Members should read this post first to understand that Simple Delivery, in many cases, will not give you any compensation coverage.
https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Seller-Central/Where-you-REALLY-stand-on-shipping-using-Simple-Deliv...
So, my concerns are that members will ship items using Simple Delivery and not realise they may not be covered, if E-Bay update information regarding my earlier post I'll add extra info here and in that post.
Please also clearly understand that Simple Delivery is still getting rolled out, not every member is at the same point in the rollout, so what is currently suggested here may not work for you or may work today, but not in a week. I can't control that so won't be able to offer any advice what to do if it doesn't work for you.
This method is based upon using the web interface to do this, I don't use the App so if App users could perhaps add comments about the methodology to do it that way that would be incredibly helpful.
The current system, while not currently clear to many, has a couple of specific issues with regard to how shipping works, how it's tracked and how the tracking info automatically releases funds to sellers. The method detailed here should hopefully address some of those issues and still allow members to fully comply with E-Bays myriad of sometimes contradictory rules.
So, here's a 'workflow' of the current system......
1. List Item, choose shipping options within Simple Delivery (courier, express or standard etc...)
2. Buyer buys item. E-Bay generates shipping information for either EVRI or RM shipping label.
3. Seller packages up item, takes to either EVRI or RM drop off point with information required to generate shipping label.
4. Package enters shippers network, tracking number automatically populates E-Bays internal systems.
5. Package arrives at destination and is marked in couriers and E-Bays systems as delivered (I don't want to get into the minutiae of what is and isn't a genuine delivery in this message, that's a conversation that's being had numerous times elsewhere already).
6. 48 Hours later E-Bay should release the funds to the seller.
That is a simplified workflow, it doesn't address all cases, but covers the bulk.
However, if sending items, that according to the current information I detailed in my previous post linked above, are not eligible for compensation according to E-Bays published rules, how can you send items, still get compensation cover, still comply with the E-Bay rules and NOT end up having to end up paying for two lots of postage?
Here's a way I believe works, complies with the current rules and means sellers don't end up out of pocket.
Firstly, when making a listing you MUST choose the option that you, the seller, will pay for the postage, but before listing calculate the postage costs using the alternative shipping method of your own choice, not using Simple Delivery and then either decide to add that amount to your listing price before listing or you may decide you'll pay this postage cost yourself, that's your decision to take.
Follow the same procedure in 1 & 2 above.
Now, for 3. above instead buy your own postage, perhaps by Royal Mail Special Delivery, perhaps some other method that ensures that your item has compensation coverage. Package up item and apply postal label of YOUR chosen postal method.
Drop off already fully labelled (using label you bought from alternate courier service) item at your postal service of choice as per 4 above, DO NOT use the Simple Delivery label or information, except keep it to ensure you can get this charge refunded (see below).
Package enters couriers network as per 4. above, however, you now have to manually enter the tracking number from the alternate shipping method you chose.
Go here
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sh/ord/?filter=status:ALL_ORDERS
You'll see, inside each order, there's a 'Tracking' field, you should be able to either click the 'Tracking' field directly or the 'edit' button beside it.
Add or edit the new tracking information, this should get accepted by E-Bays systems.
Hopefully if all's gone to plan, E-Bays systems will automatically now detect a successful delivery and automatically release your funds two days later.
The last thing you need to do is get the refund for the Simple Delivery you didn't use.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/claims/simple-delivery/refund/seller
I'm not sure exactly when you can make this claim, personally I WOULDN'T make it under any circumstances before your funds were released as it may confuse E-Bays internal systems. I would make it the day I transferred money from my E-Bay balance to my own bank and not more than a couple of days after that as it may 'time out' thus depriving you of the opportunity to get the refund.
Hopefully this method, will allow members to ship items with the appropriate level of compensation where E-Bay Simple Delivery precludes it, meets E-Bay rules as everything is being done above board and in a transparent way, allows members to be able to get their payments in the same timescale as the current Simple Delivery system and means members aren't being penalised for requiring compensation coverage that Simple Delivery just doesn't allow.
I hope this is of use to people, as I stated earlier though, Simple Delivery is still being rolled out, it's possible that future changes may 'break' this method, so please don't hold me responsible if that ends up being the case.
