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Does eBay want a divorce?

The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries.

Top sellers on eBay in the U-S - of stamps and everything - now have to ship 90 percent
of their orders within ONE day of receiving payment AND have to use a shipping method
that includes tracking.

One day is a tight turnaround, especially when you consider that most stamp dealers have
lives outside of selling on eBay. I'll bet that's true of other merchandise, too.

The tracking requirement is even more of a problem. Most stamps can be shipped in a plain
envelope for less than a dollar. But it costs FIVE dollars and up to ship with tracking.

Many stamps sell for less than that. And meanwhile, eBay has been pushing sellers to offer
free shipping.

As a buyer, would you pay five dollars shipping for a three-dollar item? Would you buy an
eight-dollar item with so-called "free" shipping if you could find it somewhere else for
three dollars and a dollar for shipping? Me, neither.

Top-rated sellers on eBay get lower fees and higher placement in search results... but
they'll lose that if they don't comply. And many top-rated STAMP dealers are saying it's
time to look at other selling sites.

Stamps were a big part of eBay's business when it started. Now it seems to find cars and
T-V's more attractive.

I guess we were eBay's starter wife.

I'm Lloyd de Vries of The Virtual Stamp Club. For more on stamps and stamp collecting,
visit virtual-stamp-club-dot-com.

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