eBay Simple Delivery - Buyer gets no option to choose couriers?
Summary: rfefea.dfvtcjtaq expressed frustration with eBay's delivery options, as items were sent via lockers instead of directly to their home. They questioned why sellers were using this method without consent and noted that eBay doesn't resolve such issues effectively. jonatjonatjonat explained that Inpost with Simple Delivery is intended for lockers unless Click & Collect is selected. Other participants like viviens3818 and trishthedish.0199 shared similar concerns, discussing the limitations of choosing delivery methods and issues with certain couriers such as EVRI, particularly in remote areas. The discussion highlighted dissatisfaction with courier choices and eBay's communication regarding delivery options.
Okay, so today I learned that despite selecting all 3 couriers in the back end using Simple Delivery, the buyer is not given the option to choose on the product page end during checkout?
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What's the point of choosing if eBay makes the selection for you?
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There is also a normal delivery and a expedited option, but again, you aren't told who the courier is.
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I had someone buy an item, but request after for it to be changed to RM and not Evri, I had to get him to cancel whilst I revised the item to allow only Royal Mail as the options, then revise the item again to put the other options back on (Evri, RM and inPost).
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I then did a test purchase with an old account and found the same problem, no option to choose.
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Why doesn't eBay allow buyers to choose couriers?
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Below is when I did a test purchase to see what options you get, as you can see, you are forced to select either standard or Express (or Click and collect), but not the courier you prefer.
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cheekychippy210
路3 weeks agoebay have the contract and as they run SD they choose. many on here harp on about custom postage, its not a service offered in my private seller account nor would i want to use it, but if you have it you many say you can control the courier via that. If goods are lost however you are on your own. For me any item over 61cm I delete RM and just tick evri
trishthedish.0199
路3 weeks agoYesterday, as a private seller in a remote area of highlands, had a buyer select in-post, had no idea even what it was. Seems there is a longer list of more couriers now (previously had defaulted to sending by royal mail only). I had not changed this setting, in-post was just added as an option, because you can take it to a royal mail counter. Only problem is, the local post office in village does not handle in-post, so having to go to Inverness, 16 miles away, and then out of town to shopping estate to find the locker later today. No warning from Ebay about this, but now know how to deselect for future sales. Also, as a buyer, we have no Evri service in this area or any other courier except FedX. To try to find out from a listing if send by royal mail or a courier is difficult sometimes, when just states "standard delivery". Have to actually put the thing in basket and go to check out, then it often gives exact delivery method, and can cancel/take out of basket if not royal mail. Long winded to do for a lot of items if looking for just that one that uses royal mail. Ebay do assume we all live in urban/suburban areas with access to these posting options and have all delivery services available for delivery. But even more, why, oh why, do they keep changing things all the time?!
jonatjonatjonat
路3 weeks agoAlways thought if the item was by Simple Delivery - it would work out if you were delivering to an area Evri can't be bothered to deal with - and it switched it to Royal Mail.
trishthedish.0199
路3 weeks agoIf only it were that easy?! No, things get sent by Evri and then don't arrive, the tracking just stops, and then after a number of days, about 10, am allowed to apply for refund. It has also happened in reverse, know someone in Glasgow who sent a parcel by Evri to Isle of White, where no Evri service now, never arrived, tracking stopped in London after a week. The system is not intelligent in its software, unfortunately
viviens3818
路1 month agoIt's ridiculous that as someone parting with their hard earned cash you can't chose who you want to deliver your purchases. I for one will always in future contact the seller and if the dreaded EVRI is used then I'll shop somewhere else.
kath3735_wxmjn
路1 month agowhat is just as ridiculous is that as a seller you cannot chose which courier you want to offer and actually get that choice actually used! Not just this site is useless about it either, V have now started really messing about with it. I only want to use RM as a seller and buyer and yet the sites decide in their 'wisdom' which i should use, overriding both buyer and seller. I have only just started back on here after a years absence because of SD with a few items to see how it goes. Not looking good so far. On the other site i have cancelled a number of sales over the past few weeks because they have overridden my choice. The good news for me is that negative comments are not allowed if postage choice is over ridden but will that happen on this site???? I doubt it!
