A Few Puzzling Simple Delivery Questions

[thecrowmanuk]

Hey all.

I have a couple of questions.

eBay are also going to change the postage on items already listed next week.

I have DVDs & CDs over 100g and under 100g.

How will they know which items to change to the over 100g rate, and under?

Also, they say any items under £10 and below 100g will not have to use simple delivery.

Can anyone from eBay confirm if it is £10 AND under 100g only? What if they are under £10 and say 120g?

I have tons of DVDs/CDs listing that will have to be removed if it is only under 100g.

I can't keep items on just over 100g when they are only listed for £2.99 with postage included.

Finally, will large letters under 100g be included in the exclusion, or just letter.

I don't want to be caught out next week and will have to start deleting now if not LL.

[wintersdawn1]

A person from ebay said this:

[forestfeline62]

Even the post offices are finding simple delivery a pain because people are taking items in with the wrong label on them the item is a small parcel but because of the light weight ebay have given postage labels for large letters so they have been rejected at the PO . Not good if you have to walk to your PO to then have your parcel rejected . Ebay gets all the money for the postage cost not the PO any more so the small independent PO are losing a lot of money because they are on commission only so they have to take in  peoples parcels scan them ,get them ready for the postman/woman all for nothing a terrible situation .

[missdollydaydream]

I have had a similar problem a "simple delivery" item snuck through my listings. It was a LP vinyl record measuring 32cms x 32cms x 2cms and weighing 100g. Ebay sent me a Large letter postage label. Max size for large letter via Royal Mail is 35.3 x 25 x 2.5.  I contacted eBay customer services who insisted this was the correct label and I should use it. I pointed out to the rep that my parcel (containing a LP record)  exceeds the size for a large letter and she contacted her "specialist" department who confirmed that the large letter label was correct and I should use it. I have taken their advice and used it. I am expecting a complaint from my customer for having to pay excess postage. I fully intend to contact Trading Standards & Royal Mail for clarity and will come back and let the board know the results.

Perhaps eBay have a special arrangement with Royal Mail?

[jma2815]

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@forestfeline62 wrote:

Even the post offices are finding simple delivery a pain because people are taking items in with the wrong label on them the item is a small parcel but because of the light weight ebay have given postage labels for large letters so they have been rejected at the PO . Not good if you have to walk to your PO to then have your parcel rejected . Ebay gets all the money for the postage cost not the PO any more so the small independent PO are losing a lot of money because they are on commission only so they have to take in  peoples parcels scan them ,get them ready for the postman/woman all for nothing a terrible situation .

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Yes!, My postmistress told me yesterday that this thing with many, many packets being incorrectly deemed ‘large letter’  and not ‘small parcel’ had started happening a lot with ebay sales over the last few weeks. It came up because I was having a similar issue (not because of Simple Delivery) with a ‘1kg small parcel’ being slightly too long for the old Twix box (🙄) they use for ascertaining size. 

After a minute’s thought and being offered several solutions involving extra postage/extra tracking numbers the safest, cheapest and easiest one was thankfully just to leave the label with her, take the parcel home and repack it smaller. 

I’ve delisted everything, I don’t want to be dealing with SD at all. 

[the-nutwood-collection]

Usually, when large contracts are negotiated, they're based on an average weight.  The labels are not designated as LL, small parcel, medium parcel - they're just a pre-paid label.  The items processed under the terms of the contract are monitored and, if they're exceeding the contract average weight, the contract has to be negotiated.

Seems odd to me that labels designated for a particular RM service are being issued.  No wonder there are issues at the PO.

[rainbowtrax]

I posted this earlier on a different thread but it probably needs further publicising. According to ebay, the POs know not to refuse underpaid simple delivery items as ebay have sorted it all out with them! From ebay's FAQs (with my bold):

"What if the label provided is not appropriate for my item?

If your parcel exceeds the maximum size and weight of the label, and you listed using our recommended size and weight for your item, you won't have to pay any additional costs. Just go ahead and use the Simple Delivery postage label, as we’ve made sure the carrier will accept your package for delivery.

