Simple Delivery - no small parcel options

[fraspr_0]

Just spent 30mins trying to explain to ebay that Simple Delivery - which all private sellers are going to be forced to use - isn't fit for purpose.

I regularly sell shoebox size parcels, via Royal Mail, i.e. Royal Mail Small Parcel (45 x 35 x 16cm)

Simple delivery options jumps from Royal Mail Large Letter  (35.3 x 25 x 2.5cm) to Royal Mail Medium Parcel (61 x 46 x 46cm) - with nothing in between.

I don't need to be told that Simple Delivery will ensure I am paid faster, and protected, etc. 

ALL MEANINGLESS IF CUSTOMERS THINK I AM RIPPING THEM OFF ON POSTAGE COSTS!!!!

[serendipity2468]

I totally agree but all eBay care about is trying to replicate Vinted’s business model in its entirety and Simple Delivery as it currently is appears to match it. The main losers here are people (like me) selling Royal Mail large letters between 100g & 500g as SD only has the tracked £2.70 postage instead of £1.80 & £2.20 respectively, and small parcels between 1&2kg as RM charges £3.35 & SD £3.71. These increases to the seller are closely following the increases for Buyer Protection of course. 

So post 15 April a CD that I sold a couple of months ago for £3.99 plus £1.90 postage (£5.89 to the buyer) will now be £3.99 +88p Buyer Protection plus £2.70 postage (£7.57 to the buyer). Given most of my stuff fits these lost postage options I have a feeling that I’m coming to the end of the road selling here (and to be fair Vinted would be no better). Another big loser is going to be Yodel who are cheaper for most other parcel sizes and who do not appear on eBay’s list for SD yet. Evri though will be raking it in as they seem to be the only SD selection for parcels now.

[flowerpower37-uk]

totally agree with you.  90 % of my things are large letter under 100gr and less than £10 - i spoke to an ebay adviser and after they then spoke to a supervisor - 'supposedly' these items are exempt from the new system as long as you make sure the item dimensions, weight etc are all accurate.  However I also send small parcels at about 300gr and i buy postage online with royal mail and it costs me £3.39 for 48 hr tracked.  Ebay have removed any mention of small parcels  ' why'  we and customers are paying for something that we don't actually need - if it is a small parcel then it should be paid for as a small parcel

[alsubere_1234]

 I will be checking this post for replies. 

I thought that I would change my active items to simple delivery before it is done automatically.  However, I am now finding that there is no option to choose a small parcel size which most of my items are.   The postage cost  for Royal Mail small parcel size is £3.95 at the Post Office but the lowest postal cost using Simple delivery is £4.27!!!  Yes, it does reduce if I allow Evri but I have heard so many stories about parcels being lost that I do not really want to offer this option.  

[flowerpower37-uk]

most of my items and are large letter or small parcel and totally agree with you - ebay need to re-instate small parcel as the option for a parcel which is a small parcel size!!!!!

I am really annoyed with ebay at the moment - i went through all my listing and made sure that they were either large letter or small parcel with correct sizing and weights and also costs. - ebay decided to give a buyer an option for large letter postage when the item was actually small parcel and £3.99 postage. the buyer paid £2.20.

I buy my parcel postage on line with royal mail and a small parcel 48 hr tracked is £3.39 - ebay have decided to remove any mention of small parcel so buyers and / or customers are paying more than they should for small parcel size. come on ebay your new simply delivery solution is wrong / not simply in any shape or form and you need to reset so it is correct and not overpriced

[drag0n_fire]

I've raised the issue of no RM Small Parcel option in Simple Delivery twice in the last 3 days and Ebay assure me that IT will revert within 48 hrs! I've also asked them to put a message out to all private sellers re the issue.

Don't hold your breath tho!

[dantwocats]

yes letters are still £2.74 under simple delivery

[dantwocats]

if you read the update on simple delivery from Eve Williams, General Manager, eBay UK he has just stuck has finger up to us ,still saying 20% savings on postage ? if you use Medium Parcels all the time its great, but we don't . letters are still £2.74 with SD., (this £10 or under & under 100g is not there ?) if this ever comes in it still means any large letter over 100g will cost £2.74 ,if your old listings are free post and low cost items you will be owing ebay if they sell  (its being imposed on old listing) so your 2nd class cost of 87p & £1.55 ,£1.80 (new RM prices) will jump to £2.74 ,and all the 1 & 2kg small parcels up as well ,and for me no more bring my label just a sandal 

[drag0n_fire]

Her message pretty much confirms that Ebay Senior managers are clueless. Standard business protocol is that if you put out a statement get the facts checked and checked again before going public. The listings for Large letters RM Tracked states buyer will pay at least £2.74 so if Ebay have negotiated a 20% saving they are ripping off our buyers and Ebay are profiting from the saving of approx 50p per letter. The next size up is Medium parcel in SD and Ebay are not displaying the option of Small Parcel. The difference in cost for the buyer between Small Parcel and Medium parcel is quite significant. This is basic stuff and just proves how incompetent Ebay have become.

