[vcoheda]

Quote:

New fee structure Please note: Starting September 27th 2008, Audiogon fees for sellers have changed. We have lowered the listing fee and added a "transaction fee" when the item sells. Basic listing Fee: $4.00 (applies whether item sells or not) Transaction Fee: +1.00% of sale price (applies only if item sells)

the advantage of this is that it should make it easier to gauge the market, as price list should conform more closely to sale price (in theory). this should help both sellers and buyers. of course sellers will take a bigger hit on higher priced items, but lower ones, not really.

my big question though is how will audiogon know if the item sells?

 

[krmathis]

If its like here on Head-Fi, the asking price is very seldom the final selling price.
So like you I wonder how AudiogoN know the final price, and if it even sold at all?

I don't like the new fee scheme, but then again I usually deal with more expensive gear.

 

[vcoheda]

i think the 1 percent commission will be based on the price the seller lists the item. because of that, there is incentive to list items close to what they should sell for. of course, maybe that is an incorrect assumption. not sure.

need input from people who have recently sold items under the new scheme.

 

[jbusuego]

Is it better to sell audio products at audiogon than on ebay? I'm planning to sell my amp(Anthem mc30) and my martin logan subwoofer(dynamo).

 

[foo_me]

seems to me like audiogon is being somewhat monopolistic.

that's a huge jump in fees for many items.

also, wouldn't it have potentially the opposite affect of not reporting the actual (higher) sale price in order to avoid that huge transaction fee?
or just not changing the status of an item?

seems like there would be many ways to avoid it.

 

[n_maher]

I think they're going to catch a lot of flack for the change in policy, not to mention have a heck of a time enforcing payment for the 1% after sale. Essentially what this does is discourage the buyer from reporting the sale and leaving feedback, unless they are going to somehow make it mandatory that all offers to purchase are submitted through Audiogon's web interface and that the purchase will have to be handled through them in some was as well (like Ebay insisting on using Paypal).

 

[Edwood]

Yeah, this new structure makes no sense without a radical change in their website. Pretty stupid, if you ask me, particularly in a depressed economy. They're just going to loose more and more business to eBay.

 

[sdheda]

This really sucks. I wanted to list an item there...

Time to look for an alternative website.

 

[Caution]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdheda /img/forum/go_quote.gif This really sucks. I wanted to list an item there... Time to look for an alternative website.

yea I wonder where you'd find one like that

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caution /img/forum/go_quote.gif yea I wonder where you'd find one like that

Well, he don't fill the requirements in our FS forums... So guess he have to look around.

 

[sdheda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well, he don't fill the requirements in our FS forums... So guess he have to look around.

There are many forums that have a for sale section. For example, Audiocircle (free) and AVSforum (listing fee).

 

[vcoheda]

two things i noticed recently.

* there is no mention of the 1% transaction fee until the very last page right before you post the classified ad. it used to be on the first page once you hit sell. it seems like they are trying to hide the fee or slip it in there.

* as before, it only applies if the item sells. but they clarified that the 1% is of the "actual sale price."

other than an honor system, i can't imagine that they have a way to determine (1) if an item sold and (2) what the actual sale price was.

i guess that figure that if even a portion of the people report as they should, they will make more money than previously with the flat rate.

 

[vcoheda]

this actually explains a lot.

------------------------

What are seller fees?

Seller fees are the various costs and charges incurred in listing an item on Audiogon. There are two types of fees a seller may be expected to pay.

The first type is the Listing Fee. Listing fees are the cost associated with placing an ad or auction on Audiogon. Presently, the base cost of an ad or auction is $4.00, this includes three pictures. Additional options are available for additional costs as labeled while posting.

The second type of seller fees are the Transaction Fee. The transaction fees are only applied to a seller's account if the item listed is sold. They are equal to 1% of the reported sale price and will be expected to be resolved before any further ads may be posted. It is possible to Dispute transaction fees if a sale has fallen through by using the Audiogon Dispute Resolution Process, found here:

Dispute Resolution system

--------------

What happens if I do not pay my transaction fee?

If your credit balance is negative, any listings you submit will not be posted until your balance is settled. Please note, if your account maintains a negative balance over a long period of time your account may be suspended by Audiogon.

---------------

What if my buyer backs out?

An offer or bid on Audiogon once accepted (or the auction closed) constitutes a binding contract. Thus backing out of a purchase under these conditions is considered a very serious offense. If your buyer is unable or unwilling to follow through with the transaction as agreed via an offer or auction, you may submit negative feedback. We also recommend filing a Dispute to recover your listing fees and have any transaction fees absolved.

------------

How are transaction fees calculated?

The actual transaction fee applied to your account will be 1% of the actual sale price as recorded via the auction's close, the accepted offer, or reported feedback.

-------------

How do I pay my transaction fees?

Since the fees are applied to your Audiogon account, you can make payment as you have always paid your listing fees in the Audiogon Fees section of your MyPage. You can pay via Credit Card, Paypal or mail a check.

---------------

When are transaction fees billed to my account?

Transaction fees are applied to your account at the close of a successful auction, when an offer or counteroffer is accepted, or when feedback is submitted. If the fees cause your account to go negative, any future ads or auctions submitted will not be posted until the balance is settled.

 

[orkney]

It's a terrible idea. Audiogon's primitive user interface, notoriously unreliable feedback mechanisms, atrocious customer service, outdated Blue Book and intrusively moderated forums all make me disinclined to shell out an additional percentage for what is effectively a classified ad site. What does Audiogon do to deserve its percentage? Does it work harder to deliver a $20,000 item than a $20 one? IMO, a laddered flat fee structure would have been a FAR better solution -- $5 for under $1000.00, $7.50 for $1001 - 1500, etc. I predict that rival sites will jump on this, and we'll all be better off.

o

 

[vcoheda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by orkney /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's a terrible idea. Audiogon's primitive user interface, notoriously unreliable feedback mechanisms, atrocious customer service, outdated Blue Book and intrusively moderated forums all make me disinclined to shell out an additional percentage for what is effectively a classified ad site. What does Audiogon do to deserve its percentage? Does it work harder to deliver a $20,000 item than a $20 one? IMO, a laddered flat fee structure would have been a FAR better solution -- $5 for under $1000.00, $7.50 for $1001 - 1500, etc. I predict that rival sites will jump on this, and we'll all be better off.

i agree. bad idea.

a progressive flat fee structure would have been better. also, i check audiogon just about every day for certain brands/items and since the new fee structure has taken effect there have been (or seems to be) fewer listings, so i think it has already had a negative effect. another thing is that there was a discussion thread on audiogon about the new fees, but it is no longer there. and there are no new threads on the topic. the moderation on audiogon is heavy.