How exactly are fees calculated?
Summary: paul*tribesandvibes* shared their confusion over inconsistent eBay fees charged on similar transactions, noting different fees for items sold under identical conditions. Other participants, including bojangled and the_brick_lodge, expressed similar frustrations and speculated on potential causes like category issues or system glitches. Offers were given to check category listings and fee breakdowns. 4_bathrooms and technthread suggested the discrepancy might be linked to legacy fee schemes or eBay premium service discounts. paul*tribesandvibes* appreciated the insights but remained puzzled by the fee differences, planning to investigate further.
This doesn't make sense. I have just sold two items - yes, I know, big whoop from me too! - both items are priced at £6.50 to the customer, and both have the same free postage. They are both listed in the same category, and they were both sold on the same day. One item sold around 2pm, and I was charged £1.14 in fees. The second item sold just after 7pm on the same day, and I was charged £1.26 in fees.
I have edited this post (23.7.26) because I also need to tell you that both orders were sent directly to private addresses in the UK, and none of my listings are promoted. Also, I have had another two orders after 10pm last night - both items have the SAME VALUE, and were paid for separately by the SAME CUSTOMER, at the SAME TIME, to the SAME UK address - and yet I was charged £1.14 for one item, and £1.26 for the second item. Why?
I have noticed this before, but now it seems to be happening more regularly. Why am I being charged 0.12p more for some items - what's going on? 🤔
technthread
·2 weeks ago · EditedDid you sign up for fee scheme a long time ago where it was 5p FVF fixed and then there was an FVF variable rate that was apparently more cost effective? If you did I’m wondering if that legacy fee scheme is glitching out on the variable rate.
technthread
·2 weeks ago · EditedJust to post here in case my other post vanishes into a nesting hole.
https://pages.ebay.co.uk/ads/2021/low-cost-items/
This is the fee scheme I meant and 15% makes perfect sense on the FVF variable (98p). 88p would be an undercharge.
paul*tribesandvibes*
OP2 weeks agoThat's interesting @technthread Yes, I can vaguely remember signing up for that who-knows-when. I wonder how eBay manages to keep something like this going nearly 4 years after its expiry date? This place is bonkers!
technthread
·2 weeks ago · EditedI’m relieved I thought you may come back and say you’d never heard of that and we’d be back square one 😆.
The random 10p reduction is hard to explain. If I had to guess it’s some kind of adjustment or fee credit that they deliberately apply every so many sales due to rounding up and it brings the overall balance back to 15%. Either that or it must be a glitch.
The fees probably work out better on many items in jewellery as it’s a high FVF rate anyway. It might be costing you a bit more on the higher priced items than it needs to though. I think in the category you’re in the best flat rate as a top rated seller (before any premium discount) is 13.41% plus the 30p FVF fixed. Just putting that out there in case it makes sense to go back to the normal fee structure 👍.
technthread
·2 weeks agoI keep having to correct myself recently but I will just clear this up so it’s not misleading to anyone else.
13.41% if the order is under £1,000 but the fee drops significantly on any portion over £1,000.
paul*tribesandvibes*
OP2 weeks agoThank you so much @technthread I really appreciate your input and thoughts. It's certainly something to think about. Sales these days are so sporadic that the whole thing has gone from being a business, to being pocket money. I hope things will improve for all of us.
paul*tribesandvibes*
OP2 weeks agoHere is the fee breakdown for the order that happened when the customer purchased TWO ITEMS for the SAME VALUE, and paid for them separately but at the same time. This is the general pattern for these fee discrepancies - £1.14 or £1.26. I don't understand why the eBay fee is different - it makes no sense at all 🤷♂️
4_bathrooms
·2 weeks ago · EditedThe difference is in the fixed portion of the final value fee; in the first example it is 98p and in the second it is 88p; that is where the 10p+VAT difference lies.
The odd thing is the first example is (almost) correct - the variable portion of the FVF in Jewellery & Watches (except Watches, Parts and Accessories) is 14.9%. 14.9% of £6.50 is 97p when rounded so eBay have overcharged by 1p on the first example and undercharged by 9p on the second example.
