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!!!!

[unctious]

So, today 23rd May 2025

I bought postage for 6 items; 1 Small Parcel and 5 Large Letter.

By reverting to “Custom Postage” all my historic 'Postage Polices' and options were there and the ability to adjust weight, dimension and method of posting were still active.

It seems, at the moment, historic postage polices, in an account, can still work.

I am a 'Private Seller' so not sure how it works for 'Business Sellers'.

Believe me when I say, the Tinkering Twinks do nothing to make my eBay experience a pleasure.

More and more, it feels more like a bash'em up video game and less like a retail/market outlet.

Change, for the sake of change is just an egregious disruption and wastes time and money, alienates the core traders.

Best wishes to all!

[sml192]

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@sgtbash_56244 wrote:

Well The Small Parcel Option is Now Live!!

Royal Mail SP is Being Charged At £4.48!!!!!
If you still Use Custom Postage Or At Post Office SP Tracked 48 is  still £3.45 !!

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Looking at the price chart, £4.48 is the price for Royal Mail 1-2Kg Small Parcel for items over £100. 

Would have made more sense if they had made it for items over £150 so that it aligned with the,compensation offered by Royal Mail for Tracked services. 

[serendipity2468]

🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

I was just relisting an item and decided to try out (Not So) Simple Delivery again. So while editing the item on the app I went into Delivery, selected ‘up to 1kg small parcel’ size and it told me prices would start at £2.94 - all good so far.  I saved Delivery and on returning back to the main edit screen it now showed that prices would start at £3.90 - so I edited Delivery again and this still said £2.94 but on return it still said £3.90! So I just listed the item in order to see which one of these eBay would actually state that the buyer would pay.  Well I had to laugh when the listed item stated that postage starts at £2.46. So I edited the listing again and that now correctly showed delivery from £2.94 - so I saved again having made no changes and finally the listed item was in synch and stated delivery from £2.94. What an absolute farce! Now if I hadn’t checked what was going on, and hadn’t edited and resaved that item, would it have let a buyer purchase postage for the £2.46 it was originally stating? And what postage would that have been - clearly not the right one for my parcel size and weight I entered. Clearly eBay are going live with changes without anywhere near proper system testing. I shall continue to avoid SD while I can…

[londonbikerider74]

I'm really wondering if the new eBay postage service is legal: there is NO price shown when you are buying the postage label.

As much as I do understand their will to keep the postage safe for the end buyer, being exactly the same as what was paid with no alteration possible, this becomes a pain for the seller: if dimensions or weight were entered incorrectly then the seller has no way to see if this was wrong until being charged for the postage label.

Seriously, they are selling you a service with no price displayed, this is borderline scam or at least unfair business practice.

I'm NOT happy at all!

[dantwocats]

same here   ..on view listing ..it shows postage £2.28 ? when editing its £3.38??  iam editing as ebay upped the postage to £5.15 others show £3.64 ,are they going to put the right price back on all the parcels they made us put into medium parcel sizes (the only option before small parcels come on last Friday) for £3.44

[serendipity2468]

It does seem that despite all the different postage prices it has actually set the correct one (I used another account to view my item and it was as it should be). But really poor system testing not to have seen these errors and fixed them.

[dantwocats]

still showing item which is a  small parcel as £5.15 it was listed  for £3.44 postage ?

[drag0n_fire]

It is the buyer who is now purchasing the postage label through ebay, not the sellers. The cost of the label is shown in the order page plus VAT. I am told this does allow ebay to offer free or discounted promotional postage discounts to the sellers if they choose, at no cost to the seller. Ebay obviously do not trust the sellers to purchase postage labels for some strange reason! I do agree it is confusing for the seller and once the label is printed/downloaded it is too late to reject it. It is probably equally confusing for the buyer as they don't know how much the postage is as the listing always states 'Postage From £xx.xx'  .Additionally it is impossible to check the buyers postal address against the Royal Mail postal database. It is surprising how many buyers don't know their correct postal address but the onus is now on the buyer to ensure they have provided the correct postal address. If the parcel is undelivered the buyer will have no comeback and lose their purchase whilst the seller is fully protected. Once the Post Office or courier scans the postage label the seller will receive their funds whether it is delivered or not. 

[fraspr_0]

Sorry, but the seller is definitely purchasing the postage label, and it is the seller that has the contractual relationship with the courier not the buyer.

Seller's only receive their funds once delivery has been made.  If an item is not delivered, ebay will put funds on hold and the buyer will get a full refund.

It is then up to the seller to claim compensation from the courier for non-delivery, and provide proof of postage, proof re value of lost package, etc. 

When this has happened to me, Royal Mail sent me stamps as compensation, which I then can't use to send ebay parcels as ebay force private sellers to buy postage labels from them.   

[3942rick2005]

Explain this then if sellers cannot pay the postage:

and

[dantwocats]

you used the get a cheque ? but i got stamps last time as well ,, 1st class as well which i never use 

[drag0n_fire]

Well it's self explanatory. So sorry but I'm not Customer Services but just posting my interpretation of Ebays Simple Delivery User Agreement, and what works for me. I was just trying to help out a fellow seller. I'm sure Customer Services would be very happy to address any further SD postage queries you have my friend.

[sml192]

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@fraspr_0 wrote:

Sorry, but the seller is definitely purchasing the postage label, and it is the seller that has the contractual relationship with the courier not the buyer.

Seller's only receive their funds once delivery has been made.  If an item is not delivered, ebay will put funds on hold and the buyer will get a full refund.

It is then up to the seller to claim compensation from the courier for non-delivery, and provide proof of postage, proof re value of lost package, etc. 

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With Simple Delivery it is the buyer who is paying for the postage unless the seller selects 'Seller pays' when listing.  Either way the item is protected by eBay against loss or damage in transit meaning that the buyer is refunded at no cost to the seller.  The seller has no contract with the carrier where Simple Delivery is concerned. 

[mysaleyourgain]

Simple delivery is a load of *bleep* what gives ebay the right to decide what I charge for postage, no account for envelope cost packaging tape cost traveling to PO cost, if the buyer is happy to pay what I ask how dare they decide I am in the wrong, tossers.

[zapwow]

and there's no "signed for service" in Simple Delivery, also no "under 2kg" option.  Sadly, eBay is becoming unusable for private sellers.

[sml192]

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@zapwow wrote:

and there's no "signed for service" in Simple Delivery, also no "under 2kg" option.  Sadly, eBay is becoming unusable for private sellers.

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Sorry, I don't understand what you mean by 'no "under 2Kg" option'?  Simple Delivery has options for both 'Up to 1Kg' and 'Up to 2Kg'.