lucar41
路1 month agoI think it's because Amazon needs some love too
jonatjonatjonat
路1 month agoA site as it happens where buyers don鈥檛 get to choose, or get told, the courier
lucar41
路1 month agoWhere what happens?
jonatjonatjonat
路1 month agoSee above
kath3735_wxmjn
路1 month agobut the item is delivered to your house not a locker for you to collect! The other thing is that if they use EVRI (who the local courier will not deliver up our track) and you tell them as soon as you see the courier they sent out a replacement item straight away (even before the non delivery happened!)
jonatjonatjonat
路1 month agoI haven鈥檛 a clue what the locker has to do with anything sorry. On both Amazon and eBay choosing locker delivery is optional.
I agree Amazon are very hot on redeliveries. Do you know why? It costs them less to keep the customer happy but the seller loses out. Amazon hold most of the stock of items that sellers sell (yes some do FBM).
And this is the problem.
On ebay if there is proof of delivery of any kind eBay side with the seller (even when I鈥檓 sure the non delivery or theft is genuine). But some buyers do lose out
On Amazon you can have as much evidence of delivery as you want. But if the buyer says it wasn鈥檛 delivered bang it鈥檚 a refund or replacement. But you can guarantee there is a percentage of buyers who know this and game the system.
You鈥檇 be surprised how many more deliveries went missing on Amazon vs any other channel with our business.
rfefea.dfvtcjtaq
路1 month agoAs a customer rather than a seller things are getting ridiculous. I have had 2 items which have been sent via Inpost and each time they have been sent to a locker. I never asked for this as we are some distance away, so I cancelled the first and am waiting for Inpost to confirm they will send the purchase to my home. It is ridiculous that we have no idea who is delivering and worse still not being told by the seller they have opted on your behalf to a locker (is this cheaper for them). Inpost say you can change on the APP. I have both Inpost & Yodel apps and there is no way of making home address default or even change the option. Ebay need to sort this out
sml192
路1 month agoInpost with Simple Delivery will always be delivery to a locker and should only be offered as an option if you select Click & Collect. The Yodel delivery to home service isn't currently available.
rfefea.dfvtcjtaq
路1 month agoSo why are sellers still using it. There are old people like me who find it difficult to reach lockers, the one it goes to for me is 10 miles away. Sellers are risking their business if items are returned after 3 days from the locker and customers ask for a refund. We didn't consent to this. Why are Ebay allowing it. Yodel use to be a good carrier. So in short if the seller uses Yodel it is not a home delivery even though on the order it shows delivery address as my home. Time to find another platform I think. Ebay don't even answer queries
jonatjonatjonat
路1 month agoWhy are sellers using it? Because some people want to have items delivered to lockers. InPost would only be used if you selected Click and Collect. Have a look at the order in question - it should state the address it was going to - does it actually state it was going to be delivered to your home address?
rfefea.dfvtcjtaq
路1 month agoYes
jonatjonatjonat
路1 month agoMake a claim for item not received. You鈥檇 win as the evidence would show a delivery not to your address
rfefea.dfvtcjtaq
路1 month agoI intend to.its the the second this week
camerapartsuk
路6 months agoMy mistake, I thought you could (or maybe you originally could but no longer can?)
jonatjonatjonat
路6 months agoNever been able to amend Simple Delivery label costs. Only items where Custom Delivery is allowed (and there's various rules that dictate this) allowed you to still set your own postage costs - though that meant you were no longer using a Simple Delivery label.
tikashop-2007
路6 months agoI agree this is a problem, especially when Vinted offers a choice of Courier to buyers.聽
I recently had an exchange of messages before Christmas with an interested buyer who wanted to know if i could send item in time for Christmas. I explained the position as I understood it, noting Royal Mail's last posting date (cheap item so not worth paying express delivery).聽 The buyer went ahead and bought saying he hoped RM would come good - but I then found it was an Evri label. That was when I investigated and realised the buyer got no choice. It is definitely a disadvantage.聽
cheekychippy210
路6 months agoare you saying you can not deselect evri in couriers at listing stage?
