To all our loyal customers,

We have moved: http://uk.ten.ebid.net/stores/Darth-Reapers-Realm

Unfortunately, due to eBay's extortionate fee structure, we have had to cease trading on eBay. Even on eBay's 7former % Final Value Fee, amongst other ridiculous highly priced fees eBay charges for extras, we saw approximately 90% of our profit margin wiped out.

As from Monday, September 1, 2008, eBay are changing their fee structure yet again, raising their Final Value Fee from 7% to a minimum 10% for up to £4.99 but as most of our items fall between £5.00-£9.99 we will see an additional 8% Final Value Fee making it a total of 18%, which will see 99%-100% of our profit margin wiped out on all items. It is no longer financially viable to trade on eBay with such extortionate fees. There is just no point in trading and selling at a loss.

We can not in any way re-invest in the business, investing in a higher volume and wider range of stock items when eBay are stealing our profit margins. We will no longer stand for it. It is hard work running a Toy Shop, and it is simply not worth all the hard work for ZERO profit and selling at a loss. With what we have paid in eBay fees over the past 12 months, we could have bought in stock instead.

eBay are charging ridiculous fees for extras, for example:

• eBay charge a 10% Final Value Fee on the final price the item is sold for. Where we have moved to, it is 2%.
• eBay charge various amounts for a picture in search results ranging from 5p-12p. Where we have moving to there is no charge.
• eBay charges 50p for a listing title to be in bold in search results. Where we have moved to, it is 3p.
• eBay charges 35p for a subtitle. Where we have moved to they charge 8p.
• eBay charge £2.50 for a listing to be highlighted in search results. Where we have moved to they charge 10p.

Where we have moved to, we face no monthly Shop Subscription Fee which eBay have raised. We face no reoccurring listing fees. We can list items for free, or for the sake of a one off £1.00 fee, we can have a Featured Listing, which the £1.00 fee 98% of the time will work out less than eBay's thieving minimum 10% Final Value Fee, especially on sets of action figures, battle packs and vehicles. Or, for the sake a 2% Final Value Fee, we can have a Gallery Listing, which the 2% works out a lot cheaper than eBay's thieving minimum 10%.

Where we have moved to, we will retain 99% of our profit margins which will enable us to re-invest in the business, investing in a higher volume and wider range of stock. We can now afford to offer the kind of great deals we could not offer on eBay. Both are something we can not do on eBay due to their thieving fees.

Same Great Service, Prices and Postage Costs

On the new website we have moved to, you will get the same great and fair Postage & Packaging costs that we provided on eBay, which is cheaper than 98% of our competitors. You will still get the same first class customer services you got with us on eBay, which is better than 99% of our competitors, many of which overcharge on Postage & Packaging costs and their lack of communication is disgraceful, along with slow dispatch times.

For our European Customers

As for our European customers, do not fear, you will still be able to buy from us at our new website home. As with our UK based customers, you will still receive the same great and fair Postage & Packaging fees, great first class customer service as well as great deals we can now afford to offer on our new website home which as you know, most UK based sellers on eBay rip-off European customers with extortionate Postage Costs and over priced items.

eBay are pricing sellers out of the market with their extortionate fees. How are we supposed to make a profit to cover running costs and invest in stock and earn a living when they are effectively taking our entire profit margin?

eBay will continue to raise fees unless enough sellers stand up to them, like in the UK, if enough sellers banded together, they could take it to Trading Standards. The only way you can escape the new extortionate fee structure eBay is bringing in is if you can afford the £350 per month shop subscription, plus discounted listings fees, plus discounted fees for additional extras, because you will still face fees on top, and the discounts won't add up to much over the course of a year. Even then, you will still be losing at least 95% of your profit margins.

The only people making profit on eBay are eBay themselves and the not so genuine and honest sellers who are ripping people off. PayPal is an eBay company so eBay have both their hands in the pockets of sellers.

And yes, from our new website home, we'll still sell selected items for the Make-A-Wish Foundation (UK), but now, we'll be able to afford to make bigger and better donations rather than going through eBay's rip-off system.

If any sellers have any sense, you'll leave eBay and find somewhere cheaper and fairer to sell on. When you consider eBay fees alone that you have spent over the past 12 months, you could have had your own website and had banner advertising on other websites.

eBay will continue to rip-off genuine and honest sellers. And with their new fee structure you'll still lose out in the end while you profits disappear into eBay's greedy deep pockets.

A quick message to collectors of Star Wars action figures: We can now sell all figures at very competitive prices, cheaper than most on eBay with much cheaper Postage & Packaging too at our new Store location on eBid (address below).

Kind regards,
Darth Reaper
Darth Reapers Realm
http://uk.ebid.net/stores/Darth-Reapers-Realm