eBay: Here's Your New Years Resolution:
braddick
Posts: 24,818 ✭✭✭✭✭
An open plea to eBay: Stop charging 1% fees for Reserve Auctions. eBay, you're making dishonest people out of honest ones. If a Seller lists a $2,000.00 coin with a reserve, you are charging $20. whether the coin sells or not. Add that to the fees you collect at the end of the auction coupled with listing fees and extras (such as featured auctions and Gallery) and your Paypal fees (if the item is paid for via that route), you're killing the Seller.
eBay, you must know there is little chance an expensive item, such as that $2,000.00 coin would ever be listed at $1. with No Reserve that is not manipulated. You are forcing this Seller to then either directly or indirectly shill the auction.
Who is going to take a hugh hit on an expensive coin without preserving and protecting at least some of their interest in it?
Drop the 1% fee and Sellers will go back to offering reserves instead of allowing the auction to be protected by shill bidding.
It's the right thing to do, and if you don't, you're killing the goose who laid the golden egg. Already there are disgruntled Collectors who are getting sick of seeing coins they are bidding on being jacked up and raised by Shills. These same Collectors may soon simply drop out of the "eBay competition", and understandably so.
This practice is running rampant with Dealers/Sellers who sell on consignments. Although the Seller is not directly involved in shilling up the price, you had better believe the owner/cosigner is. It's not fair to the consumer and in the long run is not fair to other Sellers. It's going to hurt eBay eventually so do the right thing: Get rid of the 1% charge for Reserve Auctions. What better New Year's Resolution?
eBay, you must know there is little chance an expensive item, such as that $2,000.00 coin would ever be listed at $1. with No Reserve that is not manipulated. You are forcing this Seller to then either directly or indirectly shill the auction.
Who is going to take a hugh hit on an expensive coin without preserving and protecting at least some of their interest in it?
Drop the 1% fee and Sellers will go back to offering reserves instead of allowing the auction to be protected by shill bidding.
It's the right thing to do, and if you don't, you're killing the goose who laid the golden egg. Already there are disgruntled Collectors who are getting sick of seeing coins they are bidding on being jacked up and raised by Shills. These same Collectors may soon simply drop out of the "eBay competition", and understandably so.
This practice is running rampant with Dealers/Sellers who sell on consignments. Although the Seller is not directly involved in shilling up the price, you had better believe the owner/cosigner is. It's not fair to the consumer and in the long run is not fair to other Sellers. It's going to hurt eBay eventually so do the right thing: Get rid of the 1% charge for Reserve Auctions. What better New Year's Resolution?
peacockcoins
0
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My ebay auctions
just for the record the 1% reserve fee is waived if the item meets the reserve.
I do not do reserve auctions because of the 1% fee.
<< <i>This practice is running rampant with Dealers/Sellers who sell on consignments. Although the Seller is not directly involved in shilling up the price, you had better believe the owner/cosigner is. >>
Interesting!!!!!
David
For example, if one or more of the bidders are serious players in the coin I'm chasing I may well pass instead of competing against them. Now, when I do this mini investigation and I see a bidder who I check and then discover OWNS (or, at minimum, owned) the coin it makes me shake my head in disgust.
I had a lengthy and energetic phone conversation with a board member earlier this morning who is also a heavy eBay hitter and I heard his stories of woe regarding the spoiled repuations some Sellers are getting as it becomes more and more apparent and obvious shilling is going on. Especially when the Seller has little or no control of shilling taking place with consigned coins feautured on HIS auctions.
I don't particularly like Reserve Auctions but I strongly dislike shilled ones even more.
I wish there were easy answers outside of not charging the 1% fee, but I don't see it.
peacockcoins
I can see both sides of this argument, but I do understand why eBay instituted the policy. eBay was turning into an “on-line price list” for numerous large dealers. I mean really, what a great way to get your inventory in front of a large audience, for a relatively small amount of dough.
They would list a ton of material, with high reserves (sometimes even nutty, out of whack prices). A week would go by, with zero bids on anything. Why? Simple: deals were being transacted on the side. Heck, I’ve done many myself. I’d drop the dealer an email, offer him 85% or so for the coin I was interested in, and the deal was done. I got the coin at fair price, the dealer doesn’t owe eBay a final sale fee; I mean, everyone wins, right? Not exactly - eBay loses….
Dave
P.S. I'm a shareholder who is, yes, completely jaded!
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