eBay raises fees on sneakers sold through its authenticity guarantee program

eBay has announced that several changes are coming to its authenticity guarantee program for sneakers which will take effect in October.

For starters, the company is expanding the list of eligible sneakers to make more in-demand sneakers available through the Authenticity Guarantee Program.

This expansion could be good news for sellers to help them grow their business in the marketplace.

eBay is also improving the listing and shipping process, which it says will provide more transparency for buyers before making a buying decision, but it could make the sneakers more expensive.

A new listing feed will automatically select which nationwide service eBay will use to ship orders eligible for the Sneaker Authenticity Guarantee. Now shoppers will know exactly how the sneakers arrive at their doorstep.

On the seller’s side, when a qualifying pair of sneakers is purchased on eBay, the company will provide a free shipping label to send the sneakers to the authentication center.

This tag includes loss and damage protection for the seller in case something happens to the sneakers on the way to the center.

To speed up the shopping experience, eBay is implementing a new processing time for sneakers eligible for the Authenticity Guarantee, requiring sellers to ship sneakers to the authenticator in 3 business days or less.

Once authenticated, eBay says buyers will receive their items within three days. However, the company did not mention any updates on improving the speed at the authentication center.

Although the program did not suffer from the delays when it launched, some buyers continue to complain on social media that the actual authentication process takes too long.

But in a somewhat surprising move that can only negatively impact the shopping experience, shoppers will now pay a flat $14.95 shipping fee within the United States when ordering sneakers through the authentication program.

eBay hasn’t said if this will change in other markets as well, but the company will provide more shipping information soon that will hopefully provide some clarity.

These shipping charges are really a bit odd considering that eBay has been encouraging sellers to offer free shipping on its platform for years.

The company must believe that the authentication program provides enough value-added benefits to buyers that they are willing to pay shipping now.

eBay changes commissions on the final price of sneakers

When eBay launched the Sneaker Authentication program, it didn’t charge a commission on the final price. Of course, it wasn’t going to last.

In January of this year, the company began monetizing the program by implementing a commission on the final price of sneakers over $100 with an 8% or 7% fee depending on whether the seller was subscribed to the eBay store. .

eBay is now adding a new level of fees that will impact low-priced sneakers in the Authentication Guarantee Program.

• The final price commission for sneakers sold between $100 and $150 will increase to 12.9% for sellers without a Basic Store subscription or higher. The final price commission for sellers with a Basic Store subscription or higher will increase to 12%.
• Additionally, sneakers priced below $150 may be subject to an insertion fee if the seller has exhausted their monthly zero insertion fee allowance.
• The new $14.95 flat rate shipping charge for buyers will not be subject to the final price commission, regardless of pricing tier.

eBay pointed out that sneakers sold for less than $100 (not eligible for the Authentication Guarantee) or sneakers sold for $150 or more – which it says make up the vast majority of sneakers sold on eBay – will not be affected by an increase in the commission on the final value.

“With verified returns, seller protections, lowest fees, and top speed, a pair of sneakers are sold every 5 seconds on eBay in the United States. We will continue to work closely with you to gather your feedback and improve more processes to provide a great sneaker experience when buying and selling on eBay,” eBay concluded in its email to sellers.

These changes to sneakers authentication program will enter into force on October 10, 2022.

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