New Store subscriptions and fees

Gary Steele

Does this make sense to drop # of listings from 100,000 to 10,000 and then charge more?

Currently, a Starter Store subscription allows for up to 100 listings, a Basic Store subscription allows for up to 10,000 listings, a Featured Store subscription allows for up to 100,000 listings, and a Premium Store subscription allows for up to 1,000,000 listings. Effective July 22, 2022, a Basic Store subscription will allow for up to 1,000 listings and a Featured Store subscription will allow for up to 10,000 listings.

I have written many at Hipstamp to show my displeasure.

Rod Simmons

@Van Guno Why not specify here what those "options" are?

Ted Tyszka

Anyone who can afford all that would not be griping about this fee increase in the first place.

Bob Hatch

Guess I'm lucky that I renewed at the Featured Store rate at the end of May and increased my listings to over 19,000. I'm now grandfathered in for the next 10 months. This gives me some time to reduce my inventory and find a new selling platform. I feel the pain of those of you who have only a few days to find a solution.

I agree that this is a piss poor business decision on the part of Hipstamp. Especially in a downturn economy. Sounds like they are trying to find a way to recover their development cost for the Gold HipValues Subscription program which nobody wanted --- It certainly has little value for sellers who must now pay the burden of the $25 a month "value".

If my math is correct, I will have to pay an extra $60 per month to maintain my current listing level of 19K items. I average less than 4 invoices per day. Assuming I can generate an average of 120 invoices per month, I must charge each customer an additional 50c per invoice to cover the additional cost of doing business on the site --- Makes no friggin sense to me. Buyers will go to that place we used to call "FeeBay" in search of better deals

And by the way, I am not one of those sellers who lists dozens of copies of the same low value stamp. I typically limit my listings for a particular Scott number to no more than 3 items (3 mnh, 3 used, etc.). (I may have listed as many as 4 on fewer than a dozen occasions). If the site has become too large for economies of scale, then Hipstamp should have taken action to limit the number duplicate listings a seller can make rather than force all sellers to reduce what may be better quality listings.

This action STINKS and may kill the site. As stated by someome above "there are no buyers without sellers" I'm taking this personally because I have a lot invested in the site. I'm VERY DISSAPOINTED

D. Harding

Even though the powers that be backed off *this time*:

1. What's to say that a "nominal" cost increase wasn't the end goal all along, and this misdirection was simply a way to get the seller base more accepting, e.g., "Oh thank goodness they rolled back the listing changes; it's only a small increase".

2. For those staying, I hope you're at least seeing the writing on the wall and use this as an opportunity to plan an exit strategy. The whole "grandfathered in until the end of your annual term" blindsideded any number of sellers without recourse just due to the timing of the announcement vs. the expiration of their annual subscription. While this may not have impacted you directly this time, you may not be so lucky the next time.

3. With eBay sync permanently broken, combined with the mismanagement and communication fiascos here as of late, and the inevitable legal entanglement because Hipstamp is not collecting sales tax on behalf of sellers as required by law, it's only a matter of time before things implode, in my opinion.

4. Re: George's question above, on eBay all stores subscription levels except "Starter" come with "an additional XXXX fixed price listings in select categories". Those select categories include stamps and collectibles. So for Basic you get 1,000 + 10,000 = 11,000 listings per month. For Premium you get 10,000 + 50,000 = 60,000 per month. As you list, if the listing is eligible for the select categories, it pulls against that quota, so you're not using up your base quantity that can be used across all categories until needed.

Enjoy your time here while you can, but the prudent seller is making contingency plans to be safe.

Michael David Hiltner

Wow are store went from $719.40 a year to $1079.40 US a year . That's a $360 increase which is a lot more then 5%. At our exchange rate that's $1400 Can bucks a year. Don't know how we can sustain that increase especially with lack of sales right now. Hard to believe that Hipstamp would pull this on stores that have been loyal to them since the start.

