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  #21  
Old 08-17-2022, 01:36 PM
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I hear at least 10 EBAY motors ads a day when I listen to the radio. They wouldn't be doing that if they weren't making a killing. Really stupid ones like the insurance ones. Good grief!

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  #22  
Old 08-17-2022, 01:53 PM
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Thanks for the feedback. I ended the erape auction. If i sell it will be here. Not sure. I guess i got smith brother push rods to go with. Maybe i will throw them in a 400 motor im planning. Who knows.

  #23  
Old 08-17-2022, 02:09 PM
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On ebay daily.

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  #24  
Old 08-17-2022, 02:19 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kingbuzzo View Post
I used to buy from there but they changed something with the shipping to Canada.
...
yup, they now have a global shipping program that the sellers either HAVE TO opt into, or they do not offer non-USA shipping;
It's all tied into their internal shipping quote setup.
It used to be the responsibility of the seller to package, calculate, and send off shipping - some unscrupulous sellers were creating listings with a lower 'Buy It Now' price, and jacked up shipping - so that their fees were based on the BIN price, and NOT the shipping portion - this is in part why (I believe) that the fees are based on the bottom line total.

Back to the global shipping;
On average, large items being shipped to Canada got cheaper, but smaller items became exponentially more expensive.

I browse often, but don't buy too much.
Their internal search engine blows goats, so I use another search engine.
Also the sellers hawking aftermarket garbage with numerous baloney tags to make their listing show up in my searches really turn me off.

I do find that I look here, or on other forum listings more often than I did a decade ago.

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  #25  
Old 08-17-2022, 02:38 PM
78w72 78w72 is online now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by unruhjonny View Post
yup, they now have a global shipping program that the sellers either HAVE TO opt into, or they do not offer non-USA shipping;
It's all tied into their internal shipping quote setup.
It used to be the responsibility of the seller to package, calculate, and send off shipping - some unscrupulous sellers were creating listings with a lower 'Buy It Now' price, and jacked up shipping - so that their fees were based on the BIN price, and NOT the shipping portion - this is in part why (I believe) that the fees are based on the bottom line total.

Back to the global shipping;
On average, large items being shipped to Canada got cheaper, but smaller items became exponentially more expensive.

I browse often, but don't buy too much.
Their internal search engine blows goats, so I use another search engine.
Also the sellers hawking aftermarket garbage with numerous baloney tags to make their listing show up in my searches really turn me off.

I do find that I look here, or on other forum listings more often than I did a decade ago.
that is not true, the global shipping program is an option for sellers to be part of, you can still list an item with normal international shipping that you determine the price of or you can have ebay estimate the price based on dimensions & weight. but you can still just select flat rate "economy international" & enter your own flat shipping cost. i do it all the time & have most my current auctions set up for it. i did try the global shipping on my other ebay account that i sell non car related parts, it was nice that as a seller you only pay the fee to ship to the US distribution center, then ebay handles all the rest of the intl shipping fees for the buyer, which im sure is an added cost for them.

i mentioned the fees being charged on shipping in this thread or the older one linked to above. they have been charging fees on shipping for over 10 years because sellers were getting around their final value fees by listing things for .99 but charging high shipping to make up for the low listing price, ebay caught on to that very early on & has been charging fees on shipping for 10-15 years now.

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Old 08-17-2022, 03:26 PM
Buck Wilde Buck Wilde is offline
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Any insight on how you determine or support the cost basis for items you bought many years ago from a swap meet and don’t have a receipt? It seems like there are a lot of different opinions.

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Old 08-17-2022, 03:29 PM
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I'm used to getting screwed for shipping for living here - it shouldn't take longer than it does from China however...

  #28  
Old 08-17-2022, 03:52 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kingbuzzo View Post
I'm used to getting screwed for shipping for living here - it shouldn't take longer than it does from China however...
BAH-HA-HA!!

I laugh, because it's true!

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  #29  
Old 08-17-2022, 04:17 PM
78w72 78w72 is online now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Buck Wilde View Post
Any insight on how you determine or support the cost basis for items you bought many years ago from a swap meet and don’t have a receipt? It seems like there are a lot of different opinions.
what i do & have confirmed with IRS rules, is that you can just make a fair estimate of what you paid, they arent going to question reasonable values put on things like that. most items like this the values can be verified with current sale prices if needed or they will take your word if it comes down to it if its within reason.

what will raise a flag is over valuing items by a large amount... you cant claim a run of the mill rally 2 wheel you paid $25 for at a swap meet is valued at $200 or something crazy like that. lots of items like that are bought privately from CL etc & most dont bother giving or getting bill of sales or receipts.

