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 I was over at the cheesepitstop.com and read this I don't know if you guys know about this or not , But I think I'm done on ebay.
 Pat :glare:


Hello cheeseman1, 

Here is a follow-up email regarding recent changes on eBay. eBay is taking steps to create a great marketplace for sellers, reduce upfront selling fees, optimize search exposure and build buyer confidence, that will help drive more sales for sellers. PLEASE NOTE: You may be required to make some adjustments to your listings, so we suggest you reference the listings checklist at the bottom of this email to minimize any impact to your sales. You can find complete details about the changes at http://www.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/Overview


Here’s a quick recap of some of the key changes, followed by best practices and a listings checklist:

Auction-style—still the heart of eBay—“time ending soonest” still key: There are no changes to basic fees for auction-style listings, and auction-style remains an ideal format for many sellers. Along with item relevance, seller DSRs, and total price, the time remaining is key for Auction-style listings. That means your Auction-style listings will continue to get an automatic boost in exposure as ending time approaches. To learn more about fee changes, visit http://www.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/BasicFees


Insertion Fees for Fixed Price Listings: eBay is lowering upfront listing fees for Fixed Price listings—a new flat rate Insertion Fee of just 35¢, regardless of asking price or number of items available in your listing. For more information on new fees, visit http://www.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/BasicFees


Fixed Price—your listing’s recent sales now factored into Best Match search results. Now, the more items sold in your fixed price listing, the better position you get in search results. “Time ending soonest” is no longer a factor for Fixed Price. The best way to build up a “recent sales” advantage is to combine similar items in one multi-quantity Fixed Price listing with the new 30-day duration option included at no extra charge. In fact, this would be a great time for you to consider moving some of your best Store inventory to 30-day fixed price listings on eBay. Your listings will get more exposure at a very low price. To learn more about the recent sales factor, visit http://pages.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/OtherFAQ#5. And as always, maintain good DSRs and price your items competitively.

Reduced Final Value Fees for some categories: eBay is also reducing Final Value Fees in key categories such as Electronics, Video Game Systems, Cameras & Photo and Computers & Networking. To learn more, visit http://www.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/BasicFees

Limits on shipping charges for key categories: Starting in October, eBay will be enforcing maximum shipping charges in Books, DVDs and Movies, Music, Video Games categories. If you sell in one of these categories, you must set domestic shipping & handling charges for your first service at or under the shipping limit for the category. If your situation is not standard (e.g., if you’re shipping several items to one buyer), you can also use the shipping calculator to charge actual costs. To learn more, visit http://pages.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/MaxShipping

Special incentives for free shipping: For items sold between October 1st and December 31st, 2008 that offer free shipping, eBay will give major incentives to sellers during the holidays. Listings with free shipping will include a free subtitle upgrade to highlight this benefit in your listing and PowerSellers will get double their Final Value Fee discounts. As always, listings with free shipping get an extra advantage in search results. To learn more, visit http://pages.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/OtherFAQ#18

Checks and money orders no longer allowed: Beginning in late October, sellers will no longer be allowed to offer checks or money orders as payment methods on eBay. Only approved electronic methods will be allowed. In January 2009, all accepted payment methods will be integrated into eBay Checkout. For buyers, change means a more consistent and secure payment experience. For sellers, it means faster payment and fewer unpaid items. (Note this policy will not apply to some categories in Motors, Real Estate, Mature Audiences, and Business & Industrial). To learn more, visit http://pages.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/OtherFAQ#23

Minimum 4.3 detailed seller ratings (DSRs) required to keep selling on eBay: The vast majority of eBay sellers—some 96%—are well above this threshold. To protect the interests of all these sellers, starting November 1 eBay will no longer allow the few who don’t deliver on basic standards of customer satisfaction to sell on eBay. Sellers will be evaluated on the past 30 days of DSRs. Sellers who’ve received less than ten DSRs in the past 30 days will be evaluated on their DSRs over the last 12 months. Sellers with no DSRs will still be allowed to list. To learn more, visit http://pages.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/OtherFAQ#55

To find a complete overview of the changes, visit http://www.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/Overview


Checklists for Success
Here are some key dates to keep in mind.


Best Practices Checklist
Staying on top of the latest changes will give you an early advantage over your competition.

