bottom line" and think about re-defining it...