  #30  
Old 08-17-2022, 06:42 PM
BOB VIDAN BOB VIDAN is offline
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I use eBay to sell mostly radios inherited from my father, he and his buddy had 1000's. Yes eBay takes a bunch of money but I'm into the stuff for nothing so I'm happy to sell them and get something. Took many trips to get them all and have tossed many of them but have sold many and hopefully helped some people out.

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Old 08-18-2022, 08:15 AM
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Ebay is not a sellers market....IMHO.

Not a bad place to "dump" some old car parts if you don't mind the work packaging them up for shipping, running to the shipping store, and can deal with Ebay's high seller fees.

If you are marketing a mass produced item fully expect a dozen or so other sellers to be offering the same part, or a clone of it for a very minimal profit margin after paying for shipping, packing materials, envelopes/boxes, tape, printer paper, ink, cost of goods, Ebays high seller fees and any fuel you burned if your item required delivery to the the UPS store, etc........

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  #32  
Old 08-18-2022, 10:10 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cliff R View Post
Ebay is not a sellers market....IMHO.

Not a bad place to "dump" some old car parts if you don't mind the work packaging them up for shipping, running to the shipping store, and can deal with Ebay's high seller fees.

If you are marketing a mass produced item fully expect a dozen or so other sellers to be offering the same part, or a clone of it for a very minimal profit margin after paying for shipping, packing materials, envelopes/boxes, tape, printer paper, ink, cost of goods, Ebays high seller fees and any fuel you burned if your item required delivery to the the UPS store, etc........
as a business or self employed person, all those things listed above about "paying for" are mostly all deductible from the self employment/business tax you pay at the end of the year. so youre not really paying for them, if they are business expenses they are fully deductible- packing materials, shipping supplies/fees, office supplies, cost of goods, & all ebay or paypal fees, etc.

the only thing not fully deductible is vehicle mileage which is a set amount per mile, .55/mile which usually pays for fuel, registration, insurance etc. anything you do in your vehicle related to business gets that deduction- driving to UPS store, to look at or buy car/parts, delivering a car or parts, etc etc.

the complaints of "high ebay fees" goes with the territory, where else do you get worldwide or huge nationwide exposure & ability to have an item sell for 2-3 times or more of the listing price? you pay to sell stuff almost anywhere you go, swap meets, websites, forums, (if you own one) local auctions etc. only thing still free are places like craigslist which is pretty limited to your city or a few more around you, FB marketplace which is also limited to your area, & you gotta deal with a bunch of yahoos, tire kickers & lowballers there. or selling on forums like this with very limited exposure & majority of the time you still need to ship it or get paid via paypal that charges a fee or needs your bank account info that many say "no way" to.

much of this is misunderstood or confused, thats why many people just pay a CPA to do their taxes for them, but its been the same even before ebay for businesses or sub contractors, anything you pay for to run a business is mostly deductible from the SE tax you pay each year.

its 2022, we all have to pay somebody something to sell in the online world, or limit yourself to swap meets that you still have to pay for a spot then sit there all day dealing with a bunch of people wanting to pay $5 for your $50 part, or classifieds in the newspaper like its 1985. ebay sucks, but it still has many benefits for sellers & buyers that are well worth the 12.9% fee... that is deductible at the end of the year... or just tack it onto the sale price & pass it on to the buyer like all other businesses do.


Last edited by 78w72; 08-18-2022 at 10:42 AM.
  #33  
Old 08-18-2022, 01:18 PM
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You keep it, and let your kids sell it all when you're gone.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Buck Wilde View Post
Any insight on how you determine or support the cost basis for items you bought many years ago from a swap meet and don’t have a receipt? It seems like there are a lot of different opinions.

  #34  
Old 08-18-2022, 01:41 PM
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I do buy an occasional part on eBay if it something rare I can’t
Find elsewhere. I picked up a used HEI for 21 bucks delivered.
Just wanted the weights and centercam.
Note weld to lockout timing.

