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| Frequently Asked Questions for Sellers |
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 Here are some frequently asked questions about eBay Giving Works:
What is eBay Giving Works?
eBay Giving Works is a unique program that enables you to list your items on eBay and donate between 10% and 100% of the final sale price to your favorite nonprofit organizations. As a seller, this is a way to make a difference in your community while building your business on eBay.
Sellers who participate in this program:
- Differentiate their eBay listings with a distinctive ribbon icon.
- Drive additional buyers to their items with specialized search functionality.
- Tend to generate higher final sale prices (buyers typically pay more for items that benefit a nonprofit).
- Enhance buyer loyalty by aligning with a cause.
- Receive a receipt for their tax-deductible donations.
Who is MissionFish and what kind of relationship do they have with eBay?
eBay selected MissionFish, a licensed nonprofit service of the Points of Light Foundation, to serve as the dedicated solution provider for eBay Giving Works. MissionFish's valuable service and support includes: powering the nonprofit directory for eBay Giving Works; verifying that nonprofits are eligible for this program; collecting and disbursing sellers' donations; providing sellers with tax receipts; and tracking sellers' donations online.
Are there any special features that distinguish eBay Giving Works listings?
There are a number of unique, value-added features that not only distinguish eBay Giving Works listings but also instill buyer trust and confidence. eBay Giving Works listings:
- Include a distinctive blue and yellow ribbon icon that appears in the title bar of the listing on the View Item page and within search results.
- Include the donation percentage and benefiting nonprofit information in the item's description.
- Appear in the eBay search engine, in the eBay Giving Works search engine, and on a dedicated page for the nonprofit on the MissionFish Web site.
Do eBay Giving Works listings appear with all other eBay listings?
Yes, eBay Giving Works listings appear with all other listings on eBay. Additionally, eBay Giving Works listings appear within the eBay Giving Works search engine and on the selected nonprofit beneficiary's "home page" on MissionFish, ultimately giving sellers three listing venues for the price of one.
Are there special requirements or conditions to list eBay Giving Works items?
All eBay sellers who have a current account in good standing on eBay and MissionFish can create eBay Giving Works listings. Sellers must select PayPal or a credit card as one of the buyer payment options; however, this is not required for Motors listings. eBay Giving Works items may not be listed in the Real Estate ad format or Mature Audiences category.
How do I list an eBay Giving Works item?
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In the Pictures and Details section of the Sell Your Item form on eBay, you will be asked whether you would like to donate a percentage of your listing's final sale price to a nonprofit. Click the "Add" link to select a nonprofit beneficiary and to designate your donation percentage (10%-100%). Once you have made your selections, complete the Sell Your Item form and submit your listing. Be sure to select PayPal or a credit card as one of the buyer payment options; however, this is not required for Motors listings. eBay Giving Works items may not be listed in the Real Estate ad format or Mature Audiences category.
High-volume sellers are now also able to list eBay Giving Works items in bulk using eBay Turbo Lister and ChannelAdvisor.
Note: If you have not registered with MissionFish, you will be prompted to create a MissionFish account to proceed with the listing. You will need to provide your credit card information to guarantee payment of your donation, and you must consent to terms in the MissionFish User Agreement. You will only have to complete this registration process once.
Note: Because charitable fundraising is a highly regulated area subject to numerous state and federal laws, eBay has partnered with MissionFish to make charitable listing easy and has created very specific guidelines for allowing charitable solicitations on eBay. If you choose not to participate in the eBay Giving Works program but would like to donate all or a portion of your final sale price to a nonprofit that you will reference in your listing, you must obtain advanced written consent for the solicitation from the nonprofit and include a scanned version of this written consent in your listing. Learn more about eBay fundraising policies.
Is there a minimum donation amount?
If your item sells, a $5 minimum donation is required per transaction for each eBay Giving Works listing in order to ensure that a meaningful gift will reach the nonprofit organization.
Example
Seller A decides to list a painting starting at $10.00 and donate 15% of the final sale price to support Nonprofit B. The painting sells for $30.00.
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| Seller's share: |
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| Nonprofit's share: |
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| Payment from the buyer |
$30.00 |
| Donation amount: |
($4.50) |
| Balance of $5 donation minimum* |
($0.50) |
| eBay.com fees |
($1.81) |
Net proceeds for the seller:
Plus a tax receipt: |
$23.19
$5.00 |
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| Gross donation amount: |
$5.00 |
| MissionFish deduction: |
($1.00) |
| Net proceeds received by the nonprofit: |
$4.00 |
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*In this example, an additional $0.50 was collected from the seller to complete the $5.00 minimum donation.
How is my donation collected and when will the nonprofit receive it?
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Both eBay and MissionFish are committed to accountability and transparency in the management of donated funds. MissionFish, a licensed nonprofit service of the Points of Light Foundation, has the sole responsibility of collecting donations from sellers and redistributing the funds to benefiting nonprofits.
When you register on MissionFish to list an eBay Giving Works item, you will create a seller account and place your credit card on file the same way that you do on eBay. After your item sells, collect payment from the buyer as usual. MissionFish will send you an email notification that includes the exact donation amount due and payment instructions. A credit card is the fastest and easiest way to pay your donation; however, MissionFish also accepts payments by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and bank-certified checks for donations greater than $1,000.
