stellaloella says: …
Reserved or custom order items should be listed at their full sale price. Listing a full-priced item for 20-cents is considered fee avoidance (of the 3.5% sale fee).
Trade items should also be listed at full price. You are using an item as a form of currency in this case, but you still need to pay Etsy appropriately for the transaction.
source: forums
September 27th, 2007 at 3:41 pm
I would like to see the opposite of this.A way to have sales without editing each and every price or a nice reimbursement for the extra transaction fees we are paying everytime we chose to run a sale and send revised invoices.
September 27th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
I actually think it is safer to list custom items at full value because if someone else buys it, other than the person it’s reserved for, they will legally be able to pay 20 cents and expect to get the item. The price you list it for is binding. Someone who sees a $10 item listed for 20 cents will jump at the bargain and ignore the “reserved for Jane” in the title. But if you list it at full value, then the wrong people are less likely to buy it out from under the intended buyer.
September 28th, 2007 at 2:27 am
Hmmm…
Actually, in a trade, the items are not currency. There is no currency in this transaction. I’m not sure why someone would have to point this out.
I guess if Etsy wants a piece of the action, I’d be happy to send them one bead from the strand or something.
September 28th, 2007 at 2:40 am
Actually, that comment about the trade thing bothered me a bit:(
September 28th, 2007 at 11:53 am
I agree with that assessment of trading — and so does the tax department.
A trade is a form of barter, in which one valuable good is exchanged for another valuable good. You’re expected to pay taxes on goods you received, so I think it’s reasonable that if those exchanges are made on Etsy that they get the usual percentage.
If it’s truly gift-giving, that would be different. A trade is not gift-giving.
September 28th, 2007 at 11:55 am
JB, you don’t have to honor transactions when the wrong person “buys” a listing, so I don’t worry about that.
September 28th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
a long while back Etsy had said that they don’t condone trades, or they frown up on them. I’d have to go hunting for the thread. I believe this came about from the PIF problems, where people weren’t getting the item in exchange or people were complaining that trades artificially inflate sales numbers. I think Etsy had even said they would not assist in disputes regarding trades. So essentially, trade at your own risk.
I’ve been told the same thing Kate said regarding taxes and trade. My accountant had informed me that technically any work/item received for trade was taxable based on the normal value of that work/item. Also, that work or items donated to a charity (pro bono work) can be deducted as a donation for the normal value.
September 29th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
By that logic the person who ACCEPTS a PIF should pay the fees, then?