FLAT RATE AND LISTING QUERY plus a little rant
Summary: evelynpeanut is experiencing difficulties with eBay's shipping settings while listing larger items that cannot utilize Simple Delivery due to their size. Despite attempting to use Flat Rate options, they encounter issues during the preview stage with 'Collection only' settings. They expressed frustration over eBay's current shipping policies, which no longer allow for easily adding packaging and transportation costs, affecting efficiency and transparency for casual sellers. cheekychippy210 suggested using a courier service noted for its size capacity, sharing their personal experience with the revised Royal Mail and Parcelforce policies allowing larger item shipping options. This situation sheds light on evolving shipping policies and the challenges faced by private sellers in adapting to them.
The important bit: I am listing an item which cannot go via this ridiculous, irritating Simple Delivery because it is going to be longer than 61cm and up to 10kg. 'Go to Flat Rate' is the google answer. OK, went to account, Postage, blah, put in a new title (Large Picture), found the postage rate via Parcelforce, entered it and Saved. In my listing I then selected Flat Rate as well as 'Collection or Shipping, buyer chooses.' When I go to Preview, I see 'Collection only' AND my own eBay funds availability showing. What might I be doing incorrectly please?
Two additional gripes:
I was a business seller from 2000-2012 but since then have been a private seller trying to declutter as well as sell my late parents bits and bobs, which are roundabouts in our home and creating much angst!
All the aforementioned headache is taking me HOURS to complete even one listing, which is seriously annoying as all the items are individual pieces. In 'the olden days' I could very quickly decide how much each item would cost depending on which service I used; I - as in ME, the account holder - was in charge. I know greedy bods used to add OTT amounts onto the shipping price (I rarely added more than 90p or £1 but it helped) but now eBay seems to dictate and it doesn't allow for all manner of variations. Simple Delivery is particularly frustrating when low value items longer than 61cm (such as an old, rigid-based RAF kit bag which sold for not very much) have to go into an extra large category which puts potential buyers off if the item cost can't justify the shipping. I used to be able to whizz through creating listings and now it's a pain in the derrière.
Why on earth is shipping now only postage? Whatever happened to fair play for the familiar postage AND packing? There are costs for the latter bit and for private/casual sellers like me, who live 10 miles from the nearest collection point to send a parcel, ie a 20 mile round trip, with the spiralling cost of car fuel and an eBay decree that 'though shalt ship within 3 working days', it's not always possible to make a single journey and ship a couple of things at the same time without being called out for shipping late for at least one of them. I'm sorry - um, actually I'm not! - but it's not fair for sellers to be unable to have a shipping element which reflects certain packaging materials (private sellers most recycle packaging material but things like tape still cost) and car fuel costs. Yes, I'm not running a business, but with petrol/diesel costing what it does, and the rule that selling over £1k items annually and you have to be in the eye of HMRC, surely private sellers should be allowed, say, a 5% extra on postage? Grrrr.
Rant over.
cheekychippy210
·3 weeks ago · Editedevri take up to 120cm long, voulmetric 245cm, and 15kg.
rm take up to 4mtrs and 35kg.
rm collected my 750mm parcel last week, under simple delivery, no issues
evelynpeanut
OP3 weeks agoI’ve been shipping for 26 years, I know all about Evri. It’s RM which is the problem although my query was really about Flat Rate. Have eBay changed the measurement details then if they took your parcel? Well a while back, after driving 10 miles to the nearest PO, they refused my 69cm parcel. I had to come back, privately buy an Evri label and drive another 10 miles in the opposite direction in the dark winter evening to the collection point; in the end 2 round trips 40 miles all told. (And on the way, whilst stopped for a stag and family, a massive herd of deer leapt out of the woods and stampeded down the hill toward me, literally covering the windscreen with their bellies, damaging my car. It was terrifying. Lucky it wasn’t stag antlers smashing the screen or I’d have been badly injured. All in all, a bad day.)
cheekychippy210
·3 weeks agoLast week... (private seller simple delivery)
Item 750mm so deselected RM optiing for Evri only.
Buyer bought two items via basket. At obtain label and print, the courier was RM. I contacted buyer to see if they had any input in courier selection. NO was the reply, only option RM.
Now in the option box on my page was home collection, which due to size I selected.
Within an hour email confirming RM
collection 10-30 to 12noon next day, bringing label. Next day and expecting the postie to refuse due to being over 610mm I learnt that they, RM, now take upto 4mtrs long and 35kg, adding they have partnered up with Parcelforce.
The item was there within three days with no issues.
So, going forward I will now be selecting all couriers leaving ebay decide and if RM the added bonus of home collection.
I note now there is a new catagory in parcel size, over 20kg or over 61cm.
cheekychippy210
·3 weeks agowhat are you using, smartphone or pc?