Fees. The next consideration is fees. All TA’s charge a base commission for their services and nearly all pass the eBay and PayPal fees back the their consignors. Some also charge an upfront fee to list your item, and some rebate this fee upon successful sale and others do not. Some have multiple commission schedules, one for charities, one for businesses, one for consumers. So here is what you should be asking. 

1. Is there an upfront fee to list my item.
2. If so, is that fee rebated upon successful sale of the item?
3. What are the commission rates.
4. Are the commission rates tiered or graduated?
5. Are commission rates negotiable?
6. Does the TA “Mark Up” the eBay fee?
7. Does the TA “Mark Up” the PayPal Fee?
8. What happens if my item does not sell?

To properly create an apples-to-apples comparison of how much you are ultimately going to pay in fees, we suggest using the following matrix:

And remember, in this exercise you have to include ALL Fees including PayPal fees, eBay listing, reserve, and additional features fees, and the commission. Also, remember there are various fee breakpoints and you will want to take advantage of them.

Make a chart like this for each commission program offered by each TA you are considering. Now this is only an example.

My Item Sells For           I Realize Net $$         My Percentage

$10.00                                 $5.00                           50%

$25.00                                 $15.00                         60%

$100.00                               $70.00                         70%

Note. Due to the variety of breakpoints out there, we suggest using the following My Item Sells For Amounts: 10.00, 19.99, 20.00, 24.99, 25.00, 50.00, 75.00, 100.00,  150.00, 200.00, 249.99, 250.00, 300.00, 350.00, 400.00, 499.99, 500.00, 600.00, 700.00, 749.99, 750.00, 999.99, 1,000.00., etc. The key here is to generate values below and above the commission breakpoints and compare these net realizations across the board between all considered TA's to find the best one for you.

You might find that one TA’s pricing is great for items that sell for between $100.00 and $150.00 and another has better pricing for larger, big ticket items. You will also find that there are substantial variances in comparing TA Fee Schedules.

I have heard of people netting out a puny $25.00 check on an item that was sold through a TA for $100.00 on eBay, and I have seen other people netting out as much as $71.00 on the exact same item sold through a different TA.

If you are like most people, you want the best deal for your hard earned dollar. So carefully compare fees schedules.

And remember, the above comparison is generally used for small items weighing less than 50 lbs. If you are going to sell a car, a boat, business equipment or large items requiring a freight broker, there is probably a different schedule for you available from your TA.

Now is still only the tip of the iceberg. You still have a lot more work to do in choosing the right TA for you. .