HAVE ALL SALES STOPPED ON AUDIOGON ???

@dyl71 

I can see a 2% kickback, maybe...but 10% is over the top

Really?  Considering the marketing power of placing your ad where thousands of audiophiles can see it, the business process and computing power that allows your potential buyers to make on-line offers that you can review and respond to without needing to have strangers enter your house (i.e., Craig's list), and the benefit of being able to review feedback about your potential buyers before deciding whether you want to trade with them......you really think all that is not worth 10%!  I can't cash out my change drawer at the local big box grocery store without paying a 10% fee - for no other service than running the change through a machine.

@mitch2

Really? Considering the marketing power of placing your ad where thousands of audiophiles can see it, the business process and computing power that allows your potential buyers to make on-line offers that you can review and respond to without needing to have strangers enter your house (i.e., Craig’s list), and the benefit of being able to review feedback about your potential buyers before deciding whether you want to trade with them......you really think all that is not worth 10

 


I absolutely think it’s worth something..but no, not 10%. 10% of $50 isn’t that bad....but when you get up in price....that’s a little stiff.

I’m not cheap by any means, but if I sell a $3200 amp, and shipping is $80...do they really deserve a check from me for $328? That’s 3 times the rate of me buying a new car...that the dealer gets for fees.

What gets me, is we also have to give them a percentage of what the shipping fees are? These are fees paid for by the buyer, and go to the shipper..not our pockets...and they get 10% of the shipping fees? The 10% kickback is the sale price PLUS shipping fees.

Again, I understand they do what they do to get the word out, and makes selling much easier...but 10% is steep. This is coming from someone with a little bit of an economic background.

Why are other categories less than 10%? Don’t they get the word out in the same manner? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not upset at you...but I stand firm on the fact of what they offer and what they charge is over the top.

I agree that the 10% on shipping fees sounds wrong until you stop and think just why eBay did it.
Because of greedy people who found a loophole in eBay's selling system.
They found they could list an item they wanted say $15 total for shipped as $0.01 buy it now and $14.99 shipping and pay basically nothing in fees.

So now all the honest sellers are penalised for their actions and you need to add 10% onto your actual shipping cost to cover this.
As an ebayer of 20 years plus I have seen all their changes for good and bad.

Still if you want a worldwide audience it is the place to be.
They used to cap fees at $250 max but changed that about 3 years ago to $750 max.

So Agon the cheapest place to sell high dollar hifi items still but you do not have the audience of eBay by far.

Yeah, I remember that about the difference in selling price to the shipping fees. I agree more eyes are on ebay, but the 10% is greedy.

Could be the buyer protection along with the stock. From what I recall, the 10% happened about 5-6 years ago? Looking at their stock, after the 08 slump, I think a lot of that played a part in today's fees.

Either way, there's a line between helping people sell their items and taking advantage of the system...as well as taking advantage of the people....and 10% is taking advantage of the people.

I know, I can try my luck on other sites, I understand what's involved...just my opinion and a little rant.

I would rather try to make money at a slower pace over a longer period of time and maintain a high customer base, then to try to gouge the individuals.

@dyl71 

I’m not cheap by any means, but if I sell a $3200 amp, and shipping is $80...do they really deserve a check from me for $328?

Think of it this way, without the power of Audiogon's audience, would you be likely to capture the highest value of your hypothetical $3,200 amp or would you be more likely to have to settle for something less?

What gets me, is we also have to give them a percentage of what the shipping fees are?

That is an interesting point and one I guess I haven't paid attention to.  @uberwaltz  has some good thoughts in his post below.  Also, with really large items I believe I have been able to arrange separate shipping through trucking companies, etc. and I don't remember running the costs through Audiogon's system in those instances.  I will take a look at that because I am getting ready to list a couple of things, one of which is really heavy.

Again, I understand they do what they do to get the word out, and makes selling much easier...but 10% is steep. This is coming from someone with a little bit of an economic background.

As somebody who understands economics in the USA, you must know our economic society is built on providing services or goods at a cost that "the market will bear."  Typically, to charge "higher" prices or fees over the long haul, the seller must show higher quality and/or value than competitors charging lower prices or fees.  Audiogon has been a premier audio community for both selling/buying audio equipment and for sharing thoughts in forums over many years.  Others have tried and some are pretty good in their niche but none I am aware of have been able to generate the same level of participation with both sales and forums.  At the end of the day, like anything else, you are free to decide whether their service is for you, or not. 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not upset at you...but I stand firm on the fact of what they offer and what they charge is over the top.

No offense taken or intended, good discussion.