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  #35  
Old 08-18-2022, 10:09 PM
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Ebay has been a supplement for me in the past and I am glad it is around. I currently make most of my income on ebay. You cannot beat the market coverage and if you follow the rules carefully, you likely won't have a problem or they will be minimal. NO venue is completely void of issues. If the fees bother you, raise the price of your item to compensate.

I have sold many items on there for more than I could over the phone or would have no market for otherwise because of obsolescence. Swap meets are nowhere near as good as they used to be. Craigslist is too unreliable and full of scammers..

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Old 08-19-2022, 06:10 AM
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"ebay sucks, but it still has many benefits for sellers & buyers that are well worth the 12.9% fee..."

Those arsholes are ripping me off. I'm in the 14-16 percent bracket, I guess I need to get a better calculator as when I run the total for all sales against the pay outs it's over 15 percent. I guess they don't like me or I don't know how to structure my auctions correctly , or a little of both......

I'd also add that EVERYTHING you purchase related to selling and shipping ADDS to the cost of the items being sold, whether they are tax deductable or not. The small break you get being able to write it off still doesn't pay for those items. Matter of fact they want you to inventory all the items you have in stock at the end of the year and pay taxes on them. I doubt if too many small businesses are really doing that. Maybe that's why they hired 87,000 new agents and bought guns and ammunition for them. They better buy them body armor too, for when they come around knocking on doors wanting to spot check your inventory and business records...........FWIW......

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  #37  
Old 08-19-2022, 10:22 AM
78w72 78w72 is online now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cliff R View Post
"ebay sucks, but it still has many benefits for sellers & buyers that are well worth the 12.9% fee..."

Those arsholes are ripping me off. I'm in the 14-16 percent bracket, I guess I need to get a better calculator as when I run the total for all sales against the pay outs it's over 15 percent. I guess they don't like me or I don't know how to structure my auctions correctly , or a little of both......

I'd also add that EVERYTHING you purchase related to selling and shipping ADDS to the cost of the items being sold, whether they are tax deductable or not. The small break you get being able to write it off still doesn't pay for those items. Matter of fact they want you to inventory all the items you have in stock at the end of the year and pay taxes on them. I doubt if too many small businesses are really doing that. Maybe that's why they hired 87,000 new agents and bought guns and ammunition for them. They better buy them body armor too, for when they come around knocking on doors wanting to spot check your inventory and business records...........FWIW......
i think you might be doing the math wrong to come up with 14-16%, in that you arent factoring in all the items that get charged the fees. i could be wrong on that, but you cant just take the sale price of the item & subtract the total fees they are charging, the fees are charged on the shipping amount & especially the taxes ebay charges on the item.
look at one of your recent sales on ebay, there is a link called payment details, if you click on that they break down all the fees to show what they are charged on, it should work out to 12.9% + a .30 per transaction fee, at least thats the fee structure for all ebay motors sales of parts, other categories are different but are explained in the fees link i posted. if its not working out to that you can email or call them to point it out & have it fixed.

as for deductions, yes you are taking those expenses off the amount you pay taxes on, its not a 100% credit but you arent paying taxes on that amount. any items used for operating a business are part of operating that business, you factor it all in then set prices to make a profit, thats just how a business works. sucks to look at it that way but you gotta spend money to make money.

heres a little trick to help save money on shipping related expenses like driving to the UPS store, for smaller/lighter items up to about 4-5lbs, USPS is usually a lot cheaper than fedex/ups & they will pick up the item from your front porch for free!

the inventory at the end of the year is not fully taxed either, you subtract year end inventory from beginning year inventory to determine the net income for the year that you pay the ~13% SE tax on. they arent taxing the full inventory if it didnt sell that year. its confusing to discuss taxes but once you do them enough & understand how the flow of schedule c works you see how things like year end inventory works out.

