Bidness with friends- how much to charge for what? (saddle)

[Ginger]

A friend shipped me her saddle (from MN) to sell for her on ebay. The listing/final value fees came to $24. The double-dip chunk Paypal took out was $24. Shipping will be $24. The saddle sold for $800.

She was hoping to get $600, so that went exceedingly well. With the $72 the Ebay Monster ate, that leaves $728.

She wants to pay me a commission for handling this for her, and as she's a friend, I don't know what to do.

How much should I get? I don't want her to feel gypped. I figured why not ask here and get fifty different answers, several completely irrelevants, a few "ooh, butterflies!", and still be no better off at the end of two days than when I first asked.

[appyday]

I sold a saddle for a friend on ebay...she offered me...to pay all the expenses listing it and 10% of the selling price...So she paid listing fees and pay pal fees and I got 10% of the selling fee...I thought that was a good deal and I had to mess with all the dumb questions and shipping..

[DSDECKERT]

I agree with Appy - 10% is the standard commission. You did the work and she's still over her "wishful" $600!

[NikiGA]

Tell her you want a gift certificate from Sonny's for whatever amount you need to experience full BBQ bliss. ;-)

[Linda Y]

I do this quite often for a friend that can't do eBay. All I charge her is what they charge me. But she is a GOOD friend.
Otherwise, I agree... 10%. And to me it also depends on if the friend is in a position to afford it, or could they really use the extra they made off the saddle.

[dana]

i'd charge the living bejesus out of her, if i were you . . . . ;-)

[Ginger]

:razz: is all I have to say! :lol:

[CarolU]

I guess it depends on how you define "A friend."

I'd charge 10% and be totally honest with her about what it sold for and associated costs.

[Ginger]

Honest? Wow, I was really planning on lying. Well, Plan B, I guess...

How I define a friend? Well, I guess that depends on what the definition of "is" is...

... A-ny-way... Do I take my cut off the top, or after fees?

[ErinC]

if you werent planing on taking money in the first place, ( thats what it soulds like ) then anything is better then nothing..
just tell her to give you what she feels is fair, that way you leave it in her hands.
:?:

[Edurne]

I would charge her off the top, such as probably all agencies do. or anotherway that construction does it is split savings. You could split the profit $128 / 2.

[cowboy ed]

hi ginger, ok, the saddle sold for $800. the buyer should pay the shipping cost of $24. i do quite a bit of ebay, and always make the buyer pay the shipping.
you had to pay the fees for selling, and will have to pay the shipping up front until payment arrives.

your friend wanted $600, right? i have handled a few transactions like this, and what we usually agree on up front is that i get anything over the amount the seller is willing to take for their item. given this example, in effect, you bought your friend's saddle for $600, then sold it for $800. the fees you incurred are yours to bear, because that is how you chose to sell the saddle. send your friend $600. ;-)

[DebbieS]

Kind of like a consignment shop.... good idea.