Can't trigger premium service

[the_bald_orc]

Afternoon all,

I hope everyone had a good Christmas and is enjoying a lucrative start to the new year.

After my VERO takedown in November I'm slowly building my stock levels back up, I'm still at less than 50% stock BUT overall I'm having more sales for the stock I do have listed. It seems doing away with the variation listings and going the free postage route is a winner.

One thing I would like to ask the forum about though is the fact that I can't seem to acheive the top rated seller plus level (with the premium service badge), and I can't see why. It says I need to offer free postage across all my listings (I do), have a paid for next day service and tracked for items over £20, I believe I offer all these things but it still won't trigger. Does anyone have any ideas or advice? Maybe I'm missing something obvious?

I'm trying out the pro trader program, and my first call is scheduled for Monday so I can ask them about it, but I thought it might be worth asking here first.

Cheers! 🙂

[chasegreetings]

Hi,

I've looked at the postage options on some of your items and you offer second class postage as the free option and a first class option, that's fine. You also need to offer an express option, such as Special Delivery. I've had to do this on my other account even though the price is way too high for the low value items that I sell. I've only ever had one or two sales a year that are willing to pay for it, but you still have to offer it to get the Top Rated status. So add in a Special Delivery option whatever the price is likely to be and assuming you've had 100 items sold and £1000 in sales to also meet the criteria you should be good to go.

[4_bathrooms]

I've just checked one of your £20+ listings and noticed the delivery options are 2nd Class, 1st Class and Tracked 24. The requirements state:

"For items over £20, all of the delivery services must be designated tracked services and valid tracking must be uploaded within the dispatch time (this includes auction-style listings and Best Offers where the final price is over £20)."

Also, all the listings I looked at have "Royal Mail 2nd Class" and "Royal Mail 1st Class" as the free and enhanced delivery options:

 

[the_bald_orc]

Thanks both, much appreciated.

[4_bathrooms]

I've just noticed an inconsistency in what eBay states. It seems clear - looking at the last part - that by "designated tracked services" ebay actually means delivery services that provide an online delivery confirmation as a minimum requirement (i.e. not actually "tracked"). It then states that 1st/2nd Class Large Letter services don't qualify as a "tracked" service for items >£20 as Royal Mail don't provide delivery confirmation for these services when in fact they do.

I suspect this is due to the page not being updated since at least 2019 rather than 1st/2nd Class LL not being considered a "tracked" service. I suspect all you need to do is change the standard 1st/2nd Class services to the ones that include "Letter", "Large Letter" etc. in the service name.       

[the-nutwood-collection · Accepted solution]

To get the Premium Service badge you must offer same day despatch if you're using 2nd Class mail.  You're offering to despatch within one business day - which would earn you the badge if freepost was 1st Class, but not if it's 2nd.

You can set your cut-off for same day despatch to an early time - say 8am - which, in effect, allows you to post the next day.  However, eBay's EDD takes no notice of the cut-off time (as it used to) and calculates the fantasy EDD based on the date the item was ordered.

[the_bald_orc]

Brilliant, that's done the trick! Thank you!

[magpiecorner1]

You can offer an untracked service, 2nd class same day despatch or 1st class next day despatch, as long as you offer special delivery (please note I only use Royal Mail, so not sure if other courier equivalents) to qualify for the 10% discount on fees.

I also offer 1st class signed for, makes no difference to status, but its an option to offer for combined postage.

Play around to make sure all you items quality, the number is shown in the seller hub (I think it is hidden in UK seller level info.