💬 Weekly Chat with the eBay Community Team- 01.06.22 @2pm

[community-team@ebay]

Hi everybody!

Welcome to the Weekly Chat with the eBay Community Team 😊

Please ask your questions in the thread below. In order to be able to answer your questions as quickly as possible, we ask you to have one question per post. Of course, you can make as many posts as you like in the Chat- the more the merrier!

Our eBay Community Team is made up of kat@ebay , dave@ebay  and katie@ebay . Between us, we have knowledge in Buying, Selling, ProTrader, Fulfilment, Parts & Accessories, Payments, and the Community itself. Anything we aren’t sure on we’ll know the people who will be! Please ask us any questions you may have and we’ll do all we can to support. 

The Community Chat will open at 2pm and will remain open until 3pm. After that it will be closed for further questions. Of course, we will continue to take care of answering any questions that may still be unanswered—We’ll get to everything as quickly as possible. 

To ask your question, click Reply in the lower-right corner of this post, type your question, and click Reply between 2pm and 3pm. The community team will answer each incoming question in chronological order, and will quote the original question in each answer. 

If you missed the weekly chat time, please ask your question in the community boards and tag us or we will be back next week with another chat! 

Many thanks,

Your eBay Community Team

[jckl1957]

If an inexperienced buyer receives a faulty item, accidentally opens a 'returns' case, and the seller refuses the return, can the buyer still open an INAD case or have they lost that opportunity because a 'returns' case has been opened and closed?

This has come up in the forums a couple of times recently.

Thanks.

[kat@ebay]

---

@jckl1957 wrote:

If an inexperienced buyer receives a faulty item, accidentally opens a 'returns' case, and the seller refuses the return, can the buyer still open an INAD case or have they lost that opportunity because a 'returns' case has been opened and closed?

This has come up in the forums a couple of times recently.

Thanks.

---

Hi @jckl1957 ,

At the time of opening the case the buyer will have the opportunity to select the option most applicable to them. They only have one opportunity to do this so if they choose the incorrect reason they will not be able to do another one.

Thank you,

Kat

[rainbowtrax]

I've been trying out the new listing tool and to start with there were a lot of issue with the html in the description being thrown out. Initially any <span> tags were being stripped out and the form would only accept <font> tags. I reported this and it has been fixed. But now <span> tags work but <font> tags don't any more. On the old listing form, both work as they should. Please could this be flagged to the relevant team.

[kempseykate]

knitting pattern vintage: Search Result | eBay

Why does this search for a 'vintage knitting pattern' ordered by Best Match have mainly illegal copies on the first page?

Why do ebay not act when these items are reported?

From https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/copyright-notice-knitting-and-sewing-patterns/copyright-n...

Copyright in literary and artistic works lasts for the life of the creator plus 70 years from the end of the calendar year of their death. After that time, a work will be ‘in the public domain’ and may be freely copied, published, adapted and so on without permission (whether for commercial purposes or otherwise)

70 years - most of these patterns are much younger than that, so they are illegal copies.

[bravergrace]

The eBay Official Packaging Shop has precisely zero cardboard boxes for sale today.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/officialpackaging

We can only use our vouchers to buy plastic single-use mailing bags.

The picture at the top of the eBay packaging store page shows a large selection of cardboard boxes - which used to be offered by a previous official packaging supplier.  But this one has gradually withdrawn all the sizes - and the last one vanished at lunchtime today.

Is it really fair to withdraw the only totally and easily recyclable option (cardboard) and replace it with single-use plastics?

[kat@ebay]

---

@rainbowtrax wrote:

I've been trying out the new listing tool and to start with there were a lot of issue with the html in the description being thrown out. Initially any <span> tags were being stripped out and the form would only accept <font> tags. I reported this and it has been fixed. But now <span> tags work but <font> tags don't any more. On the old listing form, both work as they should. Please could this be flagged to the relevant team.

---

Hi @rainbowtrax ,

Thank you for this detail about the new listing tool. I will flag this feedback with the relevant team for review.

Thank you,

Kat

[pixiesen2012]

why does the new 'streamlined search' when you choose lowest price first, strip out so many items?

I didn't understand the question at first:-

https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Seller-Central/Streamlined-results/m-p/7223906#M603552

but I've now looked into it and the number of listings removed from the search results is ridiculous!

[kat@ebay]

---

@kempseykate wrote:

knitting pattern vintage: Search Result | eBay

Why does this search for a 'vintage knitting pattern' ordered by Best Match have mainly illegal copies on the first page?

Why do ebay not act when these items are reported?

From https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/copyright-notice-knitting-and-sewing-patterns/copyright-n...

Copyright in literary and artistic works lasts for the life of the creator plus 70 years from the end of the calendar year of their death. After that time, a work will be ‘in the public domain’ and may be freely copied, published, adapted and so on without permission (whether for commercial purposes or otherwise)

70 years - most of these patterns are much younger than that, so they are illegal copies.

---

Hi @kempseykate ,

With these type of reports for illegal copies it would need to be the copyright owners that report them. eBay do review reported listings and take action in alot of cases but vero reported listings can be prioritised due to the legal aspect.

Please see more info on Vero here

Thank you,

Kat

[j_n_tee]

Estimated delivery times ebay are givening buyers, I've rasied this back in November, with a number of sellers also highlight there are issues with the system, BUT ebay's repsonse every tiem was there is nothing wrong with the system and it's based on a various number of things which i dont doubt but clearly not taking into account properly of the sellers dispatch times and the postable service being used!. As today:

Exactly what i feared has happened. My items now all which say dispatch by 6th (which is when my post will next leave me) and i Post by 2nd Class post mainly BUT what do buyers get as estimated date : 

Get it between Mon, 6 Jun and Tue, 7 Jun 

Hereis is the orginal thread i started Re: Estimated delivery dates... - Page 4 - UK eBay Community And there are a number of similar threads that exist.

