reserve price

[andy20678]

is the lowest reserve price you can put still £50

[tressygirl]

Yep,  it was and still is.

There is no actual need to use a Reserve.  They are the most expensive optional listing upgrades,  charged at 4% of your set reserve, and payable sale or no sale.

If you wish for you item not to sell at a certain price,  then list it ,  if in auction format,  starting at that price,  it cannot sell for less.

Then,  if the item does not sell ,  there's no listing fee,  nothing to pay.

@andy20678 

[sml192]

Yes, according to the 'Fees for private sellers' help page the minimum is still £50.

[dancewithadingo]

Good Evening 

Just start your auction at the minimum amount that you will accept and save yourself an expensive fee.

[andy20678]

the reason why i asked is one seller had 6 items with a reserve price

[*vyolla*]

Some sellers with top dollar items, such as antiques, may like to use a Reserve.

Some sellers don't bother to look at the fee displayed above the 'List with displayed fees' button and don't realise that they're paying for the feature.

Personally, I'd just start an auction at the lowest price I'd be happy to accept, which effectively acts the exact same as adding a Reserve, but costs nothing. 

[johnwash1]

Many years ago, when auctions were popular, when ebay was trusted and loved, people would see 99p auctions and pile in like wrens in a winter nesting box.  Reserve prices made sense, because starting your auction at £50 or more might not be as eye-catching.

Times have changed.  People like to hit a 'buy' button as they cross the road, staring into their fondleslab.  They don't have the patience for auctions.  But if you don't know what your item might be worth, as others have said, start the auction at the minimum you'd be happy with.  It will probably only get one bid anyhow.

[dancewithadingo]

Good Afternoon

More fool them.

[p.c.for44]

I wonder if anyone else has noticed those strange sellers who put a reserve price on the same items over & over again and keep relisting them every week for several months?

I don't understand how they're doing it because it would cost a lot of money. It gets to the point where no one bids anymore because they've relisted it about 8 times, some of the items they're selling are not even worth much more than £50 and it might have cost them that much in fees!

I even tried contacting one of these people because I was worried they might not realise but got no reply and they carried on after I told them how much it's costing them.

It's a total mystery to me. The only explanation I could think of was perhaps they were using someone else's account but still that would make no sense to do it continually for little reason? Or just strange people who were determined to get about £60 for something even if it meant them loosing £20 or more on fees.

Or do they have some sort of special account that lets them do it for free I wondered? It makes absolutely no sense otherwise.

[tressygirl]

I think many do not know how reserves work,  that is,  they do not realise that there is this high listing fee of 4% of the set reserve, payable sale or no sale,  and unless they are checking the breakdown of their transactions may not see this fee being paid.  

Many do not realise reserves are not necessary they can just list their auctions starting for the lowest amount they are happy to receive,  it can never sell for less.

When I was selling I tried out the higher promotion option the one where you pay for each click on your item.  Not checking my transactions until a few months had passed I was horrified just how much ad fee I had paid, and didn't realise,  and with no sale of that item.  Item quickly removed.

@p.c.for44 

[papso22]

They think it's 'free to sell' and haven't looked at the detailed terms and conditions. 

[p.c.for44]

I don't think it's ever been free to set a reserve.

I think it might have once been just a percentage in the early days of ebay but I've seen these odd sellers doing it all the time only on all their items only a few years ago when it would have been costing them about £2 each time and they would do it so many times they would be at a massive loss.

[tressygirl]

I think maybe you have misunderstood @papso22  post.

It wasn't implying reserves were , or are free, but the many media ads inviting ( enticing ? 🤔 )  new sellers to eBay with the campaign slogan...  ' It's Free to Sell'.  Peeps then think there is nothing to pay when listing.

Yes,  there are no seller fees,  but any Optional listing upgrade such as reserves, have a non refundable listing fee and papso is rightly observing, that many new peeps do not read the finer details,  the T & C's , therefore,  think they are ' protecting' themselves with listing with reserves unaware of the large, non refundable payable sale or no sale listing fee.

I'm sure many would be caught out , as I'm sure  few  would read all the T & C's before starting to sell!

@p.c.for44 

[p.c.for44]

Ah yes, I had seen people on here who think all the upgrades & options are now free due to ebays slightly misleading adverts.

These are not the people I'm talking about by the way, the strange constantly reserve price listing sellers I witnessed were long before all these new changes. Just wondered if anyone else ever came across them cos they were up to something or something strange was going on.

[tressygirl]

It's not new for me to answer ...  ' why have I been charged *** ?'  I've been answering those questions for years.

Some sellers have just not been aware, and it's not a new thing attributed to the recent changes,  that all listing upgrades carry a non refundable listing fee.

@p.c.for44