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.

[bextonian]

I couldn't agree more. I'm in a similar position as I often sell a few stamps, usually for little more than £1. Like you and your collector cards I have always posted the stamps in a standard envelope with a 2nd class stamp. Nobody is going to buy from me when eBay SD is £2.74. I've used eBay for almost 20 years but for me this is the final straw and I am now forced to find another, more welcoming platform.

[6368steved]

What platform would that be?
Steven Dandy.

[bextonian]

I've heard it said that eBid is the "poor man's eBay" so I'm going to give that a go. Hopefully it treats its customers better than eBay does.

[suelel1968]

@bextonian What is going on with stamps this weekend. I don't know but they are still available on Custom delivery. I took your listing, did sell one like this, added a price, changed parcel to large letter and there it is Custom postage. Now all you have to do is imagine Ebay are incompetent (if you can!) and know that they have screwed the box labels up . The one that is selected (with the dark line around it) is Custom delivery despite what it says. You can check after you list, but it is, I promise.

[its_a_cats_life]

I have a friend who does not have an ebay account so he gets me to buy his stamps for him.

While doing this I decided to sell my own stamp collection as the children are not interested.

I sell single stamps and use the custom option and post them as a letter for 90p.

Sometimes the custom option does not appear, but I found if I selected large letter it appeared and I could change the postage.

[albo-clai]

I agree, removing customer choices is so annoying. But more so, I've always used Tracked 48 as Ebay penalise sellers if the courier doesn't deliver! Lose, lose, 1 less customer!

[papso22]

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@albo-clai wrote:

I agree, removing customer choices is so annoying. But more so, I've always used Tracked 48 as Ebay penalise sellers if the courier doesn't deliver! Lose, lose, 1 less customer!

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Not with Simple Delivery. 

[cowa9505]

ebid is a £70 lifetime membership fee. I have tried it before it is a
collectors platform more than a general marketplace. stamps postcards and
rare stuff go ok, I had first day covers and ppl wanted 4 fir £1 on there
as they were franked. I obviously don't know if this helps you or reflects
what you sell but I sell a mix so was forced back to ebay after giving it 6
months and making 2 sales.

[bextonian]

Thanks for your comments. If you do change it to Large Letter it still comes up with a postage price of £2.72! Even if it gave the normal Large Letter price of £1.55 it would put many people off buying as that is 68p more than the standard letter rate of 87p. I often sell stamps for just £1 so few people would pay £1.55 on top of that.

[suelel1968]

@bextonianonce you have LL selected you should see the second box as per the screenshot above. You can then use £1.55

[ajtait1903]

I agree wholeheartedly- I’m removing all my items and going elsewhere- eBay is killing itself. I just sold a £10 item and received £4.25. They changed the item to a small parcel without my knowledge & I would have put a large letter second post stamp on it. In my view that’s stealing my money and taking away my choice. I’m off.

[ktl_model_shop]

But where else? On that other big ‘E’ platform, I sold an item for £10 and cleared just £1.

[tressygirl]

Many say they are leaving but weeks / months later their items are still for sale here.

@ktl_model_shop 

[jonatjonatjonat]

For what you are selling, the only other major alternative would be Vinted, but the systems the same really (and the expected prices are lower)

you also can’t do free delivery there, but you would at least get what you list the item for without having to worry about how much the delivery is going to cost.

[ktl_model_shop]

Indeed. Personally, I think it’s swings and roundabouts. My stuff is mostly under the £20 threshold and it’s not hard to reasonably list under a category that allows me to set the postage options. In other cases, the eBay postage has sometimes been cheaper than I used to pay, sometimes higher.

I’m completely objective about where I sell, not interested in illusory loyalty, “I’m owed” or suchlike, and while there are things I dislike about eBay, I haven’t yet found a better alternative for my tiny operation. 

I do think eBay could take a leaf out of Etsy’s book and let sellers choose. Etsy’s lever is that they’ll hang on to your money for ages (presumably generating loads of interest) if you diy, but give it sooner if you buy through them. On the other hand, Etsy is a very greedy platform fees-wise.

[ajtait1903]

I just have a few bits left from my shop. It just not worth the hassle for so little payout. I’ll pop them on FB marketplace or donate them. EBay have got too greedy. 

[ktl_model_shop]

For balance: 

Yet on the other hand, I've just had an order from a customer in the USA worth about £17 gross to me, but where the eBay postage would cost me almost £18. Fortunately I can sidestep and send it myself for £4.10. Otherwise I really would have to come off eBay and just use Etsy.

[suelel1968]

"I do think eBay could take a leaf out of Etsy’s book and let sellers choose. Etsy’s lever is that they’ll hang on to your money for ages (presumably generating loads of interest) if you diy"

@ktl_model_shop 

What a good compromise! I am like you, happy to find a suitable category and happy to use SD where price appropriate.  When someone says I can't liste with Custom delivery anymore, the only category I agree with them on is Clothing. However, someone mentioned Badminton Rackets and I failed to find a way to just these at less than £12 via SD or to find a suitable alternative category, but if you use Evri you can do it for under £3.

If eBay cannot see the problem..... on that amount of postage difference I would be happy to pay a small fee to eBay to get custom delivery.

[jonatjonatjonat]

f eBay cannot see the problem..... on that amount of postage difference I would be happy to pay a small fee to eBay to get custom delivery.

which is how TilTok Shop do it. You can use TikToks postage rates, or your own, but TikTok apply a fee to allow you to do that.

[xyz307xyz]

You can use Evri on SD to send a badminton racket.

Evri SD only works on weight not sizing - as long as within the maximum.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/posting-items/setting-postage-options/simple-delivery?id=5575

E.g. a box

30cm wide
80cm long
10cm deep

is well within the Evri maximum size.