My gut feeling is the second order has the 10% Premium Service discount applied; the FVF charged would be correct assuming eBay started calculating at 98p. The only explanation I can proffer for one order receiving the discount and the other order not receiving it is perhaps eBay's Estimated Delivery Date interfered with the delivery timescales on the first order causing it not to qualify for the discount.
technthread
·2 weeks agoI thought that but the breakdown would look differently. I posted a screenshot here a bit lower down, the fee discount is always explicitly shown on its own line.
4_bathrooms
·2 weeks agoHmmm...you're right!
I just find it odd that most of @paul*tribesandvibes* listings show the Premium Service badge and the discount being applied to some of their FVFs matches the Premium Service discount even if it isn't displayed as such. I can't see any other reason eBay is applying a 10% discount on the FVF in some cases and not in others - there is no other FVF discount eBay publishes in their fees that would result in a 10% reduction in the variable portion of the FVF.
technthread
·2 weeks ago · EditedI am convinced now that it is related to this type of scheme:
https://pages.ebay.co.uk/ads/2021/low-cost-items/
I’ve had to do this really quickly but my impression is that the 98p FVF variable is correct so the 88p charge is actually an undercharge so it’s probably not worth pursuing.
paul*tribesandvibes*
OP2 weeks agoThank you @technthread These new boards are harder to follow, so I hope you will see my other message too!
4_bathrooms
·2 weeks ago · EditedLooking at your listings I can see some of them have the Premium Service badge whilst others do not so I'm now certain the difference was caused by eBay not applying the Premium Service discount to the first order:
paul*tribesandvibes*
OP2 weeks agothank you @4_bathrooms and @technthread this information looks like a reasonable answer to the conundrum ... eBay are not wrong when they call it 'variable'. I would call it 'making it up as we go along depending on what day it is and if there's an R in the month'. 😄 But what would I know 🙂
merlinwholesale
·2 weeks agoDo you have any items listed in two categories at all ? I ask this because I do have a few items like this and the fee is 12p
paul*tribesandvibes*
OP2 weeks agoI looked at that idea too, but these Pewter Necklaces are all in the Costume Jewellery category. 🤷♂️
4_bathrooms
·2 weeks agoI think the only way to understand this is if you post the fee breakdowns like @technthread did; post one affected order's fee breakdown and one unaffected order's fee breakdown. Just make sure no buyer details are included in either screenshot.
The only eBay fee that is 10p+VAT is for additional fixed price listings if you have a Basic Shop and you exceed the 250 fixed price listing limit but I'm pretty sure that would be added on to the shop fee rather than charged as a listing fee.
paul*tribesandvibes*
OP2 weeks ago · EditedThank you @4_bathrooms I have not exceeded the Basic Shop limit, in fact, at present I only have between 170-180 listings in the last couple of months.
The fee breakdown is different for each item, even though its the same value. I'll post below in a comment because a few people have asked for this.
theelench
·2 weeks agoSome years ago I found out that it could happen (back when paypal processed payments) and I had several transactions where the fees looked too high, always the same buyer with a UK Delivery Address. I found out that the real buyer was in Australia when they messaged me to ask that I delay posting as the friend in the UK was going to be away so wouldn't be able to take delivery.
I didn't mind at all, it saved the worry of sending glassware by air-mail and saved the buyer some money in postage. Well worth the few pennies it cost in currency conversion fees it cost me. They probably didn't even know that paypal charged me any extra !
theelench
·2 weeks agoCould it be that the buyer is abroad and paying in (say) Euros but has a UK registered Delivery address. Although it's still odd that this is happening on multiple orders unless this is becoming a popular method of getting around some import levy on businesses (that I know nothing about) that doesn't apply to private sales?
paul*tribesandvibes*
OP2 weeks agoThanks @theelench but I don't know how I could possibly know that? It happens a lot. I've been looking through my transaction summaries, and so far I've seen this discrepancy all the way through July and June ... I will look further back when I have some time later. But it seems a heck of a popular workaround if that's the case 🤷♂️
technthread
·3 weeks ago · EditedIt might have made sense if one fell under the TRS discount and one didn’t. I noticed this with buy it now listings which did vs auctions that didn’t qualify for that fee discount.