Starting on September 16th:

- Start listing in Fixed Price for only 35¢

- Consolidate multiple items into one multi-quantity listing

- Store sellers: Move your best Store inventory into Fixed Price

Starting on October 1st:

- Offer Free Shipping and get free Subtitle, PowerSellers: get double your Final Value Fee discount.

Listings Checklist

Make sure your listings are clear to buyers, competitive, and compliant with new policies. eBay recommends addressing these early to avoid disruptions to your sales.

By August 25th:

You’ll need to specify the following in the “Shipping and Handling” section:

- Shipping cost

- Shipping carrier(s)

Books, DVDs and Movies, Music, Video Games Listings:
- Describe your item with our new item condition options (Brand New, Like New, Very Good, Good, or Acceptable)

By October 5th:

- Revise your shipping costs so they’re below eBay’s maximum shipping costs, or use eBay’s shipping calculator to determine shipping costs based on your buyer’s location.

By late October:

- Remove checks and money orders from the “Payment Details” section


Make sure you specify the following listing fields (previously optional):

- Return policy

- Handling time

Tip: This is a great time to add Item Specifics to your listings, making it easier and faster for buyers to find your items.

To help your business better adapt to these changes, follow this checklist thoroughly. Download a printer-friendly version of the Seller Checklist, at http://pages.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/checklists

Top 5 Best Practices to Boost Your Success


Here are a few quick tips for taking best advantage of the latest developments on eBay—just in time to jumpstart your holiday selling season.


1) List in Fixed Price for 35¢—regardless of start price, item quantity or duration.



2) List in Auction-style with a low start price for the lowest possible fees on eBay.



3) Revise your listings now to stay on top of upcoming changes.



4) Offer free shipping!



5) Give customers great service and earn high detailed seller ratings (DSRs)—your key to success on eBay.



To get more details about Best Practices, visit http://pages.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/BestPractices


Finally, check your Seller Dashboard often to keep track of what’s going well and spot opportunities for improvement. To visit the Seller Dashboard you will need to log into your account. For tips on improving your DSRs, visit http://www.ebay.com/sellercentral/feedback



Hope you found this information helpful. Thanks for your time.

Hmmmm.

Well... this is gonna stink... I don't like Paypal I don't have or want a Paypal account...
Well I did.. then my card expired and when I went to add the new one (which is usually the
same number just different experation date it wouldn't take it.... Screw it... I don't buy or sell enough anyway... Also had a friend sell a chainsaw on ebay guy paid with paypal just to
withdraw his payment..! Stating he didn't receive.... Which he did cause he mailed Doug wanting to know if he had others for sale...What!?!!?! 
I'ts enough that they have access to your banking account which I hate.... now
I will have to have a PayPal account to sell or buy.... Welll that'll be it for me. :veryangry:

Ebay is still the best   for me to find non- repro parts for my jukes, but  my Ebay activity  has gone down this year.
The hiding of bidder names  opened up schill bidding like never before, and while i was never be a power seller, the  cut taken out by Pay Pal and Ebay, and pressured to cover shipping doesn't  make it worthwhile.
That said,  until someone comes along with the exposure and the number of items available,  it's  still the  "best" game in town.

I do more buying than selling! I have been getting some good deals lately too!

Last time I sold, I got really frustrated with the disappearance of things that "used to be". I had a hard time doing the listing the way I used to and ended up having to pay their fees for everything.  :veryangry:  I used to be somewhat computer literate, but since we had kids have not kept up with all the innovations and technological advances of the computer.

I'll sell on eBay in the future too because (like Kilroy said), it is the only game in town. Most likely I'll sit on stuff for a few years until the economy picks up some.

I have had PayPal for many years and have never had a problem with it (other than the fees).

I think this really hurts the large sellers with online stores with ebay, and for some of those folks, that is their FULL TIME JOB.. so that will suck.
Me... I still enjoy it, find some things that I would have never found by not looking on ebay... Can't go to every antique mall or swap meet in the world, so it's fun to look and occasionally find something for the collection.
As far as selling, sure it's gonna cost more, what doesn't cost more these days? it's still the Best Exposure to litterally Millions of people who may want to buy your item... So it's either set the price and put it on craigslist and hope it sells, or put it out there for Mobs of collectors and other guys/gals like us and hope to get the most out of it?
I'll continue to use it..