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

[catescoot74]

I will try preloved and Facebook. I wonder if it’s worth looking at Amazon? I know you can sell as a private seller, but I’m not sure how. Might be worth a look now eBay are screwing us over
Sent from my iPhone

[jas1952john]

Thanks for that info.

From now on I will only use eBay for buying. Selling has now become far too challenging and massively time consuming. 

I do have a very large and heavy collection to get rid of so I will try that on eBay as "buyer collects" and then that will be it.

                                           Regards,

                                                                 John

[jas1952john]

From now on I will only use eBay for buying. Selling has now become far too challenging and massively time consuming. 

I do have a very large and heavy collection to get rid of so I will try that on eBay as "buyer collects" and then that will be it.

                                           Regards,

                                                                 John

[beauty557]

I  would be interested to know if the buyer collects option is feasible still with buyer paying cash on collection.Thanks,

[catescoot74]

I’m feeling exactly the same. It’s just not at all fair. Why should we suffer so EBay can make more money out of us?
Cate x
Sent from my iPhone

[lucy_farmer]

  'I would be interested to know if the buyer collects option is feasible still with buyer paying cash on collection'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buyer collection is still possible, but not cash  on collection ☹️

The buyer and seller can't exchange address/phone/details without the payment having gone through the ebay system.

Then the buyer is given a 6 digit code ( or a QR code) to give to the seller on collection.

This proves the buyer has indeed paid ; do not let the item go without being given the code and putting it into your seller page to make sure it's the correct one!

[beauty557]

Many thanks for that info.

[catescoot74]

Oh wow! EBay really have got us all stitched up!
Sent from my iPhone

[xyz307xyz]

The bundle of 3 PC books? What postage had you entered when you created the listing?

The listing shows "£3.99 Royal Mail 2nd Class." i.e. not Simple Delivery.

[xyz307xyz]

The one sold on the 25th? What postage had you entered when you created the listing?

The listing shows "£14.83 Parcelforce 24" i.e. not Simple Delivery.

[beauty557]

Just for interest,just tried to bid on Ebay and took me ten minutes to work out how much to bid,whether my bid included post and/or Buyer protection fee etc.etc. Have been an Ebayer for 20+ years now but it is now so over complicated,that as well as giving up SELLING,will probably give up BUYING too.!!! They have certainly pressed the SELF DESTRUCT button now.

[xyz307xyz]

Presumably you worked it out, but for anyone else - a bid includes the BPF amount and postage is shown separately. 

[odd-ends]

I can't post anything any more I'm absolutely stuck dead, i can't even get my own labels and enter the tracking code like i use to. All i get now is an error. This is by far the worse move eBay has made in a long time and i hope it cost them dearly its incompetence from the managers.

[abi.sales.247]

Couldn't agree more. Been using Ebay now for nearly 25 years. 
Was troubled enough that, for no reason, cannot see 'followers' anymore. Makes me feel unsafe and surely there must be some regulation around this??? Followers can see you but you can't see them????
Now this whole ridiculous postage restrictions. For personal reasons I never know how I'm going to send. I have to decide at the time depending on how my mental health is. The "other courier 3-5 days" is perfect for me. It seems that whole option is disappearing.
Lastly, recently sold an item and the buyer from the start repeatedly was querying postage. The last message I received was quote "good luck with posting today". Royal Mail come to collect. was told there were 2 packages to collect, when there was only 1. Neither of the tracking numbers matched the item I was sending by eBay. Cancelled order had no choice.

[beauty557]

Couldn't agree more.I wonder if Ebay senior management ever even bother to read our comments.I sometimes imagine that they do not even exist and that a bank of computers churn out these senseless revisions instead.However,if politicians can do  "U" turns,it is never too late to hope that Ebay see the light.I also wonder just how many of their Main Board Members are actual Ebayers,or just Career Climbers who don't really understand what it is all about anyway.

[beauty557]

Just thought I would try to set up an imaginary listing as haven't sold on Ebay for 6 months.I gave up when I got to POSTAGE.What a complicated minefield.I will not bother even trying again.BYE bye Ebay !!

[edwardian-dreams]

They might like to think so 

[lconsiglio86-uk]

No longer selling anything. Paying for postage twice is a pssss take

[oxrachael2012]

I sell low priced items and send as large letters. Due to these buyer protection fees which add to cost shown to buyer, I decided to lower the price on 3 existing listings - from £4.75 to £4. The prices updated and eBay put up the postage from £1.95 to £2.70. An increase of 75p!!!! Exactly what I had reduced the items by. So - I lose out on another 75p yet the item still costs the same to the buyer!??? I haven't done any new listings since the new postage restrictions - a £4 item , with buyer protection fees and increased postage costs almost £8! RIP eBay. It's been nice knowing you. Used to be a great selling platform.

[edwardian-dreams]

They call it an improvement 

the UTTER GALL is fascinating as well as ugly

they have screwed over small price sellers and they don’t give a damn but they might soon