Ebay simple delivery opt out

[cartermk]

So ebay have decided to force private sellers to use simple delivery for all listings.

Previously you could select advanced options in postage and select your preferred postage method  as before.

Did ebay announce this to private sellers - did they ....

I searched around a while and eventually got this from the chat bot:

"Eligible listings will show Simple Delivery as an option when you're creating a listing. Starting 15 April, 2025, Simple Delivery will be the only delivery method available for private sellers when listing eligible items."

The recent changes like BPF and simple delivery have been extremely irritating but not terminal. I think this is terminal for me.

I cannot express on this forum without getting deleted my extreme annoyance with ebay.

[speckled.egg]

I've had to update over 100 listings because my preferred Royal Mail has been replaced by the likes of Evri.

Some listings are allowing me to book collection and others I'm having to log in to Royal Mail and pay a further 30p for collection.

What the hell is going on?  I will give on eBay shortly if this continues because I don't have time for all this messing about. 

[its_a_cats_life]

You are not the only one, I keep finding items having the postage changed. It's very hard to keep an eye on everything when you have quite a few listings. I shall be glad when I have finished decluttering.

Also if you check on a listing that has not been taken over by Stupid Delivery, if you open it using the revise option it will auto update to SD, if it's in the category covered by it, so I try to stay clear of them.

Also I find it confusing when getting the label, I select the book a collection option and it opens the details page telling me it has been booked, but also on the same page it asks me to print my label. I don't need to as RM are bringing it with them, as I booked it. Then you question yourself and think have I done this right.

Also, still moaning, I guesstimate the size weight of the item, (as who wraps and packs before it sells). It could just be me, but I find it difficult to double check the size after selling, just to make sure I haven't undersized it.

I keep saying this and will continue to:

"It's not the category it's the size of the package and make Stupid Delivery optional on everything".

[speckled.egg]

It’s so confusing.  Some items seem to have the options to choose the parcel size and some don’t.  

Very worried that something will sell and it will opt for the wrong parcel size.  It’s impossible to change it after it’s sold.  I had a missed collection the other week and I couldn’t for the life of me work out how to rebook it or cancel the postage.  I got there in the end but my parcel ended up late.

[its_a_cats_life]

Had similar, sold 2 items yesterday, one was picked up today, the other the label did not go through properly, not sure if it was my mistake or eBay. Had to do it again, so pickup tomorrow.

I only use Royal Mail and my postman and woman are wonderful.

[speckled.egg]

Yes, our Royal Mail postmen are brilliant too!  

[department28]

'Very worried that something will sell and it will opt for the wrong parcel size.  It’s impossible to change it after it’s sold.  I had a missed collection the other week and I couldn’t for the life of me work out how to rebook it or cancel the postage.  I got there in the end but my parcel ended up late.'

Yes, this is causing a lot of confusion. Apparently, if Simple Delivery has selected a parcel size/price for your item, even if it is the 'wrong' size, you can still use the label. You don't have to cancel & rebook.

eBay have failed to explain clearly how Simple Delivery works, so it is no wonder people are having difficulties with it! When you list an item, Simple Delivery 'decides' the size, which means you can use whatever label it gives you. 

However, a lot of sellers feel uneasy about using a label if it is not the right price/weight for their item. In which case, you have to make sure you select the correct weight when you list the item, instead of allowing Simple Delivery to 'guess' the weight... 🤖

[ktl_model_shop]

…which is all very well until a customer inconsiderately buys three of those, six of them and a couple of these on impulse. All on the same order.

eBay could do themselves a few favours by recruiting a user panel to advise on the real time experience.

On a brighter note, all of this has at least stimulated me to market on the other big site beginning with E, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised so far.

[monster_hugs]

I agree entirely, eBay hasn't covered itself in glory, in fact they've missed a huge opportunity to market the supposed benefits of Simple Delivery  -- if they give (sell) you a label that they reckon will cover the postage regardless of weight and size, that removes the risk of losing out on postage or the seller getting caught out. Right now many sellers are sceptical and deeply suspicious of it. Simple often means there's a catch somewhere.

[department28]

Yes, Simple Delivery has made a nonsense of combined postage. I don't understand how eBay thought introducing a new postage system that didn't allow sellers to continue being able to offer combined shipping, would not be a problem...?!

[its_a_cats_life]

I did that, I bought 4 items from the same seller with Stupid Delivery charging £2.70 for each item, all of which the seller put into 1 package. They contacted eBay who told them to use just one label and as the other 3 were not used I would be refunded after 14 days, which I was.

Not sure how that worked for the seller as it would have shown 3 items as not posted. 

Another thing eBay did not take into consideration, COMBINED POSTAGE!!

I think one boringly quiet day someone at an office meeting suggest Stupid Delivery and everyone just said brilliant idea, we will just implement it, we won't ask eBay sellers what they think and we won't work out all the permutations that sellers might encounter. Let's just do it.

I'm sure that's what happened as there is no other reason for it being pushed out without any research being done.

[monster_hugs]

I think it's just a case of ebay pushing out new services that have not been fully thought through or tested out properly.  There's no substitute for launching something and seeing what millions of users make of it, so there'll be a lot of debugging, chopping and changing in light of user experience and feedback from their testers (us!). Especially if they have tight launch timetables or are panicking to fend off competition.

[xyz307xyz]

Could you not just have just turned off Evri in postage preferences (once)? Or did it not work; or you still wanted Evri on some items?

[department28]

'You are not the only one, I keep finding items having the postage changed. It's very hard to keep an eye on everything when you have quite a few listings. I shall be glad when I have finished decluttering.'

Same here! I wish I had managed to do a bit more decluttering before eBay started messing about with everything. Listing & posting now seems like it is all more trouble than it is worth.

eBay might find a lot more private sellers dropping off after anything currently listed has finished selling... 🤔

[speckled.egg]

Yes, Evri was turned off.  I dont know what happened.  It seemed to reset itself.

[lucy_farmer]

'I'm sure that's what happened as there is no other reason for it being pushed out without any research being done.'

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We *are* the research! 

They obviously have very little respect for the UK ebay site so they're using us as lab-rats. 🐀

[its_a_cats_life]

We *are* the research! 

They obviously have very little respect for the UK ebay site so they're using us as lab-rats. 

Yes, so why pay all those researchers when you can p*** off, sorry upset us the actual users.

Typical approach by deep pocketed business owners, once the money starts coming in all they want is more.

[xyz307xyz]

Fair enough; I've now seen others were having random similarish issues a few days ago e.g. https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Postage/Simple-Delivery-is-unavailable-for-this-item/m-p/7927187#M64...

[its_a_cats_life]

I just saw that Royal Mail are upping their prices in October.

Was wondering how that affects the postage prices on Stupid Delivery for items already listed and postage added.

Anyone got any updates for this?

[sml192]

---

@its_a_cats_life wrote:

I just saw that Royal Mail are upping their prices in October.

Was wondering how that affects the postage prices on Stupid Delivery for items already listed and postage added.

Anyone got any updates for this?

---

The contract prices that eBay has negotiated with Royal Mail for Simple Delivery are completely separate to Royal Mail's published prices so there shouldn't be any immediate effect as a result of the increase.   

[its_a_cats_life]

Thank you for the update that's good