I often deselect RM when selling items over 61cm as evri take parcels up to 120cm. The action does increase the price slightly.聽
cheekychippy210
路6 months ago聽
what device are you using to sell, pc or smart phone app?聽
Family members have told me of such issues when buyers purchase from smart app!
Niece switching back to pc now as she has had too many issues with app platform and options.
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maggies.attic
路6 months agoI live in a small village and the only option is Royal Mail unless I wish to get in my car and drive 8 miles (round trip). I only have RM as the option for delivery and it has worked fine, but it might be affecting my sales.聽
myrarejellycat
路7 months agoI have just learned this today as well - I checked all three (Evri, Inpost, RM) and thought eBay introduced Inpost to actually allow buyers to select what standard delivery service partner that they'd like to go for.聽
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More and more buyers come to complain about Evri - lots of lost in transit and delivery issues - could eBay simply introduce the options for buyer to choose whichever they prefer?聽
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sml192
路7 months agoInpost is a Click & Collect option (delivery to locker) so not part of the Standard Tracked Delivery.
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It would certainly be helpful if eBay allowed buyers to choose the carrier (from those selected by the seller) when using Standard Tracked Delivery.聽聽
dansvan1
路6 months agoThere was once a workaround. You used to be able to click "contact seller" and select "postage", this used to tell you which couriers the seller was using. You then had to go back to the listing and select "postage" again to see the prices of each option. It was a pain in the bum and unnecessarily long winded, but at least I could choose who I wanted delivering.
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As soon as I pointed it out on here, the ability was removed. I now have to contact every seller before making a purchase (unless I can figure it out myself based on prices), because if I accidentally choose Evri, it will charge my seller more due to "remote location". I just want to know which option is Royal Mail, that's all, but someone at eBay doesn't want that. So now I buy less.
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I contacted a seller the other week asking what the postage options were, he turned off Evri, leaving what we hoped was Royal Mail, it wasn't, it was Evri. Also at some point after payment, the original listing reverted from the single postage option available when I paid, to the original two choices. It's very strange.
sml192
路6 months agoWith Simple Delivery eBay has agreed a contract price with each carrier and delivery to remote areas will have been taken into consideration when determining that price so there won't be any additional charge to the buyer/seller unlike with custom postage.聽 Even if there was an additional charge with Evri then eBay would just automatically switch delivery to Royal Mail for remote areas.
dansvan1
路6 months agoHas it ever been confirmed if that's the case? I thought it was only assumed. All I know is I tend to never hear back from sellers where Evri has been used; no thanks for letting me know it arrived safely, no hope you shop with me again, no reciprocal feedback; which makes me worry they may have been charged extra (again, only an assumption).
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There have been a number of posts on here recently where sellers are being charged extra after the buyer has paid. The amounts deducted from their total seem to match the surcharge added by Evri, but we rarely get confirmation of either their own, or, buyers location, due to original posters not returning to update their posts.
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Even though eBay has access to a buyers postcode, I've never known them to switch to Royal Mail. If Evri is an option, I'm always offered it first. I have to jump through hoops to try to avoid it myself. I had one seller thank me for considering them when I chose the more expensive option, which at the time I was able to determine was RM through my then working workaround. She said they have had to pay extra for postage to previous buyers from my location. (Granted, this was in the very early days of Simple Delivery, so agreements with carriers may not have been fully settled.)
