WOW ! Is all I have to say.........

"As others have stated, perhaps the most egregious betrayal is not the fee hike itself, but eBay's flat out lying in their marketing material, treating us the sellers as if we're stupid enough to believe their sugar coated fairy tale. This type of marketing communication would (or should!) be illegal in any other venue. Ebay should be fined for false advertising, and investigated for price gouging.

It is expected that a company will increase it's fees as operation costs go up. For instance, the increase in postage by a small increment every year is something I expect and understand. However eBay has turned down a dangerous path of false marketing and pure greed at the expense of honesty and financial prudence; this will make them more profitable in the short term, but unsustainable in the long term. From monopolizing their payment system, to strong-arming sellers into accepting a loss on shipping costs, to false reporting of new fee structures; ebay has abandoned it's role as a service for independent sellers, and assumed the role of a corporate thug for which the seller must work for, or go hungry.

Ebay used to be a company that I loved and was loyal to, now they are a necessary evil that I and many others will abandon whenever and as soon as the opportunity arises. Much of this can be faulted by the people in the marketing department, and the higher ups that run the company. It amazes me that a company with this much money has hired decision makers that are this stupid and greedy. Now I know why so many people don't like capitalism, because it can create monsters like this: Profitable companies that people hate. What a great America we are building.

What is wrong with our country when we cannot even be honest with each other? What is wrong with our country when respected business journals report this fee hike as a fee cut? Do they just report what the ebay PR sheet says without even reading it? I am a political centrist, but this has really woken me up to why so many people are increasingly against corporate America: because it's a sham. Since the dawn of our species we have known the dire consequences of lying to one another, and we treat these liars with the disrespect they deserve. Ebay, you will be no different.

All of the low volume, high value sellers of used and collectible items, the people that made ebay what it is today, are being completely screwed over. Final value fees for a lot of my items will either almost double, or more than double, overnight.

How cruel, in the worst economy of most of our lifetimes, to take money out of the pockets of the small sellers, and put it into the pockets of eBay and it's investors. Ebay you are utterly despicable. Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others for reporting this as a price cut, you are despicable as well for false or lax reporting of pertinent information to the American public.

This whole shenanigan has opened my eyes: How many other corporations have similar or worse lies? How many politicians and products are pushed by these same types of marketing tactics? How many other news outlets are not reporting news but regurgitating advertising material to gain readership and ad revenue?

Make no mistake, selling on ebay can still be profitable.There is however, an ever increasing incentive for independent entreprenuers to maximize their earning potential by broadening the scope of their operations. Many people on here learned the ropes of business on ebay. Now may be the time to start exploring the possibility of using your skills in other venues that will make you more profit, and actually make you proud of what you do and proud of the people you work for and work with.

I can only hope that other companies and business owners take a close look at this sinking ship and refuse to follow in its footsteps. Instead follow the course of honesty, respect, and highest customer service; and your customers will reward you."

Amazing,uh? read the discussion boards on Ebay! be carefull! you can be easily shafted when selling a high dollar item!

I'm not getting anything when I go there and click on the link for the

"couldabeenworse" discussion.... Help?

Kevin:

theres hundreds of discussions exposing the abuse of Paypal and Ebay. either on the Seller central or Paypal threads. Which one is the one you want to access? Ill see if I can help

I thought you were linking to a particular case, since Kona had commented a "WOW ".........

Bottom line about Ebay for me is....

It's their company, they will set the rules, fair, unfair or whatever they like.

What can I do about that ? ... nothing.

If I make the choice to use their services, I must play by their rules.

No one is forcing me to make that decision.

Once I've made that choice, it's up to me to present my item in the best possible way to have a chance at getting top dollar, and then hope the Ebay Buying Public agrees with me.

I may get a low price for my item. I may get screwed by a scammer. Paypal may freeze my account for no good reason. Buyers may not pay. I might get unjustified bad feedback. Lots of stuff may go wrong.

But I made the choice to step into that environment.

Are Ebay fees higher than they used to be? Yes, and so is the cost of doing business. And, I would venture that the fees aren't going to stop going up either. Where else but from the sellers are they going to get the money to maintain the same profit margin? Certainly no corporate execs are going to take a payroll cut to bolster profits.

Even with a sagging economy, goods and services are more costly than ever. My electric rates, cable bill, internet service, and cell phone bills are all more expensive this year than last year, and the year before, and the year before.

With these things, I'm pretty much stuck.

With Ebay, I have a choice... but if I choose to use them, it's their ball game.

They are driving the bus, and I'm just another Bozo who bought a ticket.