This seems to be a subject of interest to some of the list members so I am
sending the body of the message I actually received from EBAY. They do allow
discounts and handling fees as some have suggested. Perhaps this information
will save some conflicts for list members. /jnm
-------------
We appreciate the fact that you chose to list the following auction(s)
with eBay:
>>list of auctions in violation<<
However, your auctions were in violation of eBay's listing policies, and
we would like to take this opportunity to let you know what parts of
your listings are not allowed.
Your auctions contain the following in the description, "Buyer pays any
Billpoint fees."
The above information makes reference to an additional charge for
bidders who pay by using a credit card, or a payment processing service
similar to PayPal or BidPay. We realize that you may not be aware of this
policy, but these additional charges are an added cost to the buyer over
and above the final sale price and are not permitted on eBay.
Currently, we do not allow additional costs for payment processing to be
passed on the the bidder. The only fees that are permitted above the
winning bid price are reasonable shipping and handling costs associated
with shipping the item.
In addition, a credit card surcharge is not allowed under the laws of many
states, including California, where eBay's servers reside. This activity is
inconsistent with the Merchant Agreements established by most major
credit cards. For more information please see:
http://www-s2.visa.com/fb/merch/biz/govt/surcharge.html
http://www.mastercard.com/consumer/cust_serv.html
We will allow you 24 hours to modify all of your auctions so that
any reference to this fee is either no longer on the listing, or
place a disclaimer after the description saying this fee will not
be charged.
If the item hasn't received bids, you can change the description by
following the instructions on this URL:
http://cgi5.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?UserItemVerification
If you item does have bids, you can amend the listing by following
the instructions on this URL:
http://cgi5.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?AddToItemDescription
Please view our guideline page for a better understanding of our
auction policies and how they affect the way you list your items:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/community/png-list.html
For information on infringing, prohibited or questionable items,
please view:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/community/png-items.html
We apologize for the inconvenience. However if these changes
are not made within 24 hours, your auctions run the risk of being
ended early by eBay.
As an alternative to the credit card surcharge, you may offer a
discount to buyers who pay by money order or check. If you
would like to use this option, the discount would have to be
taken off the winning bid price after the auction closes. This
way, the bidder is not charged any additional fees.
Future auctions listed that fail to meet our listing guidelines will be
ended early and repeated violations may jeopardize your account
status. We value you as a member of our community and wish to
continue our relationship, so we respectfully ask that you refrain from
any violations of the Listing Policies or User Agreement in the future.
Thank you for your cooperation in this important matter.
Regards,
Siegfried (safeharbor@xxxxxxxx)
---------------
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Andrew Dacey
> Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2001 9:17 PM
> To: olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [OM] Maybe [OT] PayPal Surcharges (WAS: large $
> international shipment)
>
>
>
>
> Chris O'Neill wrote:
>
> > Interesting! I charge a fee to PayPal payors, and e-Bay hasn't hassled
> > me. Did a buyer complain? What's the URL that shows that rule?
> >
> > Btw, if they "crack down" on me, I'll just start charging a
> "handling fee"
> > to all users. Let's see e-Bay make a rule against that!
>
> I think it probably has to do with credit card laws. For processing the
> credit card, the retailer is charged a certain fee. It's illegal though
> in many places to pass that cost onto the seller. Many retailers get
> around this by offering a "cash discount" because it's not illegal to
> offer a discount on a price. Don't know how you can manipulate that
> situation in this case though.
>
> --
> Andrew "Frugal" Dacey,
> frugal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> http://www.tildefrugal.net/
>
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