# Boycott ebay



## beansricerevolt (Jun 29, 2005)

There is a mass boycott 18th of Feb. thru the 25th of Feb.
Im asking that nobody even go to ebay.

This new system (starting Feb. 20th) is favoring the power sellers and stepping on the average joes like me.

Please go to the ebay and check it out for yourself.
*Sellers can no longer leave feedback
*Higher fees unless you are a power seller
*they now are taking a % of shipping fees, even to the sellers that use exact shipping quote
and many more ugly things.


----------



## DandeCobb (Jul 20, 2006)

what??? thats nuts. so basically they are ensuring that ebay is going to end up being one big wholesaler instead of average people selling neat, eclectic things??








:







:







:


----------



## PlayaMama (Apr 1, 2007)

dude.

i've been annoyed at ebay since they took over paypal and changed the credit card payment system.

this sucks. i'm so sick of the fees making the prices go up on everything.

bleh.


----------



## TinyBabyBean (Oct 18, 2003)

i have been boycotting ebay for well over a year now. they are not at all friendly to small sellers. i have been buying everything used locally with craig's list. with the exception of sites like diaperswappers that i used to get my newbie cloth diapers.

ebay totally sucks in my opinion and has for a long time now.


----------



## princesstutu (Jul 17, 2007)

If this is such a bad thing, why only encourage a boycott for one week?


----------



## TrippyLongstocking (Feb 27, 2007)

ebay sucks!
www.etsy.com is the way to go!
all handmade at etsy


----------



## ma2maya (Jun 12, 2003)




----------



## beansricerevolt (Jun 29, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *princesstutu* 
If this is such a bad thing, why only encourage a boycott for one week?

I didn't pick the date. Its the date that has been circulating all over the web.
I personally will not be doing business with ebay anymore.


----------



## redhen (Mar 30, 2005)

wow, that is BS.


----------



## medaroge (Dec 21, 2004)

yeah, I liked ebay before, back without everyone having to be a "power seller" and before people did ebay for a living. There is nothing wrong with that, it has just turned into something that I dont want to be a part of anymore. I like etsy stuff more anyway.


----------



## princesstutu (Jul 17, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *beansricerevolt* 
I didn't pick the date. Its the date that has been circulating all over the web.
I personally will not be doing business with ebay anymore.

Okay. Thanks for answering.


----------



## karne (Jul 6, 2005)

We are personally far happier with craigs list, or freecycle.


----------



## prettymom (Feb 23, 2007)

Ebay is shooting itself in the foot by abandoning what made it so popular in the first place. I'm a little glad...it opens the door for competition.


----------



## LaffNowCryLater (May 2, 2003)

I plan on participating, the new rules are ridiculous.


----------



## airmide_m (May 8, 2006)

Wow that totally sucks!! I've been irritated with them too lately for a few reasons. But there are two unique items I *really* want ending before the 25th so not sure I can boycott!

You know how they have it so you can list more than one address? Why even have that feature? I listed my parents in law as an alternate address so that I could send gifts directly to them rather than having them sent to me and it costing twice as much and taking twice as long.

So last time I went to buy something, I updated all my information (with my married name) and made triple sure the address was correct. It showed correctly on my screen. I think I updated all that while going through the paypal payment and all of that.

About a week later, my mother in law called to tell me that my watch had arrived at her house!! She didn't even know at first who had sent it and just had to guess.

I tried the live customer service popup on ebay, and the customer service rep told me everything was showing up correctly on her screens too, so it must have been at technical problem. She had me email tech support, but of course they emailed back saying I should speak to the seller about it. The seller shouldn't have even had that address at all, it wasn't their mistake! I emailed back to say that, and then they tried to blame Paypal, where I've only ever had one address (the correct one) listed, so I know it's not that.

I never did get the issue resolved. So now my poor mother in law has to brave NY winter to make a special trip out to the post office, and I just know she won't let me pay her back. I'm just thankful it was a little watch, and not some embarrassing item! lol


----------



## Hippie Mama in MI (Jan 15, 2008)

I make and sell bead kits on ebay, and I have active items right now, so I won't be participating in the boycott.

