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As a seller we are facing a lot of trouble with recent changes. Sellers are not able to communicate directly with buyers anymore.

Everything has to be done through support tickets. Many sellers don't like this new approach and we are stating this on TH's forums. We have also complaint about some sellers who buy stuff from China and inflate the MSRP to get higher bids. Foreign sellers are taking over with a lot of pieces that are not genuine and or real precious metals.

That has been harming our business as individual vendors. As a seller I try my best to give my buyers the best quality pieces possible and I always describe the pieces as what they really are. I sell fantasy jewelry and also genuine silver jewelry with semi precious/quartz stones, but people are not interested in bidding on those items because they don't start at $1.00 How can I sell a real tanzanite ring for a buck? These foreign vendors are giving misleading information and buyers bid on jewelry that is totally different than as is described.

If you see a "14K rose gold ring with emeralds and white topaz with a MSRP of $1,250.00 and with a starting bid at $1.00 - Do you think that ring is real? Of course is not! You as a buyer can report these misleading advertisements to TH help and support system. Now, the big problem sellers are facing, including me is.

Foreign companies are big and many of them are offering these type of "great deals" which at the end are not so great taking our business away from our hands. Many times I have seen my genuine rings going through the auctions and no one bid on them. I have thought in to main reasons: 1 - Buyers may be suspicious on the quality of the piece taking in consideration many pieces for sale at TH are FALSE and FAKE and when one good item comes around can be taken as a fake piece as well. Or 2 - Many buyers just want to bid a buck or 2 on every single item and are not interested in spending more money in a piece they don't know for sure if is real or not.

They are also buyers who bid and don't pay, cancel or ask for refunds immediately after paying.

They are also buyers who believe everything must cost low and ended throwing their money to the trash.

TH states they are doing everything in their hands to address these issues and hold accountable those sellers who are selling pieces with false advertising and inflated MSRPS In the meanwhile many decent sellers are losing business and ended in the negative numbers because TH's fees are insanely high and if the seller is not a partner we barely have the opportunity of selling one product or 2 a day. My recommendation is to read the description of what you are about to bid on and if you see a piece of jewelry with a really high MSRP and starting the auction at $1.00 DO NOT BID, 99.9% it is fake!

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Guest

I am new to tophatter and I liked the idea of selling in volume but as ever6know who's been on tophatter, all cheap products so only way for sellers to make money is buying really super cheap products so after paying their fees shipping materials....extra they still can make some money, but worst thing I noticed is the SFB (schedule fees for bids ) where you have to bid for your own products to be listed up in auction , they recommend $1.50 which is not fair for products than can sell only for 3 or 4 dollars....they still charge commission fee plus transaction fee plus shipping and materials and your product cost , probably you will end up spending from your pocket to sell your product , SFB can be a percentage is going to be good for all with a limit on it .....

Guest

I have been a loyal seller on tophatter since 2014. I have seen a lot of changes and none for the better.

I use to be a fun and exciting seller platform complete with auction room with an audience. Now, it has a algorithm taking any human interaction away leaving a cold, fast pace 90 minute auctions. Forced to start each item at $1.00 has turned it into an online $.99 cent store. The worst is allowing sellers from China to come in and exaggerate their products driving the average ASP to under $6.00.

Back in the glory days that was $15.00 or more. Their allegiance to honest, sellers from the U.S. is non existent. Now, new terms implanted if you do not sell more that $10,000 in a 3 month window you are considered AT Risk.

Results in getting nothing scheduled. Already , all my new items listed were depicted to be low bid items and not scheduled, even though sellers from China getting the scheduled over 100 times per day. Clearly they have lost the human heart and gone to pure greed. Their fees are outrageous and yet they keep plugging away.

They need to change the name from Tophatter to Tophatter/Ali Express. Forgot to mention their customer service staff is trained to read from scripts and treat sellers rudely.

Guest

It's only gotten worse, now they have started charging the same for buy now as they do for auction. It used to be buy now was 10%, and auction was almost 40%.

Add to that they penalize you for charging shipping by not putting your items up.

They have now taken away the Advertising to get position so that it is based on sales for position, so any item with large sales will get a good position, and of course it takes a good position to get sales. They want to become the American facing Alibaba, since the only ones that might make money there now are wholesalers/manufacturers that can ship via e-packet.

Guest

Your spot on about the quality and the price inflation looking into class action lawsuit against tophatter and it's consumer protection against false advertising buyers

Guest

Which seller are you?

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1188690

Well I am not allowed to sell anymore at TH because on the forums I asked questions they did not like and I wrote comments/complaints about things I didn't like on the new changes. So they sent me an email terminating my seller "privileges" And BLOCKED ME!

And they owe me MONEY and I don't know if they are going to pay me or not because I can't access my account anymore!

So, you won't find my store there. :/

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1188690

As of April, 2017 Tophatters fees, when you add them all up, are 40% of the selling price. The only one making money on Tophatter, is Tophatter.

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