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It would just be nice if eBay could confirm once and for all, that I'm not costing my sellers additional money by inadvertently choosing the "wrong" carrier.
jonatjonatjonat
路6 months agoThere have been a number of posts on here recently where sellers are being charged extra after the buyer has paid. The amounts deducted from their total seem to match the surcharge added by Evri, but we rarely get confirmation of either their own, or, buyers location, due to original posters not returning to update their posts.
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I can鈥檛 say I鈥檝e seen a post where someone using simple delivery has been charged extra.
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what I have seen is a large number of sellers who actually listed with a price for postage for custom delivery, 聽then are presented a higher price via eBay鈥檚 pack link and believe that is simple delivery.
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Now eBay suggesting one price for postage in one system then pack link another is an issue, just nothing to do with simple delivery
claire_leonhart
路6 months agoI do feel you, my last purchase here from a private seller, was awful experience for both, we almost gave up, maybe Evri is enforced in your locations, Ebay say they override it if you live in certain area difficult for others to reach, but if you use RM often, it shouldn't be the case. I just completed my first purchase from private seller elsewhere, quick and smooth, I did have some options here on ebay as well, but in remebering the nightmare it was here now, I prefered to change habits, I saved myself stress.
kyanyama
路7 months agoI also don't understand why Simples Delivery was introduced when there were billions of items sent throughout the years successfully.聽 Am not sure it will be cost effective for eBay when they discover not all buyers are squeaky clean.
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I would like to be able to choose for each item which courier to use.聽 I almost exclusively use Royal Mail as seldom had any problems with them and used to use Evri for items over small parcel size due to it being more economical.聽 Since SD was implemented I've not listed anything over small parcel size.聽 It's my item and really should be my choice - but it isn't.
department28
路7 months ago'I also don't understand why Simples Delivery was introduced when there were billions of items sent throughout the years successfully.聽 Am not sure it will be cost effective for eBay when they discover not all buyers are squeaky clean.'
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It would be very interesting to know how much eBay have had to pay out for 'damaged' or 'lost' items, since Simple Delivery started. However, if they are making loadsamoney from Simple Delivery, perhaps what they are having to pay out is just a drop in the bucket?聽馃
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Can't help thinking it is the dishonest that have probably benefitted the most from Simple Delivery...
dansvan1
路7 months agoThe thing is, since the introduction of Simple Delivery, more and more of my purchases are arriving damaged. I mostly buy Funko Pops for customs, and so far, thankfully, none of the damage has affected me; but I also buy collectables to keep, and a number of these have been sent out in mailing bags and nothing else, their damage does hurt.
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I haven't claimed for any of them, but if it gets any worse, I'll have to start. For now, I grit my teeth and very politely explain to the seller how an item should have been sent. They always apologise, then I feel bad for sounding like a moan, but if it saves someone else in future...
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Most sellers aren't boxing items any longer, it's all mailing bags and bubble envelopes (if you're lucky), I hope, because they don't realise they're supposed to determine size of packaging before listing, then have to squeeze it into something flimsy to meet the requirements of the label they're provided.
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I used to get items reinforced in ice-cream tubs, wrapped in bubble wrap, incased in polystyrene, surrounded by paper, in a sturdy cardboard box. I thought that was overkill then. I cry tears of joy on the rare occasion something turns up like this now. Versus the 馃憖, cracked smile and a thank you for the courier as they hand me an expensive collectable in a plastic mailing bag, covered in holes where the contents have slipped out 馃槄
kyanyama
路7 months agoI too have had fragile items purchased sent in a bubble envelopes.聽 I buy a certain collectible that is glass - had one that was >40 yrs old break into a million shards when the postie dropped it into my tiled vestibule.聽 It should have been posted in a box with bubble wrap or scrunched up paper.聽 Another parcel had 2 of those items - each one wrapped in a single flat sheet of tissue paper - of course one broke as they bumped together in the post.聽 I had 2 of the one that survived but the one that broke was the one I wanted.聽 Sods law!
