Is Ebay Trying To Get Rid Of All Its Sellers?

October 4, 2008

I don’t use Ebay heaps. But I’ve been a member for a few years and it’s been really handy when I’ve wanted to buy and sell particular things.

And I know Ebay changed a few policies recently, which caused many sellers to boycott their service. So I really didn’t expect them to do anything to piss people off further. And it was a bit of a surprise when I listed an item for sale and saw a message which said I had to use Paypal as a buying option, as I didn’t have a long enough trading history.

I’ve been a member since 1999, so I don’t know how long you’ve got to be a member for to have had a “long trading history”. Anyway, I thought, bugger it - I prefer Paypal anyway. But the biggest blow was yet to come - I discovered that I may not get paid for my item for a month.

Paypal have put the payment “on hold” until either - I receive positive feedback from the buyer, or 21 days have passed. Well, this is more than just a bit annoying. I’ve sold heaps of items where the buyer hasn’t left feedback - a lot of buyers don’t use Ebay on a regular basis, so I guess they just don’t bother.

It usually takes around a week for payments to hit my account from Paypal to begin with and now they’re adding an extra three weeks. I guess it will be great for Ebay though - since they own Paypal, they’ll accumulate a hefty amount of interest by withholding these payments. Also, they’ll be making a lot of additional commission on the Paypal transactions.

Now, I’m wondering how this will affect folk who sell on a regular basis, or use Ebay to make a living. I’m guessing it’s really going to bugger up some people’s cashflow.

Do you sell on Ebay? Is Ebay your main source of income? Has this new rule put you off trading on there? And do you think all these changes would make it easier for a competitor to set up and take a lot of trade from Ebay?

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Comments

11 Responses to “Is Ebay Trying To Get Rid Of All Its Sellers?”

Al at 7P on October 5th, 2008 12:20 am

I’ve bought most of my stuff off of Amazon, and sometimes I use Craigs List also. I used to be a big Ebay buyer and seller, but now I realize it’s less relevant these days.

Al at 7P’s last blog post..Guest Post at Write to Done
natural on October 5th, 2008 12:45 am

oh wow, i just sold some stuff on ebay and i didnt know about these changes, probably because i don’t pay much attention to their terms and policies. a month is a long time to wait to be paid.
Davina on October 5th, 2008 6:07 am

Hi Cath. I haven’t ever used ebay and don’t plan to. I’ve used craigslist but even though I’ve had good results there, I still feel apprehensive. This ebay stuff sounds too frustrating for me. I hope you get paid sooner rather than later.

Davina’s last blog post..Creative Luny Landing In The Sand
Mike Goad on October 5th, 2008 6:24 am

I’ve never sold much on ebay and have, actually bought more there than I’ve sold. However, it’s not a regular stop online for me. I sometimes use it to buy things that are hard to find locally.

I do use paypal when I buy there. I also have used paypal to send emergency money and, through that, learned that it takes longer for the money to transfer if it’s just a credit card. Our daughter needed money quickly once when her husband was stationed in Korea, so we used the the “verified” feature, which takes the funds straight out of our bank account. There is no wait for that. We’ve had it set up that way for 6 years and have had no problems.

Mike Goad’s last blog post..Photographic Serendipity
cathlawson on October 5th, 2008 11:20 am

Hi Al - I must admit Amazon is my first stop too. I’ve sold quite a few books on there as well as buying. It’s far easier to do it on there than on ebay.

Hi Valerie - if they paid via paypal, you need to check and see if it says “on hold” in the payments section.

Hi Rita - Thanks will check email. You know how I am - I keep forgetting to look in Gmail.

I’m getting more tempted to join you in that ebay boycott now and I think I’ll check out that site you mentioned. I hadn’t worked out the total paypal rates but I’d be interested in knowing what they equate to per annum.

Hi Davina - I’ll check out Craigslist but I’m not sure whether they have UK listings. I guess the ebay thing will affect those who sell regularly the most - especially if they need the cash to buy new items to list.

Hi Mike - I’ll be checking out that verified feature if it makes transactions go through quicker. Like you - I have mostly used it to find stuff I can’t get from round here.
Kathy @ virtual Impax on October 5th, 2008 12:36 pm

Cath,

Once again, you read my mind! It’s been AGES since I tried to sell anything on Ebay - and with the holidays around the corner, I was seriously thinking about unloading some of my kid’s junk there.

I too have been a member of ebay since 1999 and I too don’t have an extensive trading history. With this post in mind, I’ll pass!

I guess I’ll call the local charity and donate - which is probably the better choice anyhow!

Kathy @ virtual Impax’s last blog post..Google Page Rank Update - Should You Care?
cathlawson on October 5th, 2008 3:54 pm

Hi Kathy - it’s a shame Ebay had to do that isn’t it. We could all do with some extra cash the way the economy is - but who wants to wait a whole damn month.

Hi Rita - I was wondering if you were still pissed off with ebay, when I wrote this. Now I have my answer.
Wendi Kelly-Life's Little Inspirations on October 6th, 2008 6:33 pm

Hi Cath,

This is all news to me, thanks for this post. I have never sold anything from Ebay. I do have a Pay Pal account and I like it so far. It is nice and easy and that’s what I need!

Wendi Kelly-Life’s Little Inspirations’s last blog post..Bouncing Back
Barbara Swafford on October 7th, 2008 7:29 am

Hi Catherine - I’ve never sold on Ebay. I have had good luck with craigslist, though.

Barbara Swafford’s last blog post..I’m Leaving You In Good Hands
cathlawson on October 8th, 2008 11:54 am

Hi Wendi - paypal is really convenient isn’t it? It’s definitely my preferred way to pay online.

Hi Barbara - A lot of folk mention Craigslist. I’ll have to check it out and see if I can sell anything on there.
walkersoarin on November 4th, 2008 7:37 am

FIRE JOHN DONAHOE PETITION!

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?jdonohoe

“Ebay Stockholders and Sellers Calling For Immediate Termination of John Donohoe CEO”

PLEASE! Pass this information on to others!!!

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