eBay once again gives US sellers the shaft

[iron_chick]

http://pages.ebay.ca/promo/CASellerPack/

[bargainbloodhound]

The sellers who subscribe to that could also get the shaft when they get their monthly invoices if they're not careful.  It's another pay full price for gallery now, receive a credit 6 weeks later revenue inflating scam:

How Does it Work?  When you subscribe to eBay.ca Seller Pack you’ll be eligible to receive unlimited use of the Gallery upgrade on all your listings, plus you’ll receive access to Marketplace Research Basic. eBay.ca Seller Pack costs a flat fee of US$50.00 (C$57.00) per month. You can subscribe to eBay.ca Seller Pack by following the "Subscribe Now" link above or by clicking here.

Gallery fees for Auction Format, Fixed Price and Store Inventory listings will be revised as reflected in the fee table below on eBay.ca, eBay.com and eBay Motors (Parts & Accessories Only). Canadians subscribed to Marketplace Research Basic will see their fees revised as reflected in the table below. Please note the exclusions.

Listings created prior to the promotion and scheduled to start during the promotional period will be eligible for the promotional fee.

The reduced fees for this promotion will not be immediately reflected on the site. Users will receive the credits for Gallery and Marketplace Research fees and the debits for the eBay.ca Seller Pack within 6 weeks of the end of each calendar month during which they were subscribed. The credits and debits may not be issued at the same time. Learn why this fee gets credited back to you as opposed to being immediately reflected on the site.

[iron_chick]

Oh, I am sure there will be more than a few surprises up north when the first "free gallery" eBay bill arrives, complete with $50 additional charge PLUS the "not yet refunded" gallery charges.

[bargainbloodhound]

[quote author=iron_chick link=topic=5627.msg29567#msg29567 date=1161996086]
Oh, I am sure there will be more than a few surprises up north when the first "free gallery" eBay bill arrives, complete with $50 additional charge PLUS the "not yet refunded" gallery charges.

[/quote]

Especially if you list a few thousand items every month. :blinkie:

[iron_chick]

But ultimately, what a HUGE monetary advantage.  I know a US clothing seller who lists several hundred items a week.    She'd save a bunch of bucks (assuming, of course, eBay doesn't screw up the credits). 

[stardust]

You'd have to be a dedicated HUGE core lister to take advantage.  Saving .01 for store gallery fee is nuttin.  5000 store listings would equal the $50.

[bargainbloodhound]

assuming, of course, eBay doesn't screw up the credits

I have a better chance of being snatched by aliens in the next 5 minutes than eBay's billing department does of not screwing something up. 

[mandy]

ChannelAdvisor's Scott Wingo has a short article on the Canadian Free Gallery promotion:

Gallery is usually $.35 so if you list more than 143 items a month, you safe significant money on this plan.  In fact here's a schedule:

Listings  /    Savings
143          /        break-even
1000      /  $300
2000    / $650
5000    / $1,700
10k      / $3,450
30k      / $10,450
100k      / $34,950

Yes there are sellers that could benefit THIS MUCH from such a program.  Heres' the problem:
A. This is Canada only
B. Canadian listings show up in the .com site
C. Canadian high-volume-sellers now have an economic advantage of their southern brethren.

full article: http://ebaystrategies.blogs.com/ebay_str..._angr.html

[iron_chick]

Yep, what he said.

[sneakymagenta]

Thank you eBay.