Ruby Lane

What: Ruby Lane is a sales site specializing in antiques, collectibles, dolls, fine art, furniture, lighting, glass, jewelry, porcelain, pottery, and vintage fashion.

Expected pay: NA

Husl$core: $$

Commissions & Fees: $54 per month; additional listing fees for more than 50 items; 6.7% service fee, capped at $250 per item. 

Where: Nationwide

Requirements: Items to sell in your online shop

Review:

When we first reviewed Ruby Lane, the site offered a flat-fee structure that seemed to benefit sellers of high-end goods. Since then, the site changed seller fees. The changes make this site considerably less attractive. We have downgraded Ruby Lane to a below-average opportunity, as a result.

What changed? Ruby Lane used to charge only listing fees but no sales commissions. And while the listing fee was pretty substantial, if you sold a lot of high-end goods, the listing fees added to considerably less than the commissions you would have paid elsewhere.

The site changed its fee structure in April. It still charges a monthly maintenance fee — minimum $54 per month. That allows you to list up to 50 items. If you want to list more than 50 items, you pay an additional listing fee for each additional item.

Additionally, the site charges a 6.7% commission on each sale.  In some unique instances this combination might still be less than paying commissions at, say, eBay or Amazon. However, the listing fees are charged regardless of whether you have any sales. 

Moreover, eBay and Amazon have substantially more site traffic. So even though they may charge more, you’re more likely to sell more at these sites too.

Finally, recent seller reviews have turned sour, which indicates that Ruby Lane’s oft-maligned customer service may be getting even worse. 

Recommendations:

Etsy sells much the same types of merchandise as Ruby Lane and has an advantageous commission structure, as well as twice the site traffic. EBay and Amazon charge higher commissions but have millions more page views each day, so you’re paying for better traffic.

What their users say:

eCommerceBytes does an annual survey of online sales sites and ranks Ruby Lane fourth out of 10. Notably, the comments included in this Ruby Lane review indicate that sellers were better satisfied in previous years, when Ruby Lane appeared to be doing more advertising.   

(From SiteJabber):

Their Customer Service is a joke and they treat their sellers and employees really badly. 

I have had a shop on Ruby Lane for 10 years. Changes are inevitable, however, I have been disappointed with some recent shop fee charges. I understand the 6.7% commission, but they also charge that service fee on the shipping and insurance. This is WRONG! Shipping and insurance is not a profit for shops. 

RL charges a ridiculous monthly fee. Etsy and eBay only take a percentage of your sales. It costs hardly anything to list. Not to mention, their tone is both rude and insensitive. I have given them so much money and I regret it. Take it from a long-time seller, Ruby Lane isn’t worth it! You’ll spend more money than it’s worth. Look elsewhere!

*Updated 2/11/2021