However I am NOT happy about the fee changes. What irks me most is that (in a seller email I got from ebay) they had the nerve to call the changes "Lower Listing Fees And More!" Yeah: the listing fees went down 20 cents, but the final value fees went UP by 4 percent. Some great value.

And the idea that buyers can only get positive feedback is REVOLTING. What if some cretin's credit card is declined?? What do I do then, I wonder?

I don't expect things to improve at ebay; they have been slowly deteriorating over the last 2 years. I just hope I can sell my bead kits somewhere else...


----------



## ssharon (Jan 19, 2008)

The bad things is WHERE do you sell your regular stuff--not products you make that can be sold on etsy. But just your stuff. Yeah, you can use craigslist for some things, but not all. For instance I have a pair of jeans listed right now. The chance that they would sell on craigslist is pretty low (I have tried to sell stuff like that before), but they will more than likely sell on eBay. eBay totally has the market on that area. We need a competitor that can make a name for itself as well as eBay has. They know they have the market cornered though and that is why they can raise their fees.


----------



## moondiapers (Apr 14, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ssharon* 
The bad things is WHERE do you sell your regular stuff--not products you make that can be sold on etsy. But just your stuff. Yeah, you can use craigslist for some things, but not all. For instance I have a pair of jeans listed right now. The chance that they would sell on craigslist is pretty low (I have tried to sell stuff like that before), but they will more than likely sell on eBay. eBay totally has the market on that area. We need a competitor that can make a name for itself as well as eBay has. They know they have the market cornered though and that is why they can raise their fees.

onlineauctions.com
amazon.com

there's a pretty big list over at http://forums.delphiforums.com/boycottebay/start this site is ONLY for organizing the boycott....they are also on myspace.com


----------



## 2 in August (Jan 6, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Hippie Mama in MI* 
I make and sell bead kits on ebay, and I have active items right now, so I won't be participating in the boycott.

However I am NOT happy about the fee changes. What irks me most is that (in a seller email I got from ebay) they had the nerve to call the changes "Lower Listing Fees And More!" Yeah: the listing fees went down 20 cents, but the final value fees went UP by 4 percent. Some great value.

And the idea that buyers can only get positive feedback is REVOLTING. What if some cretin's credit card is declined?? What do I do then, I wonder?

I don't expect things to improve at ebay; they have been slowly deteriorating over the last 2 years. I just hope I can sell my bead kits somewhere else...

Could you sell them on etsy instead?

I'm upset with ebay too. I used to sell stuff to try to earn some extra money as a sahm but now it barely seems worth it.


----------



## beansricerevolt (Jun 29, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Hippie Mama in MI* 

I don't expect things to improve at ebay; they have been slowly deteriorating over the last 2 years. I just hope I can sell my bead kits somewhere else...

You should try at etsy.com

edited to add- posted before I saw the pp


----------



## beansricerevolt (Jun 29, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *2 in August* 
I used to sell stuff to try to earn some extra money as a sahm but now it barely seems worth it.

I did too. It was a big help when $ was tight and food was dwindling. I'd run up to the thrift store and try to find a good deal. Then I'd list it on ebay. I could pull in an extra $100 - $200 a month if I really tried.

Im going to check out those other auction sites.


----------



## Tilia (Nov 18, 2006)

I'm boycotting. I haven't gone over there in weeks.

I was a small seller. I sold about 200 items last year trying to declutter my house. It was nice. Then I turned around and spent all the paypal on my DDs cloth diaper stash and a bunch of cute clothes.

I also thrifted for profit for a while. I slowly realized that it wasn't worth my time AT ALL unless each item sold for $10 or more. My thrift stores just don't have stuff like that. So I quit. The fees were just too much.

What they don't realize is, by driving away the small seller, they are driving away BUYERS. The sellers ARE buyers.

I am not shopping there anymore. Even though I really miss it. It is so much easier for me to type in what size I need, then a huge selection pops up.