  #38  
Old 08-19-2022, 12:52 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 78w72 View Post
i think you might be doing the math wrong to come up with 14-16%, in that you arent factoring in all the items that get charged the fees. i could be wrong on that, but you cant just take the sale price of the item & subtract the total fees they are charging, the fees are charged on the shipping amount & especially the taxes ebay charges on the item.
look at one of your recent sales on ebay, there is a link called payment details, if you click on that they break down all the fees to show what they are charged on, it should work out to 12.9% + a .30 per transaction fee, at least thats the fee structure for all ebay motors sales of parts, other categories are different but are explained in the fees link i posted. if its not working out to that you can email or call them to point it out & have it fixed.

as for deductions, yes you are taking those expenses off the amount you pay taxes on, its not a 100% credit but you arent paying taxes on that amount. any items used for operating a business are part of operating that business, you factor it all in then set prices to make a profit, thats just how a business works. sucks to look at it that way but you gotta spend money to make money.

heres a little trick to help save money on shipping related expenses like driving to the UPS store, for smaller/lighter items up to about 4-5lbs, USPS is usually a lot cheaper than fedex/ups & they will pick up the item from your front porch for free!

the inventory at the end of the year is not fully taxed either, you subtract year end inventory from beginning year inventory to determine the net income for the year that you pay the ~13% SE tax on. they arent taxing the full inventory if it didnt sell that year. its confusing to discuss taxes but once you do them enough & understand how the flow of schedule c works you see how things like year end inventory works out.
Cliffs complaints about eBay are pretty universal. I know a lot of sellers and they echo Cliffs words! I've sold a few things myself over the years but would never have an eBay store. Years ago, I read stories about people selling things on eBay and making $$$$. However, things have changed with eBay as Cliff mentioned and it is not as user friendly as it once was. When eBay began charging local tax on used items, that pissed me off. Most people pay enormous amounts of tax in this country every year and eBay wants more. Yes, the worldwide exposure of products is fantastic but the days of making decent money on eBay is about over. Fees and more fees have shackled sellers and I expect that to continue!!

  #39  
Old 08-19-2022, 01:02 PM
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Do not blame Ebay for the local taxes!

Several years ago the FEDERAL legislature made it legal for STATES by legislation from the STATE legisture to collect STATE sales tax on items that were bought outside the boundries of the state.

Not all states have passed this legislation.

If Ebay is charging you LOCAL tax, vote out your state legislators, as THEY are responsible, not Ebay. Ebay is simply complying with the law.

GUESSING here that Ebay dislikes this as much as you do; after all, it is money they are not getting!

Jon

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Old 08-19-2022, 01:10 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ram Air IV Jack View Post
Cliffs complaints about eBay are pretty universal. I know a lot of sellers and they echo Cliffs words! I've sold a few things myself over the years but would never have an eBay store. Years ago, I read stories about people selling things on eBay and making $$$$. However, things have changed with eBay as Cliff mentioned and it is not as user friendly as it once was. When eBay began charging local tax on used items, that pissed me off. Most people pay enormous amounts of tax in this country every year and eBay wants more. Yes, the worldwide exposure of products is fantastic but the days of making decent money on eBay is about over. Fees and more fees have shackled sellers and I expect that to continue!!
the complaints of cliffs i was referring to is that they charge 14-16% for ebay motors categories, they dont, its 12.9% but on the total price including shipping & taxes because they are processing those payments... just like all credit card companies did before the internet, buy a pair of jeans from sears & sears has to pay visa their fees on the full sale amount including taxes.... which sears passed on to the consumers. the other complaints about buying boxes, ink, paper etc are just things you gotta buy to operate a business...

ive been selling on ebay at a pretty large volume for 20+ years until the last couple years ive toned it down quite a bit, mainly because the market for parting out 2nd gen firebirds has got stupid, $500-$1000 rusty parts car with no title are selling for $2000+ now, that leaves little meat on the bone to make it worth all the work involved. its not ebays fault. but i still make decent money listing parts & other stuff like home audio there. i dont echo any of cliffs complaints, its very user friendly to list auctions, & also very easy to see the fees they charge. not that his complaints arent valid for him, but the numbers on fees are not right.

also, ebay is not charging their own tax on items nor do they "want more." the tax they charge is the same exact amount of tax any online business charges whether its summit, amazon, etc. its the state & federal governments that impose those sales taxes for all businesses to charge, started with the net neutrality crap so the government could get their share of sales tax income because all internet sales used to be tax free before they did that. its not just ebay charging those taxes & they dont get to keep any of it.

sorry for all the comments on this thread, just trying to provide accurate info to the comments that are misunderstood or not correct.


Last edited by 78w72; 08-19-2022 at 01:19 PM.
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