ebay now using simple delivery to rip-off the seller
Summary: shkarus expressed frustration with a marketplace’s postal pricing, claiming it raises costs unfairly for sellers on items over a certain value. The discussion involves disagreements over whether sellers must use the service and how the pricing is justified compared to competitor services. sml192 noted added features like required signatures, while others suggested using different selling platforms or adjusting to the terms. The conversation includes concerns about cost-effectiveness and the impact on niche markets like philately.
I just relisted several items priced over the simple delivery threshold and realised ebay are now using it to inflate their take by massively increasing the cost to mail using their mandatory postal process. Clearly, they have realised nobody is going to charge their customer £6.90 to post an item weighing less than 100g, so sellers are now having to to swallow this preposterous cost to encourage custom. Make no mistake, they are ripping us off in doing so. I am now adding whatever they are charging to the item price and swallowing the postal cost. They are using a price algorythm to add a percentage for every additional £1 charged, which is way above the retail cost to post the item.
boundarycoins
·1 month agoAre there any other business sellers who have just paid their shop fee for September and can’t sell a £100k stamp for free reading this and thinking a few sales where the postage is about £4 more than it could be isn’t the end of the world?
cheekychippy210
·1 month ago · Edited"over the simple delivery threshold" is this the £58,0000 stamp?
I personally would not stick that in the post!
perhaps a business account is needed.
cheekychippy210
·1 month ago"swallowing the postal cost???? "
does the buyer pay?
cheekychippy210
·1 month agowould you rather pay to advertise each of your items?
sml192
·1 month agoIt isn't above the retail cost though. For items over £75 you would need to be using Royal Mail Special Delivery (prices for which start at £10) in order to receive the same level of protection as Simple Delivery provides, so the Simple Delivery prices are still very competitive.
Ebay has also now added a signature requirement for some items (no details yet but presumably will be added automatically to higher value items) so the price increase is in part to cover that.
shkarus
OP1 month ago · EditedOne does not need to us Special dxelivery if one is prepared to take the risk of using 2nd or 1st signed service. Equally, their are conditions for what can, and cannot be insured by SD. I assume you represdent the superstars responsible for this rip-off? Ebay has no right to determine what service of carriage is used. Equally, ebay has determined to use the large letter format regardless of what is contained therein, which is useless for categories such as philately, where the contents must be held securely in a small card-backed envelope. Everyone in the philately category is having to pay ebay for a service they do not care to use, and at the same time, pay the Royal Mail to send it correctly. Many are even using 20 year old Queen Elizabeth stamps to cover the extra cost, which dealers have in abundance. Treating loyal customers unreasonably is no way to operate any business. We see you for what you are and we will not forget. Whomever signed off Special Delivery is wrong, your customer service is derisory.
jonatjonatjonat
·1 month agoEbay has no right to determine what service of carriage is used
Unfortunately - as you agree to the terms of using their website - they do. What you have the right to do is find elsewhere to sell.
papso22
·1 month agoIf your item starts a price over the simple delivery threshold there is no mandatory postal postage. You are free to charge what you like.
shkarus
OP1 month agoThat is not correct. Any item with a bid start value of over £20 is subjected to Simple Delivery charging. Anything below allows the seller to use the custom postage facility. I just relisted an item for £75 minimum bid and the Simple delivery charge doubled, so I had to increase the start price and do delivery FOC because NOBODY is going to pay £6.74 to post a postage stamp, Victorian or otherwise.
papso22
·1 month agoI assumed you meant over the £750 threshold.