Anyway, now I am looking for a new place to sell all the items that I declutter!


----------



## shayinme (Jan 2, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ssharon* 
The bad things is WHERE do you sell your regular stuff--not products you make that can be sold on etsy. But just your stuff. Yeah, you can use craigslist for some things, but not all. For instance I have a pair of jeans listed right now. The chance that they would sell on craigslist is pretty low (I have tried to sell stuff like that before), but they will more than likely sell on eBay. eBay totally has the market on that area. We need a competitor that can make a name for itself as well as eBay has. They know they have the market cornered though and that is why they can raise their fees.


I'm in the same boat, I sell primarily collectibles, vintage toys & comics. I tried selling on Craigslist and other venues and couldn't sell a thing. Since late Nov, I have been selling on ebay and have done well. I looked at some of the other alternatives but have not found anyplace where I can realistically sell and still earn a decent sum.







Right now I am gonna honor the boycott but not sure what I will do afterwards.

Shay


----------



## moondiapers (Apr 14, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *shayinme* 
I'm in the same boat, I sell primarily collectibles, vintage toys & comics. I tried selling on Craigslist and other venues and couldn't sell a thing. Since late Nov, I have been selling on ebay and have done well. I looked at some of the other alternatives but have not found anyplace where I can realistically sell and still earn a decent sum.







Right now I am gonna honor the boycott but not sure what I will do afterwards.

Shay

If you go to the link I gave a few posts above you will see where other sellers and buyers are going.


----------



## Sexybookworm (Feb 5, 2008)

Wow, thanks for the heads up. I am going to stay away.


----------



## Erinok (Sep 11, 2006)

Yeah, ebay used to be a great way to make some cash, now though unless you sell something really expensive you end up practically owing them money. I wish that a new site would come about that embodies what ebay used to be. The prob. is that ebay has a large audience.


----------



## Laggie (Nov 2, 2005)

The price increases are lame but I think it's good that sellers don't get to leave feedback. A lot of people who buy are afraid to leave bad feedback because the sellers threaten to retaliate and do the same.

There is an ebay seller currently selling counterfeits of my company's products, but the customers who have been scammed by him won't leave negative feedback because it will hurt their own feedback scores.


----------



## Maggi315 (Aug 31, 2003)

I've been selling lots of stuff on ebay and doing pretty good, my girls are using the money to help them buy stuff they want. But I looked into amazon.com today and was confused by the prices, it looks like to sell a book, there is a % fee, then also 1.85 listing fee and some other fee, is that correct? Some of the books we sell are for less than $5, so there wouldn't be anything left over?

where can I find out how much the new fees are going to be at ebay and how much of shipping they are taking? I think shipping prices are crazy now, there's been several items we wanted to buy, but the shipping would more than double the price.

Craigslist around here isn't great at all, and some things, like longaberger baskets and even my broken computer (which I just got 200 for) aren't going to sell well, the smaller auction sites haven't sold anything. I even put stuff here on mothering, but rarely sell anything. My mom is an antiques dealer and does wonderful on ebay because of the uniqueness, it's going to be hard to compete with that anywhere else.

My mom doesn't mind the fees on ebay, because as an antique dealer, the cost to drive to shows, pay for the booth for several days, lodging, meals, and then the booth supplies is far more than the ebay fees, so she considers it a much better deal.

But for people like me, just selling stuff around the house and kids clothes, the fees are getting more and more ridiculous.

I have lots of ongoing auctions right now and we are looking for a skating outfit for an upcoming competition, so we won't be able to boycott. I don't know if I think boycotting the people selling, especially the little guys is going to hurt ebay, just the little guys trying to make a few bucks. Maybe all the people buying and selling need to do something else, something that will make ebay listen, not sure what though.


----------



## Maggi315 (Aug 31, 2003)

I just went to online auctions and looked over their site, while the prices look good for sellers, I looked through over 20 pages of baby items and not one had a single bid? So, as a seller, maybe that's not so good? Anyone ever sell on there? I also looked through all the camcorders and only saw one listing with one bid, maybe I'm not looking at it right?