If you do not fulfill your commitment by the second Monday after your listing ends, MissionFish will charge your credit card. MissionFish then forwards the gift (minus a small deduction to cover processing costs) to the designated nonprofit on the 20th of the second month after your listing has ended and issues you a tax receipt.
Why does my credit card bill say MissionFish - Points of Light?
MissionFish is a service of the Points of Light Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization. They have set up a donor advised fund to process donations made from the sale of eBay Giving Works listings. Your donation is technically made to the Points of Light Foundation with a designation for your selected benefiting nonprofit.
Will I receive a tax receipt for my donation?
A receipt for every donation that you make from the sale of an eBay Giving Works listing will be emailed to you and is also available when you access your MissionFish account.
For tax purposes, the official date of your donation is the day that MissionFish sends the donation to the nonprofit. This happens on the 20th of the second month after your listing has successfully ended. This is important to know, because your tax deduction has to be claimed for the year in which it was made.
If you would like to receive a tax receipt for your donation more quickly, you may do so by forfeiting your ability to request a donation refund. Simply select the "opt out of your donation refund" check box at the bottom of the Pay A Donation page on MissionFish. This will also allow MissionFish to deliver the donation to the nonprofit in the next distribution cycle.
Can I access a summary of my eBay Giving Works donations and tax deductions online?
Sellers can create a summary of their annual contributions through eBay Giving Works by using the My Donations report from their My MissionFish account.
Are there fees to list an eBay Giving Works item?
All items on eBay are subject to the same standard selling fees.
There are no additional fees for sellers to create eBay Giving Works listings.
When MissionFish collects and disburses the donation, there is a small amount deducted from the donation to cover processing costs. This deduction is based on a sliding scale and decreases as the donation increases. For more information, please see MissionFish's deduction table.
Example
Seller C decides to list a big screen TV starting at $200 and donate 60% of the final sale price to support Nonprofit B. The TV sells for $1,000.
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| Seller's share: |
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| Nonprofit's share: |
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| Payment from the buyer: |
$1000.00 |
| Donation amount: |
($600.00) |
| eBay.com fees: |
($34.16) |
Net proceeds for the seller:
Plus a tax receipt: |
$363.84
$600.00 |
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| Gross donation amount: |
$600.00 |
| MissionFish deduction: |
($72.50) |
| Net proceeds received by the nonprofit: |
$527.50 |
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Note: When a nonprofit is selling an item on its own behalf ("Direct Selling"), it collects funds directly from the buyer. MissionFish does not process the donation, and there are subsequently no deductions.
What is the eBay Giving Works Fee Credit Policy?
When a seller creates an eBay Giving Works listing, and that item sells, eBay will credit the Insertion and Final Value Fees back to the seller, equal to the percentage of the final sale price that the seller had elected to donate. Please Note: the fee credit will not be immediately reflected in the seller’s invoice. Sellers will receive a credit to their account approximately six to eight weeks after the listing ends.
Are eBay seller fees paid for eBay Giving Works listings tax-deductible?
eBay selling fees paid for eBay Giving Works listings typically are not tax-deductible. We encourage you to consult your accountant on this matter.
How can I request a refund for my donation?
There are two circumstances when donations can be refunded:
- When a seller files an Unpaid Item dispute and receives a Final Value Fee credit from eBay.
- When the seller chooses to give the buyer a full refund (however, the $5 minimum donation will still be collected in this case).
The deadline for requesting a donation refund is 45 days after your listing ends. MissionFish will not grant refund requests after this date.
If you have an Unpaid Item:
- File an Unpaid Item dispute with eBay at least 7 days after your listing ends. If the buyer still hasn't paid after another 10 days (17 days total after your listing ends), file for a Final Value Fee refund from eBay.
- Request a donation refund from MissionFish by completing the request a refund form.
O nce MissionFish receives confirmation that eBay has granted you a Final Value Fee refund, they will provide your donation refund as a charge back to your credit card (or whatever alternative payment method you may have chosen). When charge back is complete, MissionFish will send you a confirmation email.
If a buyer returns an item and/or you provide a full refund:
You may request a donation refund by completing the request a refund form on MissionFish. Once MissionFish receives confirmation from the buyer, they will provide your donation refund, minus the $5 minimum donation, as a charge back to your credit card (or whatever alternative payment method you may have chosen). When the charge back is complete, MissionFish will send you a confirmation email.
What types of nonprofits join eBay Giving Works and what guidelines must they follow to be eligible for this program?
All nonprofit organizations that can provide proof of tax-deductibility and are in good standing with the IRS are welcome to participate; however, groups involved in the promotion of terrorism, hate, racial intolerance, or illegal activities will be disallowed.
What if my favorite organization is not listed in the nonprofit directory?
You may always suggest that a nonprofit join eBay Giving Works by filling out the Recommend a Nonprofit form on MissionFish. This will generate an automatic email invitation from you to the organization.
Can my listing benefit multiple nonprofits?
An eBay Giving Works item may only benefit one nonprofit organization at this time.
Are there any particular rules or regulations that govern online fundraising?
Charitable fundraising is a highly regulated area subject to numerous state and federal laws. We recommend that you consult with your legal advisor regarding your activities.
Is eBay Giving Works offered internationally?
eBay Giving Works is only offered on eBay.com currently. There is a similar program available in the UK (it's called eBay for Charity). We continue to explore other countries for future expansion.
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