eBay revamps Australian fees

Photo of ebay app on cellphone
Photo of ebay app on cellphone
eBay offers free images

Much maligned features of eBay.com.au that make listing a tedious task are set to be scrapped.

eBay has announced it will simplify its fee structure, remove some of the cumbersome ‘upgrade’ features sellers have to scroll through when posting and allow 12 images of products to be published at no charge.

The changes do not take effect until May 2 but will be welcomed by vendors many of whom waded through the complex listing process because no other online auction or open sales site can deliver an audience anywhere near the size of eBay’s.

eBay says offering free images will help make the site “a more engaging shopping experience” for visitors.

Another significant change likely to benefit commercial customers most is the introduction of flat final value fees for non-store and store sellers alike, capped at $100.

“This upgrade will provide sellers with a simpler, more transparent fee structure, making it easier for them to predict and calculate their fees on eBay.com.au,” the company said in a media statement Wednesday.

There was no explanation of why the changes will not take effect for six weeks.

The new capped final fee schedule is as follows:

  • 7.9 per cent flat final value fee with $100 cap per item for sellers without a Store.
  • Seven per cent flat final value fee for Featured Store subscribers with $100 cap per item.
  • Six per cent flat final value fee for Anchor Store subscribers with $100 cap per item.

“Flat final value fees will allow sellers to calculate their costs more easily, enticing them to list more items, better meeting the needs of Australian consumers,” eBay said in the statement.

However there is a catch: ‘Eligibility criteria‘ excludes a number of popular categories from the capped fees, including movies, videos and books along with big ticket items like cars and property which one would expect.

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