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New math??? How does 99 cents free shipping work on eBay?
jmlanzaf
Posts: 32,022 ✭✭✭✭✭
99 cents for a quarter with free shipping.
Managed payments fee, even with a store, is 8.45% + 30 cents - call it 39 cents.
1st class postage, if you ignore the non-machinable surcharge is 55 cents.
That's 94 cents without the envelope or 2x2 for a quarter.
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[Technically, the quarter should go non-machinable 1st class for 70 cents which is $1.09 without the envelope and 2x2.
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I thought my business model was silly.
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Some sellers do that kind of thing to get their feedback scores up.
Maybe that's it. I did it once when I was short a few sales and my top-rated seller was at risk. I sold $1 silver certificates for 99 cents free shipping.
I think they're making up for it in volume......
Maybe 25% of buyers leave feedback these days, in my experience.
Yes, runs a little over 30% for me. Although I don't solicit it. Some sellers are downright shameless in begging for it.
Gotta be careful begging for feedback. Saw more than one seller with negatives just saying "here's your d*** feedback" or something along those lines.
I about did it to a car salesman recently after he kept calling and begging me to do some survey.
Also, some people don't know how to math, so there's that.
Probably from China. Tariff rates for international shipping from China to the U.S. are ridiculously low.
True, but it says it ships from New York.
they make up for it with volume - plug in 2 coins
"99 cents free shipping" explained:
After you sell the item and pay all the fees, you're "free" of your 99 cents and stuck with shipping the item.
It still only really works if you consider the cost of shipping supplies to be free and assume that they are not applying the proper shipping.
I've done the math for one item with proper shipping and the total cost is $1.19. A second item would only add about 9 cents to the cost which puts you at $1.28 + 50 cents face value = $1.72 in cost vs $1.98 in revenue. If you ship 20 per hour, that's $3.20 (before taxes) per hour.
It is NOT from China. The listing is right there if you want to look at it.
Seller values buyer more than money.
To me, feedback is always a two way street. If it is important to you, leave it, if not, don't.
Wayne
Kennedys are my quest...