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I post mostly using boxes - even for soft items as some buyers use scissors or sharp knives in excited haste opening their bagged items and am afraid they will cut the contents then blame the seller!聽 I am fortunate a client of mine eats a lot of cereal and I find cereal boxes are perfect for garments too thick for LL, etc.
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When I sent via Evri before SD I used to double box fragile items!聽 Since I can't choose Evri for occasional parcels I don't have to worry about it now.
claire_leonhart
路6 months agoIt is like on *bleep*ted now, because Simple Delivery does not cover packaging prices, people found themselves forced to post after in bib bags or shopping bags. I do buy stuff for packaging, I use polystyrene, air cushions, stuff etc, and I worked in a shop, so i know how to pack properly, plus I move often and have to damage proof pack my own stuff, so I got some experience. When you could choose postage, you think about how you would package it, sometimes even do a simulations of it without the tape, and check proper price and weight, because you were responsable of it, and this put Ebay on top because people were well mannered about this, and do care. But when a purchase is done, and they found out they have to pack it, and start, and then realising the cost and nobody paid for it, they just use the cheaper one possible. I have now talk the seller about how much he wants to pack properly my stuff, ask him to remove Evri from options, try to find a way to send him money for packing, it is becoming stressful either way. I got some sellers just got tired even if I asked them not to use Evri for example, many of them would not even listen about the packaging part... I do understand them, second hand is sold by normal busy people, it shouldn't be so over complicated and they should have more ocntro, so you just message them like before and they make it ready with cost and postage you prefer.
eastern-lights
路6 months agoI am no supporter of SD but I don't think it can take the blame for rubbish packaging. That has always been a "feature" of Ebay.
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I add packaging costs to my asking price.
claire_leonhart
路6 months agoI did use Ebay since 2009, I can assure you it was your responsability if you decided to sell something. You had full responsability of damage parcel in case you wouldn't bother to pack it properly, which gave to buyers here more insurances about how good an item will be packed if I buy the item here. Because if you had troubles, you were punished in refunding the buyers at your own cost, so better be good with packaging. I received items well packed here form private sellers, not business one only or fake privates etc, normal people, which is something i didn't see on Vintd since normal people pack it in bin bags or shopping bags, and now with simple delivery, why they sould buy packaging nobody pay them, or care, since ebay will refund etc.
camerapartsuk
路6 months agoYou can edit the simple delivery price to include your packaging costs, the start price is simply what eBay are charged.
jonatjonatjonat
路6 months agoYou can鈥檛 edit Simple Delivery pricing.
claire_leonhart
路6 months agoI cannot edit the Simple Delivery price, last year I wasn't still forced enrolled in it, so I could still use the custom options and count towards the packing cost, now I have to put price up, which means I won't be competitive anymore and for many other issues, I just gave up and move elsewhere.
eastern-lights
路7 months agoOut of interest, has any seller that has de-selected Evri ever received an Evri shipping label?
zoomingmouse
路7 months agoNo,聽 but I don't sell very much.聽
What I have noticed is that Evri has occassionally reappeared as a selected courier, which was not selected by me, so I check every now & then that it's not snuck in again.
dansvan1
路7 months agoI'm a buyer who lives in one of Evri's "remote locations". I saw an item with the usual standard and express delivery options, so I messaged the seller to ask what couriers he was using as I wanted to avoid Evri like the plague. Seller comes back to me and says that Evri has been de-selected, and it should now be Royal Mail. I go back to the item and true to his word there's one delivery option. I complete checkout and go straight to order details to be shown Evri was the courier. I don't know if he deselected the wrong one, or eBay changed it back to Evri. But this poor seller got an Evri label when he was expecting Royal Mail.
bojangled
路7 months agoThis is why I don鈥檛 sell my personal items on my personal account, I either use my business account or V***ed. At least on there I can deselect Evri and use the various other options. 聽It鈥檚 a minor inconvenience when comes to accounting but聽I refuse to use Evri to send anything. Lost far too many items over the Summer, and the well known issues with CS and getting any help.聽
tommystrezures
路7 months ago@bojangled聽
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You can deselect Evri on your personal account on ebay too, goto this link:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/ship/prf
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Click simple delivery at the top and you will get a drop down screen with postage options, and de select Evri
as shown here:
EDIT: In fact I would recommend users do check this again as you are automatically enrolled in to inpost, so you need to deselect this too if this something you don't want either.
bojangled
路7 months ago@tommystrezures聽
I appreciate that, but eBay can still override it.
