NO LONGER SELLING DUE TO SIMPLE DELIVERY

[rugbyguy1960]

AS OF 15TH APRIL MY DAYS AS A PRIVATE EBAY SELLER WILL STOP AFTER 19 YEARS.

I AM FED UP OF THE GREED OF EBAY AND I HOPE OTHER EBAY SELLERS DECIDE TO NO LONGER LET THE EBAY CONTROL FREAKS HAVE THIS MUCH CONTROL OVER PRIVATE SELLERS.

[rugbyguy1960]

It's all going to be a mess. Sellers are bound to negate the options given which will mean Simple Delivery will be far from Simple. Instead of letting sellers continue to use the postal services directly that they are used to using.

[edwardian-dreams]

Sorry but SD actually makes selling and buying worse 

so yes a lie 

the only conceivable benefit is that eBay saves you 5 clicks of a mouse to buy postage 

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

for which you will pay dearly 

it is a grotesque development in general

[rugbyguy1960]

That is so true. Plus instead of dealing with the company direct that you choose to use if there are any issues sellers will have to deal with ebay regarding issues and I think most of us know what a nightmare that is 😱.

[akemp1]

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@felix_1970 wrote:

Absolutely disgraceful - I can't believe the financial ombudsman and/or trading standards  etc haven't got wind of this and investigated.

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I think it's more a matter for the UK's Competition and Markets Authority where Ebay are potentially abusing their position as the dominant online second hand marketplace to force buyers (and sellers who offer free shipping) to buy only ebay postage which is clearly harmful to consumers where it costs more than buying directly from Royal Mail etc.

There's a form to report such abuse on the CMA's gov.uk website for those that want to raise awareness to try and trigger an investigation into the very poor business practices going on here.

Ebay should be totally ashamed of themselves for what is happening.

[rugbyguy1960]

I really hope that a big enough backlash will make them at least rethink things. No doubt they are going as close to lines as possible but your post is very useful especially if enough private users look into it.

[akemp1]

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@rugbyguy1960 wrote:

your post is very useful especially if enough private users look into it.

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Thanks there was a very similar competition case study a couple of decades ago where the EU found that Microsoft were abusing their dominance with the Windows operating system to push consumers into using their Internet Explorer browser. At least Microsoft didn't go as far as to technically prevent users from installing Netscape Navigator.

Ebay will be giving buyers (and sellers offering free shipping) no choice but to purchase Ebay's SD postage on most items. They are presenting it as us still having a choice of their underlying carrier via shipping preferences but we really have no choice but to buy postage from ebay even if it's more expensive than buying direct from Royal Mail etc. 

In 2020 the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement included a commitment by both parties to maintain effective competition laws to address anti-competitive agreements and abuses of a dominant position. As such perhaps the UK's CMA would take a similar view on the Ebay UK mandatory SD as the EU did on the Microsoft case. However the first stage would be to gain enough support to trigger the CMA to investigate.

[gmij1961]

For everyone's info I have decided to make one final auction  listing as a goodbye for my regular customers etc .

Although it still gives me a choice at times when I look at the postage selection  it keeps changing as I edit the listing  and it performs an auto save in the background  .   The template listing I used has an oversized parcel size , but  when the appropriate  box does appear it is impossible to edit . Its  a joke !

If Ebay are going to enforce such a change the least you would expect is reliable software  to back it up , instead of some ill thought out,  not properly tested bug ridden coding !!

Even for those who  don't intend to stop selling on Ebay , I wouldn't sell anything until Ebay get their act together  

[terrorinc]

As stated in an earlier post I have done some trials with my listings. 1 comic weighs approx 100g. With packaging it is just over to 250g so will fall into this takeover of postage. It still should be large letter but 250g - 750g is now parcel no other choice. I know as I am a postman. Each extra comic purchased will be 100g and the limit for large latter is 750g. I can shop 5 comics tracked for £2.70 tracked 48 by RM as it  is always under 750g and less than 2.5cm depth in a mailer.

It appears that the AI is concluding 250g - 750g means an average of 500g. Hence 5 comics are now 2.5kg which is the £6.66 charge for a small parcel over 2kg. It is plainly wrong and no-one in their right mind will pay this. It is poorly thought out, poorly implemented and will force out many sellers. The AI is deeply flawed. As we used to say back in the day with programming garbage in garbage out. Its not the AI its the inept programming and ineptitude of management and those in charge. 1 size never fits all.

