eBay is giving sellers who use the store inventory format a little more time to revise their listings and avoid higher fees once this format is phased out.
Earlier this year, eBay announced it would end the store inventory format by March 30 and change store inventory listings to fixed-price. The change means sellers who had listed in the store inventory format will pay for listing enhancements at the standard fixed-priced rate, which can be significantly higher.
To help sellers transition, eBay will hold off on charging the higher fees for subtitles, bold and gallery plus if store inventory format listings come up for renewal between March 30 and April 4. During this extended transition period, the company says, listings will be charged the current store inventory format rates.
This is "a one-time courtesy, and [these features will] be removed at the next renewal cycle," eBay notes in its 2010 Spring Seller Update. eBay quietly introduced the allowance sometime after the spring changes were first announced.
Originally, eBay planned to impose the fixed-price listing fees on March 30. Currently, sellers using store inventory format pay 2 cents for subtitles, $1 for bold and 35 cents for gallery plus for 30-day durations. Starting April 5, fees for these enhancements will go up to 50 cents for subtitles, at least $2 for bold and 35 cents for gallery plus.
Auctiva Product Analyst and Top-Rated Seller Rebecca Miller says postponing the new fees will make a lot of sellers happy.
"Even though eBay gave us several months of notice, many sellers were worried about the change in the subtitle fee in particular," she says. "It was generous of eBay to listen to sellers' concerns and give them a break on the subtitle fees if they're unable to remove them from their listings before the deadline."
Sellers can see more details about the changes that go into effect March 30 here.
eBay encourages sellers to review their listings, as well as fixed-priced listing fees, if they list in the store inventory format.
Auctiva staff writers constantly monitor trends and best practices of those selling on eBay and elsewhere online. They attend relevant training seminars and trade shows and regularly discuss the market with PowerSellers and other market experts.
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