And so the sorry saga goes on.
The recent changes to the BPF and payment holds were generally a step forward (or a negation of a step back), but eBay appear to be rather selective when it comes to listening to their members - one might say "wilfully deaf".
Despite the ongoing clamour, I really can't see eBay getting rid of SD (not that I'm trying to discourage anyone from complaining or voicing their concerns about it) - regardless of its pros and cons, it represents a huge investment on their part. Does anyone here honestly believe - regardless of how much one might want it to be the case - that eBay would, even could, knock SD on the head so soon (relatively speaking) after its introduction (and bearing in mind that the rollout isn't even complete yet)? Even if they had severe pangs of regret, and wanted to do away with it, I doubt that their contracts with Evri and RM would permit a summary withdrawal. One can only speculate, but I'd have thought that the contracts would be binding for at least a couple of years to 'give it time'.
At this stage, I feel that their best move would be to do what they ought to have done to begin with - make SD fully optional on a per-listing basis (or allow sellers to opt in or opt out on a 'global' basis, but with the freedom to switch in/out on individual listings - like the way you can have a default setting to exclude certain countries you won't post to, but can override this on specific listings).
Those who find it works for them could happily continue using it, and the rest could go on using their own tried-and-tested methods (or be free to explore other ways). Assuming that the major flaws/issues with SD will eventually be rectified/addressed (hmm, well...), more and more sellers would organically and willingly migrate to it IF they could see the benefits.
The current resentment felt by many private sellers has two causes, the fact that it is not (always) fit for purpose AND the fact that it has been forced on us ('mandated' to use slightly less emotive language). Okay, there's a third reason, and that is the knowledge that eBay are creaming off extra profits from the deals they've struck with Evri and RM, from their (in some cases) hiking rates above what would be paid if purchasing postage direct, and from their increasing the cost for one courier if you de-select the other (which eBay can override anyway).
I'm so tired of waiting and hoping for some substantial positive changes to SD. I stopped selling a while back (but with the intention to resume), and I can't honestly claim that my continued inactivity represents some ethical stance; it's more than the BPF and SD (I can cope with payment holds) increased my inertia - it was all starting to look too complicated and constricted when listing was already a chore. If I'm completely honest, I think I was also partly using the changes as an excuse not to just crack on and see how things went. Time that I should have spent listing has instead been spent trawling through the forums for news, tips, workarounds, problems, sellers' experiences, etc. The idea was to arm myself with sufficient knowledge (and confidence) to tackle SD head-on, but with so much confusion and nconsistency around it, my head ends up spinning. I do feel that, after reading goodness knows how many posts/threads on the subject, I now have a reasonable theoretical knowledge of how SD works (and fails) - at least in its current form. But, of course, this is eBay where theory and practice aren't always bedfellows.
I have a lot of stuff to list, and it already feels like a race I'll never win. I doubt I'll get a fraction of it listed/sold before I pop my clogs, or become physically and/or mentally incapable of listing and sending items. It's not just the items themselves; a significant amount of my limited living space is taken up with boxes of jiffy bags and other mailers from previous purchases, all waiting to be re-used. I've sat on the fence for way too long, so have decided on a course of action.
My original 'get back into selling' plan was to focus on the bulky/heavy and/or more expensive items (although the plan for bulky/heavy items had already been thwarted by the removal of cash on collection). Now I'm considering predominantly listing SD-exempt items, which will enable me to use up my stamps. My hope would be that SD improves significantly in the meantime.
It's far from ideal. I'd much rather be shifting the pricier and bulkier/heavier stuff first, for obvious reasons. The plan was always to do it that way round, 'mopping up' the lower value stuff if I was still alive (and could be bothered). And I'm far more confident in the potential sellability of the higher-priced items (rare/collectable media - music, film, TV, books, magazines, comics, retro gaming/computing items, etc.). I think far more buyers would be interested in those items than they would be in a manual for a 20 year old DVD player (but that would be the case whichever way round I did it).
Anyway, it's a start. I have to not only fight against the debilitating procrastination that held me back for years from creating my first listing, but I now have to find out which of my items are SD-exempt (which I'll only know for sure at the point of listing).
I also have to stop trying to double-guess buyers' attitudes and preferences ("Nobody would pay that because of the BPF" / "Buyers won't pay the SD postage when they know it could be bought for less than that"). As a collector myself, I should know that most other collectors aren't going to let a couple of quid prevent them from acquiring a desirable purchase. Furthermore, my own buying activity (from private sellers as well as from businesses) has recently risen sharply (coincidental with the changes, not because of them!). Unhappy though I am with the changes, they haven't stopped me from buying and collecting - why should I assume that other collectors are any different? Of course, some will be more conscious of their spending, but I know from the amounts I've seen some auctions end on (and from sold items with a hefty BIN price) that many are prepared to pay over the odds, let alone an 'average' price.
The more I type my thought processes, the more I think I may be restricting myself unnecessarily. There's no reason why I couldn't concentrate on SD-exempt sales, while also dipping my toe in the murky SD waters, gravitating more and more to the latter as, when and if it turned out that this worked for me.
So, that's my current position. I'm not arrogant enough to think that loads of people are that interested in my viewpoint, but, speaking personally, I like to read how people are responding (psychologically and in a practical sense) to the changes, how they're navigating them, working around them, dealing with them, etc.
We all have to decide for ourselves whether and how to proceed, be that fully embracing SD as a genuine improvement, trying to work with it despite obstacles, only listing SD-exempt items, or taking a principled stand and not listing, selling or buying at all.
Some readers may be groaning st this post, and not only on account of its length. Some may feel that I am a 'scab' for betraying 'the cause' and making money for eBay by continuing to buy, and by intending to resume selling, at a time when they feel we should all be freezing our activity to send 'a clear message' to eBay. I get that sentiment, and I don't say that lightly - I've given the matter plenty of thought (too much, if anything). For the reasons already given (not that I feel I owe anyone an explanation), I've chosen an approach that suits me for now. I can always change it, but the important thing is that I HAVE an approach. Sitting on the fence and feeling my eyes glaze over as I scroll through the threads here is no longer a viable option.
I wish all (genuine) private sellers the best in forging ahead (or not) however they see fit, and, begrudgingly accepting the fact that SD is here to stay for the foreseeable future, I can only add my voice to the others asking (pleading and begging, more like) eBay to improve it, or to at least make it fully optional.