George DeKornfeld

I'm so delighted I've spent the last few weeks loading French stamps into my Basic Store only to find I'll need to delete over 1700 listings only to pay more for the privilege. The market has slowed down considerably here lately because of summer and, of course, inflation, so what do these greedy bastards do? Raise our prices and give us LESS, under the guise of "These changes represent our only fee increase since January 2020 and are necessary for us to continue key programs that are currently helping our Sellers to increase their sales each month, which are now approaching $3 Million per month across Hip eCommerce." That's $3 MILLION in sales that WE create, so their cut amounts to around $300K per month or $3.6 MILLION per year. Not enough for you greed mongers?? I've been selling all along on eBay but never had a store there. Looks like its time to open one and transfer everything over. I can hear the sound of stores on HipStamp slamming their doors shut already. The greed is going to back-fire on these mercenary clowns big-time!

Jeri Stathas

Let's see - Huge increase in store subscriptions and the IRS will now tax sales over $600.00 a year. Hardly a profitable venture anymore even with deductions. Good thing we have a whole 9 days to sort this out!! Almost forgot,, International sales pretty much out now. It was bad enough when USPS raised the rates but now countries are charging sellers VAT tax.

George DeKornfeld

This may not even be feasible, but if enough of us got together and divided the cost, what about starting our own platform? Clearly, I have no clue how much something like that would cost, but if enough of us were to pool our resources, perhaps this wouldn't be out of the question. Advertising could be done via any philatelic message boards we participate in, as well as any societies we belong to, along with FaceBook and the like. If we're going to get hosed with costs here, why not spend that money for something for ourselves? It could be set up as a Board, with a President, Treasurer, Secretary, etc with a membership, all equal partners. ....just brain-storming here...

Robert Parkin

Stamp Den now has a banner up saying "Welcome HipStamp Refugees"

George DeKornfeld

Here's an option. You want to raise my Basic Store fees to $9.95/month, knock yerselves out, but ONLY if you don't screw with the number of listings allowed ie keep it at 10K !!!!!!!!!!!

Phil Atarium

This is an extraordinary increase. It will cause me to rethink everything.

I've been here since at least 2005.

Peter Wichmann Moller

Been with Mark... since he started StampWants / HipStamp +_ 18 years.

I will not take it... and close my store when my year subscription expires.
When sellers leave, buyers too.
HS. MGM has to work fast.... to do damage control, and change for buyers and sellers that catastrophic decision,

Pete James

Ok, before everyone takes a deep breath and begins to relax - just remember that the fox now owns the hen house.

steve culp

Wow!! for a bored person, this is fun to read. So, if annual basic is going from $7 to $15 (more than doubled and I round off) featured from $20 to $30 (50%) increase, I don't see as "backing" off. I see it as a windfall and an annual world cruise for HS employees paid by this new fee rate

Jerry.Burkhart

promoted listings start @ 2% on Ebay and rarely go over 7% but in any case it is up to the seller at what level if any level as it is an option. It has NOTHING to do with Google or Google shopping. It is an inhouse promotion so to say it is 20% is not true. also a $5 increase on lower level monthly fees is not less than 5% it is 33%. Please explain your math? most of us went to school here and know how to do math.

Stated Facts-- Real Math:
Price Changes
Currently, a Starter Store subscription is $2.95 per month, a Basic Store subscription is $6.95 per month, a Featured Store subscription is $19.95 per month, and a Premium Store subscription is $59.95 per month - all when on an annual subscription; or $3.95, $9.95, $24.95 and $74.95 per month respectively when not on an annual subscription.
Updated: Effective July 22, 2022, a Starter Store subscription will be $3.95 per month, a Basic Store subscription will be $11.95 per month, a Featured Store subscription will be $29.95 per month, and a Premium Store subscription will be $89.95 per month - all when on an annual subscription; or $5.95, $14.95, $37.95 and $119.95 per month respectively when not on an annual subscription.

so.. you increased $9.95 to $14.95 - how is this less than 5%? I don't think most of the sellers here are this dumb to not see the real facts. this is 33% -the other level store increases are similar.. not 5%. I would also mention that i do not think it is a great idea to pay up by the year here. :-)

as far as improvements here.. LOL

Rene Bravo

Rod, humor can be a productive human reaction to stress... and the sky is truly NOT falling because this is a HOBBY, not critical human infrastructure. And free market forces prevail, like discussion of other options like leaving or creating one's better option. Don't let this topic steal your joy.

