New postage policy seems a bit dodgy...

[lord.ford]

Anyone else find the ‘new’ postage process for sellers frustrating and a bit suspicious?

Specifically:

• Ebay now require sellers to select the postage service during the listing and only allow them to use that postage service once the item has sold. 

• This would not be too bad but they do not display the costs for the various services at the point of selection (as they used to when selecting after sale) and so buyers are committing to buying a postage service without knowing the price - as such this is not technically a valid contract (under UK law at least).  

• Ebay also no longer allow sellers to insert tracking numbers for items they have posted themselves (i.e. sellers who did not buy postage from eBay directly). This is bad for buyers but also disastrous for sellers as eBay also now only releases funds 2 days after delivery has been confirmed - in the absence of the ability to add tracking numbers or for buyers to confirm receipt, it means sellers not buying postage from eBay now have to wait up to 2 weeks(!) for funds to be issued. 

I’ve been an eBayer for 18 years and never once posted on these forums but these changes seem a bit ‘dodgy’ at best. 

OK, so eBay are trying to reduce seller fees and recoup it by selling postage services, I get it. But at least allow sellers the choice of not buying postage through eBay and at the VERY least give us an idea of what the postage service we are buying through eBay will cost.

Questions to eBay: why are you to forcing sellers to confirm delivery service at point of listing with no way of changing it afterwards? Why do you not list the prices for the deliver services at the point when the seller is forced to select? Why do you not allow sellers to add their own tracking numbers? Why do you not allow buyer’s to confirm receipt (same way as you can for collections)?

In the hope of getting some response from eBay, I’m not even sure forcing sellers to choose postage without knowing the price is legal in the UK - said it.

LF

[lucy_farmer]

'Do Ebay now charge all postage costs to the buyer,...'

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Within the Simple Delivery system, when it's set as 'buyer pays postage',  the buyer pays the postage cost to ebay, and ebay sends the seller a postage label. (the seller doesn't get to see any actual money for postage at all)

Simple Del. can also be set as 'seller pays postage', which has some similarity to the old 'free postage' selling method.

However, the actual cost of postage is set by ebay  not by the seller; the seller has basically no choice in the type or price of postage that ebay have decided on.

(All this stuff Is decided by a very basic sort of AI. The AI takes an educated guess at what the parcel should weigh and how big it should be. Because it's such an inexact science, ebay have this 'marketplace seller' arrangment that should sort out any wrong weights/sizes later)

[mary-ann-singleton]

Thank you for this message. It has helped me better understand simple delivery. I am happier knowing I don't get charged postage. It still seems a strange way of doings things but maybe I'll get used to it!

[beauty557]

Why does eBay,or AI or whoever,formulate all this claptrap if they are not
making a buck or two out of it.You advisors then have to defend these bs
changes,despite user outcries criticising them.Just go back to the old
postage system and you can blame AI for getting it wrong.

[lucy_farmer]

'Why does eBay,or AI or whoever,formulate all this claptrap if they are not
making a buck or two out of it.You advisors then have to defend these bs
changes,despite user outcries criticising them...'

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Ebay *are* making way more than a buck or two out of all this stuff!  ......they're not doing it just to pee us all off without any financial gain.

They have gone into a partnership with Evri and a contract with R.M : this means ebay are getting really  cheap prices on postage whilst charging us, the users, roughly the going rate.

And most of us are very far from defending  these silly changes.

We may have worked out *how* they are supposed to work (and can explain them to others) but this really doesn't mean we *want* them to be happening......... I, along with many others are *not* selling now, thanks to Simple Del. ☹️

[robmuir_78]

The whole issue is full of smoking mirrors and totally lacks transparency
and individual choice to both Sellers & Buyers.

[catescoot74]

Royal Mail own Evri now. So this back room, handshake deal is with Royal Mail for sure.
Sent from my iPhone

[sin-6737]

Actually EVRI are merging with DHL.
Sent from my iPhone

[catescoot74]

I’m just passing along what the post office told me. They said evri were part of parcel force now. I’ve not heard about them merging with someone else, but who knows these days.
Sent from my iPhone

[lucy_farmer]

14:28 14 MayCouriers Evri and DHL merge to form UK delivery giant, published at 14:28 14 MayCouriers Evri and DHL merge to form UK delivery giant

(mmmmm... that link didn't go well! )

Anyway, that's an article from, the BBC 2 days ago.