[flowerpower37-uk]

totally agree - a small parcel with postage purchased on line with royal mail is £3.39 - medium parcel with Royal mail via ebay's simple delivery is approx £4.60ish - where is the small parcel option and also where is the supposed 20% off.

The unfortunate thing is many people are calling ebay and getting supposed accurate information but it all conflicts. I have called them re large letter under 100g and under £10 - they say it is exempt from the simple delivery - i will watch this space.

Someone at ebay needs to put out a clear and concise set of facts and also answer why when Royal Mail accept small parcel size ebay are not offering this option - who is profiting from this ???? certainly not the buyer or seller

[unctious]

Good evening to all.

I have to agree, at this juncture, the new "Simple Delivery" format is as about as transparent and seller friendly as a sheet of lead spread over ones head.

My most regular packages are "Small Parcel" 34cm x 34cm x 2cm, all under 500grams

I only post using Royal Mail, purchased through eBay but I have no confidence that the eBay automated formula is fit for purpose. At the moment, I simply cannot fine-tune any of my other package sizes or weights to match any given listing, it is all so reductionistas to be nearly binary; which leads me to think that gullible eBay Management are being sold an A.I. Pup!

My personal gullibility levels fluctuate on a daily basis; not something I expect from a world-wide trading business.

So many changes...

I was happy to pay seller fees.

Postage came with buyer protection inbuilt, not as an extra.

Package weights and diamensions were input at the point/interface of listing.

Now "Computer says NO!"

Things aren't getteing any better in the Land of A'zon either!

[flowerpower37-uk]

totally agree - i was really happy paying seller fees. the new system is not fit for purpose. i listed an auction item - 48 hr tracked royal mail - postage cost 3.99 - i added dimensions, weight etc and ebay allowed buyer to select postage and she paid £2.20 for large letter postage - really !!!!!! spitting nails - it was a small parcel over 2.5cm thick for god sake - what are ebay doing - do they even know what they are doing or is chaos the new norm to get all private sellers to switch to an ebay shop ???

bring back seller fees - leave shipping as it was and stop charging customers buyer seller protection - what is not broken does not need a half thought out sticking plaster

[edwardian-dreams]

Was it under 750g

this is all so terribly confusing 

[flowerpower37-uk]

about 150 gram - it was just over the royal mail 2.5 cm so i had to send it as a small parcel. not fair to the buyer to cancel the order or ask the to pay the correct shipping - i will just have to suck it up but if it continues I may well close my account altogether - not something i want to do

[unctious]

In a nutshell...

Ollie (Marketing Manager) said to Stan (I.T. Manager) many times; “This is another fine mess you've gotten me into”.

Still, they plough on regardless.

[edwardian-dreams]

Plainly ridiculous 

so we aren’t allowed to have small parcels under 750 g now? We have to send them large letter? It doesn’t matter?

is this all part of “Royal Mail and eBay will sort it all out “thing, no need to worry our little heads or have eBay got it wrong 

😐

as I said confusing 

[birsayboy7]

if you read the update on simple delivery from Eve Williams, General Manager, eBay UK he has just stuck has finger up to us ,still saying 20% savings on postage ?*

* On Average

If Elon Musk walked into a room with a thousand of us present we would all become millionaires, on average. The average is the enemy of the particular!

[flowerpower37-uk]

i did have a look for her update but could'nt find it - possibly another hidden thing for private sellers not to see

[edwardian-dreams]

Is eve a bloke?

[edwardian-dreams]

Just remembered I saw this posted earlier today

Here's what the post office have to say !

They added that the Post Office has issued training to branches that each Simple Delivery item should be accepted as long as it is within the maximum dimensions the carrier accepts.

For the Royal Mail this is 61cm x 46cm x 46cm and less than 20kg.

The Post Office said it apologises to any customer who may have had a parcel declined.

A Post Office spokesperson said: “Customers can still drop off eBay parcels at our branches.

"A recent agreement between eBay and Royal Mail means Tracked 24 and Tracked 48 items no longer need to be weighed or size checked, making drop-offs at our branches even quicker.

"Postmasters were informed at the end of February and are adapting to this new process.”