If you provided the size and weight of the item yourself, and these happen to be inaccurate, you’ll be responsible for covering any additional costs."

Ebay's FAQs are here: Simple Delivery | UK Seller Centre and are definitely worth a read so that you're armed with the correct info on what should be happening. @forestfeline62  @jma2815 @missdollydaydream 

What isn't clear is how is the PO able to tell whether you used ebay's recommendation or set the rate yourself. Does the label state which one it is?

[wellingnorth]

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@rainbowtrax wrote:

I posted this earlier on a different thread but it probably needs further publicising. According to ebay, the POs know not to refuse underpaid simple delivery items as ebay have sorted it all out with them! From ebay's FAQs (with my bold):

"What if the label provided is not appropriate for my item?

If your parcel exceeds the maximum size and weight of the label, and you listed using our recommended size and weight for your item, you won't have to pay any additional costs. Just go ahead and use the Simple Delivery postage label, as we’ve made sure the carrier will accept your package for delivery.

If you provided the size and weight of the item yourself, and these happen to be inaccurate, you’ll be responsible for covering any additional costs."

Ebay's FAQs are here: Simple Delivery | UK Seller Centre and are definitely worth a read so that you're armed with the correct info on what should be happening. @forestfeline62  @jma2815 @missdollydaydream 

What isn't clear is how is the PO able to tell whether you used ebay's recommendation or set the rate yourself. Does the label state which one it is?

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It sounds like in theory the PO are supposed to accept regardless? Then maybe the Royal Mail label somehow links back to the item number so they could query any underpayment with ebay as the parcel goes through their system and ebay would either absorb the cost themselves or charge the seller accordingly? Sounds complicated but maybe that is possible.

I guess it will depend on the Post Office as well, one I use was happy for me to send a 1250g international parcel with an erroneous 250g label on it, a different one I use has argued over accepting parcels with labels that are 1g out (but well clear of the 250g band limit)

Looking at the prices and the size limits it looks like the RM price is somewhere between small parcel and medium parcel but covers the size of a medium parcel. I would guess most things sent must be small parcels so maybe there is some leeway built in and only egregious examples will get charged. I think I finally found a a benefit of simple delivery actually - no more need to check that my boxes are under 16cm!

[mabel.meadows]

Re optional items under 100g

 I spoke to ebay yesterday and they say "only if it fits in an envelope" so does not apply to all items under 100g.

Also, they did not know what size envelope would be included, so may just be standard mail or could Large letter rate.

[vinylscot]

Your figures seem wrong. There is no way an LP record, if properly packed, will weigh 100g. It will weigh something over 300g, usually nearer 400.

I'm not sure if you're guilty of this, but many posters, on many of these boards, are quoting the weights of their items, unpacked. Obviously, it is the weight (and dimensions) of the item, complete with all its packing, which determines the shipping cost. 

You're correct that it will be too large to send as a large letter. Hopefully, if this was an error on eBay's part, they will pay any extra postage. I can see Royal Mail and Evri getting pretty fed up having to attempt to levy underpaid extra charges on uderpaid packages. 

[werew_16]

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@rainbowtrax wrote:

I posted this earlier on a different thread but it probably needs further publicising. According to ebay, the POs know not to refuse underpaid simple delivery items as ebay have sorted it all out with them! From ebay's FAQs (with my bold):

"What if the label provided is not appropriate for my item?

If your parcel exceeds the maximum size and weight of the label, and you listed using our recommended size and weight for your item, you won't have to pay any additional costs. Just go ahead and use the Simple Delivery postage label, as we’ve made sure the carrier will accept your package for delivery.

If you provided the size and weight of the item yourself, and these happen to be inaccurate, you’ll be responsible for covering any additional costs."