I think the Post Office and Evri have an agreement that Evri parcels can be dropped off at Post offices, but not a 'buy-out' by a long chalk.......

[catescoot74]

I looked it up. How very interesting. It seems no one is getting straight answers for anything!
EBay were very specific about not making money on postage costs, but they are absolutely making money out of this somehow and I don’t appreciate having my choice taken away for that.
I appreciate you taking the time to clarify that. I would have just gone on believing what I was told!

Sent from my iPhone

[honeymonster007]

Our local post office won't take Evri parcels. Someone was trying in the queue the other day but got turned away and directed to another shop.

People need to search for their dedicated local Evri drop off points.

Imagine the Evri/ DHL ecommerce merger is for posting larger oversize items. 

[catescoot74]

I did notice I had to travel to a larger post office than my village one to send things. Which has been my point all along.
As a wheelchair user, having my choices taken away AND having to drive a 15 mile round trip so eBay can line their pockets a bit more is why this is totally unacceptable.
Sadly, they don’t and won’t care. If they are making money, they will keep doing it whether it’s wrong or not. Very sad really.
Cate
Sent from my iPhone

[beauty557]

Not found anyone yet in favour of the NEW postage system.Doesn't that send a CLEAR message to Ebay or maybe their AI module is asleep??!!

[queencarolespice]

Definitely dodgy. I don't have any control over postage. I've just sold 3 hardback books to a buyer, who chose 2nd class post. AI had decided that was £3.99. I actually paid £7.99, so ended up making £0.99 on this sale which I probably won't even get for another couple of weeks.  The buyer protection fee is a joke! I accepted what sounded like a reasonable offer a couple of weeks ago only to find this fee actually comes off the amount offered. I made £0.75 out of that fiasco. Because the Buyer Protection fee is added to my goods they now look really expensive. Honestly I knew where I was with it all when I could choose what postage to add and how much Ebay fees I would be charged for sales. I now feel I have no control over my "shop" at all. It's just so frustrating.

[catescoot74]

I got caught badly there too. I sold an electric scooter. EBay charged £14 for delivery, and it actually cost me £40. I’m getting shafted left right and centre.
And this buyer protection fee racket? Buyer protection used to be free and standard. Now they are charging for the privilege of having their purchases protected? Shady as anything.
I’m just trying to sell off as much as I can to fund my renovation, but eBay are shafting me left right and centre.
What a rip off. There has to be better places to sell things than this racket.
Sent from my iPhone

[robmuir_78]

I agree fully with your post. We are being taken for mugs by eBay. You also
need to question how much of a kick back they receive from the delivery
companies they are imposing on us with Easy Delivery. I have been trying to
persuade eBay to reverent to Sellers Fees and own delivery arrangements as
it was previously. The y hear all the complaints on the Community Forum but
are not listening. Many eBay Sellers are reporting a dramatic drop in
sales, me included. Also, we are cutting our own selling prices to
compensate for Buyer Protection Fees which are making prices appear less
attractive / competitive. All of this is driving me to distraction.

[catescoot74]

We all need to be finding somewhere else to sell. If there is no one selling, there is no one buying! They will listen then.
I’m thinking back to the good old days of the yellow paper (now online) or gumtree or Facebook marketplace. No fees and none of this extortion and racketeering nonsense. EBay thinking they are too big to fail now? Gosh consumers get bent over in the uk!
Sent from my iPhone

[beauty557]

Unfortunately,trying to communicate anything sensible to Ebay falls on deaf ears.They either do not want to listen or tell you some sort of AI now makes all the decisions.I alert them over sellers of fake silver bars and they do nothing.They seem to have a "death" wish and if they only listened to their Ebayers and reverted back to their "old" systems,they would not be losing once loyal Ebayers.I will only  use them as a Buyer now.

[beauty557]

Completely agree.

[beauty557]

I've put a couple of items on Gumtree in the past but not much success and  you will find Scammers abound for the higher valued items.Never tried Etsy.