Make paypal integration as it should be for all levels

[Rt21]

This idea of not having paypal integration enabled for all users is not the way to grow the platform or the buyers. You have people who are hesitant to buy huge dollar memberships to have access to the platform, and they are turned off even more by the practice of having to send an invoice after the fact instead of the buyer completing the payment THEN, when they are in the process. Even crappy sales platforms offer this integration free, and I believe it is the wrong method to try to gain memberships. I know I stopped mid setup with a store and deleted it last night because I am not chasing payments. I was one of the first high volume sellers on ebay of vintage motorcycle parts, and I was also one of the first to require immediate payment.

This was one reason why ebay wanted all instant payments and paid immediately so buyers were paying while they were motivated, not the next day or week by check or money order. There used to be so many unpaid items on ebay with money orders and Western Union pay by by check crap. I had nearly 1/3 of my early ebay sales unpaid, never rec'd any type of check or money order after wasting all my time and effort.

I see the reviews online are not encouraging either. Disabling user accounts for odd or no reasons, setup problems, no sales after a year, but steady sales on ebay of the same items from the same sellers at higher prices.

Memberships are fine, but the platform needs to give users the opportunity to see if the systems works for them before they charge a fee for a paypal invoice.

[Policequilts]

I believe everyone can add Paypal to their account.

Look under :
My eBid:

Scroll down to:
My Personal Data:

Scroll down to the bottom where you put your Paypal info.

Hope this helps you.

[Rt21]

Yes, but not automated. According to what I am reading, if you are a free account and don't pay for Gold Oor Platinum then the buyer can't make the payment immediately, the seller has to go back and invoice them.

This gives buyers time for reevaluating the purchase and causes more unpaid items, a fact proven countless times by people accepting check and money orders that never arrive.

"Instant checkouts with PayPal are available to buyers when the seller is GOLD or PLATINUM LIFETIME status or SILVER status and using Platinum listing type."

[theElench]

Yes, but not automated. According to what I am reading, if you are a free account and don't pay for Gold Oor Platinum then the buyer can't make the payment immediately, the seller has to go back and invoice them.

This gives buyers time for reevaluating the purchase and causes more unpaid items, a fact proven countless times by people accepting check and money orders that never arrive.

"Instant checkouts with PayPal are available to buyers when the seller is GOLD or PLATINUM LIFETIME status or SILVER status and using Platinum listing type."

I agree with you and not just because of the invoicing issue.

Where to begin? Because the different seller "levels", with different levels of access is woven throughout the site and I think, these days, holds the site back and puts-off a lot would be sellers that (IMO) ebid should be welcoming.

Back when I listed my first items here, in 2013, I was attracted by the "Free To List". I used Platinum Listings precisely to get the integrated checkout that I was used to on obay. I still use them for all my listings and wish that they were given more prominence on the site because, while being a Platinum Lifetime level seller is great value for sellers with thousands of items to sell, it's uneconomic for a seller with a few hundred items, or less.

When Platinum Lifetime Seller started to be sold, it was given a package of "privileges". So those not willing to pay had to be excluded, the "privileges" could bought on a listing by listing basis (Platinum Listing), or on less advantageous usage conditions (like sending your own non-integrated invoice).

Time has moved on, but ebid is still stuck with that structure.
"Free to List" isn't much of a draw these days and hasn't been since obay started giving Free Listings to all private sellers and even a few to businesses.

Integrated checkout I'd guess are the norm these days? Not something that one has to pay extra for.
But ebid is stuck with a "Gordian Knot" of the problem that is Platinum Seller Lifetime. It contributes to the legend that "Nothing ever sells on Ebid", making P.1 of some search results appear stagnant. It's part of the reason that RUS Listings are static in date order. It has IMO, by being expensive turned away so many of the small private sellers, with only a few items to sell, that would grow ebid.

I don't know what the solution is. Having sold access to the integrated checkout to many sellers (both Platinum Lifetime members or those who use Platinum listings), it would then be very unfair to give it to every other member for free.

[KennedyBookClub]

The recent account plan changes made it worse than it was and doesn't give the same incentive as the previous one did to try the site out especially with the FREE plan showing NO for everything, It's their choice to make these changes but it won't grow the site

[Policequilts]

Wow. I didn't realize that Paypal is not set up for all tiers of selling.
( I had to go to the HELP section, REGISTERING/UPGRADING to see the chart)

eBID: You really need to get this updated now.


On thing I don't like is the "free listing" and that the the camera icon shows in the searches.
I wish they would remove that option. I looks so tacky when searching for items and those camera icons come up.

