eBay

cra2992 · ‎09-04-2024

Hi all,

I'm a private seller. I'm having a clear out at the moment, selling most things on 10 day auctions; most of these are classic car parts. However I will be away for five days later in the month, likely with no internet or email access. I'm under some pressure to clear out quickly so would like to have auctions running during that time, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea or how the ebay time away system works.

If I schedule time away while listings are live, are the auctions automatically paused during that time and resumed on the set return date; i.e. does a 10 day auction effectively become a 15 day auction but otherwise work as usual?

If I have items listed on a promotion - for example a final value fee offer - and live auctions are paused, is the offer still valid or will the sale revert to full fees?

In general is being unavailable for a period while listings are live and auctions are running acceptable, or is it something buyers don't like and probably not a good idea?

Are there any wrinkles I might not have thought of?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give

tressygirl · ‎09-04-2024

Time Away, c an be used, this it will hide your items for 30 days, or there's an option to extend your dispatch times to 15 days. https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/selling-tools/time-away?id=5137

Or, you can end your items, they will go into your unsold listing for 60 days, if you are on My eBay Selling, or for a maximum of 90 days, if you are on the Seller Hub. They are then permanently removed. You can then relist those items from your Unsold Listing at any time during those periods.

Here's all you need to know about Cancelling a Listing: https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/listings/creating-managing-listings/cancelling-listing?id=4146&s...

thesmokingrunner · ‎09-04-2024

This might be a bit of a wrinkle worth taking into account: the time away issue was raised in the Wednesday Weekly Chat sometime in the last few months (apologies, can't remember precisely when) in connection with return cases being opened while the seller was away - essentially a seller had their account marked as 'away until...' but a buyer had opened a return case during the time away window, the seller hadn't (actually couldn't, because they were away) respond and eBay had found in the buyer's favour, issued a refund and told the buyer they could keep the item.

The official response was that eBay procedures take precedence over time away settings, so in other words if you sell something before you set your account to time away and the buyer opens a return case during that period you may come home to find eBay have issued a refund on a case you knew nothing about.

And the real cynic in me says that if someone buys something and then sees that the seller has marked their account with time away that the buyer can open a case, win by default and get a refund while the seller is away. And there won't be a single thing the seller can do when they find out because eBay will say it was the seller's fault for not following the correct procedure.

And the only way to avoid that would be to not sell anything for which the 30-day MBG would apply during your time away.

tressygirl · ‎09-04-2024

That's a very good point , @thesmokingrunner and a really bad loop hole in their Time Away option.

In which case to be perfectly safe, @cra2992 I would recommend ending all items, then just relisting from the unsold listing on return.

They will stay there for 60 days in My eBay Selling and 90 days max if you are on the Seller Hub.

rjwilmsi · ‎09-04-2024

Time Away doesn't affect existing running auctions. Time Away is in my view mostly used to suspend sales of Buy It Now items.

As mentioned, Time Away also has no effect on any return cases (new or existing).

My advice would be to not have any auctions running while you're away - even if the auction ends after you are back if you get any questions from buyers (or requests to cancel bids etc.) you won't be able to answer, which could cause some issues.

cra2992 · ‎10-04-2024

Hi all, thanks for your replies.

I'd read the ebay information at the link @tressygirl provided, but didn't find it very clear in some respects; for example it says an auction keeps running but the delivery time is extended, but doesn't comment on auction length. I assume from what's been said her the auction length doesn't change, so if I run a ten day sale and take five days out in the middle, that's five days of running auction buyers could ask questions and won't get an answer, and only five days while I'm available.

I don't think@thesmokingrunner 's comments will apply, as I would not have any auctions ending during the time and my recent auctions have all been collection only, but it is a really good point and very useful to know for the future, thankyou.

I asked about FVF promotions in case I am offered one before the time away, but I am worried about not being able to answer questions, accept offers, cancel bids etc. and so dinking my reputation, and it does sound from what's being said as though the best approach would be not to have running auctions while away and accept that I won't be able to clear as quickly as I otherwise would, or take advantage of any FVF promotion; in which case I just won't create any listings that would run over the period.

Thanks again for your thoughts and advice.