Evri cost me too much time and money last year to be even worth considering.聽
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department28
路7 months ago'I had someone buy an item, but request after for it to be changed to RM and not Evri, I had to get him to cancel whilst I revised the item to allow only Royal Mail as the options, then revise the item again to put the other options back on..'
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This is one of the many frustrations with Simple Delivery - if anything to do with postage has to be changed, it almost always requires the seller to cancel the listing, refund & relist, so the buyer can repurchase. What a pain...
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When postage was 'normal', most adjustments could be easily sorted out聽before the seller purchased the postage. With Simple Delivery, eBay have put the cart before the horse, by creating the postage label & grabbing the postage money as soon as the item is purchased. This was bound to create all sorts of problems, which the seller is obliged to spend time fixing - and apologising for...聽馃槖
claire_leonhart
路7 months agoThat is my problem I had on my last purchases, I was already giving up to sell, due to pain with this postage, but when I buy I check before other platforms as well, to find the same item or seller, and I agree the postage with the seller before paying, like it was before here. It has become a pain, I had to buy twice, prices were different, seller had to refund, he almost gave up the sale and I almost lose the items, which I can't find elsewhere, he was the only one having them. I buy mostly from private or second hand, I can't have anxia even when I buy something.
sml192
路7 months agoStandard Tracked Delivery is either Royal Mail or Evri.聽 Ebay decides which based on your selected preferences and other factors.聽 They have agreed contracts and volumes with each of the carriers and will want to ensure that those volumes are met.
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Express Tracked Delivery is Royal Mail Tracked 24.
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Click & Collect will be either Evri (delivery to store) or Inpost (delivery to locker).
shiftingmystuff
OP7 months agoThanks for the info about Tracked 24.
lucy_farmer
路7 months agoBecause ebay are in a partnership with Evri. Consequently they make more money if things are delivered via Evri.
So, no, they don't want buyers to choose anything other than Evri.
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(yes, Evri are awful, but ebay will have calculated that, even with coughing up refunds thanks to evri's dire perfomance, they still make more profit *with* Evri..)
crafty_cat_lover
路7 months agoBecause ebay are in a partnership with Evri. Consequently they make more money if things are delivered via Evri.
So, no, they don't want buyers to choose anything other than Evri.
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Sorry but that is not my experience, my orders for the last three months have been 14 Royal Mail and 7 Evri. I don't know how they decide but I don't think Evri are being favoured by Ebay.
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Also, aren't Ebay in partnership with Royal Mail as well?
sml192
路7 months agoIt is not my experience either.聽 In terms of the items I have sent it has been about a 50:50 split between Royal Mail and Evri with no obvious pattern.聽聽
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Ebay has contracts and agreed volumes with Royal Mail, Evri and now Inpost.聽 It may be that they have agreed a higher volume and a bigger discount with Evri but really that is just a wild assumption that some people are making based on very little evidence.聽 Noone knows for certain.
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gatefittingsdirect
路7 months agoOn my personal account I set up late last year it was 12 EVRI - 1 Royal Mail - 1 DHL which was frustrating.聽
Had to take all the EVRI items for a 10 mile round trip every time an Item sold, DHL didn't turn up when specified, and the only easy one was Royal mail as we have daily Royal Mail collections for parcels.聽
bograt64
路5 months agoI have no option for simple delivery on my business account now
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jonatjonatjonat
路5 months agoThere never has been a Simple Delivery option on Business accounts
sml192
路5 months agoSimple Delivery has never been available to Business Sellers.