----------



## MamaRBH (Feb 13, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Hippie Mama in MI* 
I make and sell bead kits on ebay, and I have active items right now, so I won't be participating in the boycott.

However I am NOT happy about the fee changes. What irks me most is that (in a seller email I got from ebay) they had the nerve to call the changes "Lower Listing Fees And More!" Yeah: the listing fees went down 20 cents, but the final value fees went UP by 4 percent. Some great value.

And the idea that buyers can only get positive feedback is REVOLTING. What if some cretin's credit card is declined?? What do I do then, I wonder?

I don't expect things to improve at ebay; they have been slowly deteriorating over the last 2 years. I just hope I can sell my bead kits somewhere else...









:

I had some active listings when I first heard about this, so I had to ride them out. The bids weren't impressive - which was somewhat exciting to me, because I hope it reflects some response to the boycott.

I am very upset about the changes eBay is making. I have counted on eBay to help bring money to my home when times have been rough....and they have been rough almost always for a few years now. I'm not sure where to go to make that money now. This last round of auctions, for example, were listen specifically to help me bring in money for an unexpected medical bill. I made just enough to cover it after fees. Where can I go to do this if not to eBay? I don't sell/make handmade items. I generally sell clothing and household items. I'm really upset about these changes.


----------



## moondiapers (Apr 14, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Maggi315* 
I just went to online auctions and looked over their site, while the prices look good for sellers, I looked through over 20 pages of baby items and not one had a single bid? So, as a seller, maybe that's not so good? Anyone ever sell on there? I also looked through all the camcorders and only saw one listing with one bid, maybe I'm not looking at it right?

It's going to be booming soon. Most of the people that are boycotting ebay voted as a group to move their auctions to that site.


----------



## Kleine Hexe (Dec 2, 2001)

thanks for posting those other sites


----------



## shayinme (Jan 2, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Maggi315* 
I've been selling lots of stuff on ebay and doing pretty good, my girls are using the money to help them buy stuff they want. But I looked into amazon.com today and was confused by the prices, it looks like to sell a book, there is a % fee, then also 1.85 listing fee and some other fee, is that correct? Some of the books we sell are for less than $5, so there wouldn't be anything left over?

where can I find out how much the new fees are going to be at ebay and how much of shipping they are taking? I think shipping prices are crazy now, there's been several items we wanted to buy, but the shipping would more than double the price.

Craigslist around here isn't great at all, and some things, like longaberger baskets and even my broken computer (which I just got 200 for) aren't going to sell well, the smaller auction sites haven't sold anything. I even put stuff here on mothering, but rarely sell anything. My mom is an antiques dealer and does wonderful on ebay because of the uniqueness, it's going to be hard to compete with that anywhere else.

My mom doesn't mind the fees on ebay, because as an antique dealer, the cost to drive to shows, pay for the booth for several days, lodging, meals, and then the booth supplies is far more than the ebay fees, so she considers it a much better deal.

But for people like me, just selling stuff around the house and kids clothes, the fees are getting more and more ridiculous.

I have lots of ongoing auctions right now and we are looking for a skating outfit for an upcoming competition, so we won't be able to boycott. I don't know if I think boycotting the people selling, especially the little guys is going to hurt ebay, just the little guys trying to make a few bucks. Maybe all the people buying and selling need to do something else, something that will make ebay listen, not sure what though.

I am not sure how it is for others but in the past few months I have sold books over at Amazon and honestly its not been good money, I don't think I have made more than $40 a month selling books. I like that there is no upfront fee to list but with most of the books after its all said and done with shipping I am only netting $2-3 a book.

I don't sell antiques but selling vintage stuff it does seem harder for me me to find an alternative to sell at so like your Mom ebay sadly seems to be my best option at the moment.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Maggi315* 
I just went to online auctions and looked over their site, while the prices look good for sellers, I looked through over 20 pages of baby items and not one had a single bid? So, as a seller, maybe that's not so good? Anyone ever sell on there? I also looked through all the camcorders and only saw one listing with one bid, maybe I'm not looking at it right?

Yeah, I noticed the same thing when I have looked at the alternative sites suggested, I am hoping that they will pick up soon.

Shay


----------



## Maggi315 (Aug 31, 2003)

I have 2 more things listed on ebay, then going to try the alternative sites. We are going to list at blujay.com and onlineauctions.com and see how we do.

What about parenting type auction sites, I thought I had heard about some before? I wish that here on mothering I'd have more success, but really haven't, I did just list my ameda breast pump, we'll see how it goes and if it sells.

My sister just lost her job today and has been selling a little on ebay, she was hoping to make it more of a full time job, but now she's bummed about all the increase in fees, so we'll see if she finds another place.


----------



## Maggi315 (Aug 31, 2003)

so my last auction ended and we closed our store. we are going to list some things at the other sites, anyone else doing that and having luck? I hope so!!!!


----------



## beansricerevolt (Jun 29, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Maggi315* 
so my last auction ended and we closed our store. we are going to list some things at the other sites, anyone else doing that and having luck? I hope so!!!!

Im curious too








I haven't had a chance to register with the other sites yet.


----------



## candipooh (Jun 22, 2004)

Oh no, not good timing. I have 4 huge boxes full of new items that I am getting ready to ebay. I work at a shop that focuses on pregnant moms and babies. We are getting rid of the merchandise (she also lost her business) and just focusing on education. I volunteered to help her sell all that is left over on ebay. She is going to share the profits. I was so excited to make a little money.

What am I going to do? The stuff is clothing and diaper bags etc. Not enough to make very much profit if most is going towards fees.

Does anyone have a list of the new fees? I was worried about the fees even before the big change. I mean ebay fees plus paypal fees and how much am I really going to make on a $5 zutano outfit?









I agree that the prob with other sites is traffic. You just doing get the traffic. Even here the traffic is not happening at the trading post.


----------



## MamaRBH (Feb 13, 2004)

Maggi - which site are you going with??

I agree Candipooh... seems like the options are slim. Maybe this is why eBay is so conifdent and not listening to the users.


----------



## beansricerevolt (Jun 29, 2005)

New Fees for auctions-
Insertion fees were decreased 2 cents on most








Final value fee are now at 8.75% total. The total includes shipping.







: How can ebay take a % of your shipping and feel ok about that


----------



## MamaRBH (Feb 13, 2004)

Double post... sorry.


----------



## candipooh (Jun 22, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *beansricerevolt* 
New Fees for auctions-
Insertion fees were decreased 2 cents on most








Final value fee are now at 8.75% total. The total includes shipping.







: How can ebay take a % of your shipping and feel ok about that









And then if you use paypal they take even more. So if you sell something for $15 plus $5 shipping then ebay fees are what $1.75 and they paypal fees are what another $2?

I want to cry.


----------



## Laggie (Nov 2, 2005)

I guess you just have to bump up your shipping amount by 10% to make up the difference. Kind of lame but I can sort of see why they do it - because of those auctions where people sell an item for $1 but charge you $50 for the shipping. I hate it when sellers charge way more for shipping than the true cost. I never realized it was to get out of paying fees!


----------



## airmide_m (May 8, 2006)

The ring I wanted ended up going way beyond what I wanted to pay before I bid on it, so I participated in the boycott after all lol! Any reports on how successful it was?


----------



## sammythecat (Mar 10, 2007)

This is so sad, some of the best things come from the small sellers! Nothing unique comes from the power sellers, I hate typing in something only to get 100 listings of the same item at the same price instead of something up for auction. If this continues I will not be going there anymore either, because I like to find something unique and get a good deal on it too!


----------



## beansricerevolt (Jun 29, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Laggie* 
I guess you just have to bump up your shipping amount by 10% to make up the difference. Kind of lame but I can sort of see why they do it - because of those auctions where people sell an item for $1 but charge you $50 for the shipping. I hate it when sellers charge way more for shipping than the true cost. I never realized it was to get out of paying fees!

I do understand to an extent as well. But why penalize everyone? It would mean more to the people if they took the time (they can afford to hire more people, im sure) to go through the listings and pull the auctions that are trying to cheat the system. But instead, the greed factor takes over. They realized that the majority of the people charging to much for shipping is their power sellers







:
Its the same idea with the thousands of bootlegged DVDs. Ebay knows they are bootlegged (heck, my 9 year old daughter can tell) but refuses to pull the listings because they are making a ton of money. Instead, they turn their back.


----------



## Maggi315 (Aug 31, 2003)

it's so true about the unique items from small sellers. I love to buy christmas gifts on ebay because I can get my kids something different that I can't buy in stores.

And now that people have to raise their shipping, I'm not going to be able to buy as much. for example, there's a book I really want on there right now, it's only 1.00 but the shipping is 6.50! We all know you can ship a book for very cheap, i do it all the time on swaptree and spend like 2.00!

My girls want to keep selling stuff on ebay right now, they are making about 200/month which is an excellent part time job for kids. We did close down the store we had. They are in the middle of making up belly casting kits and postpartum gift bags for midwives and others to give out to new moms. Plus they just designed ice skating memory books that have places to write the competitions, keepsakes, etc. They are going to have they bound at staples and make about 5.00 off each one. I hate to discourage them when they are doing just a great job learning all these skills!


----------



## honeybunch2k8 (Jan 14, 2008)

^I know what you mean. I see a book on ebay I want, but the shipping is $7.00!!


----------



## beansricerevolt (Jun 29, 2005)

Maggi- You should have your girls try etsy.
The fees are way cheaper and they can design their own logo for their own page. DD is "practicing" her stitching and sewing skills in hopes of opening a shop this summer.
Traffic on etsy is crazy! DH and I have our own shop and usually sell everything within a few weeks.


----------



## laoxinat (Sep 17, 2007)

For those of us selling on etsy.com, there is a thread in WAHMs organizing a street team to promote MDC mamas' handmade products








http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=822204

Nice way to help each other and take care of our own!!


----------



## Tilia (Nov 18, 2006)

Yeah, does anyone know how the boycott went? I still haven't gone back to ebay.


----------



## beansricerevolt (Jun 29, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Tilia* 
Yeah, does anyone know how the boycott went? I still haven't gone back to ebay.

All I've read so far was "a 10% decrease in listings" during the boycott.


----------



## wantingagirl2b#4 (Jul 4, 2006)

Wow! I knew they charged fees but I am one of those that did not relize they charged fees on shipping.







That is insane!!!


----------



## 2 in August (Jan 6, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *beansricerevolt* 
New Fees for auctions-
Insertion fees were decreased 2 cents on most








Final value fee are now at 8.75% total. The total includes shipping.







: How can ebay take a % of your shipping and feel ok about that









Where do you see that shipping is included in the total? All I can find is that it says the fvf is based on the final winning bid. I need to sell some stuff, but I want to know what I'm getting into before I decide to go back.


----------



## beansricerevolt (Jun 29, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *2 in August* 
Where do you see that shipping is included in the total? All I can find is that it says the fvf is based on the final winning bid. I need to sell some stuff, but I want to know what I'm getting into before I decide to go back.

You know, I can't find what the FVF consists of on ebay either or anything about the shipping fees.
I read the shipping fees on the boycott ebay forum, posted by an ebay member.
The only thing I found was this but cannot find details of how they are Handling the excessive shipping fees.

Quote:

Coupled with the fee changes, eBay is also making a significant shift in the way it works with sellers. To start, the company is making its minimum standards more stringent for anyone who sells on the site, primarily to discourage behavior that causes buyer dissatisfaction, such as charging excessive shipping fees or not describing items accurately.
http://news.ebay.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=290446

I actually tried calling ebay today to find out. I wasn't able to connect with a live person.
Maybe I should write?


----------

