News: eBay’s UK Rival eBid Offers Free Listings for Life
September 28th, 2005 by Laurie BarakSource: The Register (UK science & technology web site)
On the day that eBay increases its charges for selling items upstart rival online auctioneer eBid is putting the boot in by offering free listings for life.
eBid is promising free “Gold” membership - which includes free listing of items and zero final value fees - to anyone who applies today. Gold membership is available for the cost of listing just one item on eBay. eBid is the plucky underdog to eBay’s increasingly bolshy market leader. It aims to provide better service and promises to answer email queries within 24 hours.
eBay is increasing fees for inserting multiple items based on starting price. Adding a BuyItNow price, which used to cost around $1.05 will cost over $3.00 between starting September 29th.
The firm operates in the United Kingdom and is opening in the next few months Australia, Canada, Ireland and the USA. It charges sellers no listing fee although it does take 2% of the final transaction - much less than eBay.
eBay charges sellers to list items on the site as well as gouging an eye-watering percentage of the final sale price - this ranges from 5.25% for items sold for less than $25, dropping to 2.75% of values between $25.01 and $1,000, over that and commission falls to 1.5% of the remaining value. Not all items are charged at this rate: vehicles attract a transaction service fee rather than a percentage.
