posted on October 12, 2006 04:09:04 AM
I'd like to thank everyone for their great responses to my other topic about how some big powersellers get away with anything they want, specifically, AccStation, EverydaySource, itrimming, and eforcity(Of course they are really all just one company who think they're slick enough to not be found out by anyone).
Because of the amount of responses, I thought maybe we could do a little something. If you have 5 minutes to spare, I've compiled a list of 10 auctions for each of those 4 members where they have a listing with a Buy It Now of $0.01 and Shipping of $4.99(the shipping price which my listings were removed at when my buy it now was $3.99 and not .01)or higher(some as high as $6.99 and $7.95). I am also going to include a link to the policy violation report page. If you could, please click on the link, and just simply report it as excessive shipping by clicking on Listing Policy Violations, then under Steps 2 and Steps 3 click Excessive Shipping and then click submit and email us and enter in these numbers for the following:
Link to reporting form: http://pages.ebay.com/help/contact_us/_base/index_4.html?item=&topic=index_4&continue=Continue+%3E
I believe that if we all report these auctions, hopefully eBay can't just continue to ignore them like they do with me. If you'd also like, post some auction numbers from people that are getting away with everything in the categories that you sell under and I will also help you by reporting them too. If we all take a stance together, that is probably the most powerful way of making the selling market fair!
Since these are all store listings I will check back on them in a week and see if any of them have been removed and post an update for you all. Thanks for all your help!
For one thing, $6.99 does NOT strike me as a particularily outrageous S&H charge! I've seen far far worse, and I seriously doubt that feeBay will consider it to be over-the-line!
I think you would do better to FIND A DIFFERENT PRODUCT LINE TO SELL than to expend all this energy trying to teach feeBay the error of its ways!
I've done it 4 times since 1999 -- yeah, it's not fun, but often it is the only choice...
posted on October 12, 2006 05:44:42 AM
It is in fact a high shipping & handling charge. They use first-class mail(I have bought from them before to see) which costs at most for some of those items probably $1.39 for a 5 oz. item with delivery confirmation. Their polybags that they use cost about $.03 and they use labels which are probably $.01 if not free. I've had listings taken down that were the same exact items as them but instead of .01 and 6.99 shipping, I had them at $3.99 with $4.99 shipping.
Yes, it could be just this field of items, but this same type of practice that ebay does is happening in every category. If you go see my previous topic you will see. If we take a major stance I think something will be done. I've also emailed CNBC, FoxNews, MSNBC, and CNN within the past week so we'll see if we can break this open!
posted on October 12, 2006 06:14:11 AM
The injustice is that your items were pulled, not that these items weren't. Have you tried to contact eBay to find out what is an acceptable S/H fee? Starting price seems irrelevant to me.
Tis feeBay's ballpark, and, thankfully, they really can make up their rules...or change their rules...or have NO rules at all & enforce or NOT ENFORCE their rules as THEY see fit...
Tis cold...tis maybe heartless...TIS AMERICAN BUSINESS and you are welcome to take yer antenna boosters (or whatever) elsewhere...
I may be a flaming liberal, but the LAST THING I desire is to have Sgt Schultz-Twinkie Boy Denney Hestert sticking his chubby snout into my S&H CHARGES!
Truly, ye should MOVE ON (.org)!
When I first started out on feeBay in 1999, I was selling my videotape collection. I listed a very famous movie by Louis Malle (Candice Bergen's husband before he died) called "Pretty Baby" which had very fleeting scenes of a nude (and 12yo) Brooke Shields!
FeeBay PULLED MY LISTING with the excuse that underage NUDE scenes in movies were verboten! I replied with the OTHER 50 or SO SAME LISTINGS and feeBay replied: "If you re-list, yer out of here!"
Did I take my ball & glove & run home? Nah! I learned the lesson: "Tis feeBay's ballpark -- they makum da RULES"
Now if yer "friends" were charging $59.99 for S&H for a belt-clip, then you might have a leg to stand on...BUT: $6.99????
Seems that THEY have found a BUSINESS MODEL that works for THEM -- now you have to find a NEW one in RESPONSE...
posted on October 12, 2006 07:23:09 AM
'It is in fact a high shipping & handling charge. They use first-class mail(I have bought from them before to see) which costs at most for some of those items probably $1.39 for a 5 oz. item with delivery confirmation. Their polybags that they use cost about $.03 and they use labels which are probably $.01 if not free. I've had listings taken down that were the same exact items as them but instead of .01 and 6.99 shipping, I had them at $3.99 with $4.99 shipping.
Yes, it could be just this field of items, but this same type of practice that ebay does is happening in every category. If you go see my previous topic you will see. If we take a major stance I think something will be done. I've also emailed CNBC, FoxNews, MSNBC, and CNN within the past week so we'll see if we can break this open!
//////////////////////////////////////////
There must be better things to do in life than to micro study your competitor's packing ,LIKE SOMETHING ELSE TO SELL!
posted on October 12, 2006 08:52:32 AM
gtonline - I think you are wasting your time with email, phone calls, and filing reports, which are most likely thrown in the hopper.
Send a letter, yes a real letter, to ebay legal department, certified, return receipt, and a copy to Bill Cobb. In that letter, document your listings which were removed by ebay. Further, state that similar listings by your competitors are allowed to remain. Provide the information you have accumulated, to support your claim.
Remind ebay of their claims of only being a "venue." Stake your claim that the actions of ebay, may be considered by the Court, as business interference. Further, by their actions, ebay may also be providing unfair business advantage to a particular class of sellers.
Quote the relevant policy or policies which you believe govern the situation. Demand that ebay enforce the policy as it applies to the sellers in question.
posted on October 12, 2006 01:40:33 PM
I went to the first 2 of Everyday Source's auctions you had listed and they were no longer there. I copied and pasted, so either they have been removed, or the #s were not correct.
posted on October 12, 2006 04:35:05 PM
so the total cost to the buyer is 5 dollars with no sales tax,is that too much??
Should we report each other for excessive shipping?
Fluffy charges 6 dollars for 99 cents item,is that excessive?
I charge 3.95 to ship a small item in a box and postage is only 1.60 with DC.
If you cant fight them,JOIN THEM,start your item at one penny with 4.99 shipping
[ edited by hwahwa on Oct 12, 2006 04:38 PM ]
posted on October 12, 2006 09:39:22 PM
If we all sold are items for 1 cent BIN and $4.99 shipping, eBay would cancel all of our auctions!
The point of the thread is that ebay allows the large sellers to get away with it, while small sellers get their auctions cancelled due to "fee avoidance".
posted on October 13, 2006 05:59:35 AM
I see many small sellers who start their auctions at one penny and charge much more than 4.99 for shipping,they are still around and going strong !
The point is -how much is your time worth?why not find something else to sell and avoid certain categories which are just overcrowded with foreign sellers,importers and wholesalers and sellers who are happy to make money on shipping!
posted on October 13, 2006 06:30:10 AM
Isn't the point - those who use BIN for .01 and the higher shipping cost? That's true fee avoidance.
Those who start "auctions" at .01 and sell at that are taking a risk at selling at that - unless they can make a profit on their items at that rate.
If that's the case, how do you allow legitimate auctions to start at a low amount and have a high shipping (but still reasonable for the size and weight of the item)?
Wayne
Never explain -- Your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway.
~ Elbert Hubbard
