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   prokyonid (prokyonid@mastodon.sdf.org)'s status on Friday, 10-Apr-2026 21:34:14 JST prokyonid

   Auctions with a "Buyer's Premium" are so weird.

   'Yes I think this thing is worth $100 and I'll pay that for it.'
   "Great, we'll be charging your account on file $120."
   'But I said I'd only pay $100'
   "Well, you're only paying $100 for the thing, but it's an additional 10% to buy it from us. Then of course you have sales tax on both the item and also on the service of us selling you the item."

   • Embed this notice
     botvolution (botvolution@mastodon.sdf.org)'s status on Friday, 10-Apr-2026 21:34:13 JST botvolution

     in reply to

     @prokyonid
     Its a relatively new invention. One of the big auction houses (think Christie's, Sotheby's) suddenly decided to start imposing it in the 70s and everyone thought wow fuck free money that's a good idea and boom.

   • Embed this notice
     prokyonid (prokyonid@mastodon.sdf.org)'s status on Saturday, 11-Apr-2026 01:17:52 JST prokyonid

     in reply to

     • botvolution

     @botvolution I don't think it could have developed today, in the worldwide online auction space. In the US, you really only run into it at auctions targetting business or gov't customers. The closest you typically see in regular auctions is a 'handling fee' which is normally a flat fee per item.

   • Embed this notice
     botvolution (botvolution@mastodon.sdf.org)'s status on Saturday, 11-Apr-2026 01:27:48 JST botvolution

     in reply to

     @prokyonid interesting that eBay abandoned seller fees and pushed the burden onto the seller.