eBay.com recently launched a pricing promo for sellers that meant that “invited” merchants could enjoy a 25% discount on final value fees (FVFs) for a month between the March 12th and April 12th. You can find the full terms of the promotion here.
It was a reasonably tasty promo, as the terms said:
What is the Promotion?
Invited sellers (“Sellers”) who activate the offer and then create new listings in the fixed price, auction-style, or auction-style with Buy It Now format during the Promotion Period, pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth herein, will receive a 25% discount on final value fees (“Promotional Rate”) during the Promotion Period (the “Promotion”).
– eBay.com
For reasons that have not been fully explained, the promo has subsequently been withdrawn, as was noted by an eBay spokesperson on the eBay.com discussion boards:
We have had to deactivate the promotion and apologize for the inconvenience. If you opted in and received a confirmation of acceptance, we will be honoring the promotion. You will receive an email with details if this pertains to you.
– Alan, eBay.com
It’s not clear who was invited to join in with this promotion, or indeed why it was so swiftly discontinued. Perhaps it was too successful and would have proved too expensive. Or perhaps the wrong cohort of sellers were invited to join in with it as part of a clerical error. We just don’t know.
But eBay has clarified that if an invited eBay merchant opted in and was accepted then the full terms of the offer will stand and the FVF discount will continue to be applied. Sadly that means if you weren’t quick off the mark, and didn’t get involved, then the offer from eBay is invalid. Which is a bit shoddy.
Have you been impacted? Did you get the email and opt in? Or did you miss your chance?
One Response
If ebay.co.uk were to offer any “incentives” for business sellers I think I may fall of my seat.