Rene Bravo

LOL! Rod, yes such worry over this . Oh well, back to the real world. Be well my friend.

Rod Simmons

I was just looking at the new fees...currently I have a Basic store with over 4000 listings. So I will get "upgraded" to the Featured store for a monthly increase from $9.95 to $26.95...almost TRIPLE the cost. I have about a week to either reduce my inventory by over 3,000 items, pay the increase, or quit the site...As of right now I plan on closing my store. I just cannot abide that kind of increase considering the current state of our economy. Also, like y'all, I got an email from HS that had NO information on a rate increase. If I hadn't clicked the link (which I usually don't do) I would have no idea there was a rate increase...kinda underhanded if you ask me (since there are quite a few that may never click the link to see the update).

I would register my complaint with HS, but after all of the issues over the last year that went ignored or discounted, I don't think they give a flying flip what sellers want.

Rod Simmons

It actually makes me sad to see. I was so excited to find this site a couple of years ago. Figured it would be a great way to get rid of 50 years of accumulated stamps and make some extra money to get more stamps for my collection. I knew it would take me a couple of years to really get established so I could then start buying auction lots and increase my store. But that fee increase makes that plan moot. It's really a shame.

David Peters

I can assure Hipstamp that I will not be continuing on with my store subscription once it has expired.
Disgraceful
EVEN EBAY ARE NOT THIS GREEDY

Rod Tilyard

Incredible! The most outrageous increase in the history of my selling online.

On eBay I pay AU$24.95 ($US16.85) a month, not ANNUALLY, for UNLIMITED listings, and sell 10 TIMES what I sell here.

It's GOODBYE from me as soon as my annual sub here expires.

(Oh, and an eBay sync that is PERMANENTLY BROKEN, that does not sync all my listings. Confirmed by support as unfixable !!!).

Henry Brooks

Think you nailed it George - lots of hungry mouths to feed. At least we all know who we are now dealing with. this is not like the silent partner in your local gin mill - these people want results regardless of cost. If there was ever any doubt about where Hip is headed there is no more - we all need a plan B.

Thanks for the expose -

Rod Tilyard

Even if the the quantities remain the same, the prices are still unrealistically higher than eBay.

Richard Olsen

I'm with you Gary.

I have a Featured Store and am not going to pay more for a lot less. It looks like I will have to delete about 3,000 items to keep a Featured store or I could just close my store.

George DeKornfeld

John said: "Rod based on the title of the email ... 2022 Summer Seller Update .... the buyers don't even know about this."
Oh, Yeah? I don't know about the rest of you folks, but I participate in several philatelic message boards in addition to here. They're going to hear about this right about now!

Oliver Dziwoki

Is this drastic increase in fees (greater than our national inflation rate,) a mean to chase away low volume sellers like me from Hipstamps?

Wayne Camolli

Hipstamp (or is it ebay) seems intent on making money just to exist. Sit back and count the fees, the hell with sales.
I have already made the decision to close my store in October. Changed my store to yearly pay just for the hell of it to keep my item limit.
Maybe now I'll hang out till December and start posting again for a while...

Seems like Hipstamp is giving me the same reasons to bail out as ebay did 6 or 7 years ago.

Douglas Potter

I have 4000+ items and have been a member of Hip since way back when. I have a yearly basic subscription. When they reduce the basic amount to 1,000 listings how are they going to determine which items get deleted or is that up to me? I wouldn't mind paying more but would like the number of listings kept at 10,000. Would have to close at the end of the subscription.

David Lirette

The forcing of the next level store at a much higher price in order to maintain my current listings is a deal breaker for me. Why would I pay more for a store here than what I pay on ebay for similar sized stores and much fewer sales? I have already created my reminder alarm to close the store on 7/19 since my subscription renews on 7/20 as I will not accept an increase from $25 to $100.

Wayne Buza

I now have 7400 listings. I cannot afford to go to the next level for the identical "service". I agree with the sentiments expressed here. Sounds a lot like this country trying to commit suicide??