[Rt21]

"
Time has moved on, but ebid is still stuck with that structure.
"Free to List" isn't much of a draw these days and hasn't been since obay started giving Free Listings to all private sellers and even a few to businesses.

Integrated checkout I'd guess are the norm these days? Not something that one has to pay extra for.
But ebid is stuck with a "Gordian Knot" of the problem that is Platinum Seller Lifetime. It contributes to the legend that "Nothing ever sells on Ebid", making P.1 of some search results appear stagnant. It's part of the reason that RUS Listings are static in date order. It has IMO, by being expensive turned away so many of the small private sellers, with only a few items to sell, that would grow ebid."


****

Absolutely. Can list on *crater, That carwright site, and the blue cardinal site called Jay. The crater is a few $$ for google sales through advertising, the Ponderosa is 9% FV only, The Blue cardinals brothers site is free period after $20 setup and verification fee. Been members of all of them for years, and most produces results though sometimes spotty.

The yetsy is a bunch of yutzies that don't know the butt cracks from the elbow. Tried all day to verify an account with their stupid questions like what the credit bereaus ask. Even though you answer correctly they say it isn't.

[theElench]

@Policequilts
@KennedyBookClub

Like I said when the account plan changes were announced, to me there is at least one improvement coming from the changes. Before, Platinum Listings on the "Account Plan" chart were separated from the other plans, they looked like almost an afterthought or footnote.
Since the changes they are given more prominence (which I think can only be a plus) and are shown between the "Free to List", Silver option and the Gold / Platinum plans.

Platinum Listings are now clearly visible and comparable with both other options and they may used by more Silver Sellers, particularly now that the direct connection is clear between "Platinum" listings and the "Platinum" selling plan.

If they are taken-up more widely, the problem of listings without search results photos and the lack of PP integration for payments will both be reduced. It's exactly why I opted for Platinum Listings, instead of the old Seller+ Plan when I started selling here. For 5p or 5c a listing I get both those features.

So possibly it will help grow the site. As I've been saying for years, the type of seller that ebid needs is the same as those that gave obay its early success. Individual, non-business sellers listing items without the pressures of cash-flow / dead stock / turnover percentages / and the need for quick sales. More (hopefully) will risk a few 5p fees and stand a better chance of selling using Platinum Listings, than were willing to pay either the up-front Seller+Lifetime fee, or the recurring Seller+ fees, or stand little chance of selling with the "Free" option, without photos in results or integrated checkout.

That said, I think these days an integrated checkout and a free photo in the search results is a necessity for any site, but not knowing how a selling site is financed, or what costs the site incurs by giving away free features, I can't even guess at the health of ebids'finances. Perhaps if more sellers use platinum Listings and increase the sites FVFs, there might be more cash in the coffers for further improvements?

[Policequilts]

@theElench
I know when I first started here, I just jumped in and took the membership.
I never played with the other memberships.

I do remember with eBay:
all integrated payment with Paypal
You had a store and paid their store fees
or
You listed and each listing cost .35 each /USA then the fees.
I remember restricting how much I listed because that .35/listing could add up and you don't sell the item.

I have no problem if eBid removed the Free listing and make some money on listing if you don't want to have a membership.

eBid does need to keep up with just the basics that other site have as integrated payment and 1 photo.

There is another site: webstore that is similar to this and eBay. The thing there is all the advertising unless you donate to remove the ads. They are free to sell on too.
P.S.: just took a look over there and their logo has changed with St. Patrick's theme, so the owners are actively changing and updating over there.
PSS : I see they have multiple levels, but the lowest level only restricts the number of items/dollar amount.

[BordersBargains]

I think most new sellers will be using Gold Plan now to test it out with 100 listings and I doubt any will go to Platinum until after easily a month or two of seeing how it goes, but even then they have the extra cost of £140 to upgrade which to most newer sellers will be a big no unless they get a load of sales

No one will use the FREE PLAN which needs to go since it's pointless and actually hurts the site

SILVER should be the new low tier plan with PP Integrated, 2 photos not 1 and go to google shopping

GOLD should be 3%

LIFETIME should be 2% FVF only with the 0% option gone

These changes will bring more money in for the owners

Lifetime has so much to offer compared to any other site, the only let down is the knowledge of the site to buyers and the fact that many categories are low in numbers while others like Stamps and Books have always been the majority numbers

The site needs an influx of sellers for others categories so more are seen on Google etc but I think those days are gone now especially with these platforms from the US coming to the UK

What annoys me is the fact that this site has such good low fee's which will save sellers from other platforms so much money but a large % of them still see this site as time sink with no return. This is the biggest problem the site has once that is fixed it will grow fast