Tracking number from an "integrated carrier" now required for INR seller protection

[4_bathrooms]

I've just noticed this when I was about to reply to a post in another thread. It seems eBay's Money Back Guarantee policy has recently been updated:

"Evidence of successful delivery
We require all of the following to prove a successful on-time delivery:

• Tracking number from an integrated carrier which was uploaded to eBay and shows a shipping scan before the latest estimated delivery date;"

The (current) link to eBay's definition of an "integrated carrier" points to a page on eBay.com; this is clearly a mistake on eBay's part as there is a different version if you change the top-level domain to eBay.co.uk. Anyway; here is the pertinent text from the UK version:

"Integrated shipping Carriers for Tracking

To protect yourself against "Item not received" claims filed through eBay Money Back Guarantee, you need to use a shipping carrier that is integrated with eBay. Buyers are more confident their orders will arrive when they receive regular shipping status updates."

At first I thought this meant the postage/shipping label had to be purchased via eBay for the seller to be covered but that is not the case. However, the carrier's tracking must work within eBay and eBay have provided lists of the carriers who are integrated. As the expanded list won't fit in a screenshot here are the lists:

Domestic Carriers:

• Royal Mail
• eBay Postage (Packlink)
• Evri
• Yodel
• Parcelforce
• DPD UK
• UPS
• DHL UK
• FedEx UK
• UK Mail
• TNT UK
• Collect Plus
• InPost
• APC Overnight UK

Heavy/Bulk Carriers:

• Panther
• Arrow XL
• XDP Express
• DX
• BJS
• Furdeco
• Palletways

I'm sure there are other sellers using carriers who do not appear in the above lists. The real issue for me is under "bulk/heavy carriers" the only pallet network listed is Palletways. There are actually 8 pallet networks registered with the Association of Pallet Networks and I use one of the others (The Pallet Network). The problem I have is I can't just switch from TPN to Palletways to appease eBay because the local haulier that collects from me is only a member of TPN (some hauliers are members of more than one pallet network).

Individual hauliers operate within their own local area; it isn't that I couldn't find another local haulier that is a member of Palletways but they would charge a lot more for sending large/heavy items than the current haulier I use. I'm not actually sure why eBay can't track items sent through the other networks - they all provide online tracking that only requires a reference/consignment number and the delivery postcode. It really would be a fairly simple programming job to fetch the tracking information from the network's tracking URL using the seller-provided tracking number and the buyer's delivery postcode.

Anyway, for now I'll see how this goes. Obviously things sent on pallets tend to be large, heavy, fragile, expensive or otherwise unsuitable to be sent via standard couriers. If this becomes a problem I will have no choice but to concentrate my efforts on the company's own website for large/heavy items as eBay's ridiculous fantasy EDDs are problematic enough already. Now this has arrived it really does feel like I'm just being set up to fail.        

[*vyolla*]

"Evidence of successful delivery
We require all of the following to prove a successful on-time delivery:

• Tracking number from an integrated carrier which was uploaded to eBay and shows a shipping scan before the latest estimated delivery date;"

That's really lazy use of language.

What is a shipping scan?

I'm not clear on what eBay are asking for here. 

[4_bathrooms]

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@*vyolla* wrote:

What is a shipping scan?

I'm not clear on what eBay are asking for here. 

---

I think they mean something similar to an "acceptance scan" which is the language they used previously.

The "acceptance scan" is the reason I never upload tracking for large (palletised) items to eBay. Unlike a courier when you send something via a haulier they don't scan the item when they collect it from you; the first scan happens when the item arrives at the "trunk hub" which is a large, central distribution centre. This scan often happens one or two working days after the item has actually been collected from the seller. Where eBay is concerned they treat that scan as the "acceptance scan" meaning an automatic orange blob for "late despatch" if the tracking is added to the sales record or provided via an INR case. I'm assuming now they "integrate" with Palletways the initial "With collection depot" status update is now treated as the first "shipping scan".