Failing that, maybe (but probably not) it’s still TRS related but something to do with your dispatch cut off times in settings.
technthread
·3 weeks ago · EditedThinking about it, if it is TRS related the cut off time might be relevant. I changed from RM Tracked 48 to Other 48 hour courier ages ago to ensure all of the tracked listings qualified with 1 day dispatch. If you’re on same day dispatch that may well explain it.
paul*tribesandvibes*
OP2 weeks agoHi @technthread How does the TRS affect fees? Can you point to that info in the eBay Help pages? All of my items have same day postage, tracked 48, with a 12noon cut-off time. Both of these orders were placed after the cut-off time.
technthread
·2 weeks ago · EditedIt’s not TRS status alone but TRS and meeting the premium service criteria.
You offer a free domestic delivery service within 3 working days.
You offer an express delivery option within 2 working days, for no more than £10.
You provide tracked services for all items listed for £20 and above.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sellercentre/protection/ebay-premium-service
I recall Tracked 48 being an issue for me because eBay class it as 2-3 day delivery so with no guaranteed same day dispatch no TRS fee discount, or at least that’s how I remember it used to frustrate.
When the fee discount does work it looks like this on the breakdown:
I didn’t actually do the maths on yours, it might be that this is irrelevant to your particular issue. If it’s not this I am stumped what it might be.
paul*tribesandvibes*
OP2 weeks agoThanks for the info @technthread but now that I've had another order last night to the same person - 2 items, same value, purchased at the same time, and being sent to the same address, and yet 2 different fees. I'm stumped to. This happened through June as well as July, I will investigate older sales, and see how long this has been happening, and then address it with CS 😒
padanpcparts
·2 weeks agoOh...that kind of puts a Kibosh on any sensible solution.
paul*tribesandvibes*
OP2 weeks agoRight?! Even breaking down the fees, if it's the same valued item, in the same category, sold at the same time to the same person, surely the same fees should apply? ... (And don't call me Shirley)
padanpcparts
·3 weeks agoIs it possible the buyer is in another country and there is some international fee chucked on top? There are so many add on fees these days that it's hard to keep track. Bit like UK tax really...
paul*tribesandvibes*
OP2 weeks agoThanks @padanpcparts both orders were sent to private addresses in the UK. No international fees on top.
padanpcparts
·2 weeks agoThe international fee is (I think), charged when the account is registered internationally. Not necessarily when the address for delivery is in the UK. There should be a break down of fees on each order you can check quite easily, no?
paul*tribesandvibes*
OP2 weeks agoI'll post below so that a few can see it - (hopefully). But the the fee breakdown shows different fees in the same ebay category, despite the value being the same.
rainbowtrax
·3 weeks agoDid you promote at around 10% and the second one sold as a promoted listing? Even if you ended one, it still counts for the next 30 days. If not that then no idea.
paul*tribesandvibes*
OP3 weeks agoThank you @rainbowtrax but I don't promote any listings, so no, it was a level playing field for both items. But thanks for the info.
rainbowtrax
·3 weeks agoIn that case, it's truly baffling. Both were UK sales to UK registered accounts I take it?
paul*tribesandvibes*
OP2 weeks agoYes, thanks @rainbowtrax both items were sent to private UK addresses, with UK accounts. I'm at a loss to understand it. 🤷♂️
bojangled
·3 weeks ago@paul*tribesandvibes* I will be of no help, but share your frustration.
On Monday a regular buyer purchased 3 items using my buy 2 get 1 free order discount.
Yet I was charge 2 separate order flat fees. One at 10p one at at 30p, all items under a tenner.
It happens regularly, never ever had a straight answer from CS.
paul*tribesandvibes*
OP3 weeks agoOH my, that makes no sense at all @bojangled I don't think eBay are being fully transparent with us.
the_brick_lodge
·2 weeks agoeBay seems to split orders if anything is different, I had this problem with different postage options, it's something to do with the way the site is programmed. To avoid it you'd need to only have items in the offer that have the same fixed fee.
paul*tribesandvibes*
OP2 weeks agothank you @the_brick_lodge but all my £6.50 items are in the same category, with the same postage options, same cut-off date, same everything!
the_brick_lodge
·2 weeks ago10p fixed order fee would suggest Collectables category or Home, Furniture & DIY? Are you sure one or two listings haven't strayed into the wrong category using sell similar? On the Seller Hub active listings page you can sort listings by eBay (and shop) category to see if any are in a different category in error.
paul*tribesandvibes*
OP2 weeks agoThank you @the_brick_lodge but these listings are all in the same category. I renew them every 3 or 4 months if they don't sell, so I check the categories each time. Nice idea, and thanks for your input.