In every issue, readers soundoff about issues important to them. From feedback to payment services, from increased fees to posting policies, AuctionBytes Soundoff gives you a chance to air your views.

You can also read the AuctionBytes blog, which has a place for reader comments under every posting (http://blog.auctionbytes.com).

Hi Ina,
I am pretty much a newbie at the online space. I have been selling used books and CDs for about 9 months now. I typically gross about $2-3K/month in sales. I'm looking for someone that can take my business to the next level in terms of sales, teach me how to do some market research in my area and just basically show me the ropes in building an online business.

I've looked at various eBay consultants, but they are mostly eBay centric. I list on many sites through my online marketplace software called Fillz. I don't want to specifically be focused on eBay. If anything, I would like to learn more about Amazon.

Anyway, do you have any suggestions to where I can seek some help?

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Hi Ina,
I subscribe to your email newsletters that they are very timely and informative. Thanks for doing a great service! Other eBay seller may have complained to you about the lack of a true vacation setting on eBay fixed price listings that allow all listings to be invisible to buyers for the duration of the vacation. Amazon has a one-click setting for this and is very convenient.

Currently, if a seller would like to go on vacation without being bothered with questions or purchases on eBay, he has to end all auction and fixed price listings. Items in an eBay store can be made invisible, but most sellers are using a combination of fixed price and store listing nowadays. This is inconvenient and a waste of a seller's valuable vacation time, not to mention costly (relisting fees).

I have complained to eBay many times and they simply do not think this is important and have told me that nothing is coming in future software releases to fix this. I was curious and did a Google search for this and found that the Canadian eBay site (eBay.ca) somehow has this feature. Below is the text and the Help section on eBay.com where I found this:

"Going on vacation? You can do a number of things with your Fixed Price and Store Inventory items while you’re away. Most importantly, you want to make sure your buyers don't have a negative shopping experience by buying items and unexpectedly waiting a long time to receive them. There are three options and you can use one or all at the same time.
*Make your Fixed Price and Store Inventory listings unavailable
*Display a vacation message in your listings
*Display a vacation message in your Store "
http://pages.ebay.ca/help/sell/placing-store-vacation.html

The part about "Make your Fixed Price ... listings unavailable" is where eBay.ca is different from eBay.com. This is what eBay.com says:
"Going on vacation? You can do a number of things with your Store Inventory items while you’re away. Most importantly, you want to make sure your buyers don't have a negative shopping experience by buying items and unexpectedly waiting a long time to receive them. There are three options and you can use one or all at the same time.
*Make your Store Inventory listings unavailable
*Display a vacation message in your listings
*Display a vacation message in your Store "
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/placing-store-vacation.html

Notice the part about Fixed Price listings is not there on eBay.com.

It seems like an easy feature to implement, especially since the Canadian site already has it, but it is not in the plans for eBay.com. Among all the frustrating things that's been happening with eBay the last year, this is another one. They created a new feature (fixed price listings) but forgot about the usability issues surrounding it.

Ina, can you look into this and maybe run an article to draw attention to this shortcoming. It affects all medium size sellers who list many items but don't have a staff to take over operations when go on vacation.
Regards,
Kevin

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Hi, Ina.
I believe the 5 cent fixed price sale ends next week. What will happen to the fees? How can I plan my time and my sales strategy?

I spent much of the last winter re-writing my listings. I had the acceptable postage on each, but I listed Priority Mail first and Media second! I have had to manually relist every FP item for the 5 cent sale, as both Turbo Lister and Selling Manager don't give me the sale price. (Do I trust ebay to adjust these fees on my bill?)

We closed our ebay store and have gone all to fixed-price to get better exposure, as the Diamond merchants clutter up each page, their true disservice to ebay.

We have been full-time sellers since 2001, and each change cuts our time to list new inventory and make money. We are displaying mini-sales in local coffee shops to move merchandise. Also, our Amazon sales have been quite good.

Ebay says they want to have more professional sellers, but they are forcing me to treat ebay like a hobby, both by reducing my productivity and pushing my focus onto other sales venues.
Sincerely,
Lily

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Hi Ina,
Tonight, when I signed out of my Paypal account, this came up. Look at the new splash page for Paypal... it's pretty clear the future of "ebay" is Paypal in their view....

https://www.paypal-shopping.com/?intl_cid=3484-71698-8030-0

Take care,
Randy

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With over 100 different sites on msn alone with complaints on ebay vpp would think you would do a story on this. Its nothing but false security to get a buyer to buy, and there vpp is worded to leave so many loop holes to not honor claims. Would be doing any buyer a huge favor if ebay removed vpp, replaced it with cap lock in red BUYER BEWARE!!!!!!!

Editor's Note: VPP stands for The eBay Motors Vehicle Purchase Protection.

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Hello,
Thank you for always keeping us so enlightened.

I am just adding a fixed price item on ebay. I normally ship to everywhere but Asia.

I just did the listing through inkfrog and clicked the preview the fees button. It said something to the effect of: .35 for ebay fixed price,30 days. .50 for trade agreement across the border.

I should have taken a photo of it. I of course went back and put US only.

Is this something new?

Makes me wonder how many people have things set on automatic and they are automatically getting charged the extra with no warning.

Thank you again.You and David are so appreciated. Send me the therapy bill ! I will see if I have enough to pay it after all the fees are taken out.
Bless You Both.