PayPal Only!

As a seller on ebay, you get notice of changes to the policies. As of Oct. 20th, ebay will no longer allow sellers or buyers to use checks, money orders or cash to pay for purchases. Everything that sells on ebay is supposed to go through either PayPal or PayPro.
If you don’t have an electronic payment method, they are going to try to block you from bidding. If you wish to continue to purchase items off of ebay, you should start setting up your accounts.
Several sellers have already started putting in their sale items a note that they will continue to accept paper payment if the buyer wants to go that route. What upsets me is that ebay already takes a flat fee for the posting, and a percentage after the sale, but now they want another percentage for handling the money.

I, frankly am disgusted with the way Ebay is going. I really think they are hurting themselves in the long run. Paypal is convenient at times but to make it mandatory is really going to far. Receiving a payment of $7.00 from a buyer, will cost you an additional .50 cent. An $85.00 sale will cost $2.75 and large sale of $500.00 will cost you $16.00. For the seller who sells say, 50 items a week or even just in a month, this will really put a dent in profits. To add this on top of the fees that are already in place is going to hurt the sellers right in the pocket book. As if the economy wasn't already killing us They also are stopping us from listing our address on the sellers page for receiving payments or our email address. I don't know about others, but I have enjoyed kibitzing with my buyers and have developed a few friendships over the years. For me, that is half the fun and they are taking that away too.

Diana

I don't know if this will make a huge dent in the smaller sellers, but you are right about the larger sellers not staying with ebay. With limiting the communications between sellers and bidders, by preventing the address and emails to be listed, questions are going to be more difficult to ask and to answer. With ebay stopping the option of paper payment, many sellers will leave the community. Think about how many auctions have in their listing that they will not accept PayPal. I see this on a regular basses. If I continue with ebay, I will start adding in a handling fee to cover the cost of PayPals cut, of course, ebay has already thought of this and are now limiting the amounts sellers can charge as a handling fee.
I found one seller who currently has the following in each of their auctions:
.

I am wondering if there is a site at least near equal to ebay. I purchase many items from ebay and do not like to use electronic payment. I have thought I might sell on ebay but everytime I look at their prices for doing so, I don't believe I would make much. I am so tired of the greed that runs rampant. How much profit do they make a year? Guess I should check Standard & Poor. Anyway, I agree with you that there are some buyers I have made friends with and keep up a correspondence with them. I shall miss making new friends. In fact, I am thinking about not using ebay anymore.

priscill wrote:I am wondering if there is a site at least near equal to ebay.

Hi priscill and welcome to the forum.

There are many on-line auctions available. You can find them with a quick Google search. Keep in mind, however, that what you might save in fees could be negated by a smaller auction audience.....especially if you intend to sell fairy lamps.

I agree that eBay's new policy seems a bit restrictive and I suspect they are profit motivated but will probably attach some "safety concerns" to their decision. That said, I am a capitalist and do not object to a business making a profit.....even a large one. As a consumer, I am free to participate or not.

While I accept all forms of payment...even an occasional "promissory note"....I prefer electronic payments. I consider them safe, quick, and efficient. And, I understand that some do not share that degree of confidence but, electronic payments are quickly becoming the "norm" for the payment of many "bills".

More often than not, my eBay auction items are in the mail the morning after the auction closes due primarily to Paypal payments. I enjoy the convenience especially if you consider the option of taking checks to the bank......Gees, I hate waiting in lines to make a deposit.

Jim.