So i am really aggravated at this “service”.
I did not ask for nor subscribe to simple delivery (uk). The couriers are not convenient. It took a decade for my local shop to modernise and offer store collection of post and ebay have now negated this benefit. The alternatives are miles on foot. It is not exactly a rural area, that with a 10k population.
So i wrote to customer service who guides how to add alternative tracking (can only be done after buying label). The first sale using this approach finalises and gets delivered but , notice after a week that the buyer is automatically refunded for unused postage label, I believed a better option is to list items with free postage, the seller pays but is refunded.
BUT!!!! dub-dun-dun
Upon a sale, any labels paid with by MY FUNDS are ARE NOT AUTOMATICALLY REFUNDED like before.
I am out of pocket because ebay stipulates a 14 day window TO MANUALLY REQUEST for refund. Thanks for nothing! More time and money wasted!
Here are the FACTS;
1) eBay now forces the user (seller) to use shipping provider that may not be convenient for seller (distance)
2) option to add tracking of alternative (convenient) provider is ONLY accessible after user orders a pre paid label. Buying a label is mandatory irrespective if its used or not.
3) Refunds for unused labels are allocated in two ways:
3.1) If listing is created with free postage (seller pays) option, the pre paid label is deducted from sellers balance/order earnings. REFUND IS NOT AUTOMATIC and seller has to FIND a the HIGHLY OBSCURE ‘request refund for simple delivery’ link in amongst its many help pages. This has to be done within 14 days.
3.2) If listing is created with the buyer pays option, pre paid label cost is deducted from the price seen by the buyer on the listing. It is refunded AUTOMATICALLY to buyer after 14days (label unused).
3.3) A side concern:
the seller now has to artificially inflate the selling price to accommodate TWO shipping costs if the mandated couriers are inconvenient. One for the inevitable refund for unused label but also the shipping that will be used (alternative provider). This is the case if opting for buyer pays” at time of listing (no. 3)
ACTION
I intend to raise this with trading standards. Someone has to step in a sort this mess out, TOO MANY INSTANCES OF EBAY MAKING SNEAKY GRABS, another great example being the SNEAKY 50p surcharge that appears on your bill when the Buy it now option is utilised on an auction (and is part of the default layout when a new auction listing is started).
50p here 50p there it may seems insignificant but this happens to millions of unwitting sellers and its about time consumer groups put a stop to the scam that is this auctioneer.