Ebay's FAQs are here: Simple Delivery | UK Seller Centre and are definitely worth a read so that you're armed with the correct info on what should be happening. @forestfeline62  @jma2815 @missdollydaydream 

What isn't clear is how is the PO able to tell whether you used ebay's recommendation or set the rate yourself. Does the label state which one it is?

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I changed a couple of my lots yesterday to Simple Delivery and the weight it was recommending was 2KG even though it was clearly going to be under 750g. I've changed it to the correct value on those items. Now I'm wondering if I'm going to be hit with additional charges or problems at the post office because I didn't use the "recommended" weight? Worrying.

[andha-21]

@werew_16 

They can override your change as of the 7th, that was their official declaration, but it looks like they may have started changing listings yesterday, going by posts here.

I'd suggest you watch your listings like a hawk.

[wellingnorth]

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@werew_16 wrote:

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I changed a couple of my lots yesterday to Simple Delivery and the weight it was recommending was 2KG even though it was clearly going to be under 750g. I've changed it to the correct value on those items. Now I'm wondering if I'm going to be hit with additional charges or problems at the post office because I didn't use the "recommended" weight? Worrying.

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To me where I see the 750g option it specifies 35 x 25 x 2.5cm ie Large Letter, then 1kg and 2kg are both Royal Mail medium parcel dimensions 61 x 46 x 46cm, so there's no small parcel option. I'm going to ask on the chat later today how they are going to convert existing listings to simple delivery, but I guess that if your items are mainly under 2kg you will probably be okay as you're covered for whatever size.

Also it seems like this 'If your parcel exceeds the maximum size and weight of the label, and you listed using our recommended size and weight for your item' may cover any items where they have automatically converted from normal delivery to 'simple'.

[werew_16]

Just checked the Royal Mail site and it looks like the large letter £2.70 Tracked 48 online price is going to cover up to 1kg from April 7th. Small parcel with be £3.45 for up to 2kg. 

Royal Mail Online Prices (valid from 7 April 2025)

[forestfeline62]

Our post office has had to reject numerous parcels because the label was wrong and people have had to go home to sort the problem out ,they know nothing about any deal with ebay to accept the parcel etc .

[werew_16]

One of my "simple delivery" items sold today and the label is slightly different in format but did have the 750g box so I was happy with that one. The post office staff accepted all three parcels - the only difference was with the simple one they didn't have to enter the weight for it.

[wintersdawn1]

Thanks for that.

[suelel1968]

I think I'm going to change all my "free" listings to £1.55 large letter on Sunday night and leave all the prices as they are. That way i can't lose out on being charged higher postage than necessary.  They might be excluded from SD, they should be , but if not, I guess no one will  buy anything.

I don't mind which carrier gets used, but I'm not absorbing the cost this time. I see no reason to stop selling, let the buyers stop buying and watch and wait for a while.

[lateforyourfuneral]

I  was wondering can ebay tell when listings are ended by the seller , watch on the 7th as  miliions will be taken down and i wonder when they will reintroduce fees  (they will be higher i put money on it)and ignore simple delivery and bpf 

[jma2815]

It won’t be millions or even hundreds of thousands of listings. However many it is ebay won’t care, they want to attract new, preferably young, sellers anyway - ‘free to sell’ has done and will continue to make a great job of that. Those new sellers (and buyers) will not care one jot about BPF and SD, it will be normal to them as they know no different.

I’ve not sold using SD yet (and won’t until its well established as a system that works. I certainly don’t think they will ever go back on it) but I’ve been buying clothing with it applied for months - clothing sellers took it in their stride as most people love automation, just look at how many sellers have taken to using the abysmal AI descriptions for starters. 

Even if private sales are way down, with ebay’s three new income streams all coming in weeks apart profits will still be up for the shareholders next quarter and that’s all that matters. Sales will then recover as the new sellers joining accept the system without question, the cost of living goes ever higher bringing more new sellers, and the ones that left over the recent changes come back because they have little choice.

Whatever brave words are said on here about viable alternatives, there really aren’t any for many of us.