There are two other types of seller I can now foresee being affected by this. The first type is those who use courier brokers other than Packlink. I use Interparcel for items sized between Small Parcel and pallet size; Interparcel provides two tracking numbers for each consignment - their own internal tracking number and the carrier's actual tracking number which means I can provide the carrier's tracking number to eBay. However, I'm not sure if all the other brokers provide the carrier's tracking number or just their own; if the broker only supplies their own internal tracking number this clearly will leave the seller unprotected.

The other type are any sellers who use Amazon Shipping or Fulfilment By Amazon...

[*vyolla*]

Thanks for taking time to write out an explanation.

Ye gods, eBay like to complicate things. 

As time goes by I'm convinced that a couple of times a year an 'eBay think tank' gets together to come up with some 'improvements and updates', but none of those participants have every used the site as a seller. 

[dougbat20]

So does this mean you have to use a Packlink service, or just that yopu can only use a courier that is listed in eBay's drop down menu when you try and input the tracking number into eBay?

If it's the former, then I'm not impressed. I will NEVER use Packlink as they are more expensive than other sources, have zero compensation payout even if you add more insurance at checkout, and have a nasty habit of randomly adding false surcharges in (which eBay now allow Packlink to take straight from a sellers' funds).

[papso22]

No you don't have to use packlink, you just have to use a carrier on the list in the opening post.

[4_bathrooms]

It seems this was quietly dropped. The Money Back Guarantee policy has reverted back to the original wording with no mention of requiring a tracking number from an "integrated carrier". The requirement still exists for the US (eBay.com) MBG policy but not the UK version.

It doesn't look like this policy has entirely gone away, though. The UK page detailing the UK-based "integrated carriers" still exists suggesting eBay UK's policy will mirror .com's at some point. I just wonder whether the MBG policy will be quietly updated again or whether eBay will make one of their fanfare announcements.  

[moldosgifts]

And no mention of royal mail account users using grey sack and menifest. They don't get a scan when handed over so no acceptance scan they get an internal scan when they arrive at the hub. But one scan for everything in the sack. How does that work i hand mine over then its trust from then on.

[4_bathrooms]

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@moldosgifts wrote:

And no mention of royal mail account users using grey sack and menifest. They don't get a scan when handed over so no acceptance scan they get an internal scan when they arrive at the hub. 

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That's pretty much the same problem I currently have with large (pallet) items. The collecting depot does not scan the items on collection; they're only scanned when they arrive at a distribution centre which is usually one or two working days after the item was actually collected. I therefore only upload tracking to an INR case; if a buyer asks for tracking outside of a case I send them a link to the carrier's website in a message with the relevant consignment (tracking) number and postcode. Currently, if I upload tracking to the sales record or an INR case I automatically receive an orange blob for "late despatch" - is this what happens with your orders?

Even if I upload tracking to the sales record eBay's "progress bar" does not update because The Pallet Network are not an "integrated" carrier. The wording that appeared before the policy was reverted stated there must be a "shipping scan before the latest estimated delivery date". In your case this would probably be beneficial; eBay were not asking for an acceptance scan within your stated handling time just a "shipping scan" before the latest EDD.

As the policy has reverted back to what it was I assume I am still protected against INR cases provided TPN's tracking shows a delivery or attempted delivery scan. Strictly speaking I'm not protected because it states the tracking must have been uploaded before the latest estimated delivery date but I only upload it when an INR case has been opened (therefore after the latest EDD). However, so far eBay have always accepted the tracking I provided to a case but I don't know what their decision would be if the buyer chose to escalate and the tracking contained a delivery scan.

[moldosgifts]

I automatically receive an orange blob for "late despatch"  Yes they are supposed to be removed under seller protection terms often i have to fight for it.

Similar problem mine do not recieve a scan at the post office i drop them off at. 

So as far as ebay are concerned it does not see any scan until its delivered.