Only Ebay ebay thinks that possible! 100% wont reach on 6th i can bet my life on it - as the items leave me early afternoon! 

[Anonymous]

my seller hub does not allow me to use search terms in my own listings, meaning its harder to maintain my account when I need to adjust. Its a glitch I have highlighted many times but I keep being told that 'ebay will feedback to the relevant teams'.. 

also my sales are non existant at the moment and its only a matter of time before I collapse.

[kat@ebay]

---

@bravergrace wrote:

The eBay Official Packaging Shop has precisely zero cardboard boxes for sale today.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/officialpackaging

We can only use our vouchers to buy plastic single-use mailing bags.

The picture at the top of the eBay packaging store page shows a large selection of cardboard boxes - which used to be offered by a previous official packaging supplier.  But this one has gradually withdrawn all the sizes - and the last one vanished at lunchtime today.

Is it really fair to withdraw the only totally and easily recyclable option (cardboard) and replace it with single-use plastics?

---

Hi @bravergrace ,

Thank you for bring this to our attention. I'm going to look into this one with the shipping team and I will get back to you as soon as I get more information from them.

Thank you,

Kat

[kat@ebay]

---

@pixiesen2012 wrote:

why does the new 'streamlined search' when you choose lowest price first, strip out so many items?

I didn't understand the question at first:-

https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Seller-Central/Streamlined-results/m-p/7223906#M603552

but I've now looked into it and the number of listings removed from the search results is ridiculous!

---

Hi @pixiesen2012 ,

Thanks for sharing. It should always shows available items. I'm going to look into that thread further after this chat so it will give me abit more time and I will come back to you.

Thank you,

Kat

[rainbowtrax]

How do you stop instant payment being forced on buyers of BINs. We have the setting unticked but still have buyers complaining that they can't buy without having to pay straight away. Am I missing some other setting as I can't find it? I've even tried it out myself between our two ids and can't buy without being forced to pay immediately. Some buyers do manage it but others just can't.

We have combined payments allowed in postage settings and require instant payment unticked on the listing form. Is there something else?

[cobwebs.and.clutter]

Hi,

Can you please remove the 'Send Offer' feature for private sellers or add a feature where it can be disabled as I've noticed it stifles potential sales? Most watchers I send them to stop watching the items after I send them an offer.

[4ponyandrider]

Any item purchased between today 1st June and Sunday 5th,  will not leave me until Tuesday 7th. Yet below is what ebay is telling customers:-

Economy Delivery (Royal Mail 2nd Class)

Estimated between Mon, 6 Jun and Wed, 8 Jun to PE15 0SL

Standard Delivery (Royal Mail 1st Class Parcel)

Estimated between Mon, 6 Jun and Wed, 8 Jun to PE15 0SL

Express Delivery (Other 24 Hour Courier)

Estimated on or before Wed, 8 Jun to PE15 0SL

Now unless ebay has invented a time machine, they will not arrive on the 6th or  7th or 8th if 2nd class.

1st class is possible but strange how 1st class is the same as 2nd class.........

It is only the next day courier they have right. But why would anyone select a next day courier when good old Royal mail 2nd class can deliver 2 days before that, and 1 day before the item has even been sent.  

I have sent example after example to ebay over many weeks and never get replies, only more annoyed and angry customers which we have to deal with.  Ebay please tell me and explain how is these dates shown above are supposed to be MORE accurate????

[kat@ebay]

---

@j_n_tee wrote:

Estimated delivery times ebay are givening buyers, I've rasied this back in November, with a number of sellers also highlight there are issues with the system, BUT ebay's repsonse every tiem was there is nothing wrong with the system and it's based on a various number of things which i dont doubt but clearly not taking into account properly of the sellers dispatch times and the postable service being used!. As today:

Exactly what i feared has happened. My items now all which say dispatch by 6th (which is when my post will next leave me) and i Post by 2nd Class post mainly BUT what do buyers get as estimated date : 

Get it between Mon, 6 Jun and Tue, 7 Jun 

Only Ebay ebay thinks that possible! 100% wont reach on 6th i can bet my life on it - as the items leave me early afternoon! 

---

Hi @j_n_tee ,

We are aware of the experiences of sellers with the EDD dates and have given all relevant examples back to the shipping team. We continue to monitor the current threads on this topic and keep updating the team with them. 

Your example will be included in the current feedback.

Thank you,

Kat

[pixiesen2012]

normal search result - best match:-

same search switched to lowest price:-

nearly 100 listings missing!

[kat@ebay]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

my seller hub does not allow me to use search terms in my own listings, meaning its harder to maintain my account when I need to adjust. Its a glitch I have highlighted many times but I keep being told that 'ebay will feedback to the relevant teams'.. 

also my sales are non existant at the moment and its only a matter of time before I collapse.

---

Hi @Anonymous ,

I'll follow up to see that this issue in your seller hub has been reported and see if there is any update on it.

Sales can be impacted by a number of different factors. Seasonality, the type of products, current climate amongst others.  Its always a good idea to optimise your listings looking at titles, images and price. You can also make use of ebay's selling tools. These are promoted listings, multi-buy and order discount.

Please see more info on that here.

Thank you,

Kat

[ziggy_2015]

Hi,

I received an email on the 29th April stating promoted listings standard fees would be changing as of today and would now be based upon the total amount of the sale including shipping. I offer free shipping but if an item is sold via the GSP it could be say £30.00 to ship to the UISA for example. Does that mean I would get charged a % of the £30.00? It also states that due to this an estimate of fees could no longer be provided yet as of 5 mins ago estimates are still being shown

Thx