Thread: new ebay policies (again) in October how do you feel?

Just got an email from ebay about new changes (again) coming in October

Nothing I'm too excited about as far as being a seller but one of the new policies is that they are not going to allow personal checks or money orders from buyers anymore. How do you guys feel about this? Personally I'm a fan of paypal and it's been very easy to use, and convenient, for years but i think they are shutting out buyers who don't want to sign up with paypal for whatever reason..

your thoughts?

As a customer, I prefer PayPal - quick, easy and some stranger doesn't have your account info off your check. A few bad vendors make things more difficult for everyone.


Overall Ebay seems to be trying to drive out the smaller sellers. Individual craftspeople or sellers of specialty items (like belly dance dvds) and people cleaning out grandma's attic were what made it interesting to me. They seem to be trying to turn it into Walmart. I use ebay a whole lot less now because it's less fun and less interesting.

Mostly my favorite vendors have set up their own websites or use etsy or even just sell through tribe.

I can see eliminating personal checks, but not money orders. There are people who don't want to use PayPal for various reasons. So if it's stated no money orders, the winning bidder(s) will make private arrangements with the seller.

The new policies stink..Ebay is now making fixed price 35cents BUT get 12% at the end That is more than the store..And now we can not leave negative feedback BUT people can buy not pay and still leave me a negative as long as they answer the unpaid reminder..And the best match idea stinks too..They are driving us little sellers out..I started doing ebay a few years ago when I was a single Mom..Now I am remarried and I still do ebay to afford bellydancing but it is not as important as it once was..Its sad that they are hurting the smaller sellers Who unfortunately prob need the money more And most of all the ability to be home with kids and make money..Ebay stinks!!Every policy change makes it harder and harder =(

It would seem to me that it should be up to the seller to decide what type of payment they are will to take or risk taking. I know that personal checks can be a gamble but if the seller is willing to take that gamble then why not? I don't really know how e-bay works from a sellers view but why would they care so much?

Originally Posted by Linnyg

It would seem to me that it should be up to the seller to decide what type of payment they are will to take or risk taking. I know that personal checks can be a gamble but if the seller is willing to take that gamble then why not? I don't really know how e-bay works from a sellers view but why would they care so much?

What Linnyg said. I don't sell on eBay very often, but I'll *ONLY* accept money orders or checks. I want nothing to do with PayPal on the seller's end, and am darn near "done with" them on the buyer's end due to their increasing stridency about becoming "verified" - which means they have their hand in my checking account. NO WAY will I link my checking account to ANYTHING on-line. NO. WAY. I know too much. Surely they can "verify" without getting into your bank account.

I understand why they went to the "no negative feedback" for buyers - but that wasn't the solution...

That is exactly what they are trying to do.. force the little sellers out. They would much rather have sellers like buy.com driving their wallet. We are a huge ebay family seeing as we own an auction house. We are currently looking into other auction sites. And etsy has been really good to me as far as the handmade stuff goes.

Nilaja

If ebay keeps raising their fees and making policies to monopolize business, more people are going to go back to using consignment shops and flea markets.
You used to be able to find anything on ebay. Now I can't find half the stuff I am looking for. Ebay stinks

Originally Posted by theesfield

That is exactly what they are trying to do.. force the little sellers out. They would much rather have sellers like buy.com driving their wallet. We are a huge ebay family seeing as we own an auction house. We are currently looking into other auction sites. And etsy has been really good to me as far as the handmade stuff goes.

Nilaja

Keep us posted re: other auction sites. I only signed up for paypal since most of the dancers use it. Almost all of the items I sell are belly dance related and listed on BHUZ. But my husband sells toys and toy trains on e-bay and a lot of the buyers don't have or want to use paypal. So the no checks/no money orders policy is going to hurt.,m::

On the other hand this might mean people will start looking and using other auction sites and give e-bay some competition.
Patricia

it stinks that ebay is forcing buyers to use paypal

looks like october they may lose more sellers and buyers..shame..that's normally a good selling month

for small sellers i think ebay is still a cost effective way to advertise for new business or to unload overstock/defective/ etc but to run multiple auctions doesnt seem very cost effective. one well placed ad will pay for itself but multiples of the same thing seem like a drain on finances and time unless i'm missing something :)

i saw in the policy update, seller related, they give listing fee breaks to sellers who list at starting bid .99 with auction ending soonest..seems another way to drain your bank account..first of all you are taking the risk that bids won't go too high if you start them at .99 and then having to keep the pipeline full of ending soonest listings (like one day auctions) ..then on top of that pay ebay listing fees, final value fees, then pay an assistant to do the shipping for you then give the IRS their cut..doesn't seem too intelligent

glad i'm on etsy

I personally like Paypal because it's safe and offers protection. But I don't like the fees they charge me as a seller (receiving payment). I could see a seller wanting to take only money orders to avoid getting charged steep fees for larger sales. Why does Ebay have to get involved and deciding that for us? Whatever happened to having choices?

I also don't like the no negative feedback. It's not honest anymore. And I don't like the new feedback rating system, just because someone left me 1 neutral feedback months ago, now mine is only 92.3 % !! Everything else is positive, never had a negative feedback yet it looks like I'm not to be trusted.

Are Ebay and Paypal owned and operated by the same people? Eliminating all competition? Just wonderin.

Originally Posted by Surida

Are Ebay and Paypal owned and operated by the same people? Eliminating all competition? Just wonderin.

Don't have an answer to your question just wanted to throw out there that I love your tag line! Sorry...back to topic.

Originally Posted by Surida

Are Ebay and Paypal owned and operated by the same people? Eliminating all competition? Just wonderin.

Ebay bought paypal in 2002.

I thought so - but wasn't 100% sure. Thanks khalisah.

Thanks Linnyg..g.: