eBay is changing some policies in October, and they really, really, suck. Ripped right from their notification, it says (bolding is mine),
“Paper payments end this October
Beginning late October 2008, all items listed on eBay.com must be paid for using one of the following approved payment options:
Direct credit or debit card payment via a merchant credit card account
PayPal
ProPay
Payment on pick-up
Paper payment methods such as checks and money orders will no longer be accepted on eBay.com.By January 2009, all approved electronic payment methods will be integrated into eBay checkout. For example, buyers will be able to enter their credit card number directly into eBay checkout, and the payment will be routed to the seller’s Internet merchant account or to their PayPal account.”
Basically eBay is forcing everybody to pay through a method where they can skim off a transaction fee, which screws the seller just a little bit more. Whe you use PayPal to accept payment, eBay takes something like 4% of the transaction, which is already in addition to the seller fees. When it’s all said and done, eBay usually takes around a 10% commission on your sale. Now, I think eBay is entitled to some sort of money for each item sold, but do they really have to ding you twice if you’re only planning on using one of their services? eBay shouldn’t be interfering with the money transfer if the buyer and seller want to work out their own payment.
I’ve already stopped selling stuff on eBay if I could avoid it, but this is just another reason why gamers who are looking to unload their games online for cash should look to Amazon.com or Chase the Chuckwagon. eBay is getting greedier and greedier; but the tighter they squeeze those sellers for extra pennies, the more the dollars are going to slip by and into the pockets of sites that provide a better service.
I see this announcement as a security measure for the sellers. There is no chance of getting ripped off if the buyer can’t send you a fraudulent check. Right?
Couldn’t you get around this by allowing a buyer to choose payment on pickup, then they send you a check and you ship it? I prefer to sell my things on craigslist when possible. But sometimes your item is too specialized and eBay or Autotrader are the way to go.
I agree that sometimes you have to use eBay, but if you circumvent their policies to still accept a check, you have no way to file a claim anymore. Also, the buyer could receive a box of rocks after having paid by check and eBay is just going to say, “sorry, but we don’t deal with payments that violate the terms of service.” It’s giving people two options: either pay the extra fees or take a bigger risk in your payment transactions. It sucks.
You may be pleasantly surprised to find out that a new company called ProPay is being added to the list of acceptable payments. EBay has no financial affiliation with ProPay. ProPay is a company that has been around for over 10 years working with businesses using merchant accounts. At the end of September we will announce a new special account for their eBay customers making a new option for those leery of PayPal. Check out ProPay before you give eBay the boot.
Hey, thanks, Brandon. I’ll see how that works out. I just hope that ProPay is better at dealing with scams and that eBay doesn’t take as much of a cut as they do with PayPal.
I made lots of extra moolah over the summer as an Amazon seller. The site is simple and straightforward, making communication with buyers easy. This is my first experience as an online seller and when I looked into ebay (after my Amazon success), it all seemed way too complicated.
I love Amazon, Blake. They do such a great job at simplifying the buy/sell process. I think they’re greatest strength is how quickly things sell too. You can list an item at the price you want and see it sell in just a few hours.
What is the weirdest listing you have seen on ebay?