If I change my listings to buyer pays postage which I will have to do the postage will cost more than the purchase on the cheap stuff. I cannot include it in the price as I will be paying eBay for the privilege of selling, get no payment and pay their fees.

Sorry thats a long rant but that is my findings. If you sell cheap lightweight items and they continue down this route then you will probably sell at a loss. Only eBay will make. I will wait and see if its 100g and under £10 both but the first sale where I lose money I will close the listings.

[tonnesofstuff]

I joined over 20 years ago but have never been on the forums until I got that email about Simple Delivery.  I wanted to see what other private sellers were thinking.  So it's not just me then thinking this is a stinking pile of something!  All I want to do is declutter some stuff.

This decision is similar to one that a site called Discogs took a while back when they forced everyone to set up Automated Shipping Policy before you could sell anything - a classic case of not broken, doesn't need fixing, but they messed that right up and it basically screwed small, private sellers like myself (I was just trying to thin out my music collection).  Neither buyers nor sellers have any issues with how it had all worked fine up until that point.  Discogs went on to make even more dodgy changes that again were bonkers and restrictive and controlling.  I haven't bought or sold on there for years.  I also used to contribute a lot of images and releases (in order of 1000s) which in itself generated business for the site as it created markets for every release.  They just don't care and neither do this lot by the look of it.

[andha-21]

@terrorinc 

Going from other recent posts it looks worse than you guess.

Instead of averaging the amount in the middle like you suggest the example posts we've been seeing today are where the AI has issued labels undervaluing the weight.

Someone that selected 2-10kg was issued with 1kg label, another that selected 1kg was issued a label for 100g envelope.

The first of those 2 says they spoke to eBay and they replied that if the items are indeed 3kg they will fine his account.

Off memory the second had to buy a new label.

[edwardian-dreams]

Not surprised

american style capitalism at its wirst

 the thing they don’t realise though is that they’re going about it all the wrong way trying to cling on 

I feel sorry for them in  way 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[rugbyguy1960]

That is some great information. This thread was only because I have used RM for years. I send things by large letter in protected envelopes. I arrange and pay online and it only cost me 2.70 for 48hr tracked and RM collected from my home and bring a printed label. On the odd time there was a problem I dealt with RM directly and things were sorted quickly. I can't ever see Simple Delivery being better than that. Even if RM was a option and there was a problem why should I have to deal with ebay instead of RM. Plus I can't see the postage cost being cheaper. I think most private sellers can see through this farce and just another money making scheme.

[andha-21]

I don't and I'm glad they are pushing it through because they are directly involving themselves in multiple phases of sale with both buyer and seller.

That almost certainly changes our rights and potentially gives them a huge headache when enough people realise that and complain to the correct authorities.

[rugbyguy1960]

I've already been given some great info that was posted on here a few minutes ago and I hope a lot of others viewing this thread read the posts.

[edwardian-dreams]

If we can still work around custom shipping then it’s surely still going to be more simple than simple delivery 

🤣

[rugbyguy1960]

Absolutely right. Being forced to have to use Simple Delivery and having to go through ebay if there are problems is wrong on so many levels.

[edwardian-dreams]

I know

fed up of it before it’s even started

im waiting for someone to show where exactly SD is saving anyone 20 % off postage as the powers that be cLAIM

🤭🙄🤣🤣🤣

[rugbyguy1960]

Even if they possibly managed to undercut what RM were charging by a few pence I would end up being so much worse off by having to go through ebay if there were any problems.

[terrorinc]

It is not. £2.70 for tracked 48 parcel is £2.74. As a postie I have no regard for RM upper management as they are incompetent. Prices are going up again soon and we are being cut to the quick and taking flack from customers for things beyond our control. My guess is both eBay and RM have done a deal which benefits them both and fleeces the customers.

[davedata]

I always thought it was off when ebay started taking a percentage of the shipping cost when they weren't providing that service, but nothing ever happened about that.

Re Discogs, yes the shopping costs part is a nightmare as you can't adjust it for different items. What is wrong with the sites?