I've decided to stop selling issues on eBay. I managed to move quite a few that way and succeeded in introducing people to the zine. However, PayPal and eBay have instituted a new policy that I find very frustrating. A week or so ago PayPal began holding onto my funds, stating that they would do so for up to 21 days while I established a seller reputation on eBay. This was not something that was done when I first started selling zines. They are vague on what constitutes a "good seller reputation."
I understand that the move is done to protect buyers, but I think that sellers deserve consideration as well. Anyone who read the intro to Loviatar No. 2 understands that the zine operates on tight margins. I can't have money tied up in PayPal limbo for three weeks in addition to paying auction insertion fees.
The zine has been growing rapidly and is reaching a circulation much larger than I expected. It's still easily manageable, but cutting out eBay will ensure modest growth and will save me the headache of being denied access to my money.
Your doing the right thing ditching eBay... that policy is absurd.
ReplyDeleteSame reason I ditched them. I also hated that they charged a percentage of the shipping costs. What nerve!
ReplyDeleteI guess I got my issues just in time!
ReplyDelete