New ebay seller policy a bad joke

[rugbyguy1960]

Do other private sellers find this new Ebay seller policy a bad joke.

Firstly you are advised to send items by tracked postage which costs more.

Secondly you have to wait until a item is delivered and have to wait 2 extra days to access your funds.

Once a item is posted or collected it is out of a sellers hands but they have to wait up to possibly 5 days to access their funds while ebay get interest on all the money that they hold from sellers.

This policy needs changing as it penalises sellers like me who have been on ebay for 19 years.

[rugbyguy1960]

I agree. Ebay is ok for buying but not great anymore for private sellers.

Their slogan should be DO IT OUR WAY OR NOT AT ALL.

[rugbyguy1960]

The biggest problem with ebay right now is that they are too interested in trying to be control Freaks.

Freedom of choice seems to worry them.

[the-nutwood-collection]

There are many items that can't determine postage by weight.  I sell fibre and it's lightweight - but very bulky.  I can squash 150g some types of fibre into an A4 postal box - but the weight of the box pushes it into the next postal band.  150g of other fibres are a parcel.  200g+ of fibre  is always a parcel - no hope of getting it squashed into LL.

As a business seller, at the moment, I'm not eligible for Simple Delivery.  However, I've loads of fibre from my hobbyist days that I was planning to sell on my private account and this crazy idea that eBay have come up with has scuppered my plans.  I could sell it on my business account and control the postage, but why should I?  It's my personal stash that's no longer needed, why should I pay eBay's rapacious business fees just to declutter?

[rugbyguy1960]

I have heard rumours that A I will decide package sizes and charges using SD so that means even less choice for sellers.

[andha-21]

I didn't know what meant by fibre so had a look at your items for sale. I'm guessing it's similar to the ribbons/silk you are showing now?

& I've only ever sold on eBay but have heard about Etsy. Isn't that the kind of thing they do over there and if so could that be an alternative for your personal hoard?

[wintersdawn1]

When SD is mandatory, as long as your mobile phone has at least android 10 version, the minimum version to make the ebay app work, ebay will send you a QR code to your mobile which the post office/evri can scan and print you the postage label.

Have seen some barriers to this working though, possibly a particular evri shop doesn't print labels or the label printer is broken etc.

[andha-21]

There's a recent post, sorry, forget which thread, where a seller says eBay decided on £3.90 post but it cost over £5.

There's another post I saw where a seller talks about an interaction with CS where they tell them  something along the lines of the delivery system will update automatically.

& there was an interaction here between a concerned jewellery maker regarding this with eBay on a thread. eBay said they were going to relay their concerns. Never saw any kind of response.

From everything I've seen so far it looks like it is supposed to be fully automated.

[rugbyguy1960]

I agree that is useful for some.

I don't drive ans so nothing is more simple than booking a RM collection when they bring the printed label too.

[rugbyguy1960]

That really doesn't surprise me.

Less contact with humans and more unwanted automated decisions by ebay.

[the-nutwood-collection]

Thanks for looking at my listings.  I'll have some views.  Wow.  That'll make a change.

Both the fibre (wool) and the ribbons are lightweight and bulky.  The advantage is that they're not easy to damage in transit.

I already sell on Etsy and the fees are the same for all sellers, irrespective of whether they're registered as private, sole trader or limited company.  Etsy fees are less than eBay's, but they're too high for de-cluttering at a price that buyers will be willing to pay.

I just want to rid myself of the clutter and make space for more stock lines for the business.  Before the shake-up, I could have taken advantage of the numerous messages on my private account offering free listings and 80% off fees.  This meant I could bundle the stuff up and sell it at a bargain price.

Under the new regime, the eBay fees will be 4%, which I'm OK with.  I can set a price that includes the buyer's fee but is still a bargain.  I'm also OK with waiting for payment.  What I'm not OK with is buyers choosing the carrier.  Clutter sales will be run in with business sales.  I use RM and EVRi, but I only use EVRi if I've multiple parcels for them because the drop-off means a different journey - and I won't do this for just one parcel.  It's more cost effective to pay the RM price for that parcel.  I've never used a locker, and don't intend to start using them so, if lockers get added to the buyers' option list in the future, that's another nail in the coffin of my de-clutter.

[andha-21]

Totally understandable and I admit I hadn't considered lockers but know from personal experience that eBay didn't (it was 4 years ago) have the click & collect ironed out. Gave me collection options, chose one and next thing I know the courier is returning to sender. Why? Because the shop I chose doesn't deal with that courier. You would think that is something eBay should know. It wasn't a Ma & Pa one off. It was a high street chain.

& I just wanted to thank you for your truly impressive post on another thread. Found it last night. Was the best I've read here but this morning someone edged you, imo.

[jasamfan]

I sell vinyl records, mostly 7", at a low price, from £2.99 up, including UK postage. This new policy has killed my sale stone dead. Thanks ebay. I was never going to make my fortune but still I sell to get rid of my collection. I have adjusted my prices to take into account the £0.75 + 4% "protection" but no luck so far. I will not send items tracked due to the higher cost. I don't hold out much hope of selling many more items. Fin.

[andha-21]

Unless I missed something you may have jumped the gun. As I understood it BPF has only been rolled out in Electronics so far. Can't see why that would include Vinyl. So you may still have more time to get unadjusted prices.

[jasamfan]

I didn't realise that. Thanks, that's good to know. I will look into it. All the best.

[jasamfan]

I have looked into it and you are incorrect. My items now include BPF. Added by ebay. For example, I listed a record at Buy It Now of £0.99 but it is listed at £1.75. I think that's proof enough it's not just on electronics.

[rugbyguy1960]

Just shows that ebay cannot be believed or trusted.

They don't do anything to benefit anyone apart from themselves.

I sell signed cd's from my personal collection to make room for new ones and pay packaging costs out of my pocket.

The service I get from RM can't be faulted and for the price I pay for postage including collection and label etc even ebay can't match.

Hence SD becoming compulsory and that will be when my ebay selling days are over.

[rodrageone]

best thing is to send 2nd class no tracking you get paid almos straight away  i have 3 items received by customer royal mail web sites say item delivered and eve a photo of it being delivered not good enough foe ebay wait 14 days ive been with ebay 20+ yrs it ends this yr

[rugbyguy1960]

I feel exactly the same. This is my 20th year as a seller and buyer and once my last 5 listed items hopefully sell I won't list anymore.