If there’s one thing that’s sure to turn the heads of bargain-seekers, it’s the word “free,” and a new eBay program capitalizes on this fact by waiving some insertion fees.  Unfortunately, there is a catch or two, and the auction company doesn’t seem likely to win over many of its critics with this move.

eBay first announced the “5 Free Insertion Fees Every 30 Days” idea about a month ago.  On the front end, it was exactly as advertised, which was nice enough.  Sellers have never enjoyed forking over cash when their products don’t change hands.

The trouble came when sellers noticed that a final value fee of 8.75 percent (or $20 – whichever’s less) could actually cause them to owe eBay more money than usual under certain circumstances.

Now, as the program rolls out, it appears that nothing’s been changed.  Sellers just need to do the math carefully and consider opting out of the new fee structure by using an eBay or third party listing tool.

Still, eBay executives have their fingers crossed that the change will result in increased participation.  Lorrie Norrington, president of eBay Marketplaces, said in a statement, “By eliminating the upfront costs of selling on eBay, we hope this new structure will encourage all sellers – new, occasional or experienced – to use the offering as a cost-effective way to sell on our site and earn a little extra cash.”