Well it has been a roller coaster few months with the introduction of the buyers protection fee and SD and just decided to stick it out to see what would transpire. However I have come to the conclusion like so many genuine private sellers that it is just a money making scheme for eBay.
Not content with a fee that should be adequate to cover loss or damage should it occur they wanted to limit the choice of carriers and dictate postage rates. I really don’t see why business sellers should be able to post their items as they choose and private sellers are prevented from doing so.
My experience to date included eBay changing postage rates on an item that weighed 500g and was a small parcel. It should have gone to the buyer for £2.74 and I was making nothing out of the postal cost . I would post out by my choice of courier. However SD defaulted it to be sent RM 48 2kg and the buyer asked me why the postage rate had changed as they had had the item on a watch for some time.
A parcel sent RM small parcel showed no tracking after the item was dropped off. .......after the ETA buyer started sending messages asking where her item was and telling me it was still at the drop off point. It wasn’t as just not scanned or updated . eBay had posted in messaging that they would deal with the matter. Buyer still continued to message and I tried to explain that eBay have full control over the postal charge/ tracking and was up to them to sort out. I do always add a return address to all my parcels. No return as a lost parcel and still showing as dropped off but no updates on the parcel since 17th August or delivered by Snail Mail. I can only assume the buyer got a refund.....and possibly the item with no scanned updates.
A recent sale of a large framed picture was listed as collection or posted. The buyer paid SPF £2 and £4.50 for postage. However after purchase the buyer messaged me and asked if I could drop it off . As it was only about a mile away from where I lived and a breakable item it was the better option so agreed. She asked me if I could refund the postal charge and said I would have done this but no way of getting it back on her behalf. I don’t think she believed me. So in this instance eBay are not just coning us but causing buyers unnecessary concerns that is still directed at sellers. No skin off eBay’s nose just the ching ching of an extra £6.50 in the kitty for them. It really is nothing short of scandalous .
I do think buyers are being put off from buying on this site based on these changes and sales continue to drop off. After 22 years it may be time to call it a day.
THe only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing ( Socrates Greek Philosopher)
