Thumbs down to earn a Premium badge! More hoops coming

[stovestickers]

Just received an “earn a Premium badge” email from eBay – this seems to be copying Etsy and will mean more hoops for us to jump through and another way to screw sellers. I got “two thumbs down” – one for not offering a 30 days return policy – that’s true – I offer 60 days free returns !!!

The second “thumbs down” was for not sending my items tracked – bummer – its again true – I sell items from £3.25 sent by first class post and make almost no profit (as I am competing with a private seller who is exactly copying my items and as a “private” seller pays no fees) and now I am expected to send everything tracked otherwise I will not get:-

Increased visibility in Best Match search results

10% discount on variable final value fees on ebay.co.uk

This new policy must apply only to business sellers as “private” sellers do not even have a returns policy and they pay no fees

[bravergrace]

I really don't think that eBay have grasped the concept that their UK business sellers are directly competing with unregistered UK business sellers, whom eBay have freed from fees.  eBay even helpfully inform their customers that they are:

Registered as a private seller.   Thereby, consumer rights stemming from EU consumer protection law do not apply. 

The iniquity of this - that a business seller has no legal obligations simply because they have REGISTERED as a private seller - is appalling.  It's like the police announcing that:

"This burglar has signed a form registering as not-a-burglar.  Therefore, UK law against burglary, stemming from UK common law and statute, do not apply."

[leadhills_scot]

Saw the email, deleted it. Never bother to read the junk they send me anymore. The constant push to promote at the top of every page gets more and more annoying every day. Anyway I will cease trading on ebay mid December.

[bojangled]

I don't know why I received this, I already have the premium badge.

According to the email I don't offer 30 day returns (I do).

I should offer tracked services, yet 99% of my inventory is under £10. 

I though it was another you've lost top seller status in Europe notification.

Jo

[stovestickers]

This is a the new way of gaining a premium badge and 10% discount on variable final value fees - soon to supplant the previous system - this new badge system is harder if not impossible for sellers of low cost items to achieve simply because it is not cost effective to send low cost items tracked  and therefore it is another way for eBay to extract more money from business sellers

[louisianna]

Im not convinced that this isnt an error. 

My message says I dont offer 30 day returns - I do

and that I dont offer an express delivery service on my listings - I do

Plus I am already have the Premium Service Badge. 

Hoping to get an update to say so soon 🙏

Single person business working her butt off to give a 'premium service' with 90% of items large letter post under £10

[bojangled]

@stovestickers 

I see thank you, I don't think I'll be playing. Like you sending low value items tracked will price me out of the market. 

Jo

[bojangled]

@louisianna Same situation here. Just keep going !

@stovestickers just to add I used to offer 60 day returns and changed it to 30 to adhere to the 'top-rated-seller-premium-gold-standard-powerseller-super-nova-awesome' status for my 10% discount. 

[exponential_developments]

Nothing else to give, there isn't any incentive to be here anymore.

[exponential_developments]

Yep i do 30 days but got a thumbs down, it's so childish.

[british-ceramics-and-paintings]

Got the message today.

There is no incentive to offer all of these things, a 10% discount on final value fees when other businesses are selling for free, at least try and twist my arm, a circa 50% discount on final value fees and I may consider it.

I am a top rated seller, have been for many, many years, what are the benefits these days ?  I don't see any.

[stovestickers]

You will not necessarily lose your TRS status with the new premium badge system as I guess you already send everything tracked - however you will need to upgrade your returns from 14 days to 30 days which shouldn't hurt you - the losers with the new system will be sellers of low value items who business model relies on cheap postage (untracked)

[swat090346]

I got the same message with a thumbs down for 30 day returns, I DO offer  30 days returns on all my  listings. It also says that I do offer express delivery on 33% of my listings  and to add it to my other listings.  I do NOT offer express delivery on any of my listings.  and with practically all my sales around the £5 mark I will not send tracked.

I think they are children playing around with facts and figures, just for the fun of antaganising their customers, us, their sellers, well it will not work for me, I refuse to be intimidated

[the-nutwood-collection]

If eBay is copying Etsy, I hope they get it right - which Etsy doesn't.

According to Etsy, my message response within 24 hours is 91%, so I don't get a 'Speedy Replies' badge.  I reply to all messages well within 24 hours, sometimes within five minutes if I'm at the computer.  I don't think Etsy can always distinguish between an initial message and a thread - which, of course, ends with a final message that doesn't need to be replied to.

[ojewellery]

On Etsy to just set up an auto response Thank you for your message I'll be In touch  asap.   It solves never missing a message to play the metrics game. 

[the-nutwood-collection]

Auto response - good idea.  However, I can never be a 'Star Seller' because I don't buy my postage from Etsy.

[ojewellery]

I'll just polish my halo then.  I'm a consistent star seller and I've never purchased postage on Etsy.

[the-nutwood-collection]

I don't suppose you're sending your lovely jewellery by letter or large letter post.  Unfortunately, around 40% of my Etsy sales aren't of sufficient value to warrant tracked. 

To be a Star Seller, I would have to send 95% of my orders tracked or buy my postage from Etsy. 

So ... no twinkling star for me.  

[ojewellery]

I use RM24 large letter tracked.  Volumes have hit the 2000 plus point and being VAT registered and by negotiation there's not a lot between that and RM24/ first.  Plus sending 100 plus tracked comes with a free daily collection and decent international tracked prices.

When star seller first came out I was hitting the target by uploading the proof of delivery number on the RM24 service. 

[the_book_seekers]

I've also received this message and am completely unimpressed by being told I don't offer 30 day returns when I do.