Ebay: Second thoughts on compulsory Simple Delivery?

[foresterdon]

I'm sitting here waiting for the last of my listings to be unilaterally changed by eBay to Simple Delivery, so I can then end the listings and call it a day after 20+ years

.

But it has all gone quiet.

OK my stuff isn't selling either but that's more to do with BP fees the buyers refuse to pay.

So is eBay having second thoughts?

Has someone taken them to Court for unilaterally changing a live listing?

We must be told!

[ruby*ryan]

It seems not everyone has been enrolled still.

[johnwash1]

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@foresterdon wrote:

I'm sitting here waiting for the last of my listings to be unilaterally changed by eBay to Simple Delivery, so I can then end the listings and call it a day after 20+ years

.

But it has all gone quiet.

OK my stuff isn't selling either but that's more to do with BP fees the buyers refuse to pay.

So is eBay having second thoughts?

Has someone taken them to Court for unilaterally changing a live listing?

We must be told!

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Me too, but how do I tell if my existing listings have been changed?

I just tried to relist something I ended a couple of months ago.  This time it wanted to know weight and dimensions, but the form didn't allow input.  So I relisted it with local collect only and ended it again.  It'll probably end up on another site in due course.

I've been using ebay for 20+ years.  I'm used to incompetence here, but this year has taken it to a whole new level.

[suelel1968]

I just did a "sell one like this" on 3 of your listings (spoon, train and book) none required me to use SD. In fact none gave me an option to. 

The only thing that i am forced to use SD for is Tools, but even those have not converted on my listings. I think they might when they relist. 

Just my opinion, but I think the "roll out" has finished. There are just many exclusions atm. Personally, i only object to the higher costs of SD, some almost double, but i can handle  £2.69 converting to £3 ish. The question is, can the buyers?

[johnwash1]

The real question is: can people handle the uncertainty?

[suelel1968]

I try to think of it as exitement. Do you remember Buckaroo? Will the next item make the mule kick? I think positively that i can handle the changes..... Everyone has their limits though. 

[foresterdon]

Here is the problem: YOU can "sell similar/relist" MY items without SD but  I   can't.

 I  can't even revise them without being pushed into Simple Delivery.

The brightest minds in the Community can't figure this out - so what chance have I....

[suelel1968]

Haave you tried selling similar on one of my items? 

[foresterdon]

Thanks.

Yes, your yellow and blue scarf which you list with Custom Royal Mail Large letter delivery.

When I copy your listing and then try to sell similar I get Simple Delivery only with small parcel option only (I have chosen RM), same page layout and options I get whenever I try to sell anything.

I guess that means it is not a category issue. It can only be an issue with my selling account .

[xyz307xyz]

"Me too, but how do I tell if my existing listings have been changed?"

Open them and have a look?

If you mean on a more efficient basis - compare the postage costs to the SD postage rates. £3.45 doesn't appear to be used in SD, so all of those are on custom postage.

[vjbuystuff]

It is account specific (i think).

my listings are converted to dumb delivery when i try to edit them, or, when i sell something (created before dumb delivery) and need to get a label.

items below £10 value and 100g weight are supposed to be exempt from mandatory dumb delivery.

"there are exemptions for items under £10 and 100g in weight, as well as for international shipments, bulky items (over 120cm), and local pickup only items. These exemptions allow sellers to use their own shipping methods for these specific categories. 

Here's a breakdown of the exemptions: 

Low-value, lightweight items: Items priced at £10 or less and weighing 100 grams or less are exempt.

International shipping: Simple Delivery is only for UK domestic shipments, including the Channel Islands. International deliveries must be arranged using a seller's own courier.

Bulky or oversized items: Items exceeding 120cm in length are exempt.

Local pickup: If a seller only offers local pickup, Simple Delivery doesn't apply.

High-value items: Items priced over £750 may also be exempt.

Essentially, if an item falls under one of these exemptions, the seller has the option to either use Simple Delivery or arrange their own shi'pping. 

[suelel1968]

I hate it when people say this, but have you tried clearing cookies? I hate doing it and i know it often doesn't work, but just occasionally it does....

Also, again i can feel an eye roll coming back at me, but try another browser. Opera is very "light" so should not clog up your system and is my "go to" when Edge screws up with EBay. Opera always works, when everything else doesn't.

If you try it, try setting up a costume jewellery listing, because that is all exempt at any weight, size or price.

The only other thing I can think of is that I have postage policies set up..... 

[vinylscot]

I doubt very much whether eBay is having second thoughts on Simple Delivery as a concept.

However, going by the large number of people still able to use workarounds, and even more who still don't even need to do so, as they have not yet been put on to SD, it does seem that progress has slowed down to a crawl, and deadlines are no longer being given, with regard to changeover dates. (I have a private account too, but haven't listed much for some time - last time I checked, I could still use my own postage preferences.)

Perhaps they are now (months too late), trying to "get it right" with future users. That would certainly be a positive step, but it leaves private sellers in a horrible sort of limbo, not knowing from day to day whether they will be forced to use SD. It also leads to anomalies between two sellers selling exactly the same product with differing postage prices, creating an unlevel playing field.

I'm sure SD is here to stay, and we'll probably never find out for sure, but I'm sure heads will roll inside eBay, once the dust has settled, and they realise the number of problems, from basic errors to absolute disasters, which have been caused by its implementation/rollout. Whether we agree with SD or not, I think it's safe to assume eBay didn't intend its implementation to be the complete and utter catastrophe which it has proved to be. 

[lucy_farmer]

'Whether we agree with SD or not, I think it's safe to assume eBay didn't intend its implementation to be the complete and utter catastrophe which it has proved to be. '

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Yep.

S.D. looks like a big 'grandstanding' change, made by somebody at the top who doesn't have to do any of the actual work to make their ideas happen.

They just say what they want to happen, with no clue whatsoever of how difficult it will be to put into action.

I'll bet the phrase 'Come on guys! ..how hard can it be?" was heard during the meeting when this was announced 🙄.

And I'll bet every single IT tech had their head in their hands when they heard about it...they are the ones who would have known just how next-to-impossible it would be; putting something this complicated, wide-randing and all encompassing on top of computer code that's already 25/30 years old 😨

[honeymonster007]

Custom post has come back again here after it being SD only for the last week or so.

Wish they would make their mind up and just make it one way or the other but making it optional would be perfect.

[foresterdon]

Clearly Ms Williams would have to go for any change to Simple Delivery to take place but then I would have thought the collapse of sales with the introduction of Buyers Protection is sufficient to ensure regime change.

Some. perhaps many, sellers get on well with SD so a change to optional SD might be the best we can hope for - always assuming they can get SD to work at all.

Meanwhile I will continue trying every avenue to get my Under £10 Under 100gm items to escape SD as promised by eBay's SD rules....

[johnwash1]

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@foresterdon wrote:

Clearly Ms Williams would have to go for any change to Simple Delivery to take place....

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I doubt anyone round here would have a problem with that!  🙂

But hey, she's been in the hot seat at ebay uk for 5 years.  Probably would be quite happy to retire now.