"i and most of my pensioner friends don't own or know how to use a smartphone" (*enterprise-ncc-1701*, post 45)
Therein lies just one of the potential pitfalls, and I say this with no disrespect meant to those who don't have a smartphone, or who have one but aren't confident using it (or those who have one, but don't have the app installed, or aren't used to navigating around eBay). And, of course, the foregoing does not apply exclusively (or wholly) to pensioners. Even if they had a smartphone with the app installed, some buyers would understandably be reluctant, unwilling even, to allow the seller to use their phone to try and find the collection code on their behalf.
With my last three cash on collection sales, all of the buyers had a smartphone with them, but none of them could locate the collection code, not for want of trying. One of them didn't seem very confident using their phone, whereas the other two did. I can't remember how many of them had the app, but I know that at least one did. The critical thing is that none of them, even the more savvy ones, were able to find the code*. Thanks to tressygirl, I remembered that I could mark the items as 'Dispatched', which, as they point out, is equivalent to 'Collected' (even here, the process is not intuitive - why can't eBay's coders add a 'Collected' option?). I did this, and, thankfully, had my funds released. This was a last resort, though; I'd much rather have been able to enter the code. At present, it's not at all clear whether that option will remain for the seller. The worrying indications (going by what I have read) are that it will not, and that confirmation of collection will be entirely dependent on the buyer (or buyer and seller together) performing the necessary actions.
* Obviously, if a buyer doesn't have the app, then there's no chance of them - or the seller - finding the code anyway.
The QR code scan / six-digit code entry options require both seller and buyer to have the app installed, which in itself is potentially problematic. eBay could partially mitigate this by sending the buyer a 'proper' email containing the QR code and six-digit code, rather than just on-site message (sorry if I'm splitting hairs, but the latter is not an email per se), in other words, an email to the buyer's email account. This would at least increase the pool of buyers able to locate the code, bypassing the need for them to go onto eBay itself. Whether eBay will start doing this come 1st October remains to be seen, but at present I can see no indication that they will.
Sorry if I sound like a doom-monger, but, as tressygirl says in post 42, this change does not bode well. Cash on collection is one of the few areas (the only one, even?) where there is greater parity between sellers and buyers, due to the inability of an unscrupulous buyer to abuse the MBG once they have inspected the item to their satisfaction, handed over their dosh, and taken the item home. Sellers will now have that safety net removed.
I'm surprised that this imminent change has not been asked about more on the Weekly Chat. The last one only had thirteen posts (including eBay replies), the quietest one I've seen. I suppose members have been out enjoying the weather, or perhaps dealing with an increase in sales. I imagine that the former is more likely! Not that I'm expecting others to do the asking; I myself was busy, and, to be honest, I completely forgot about the WC, only getting round to reading it earlier today. Apart from being busy, another reason could be that members, sellers especially, are seeing eBay's often less-than-helpful replies, and are thinking "Why even bother?" - EDDs being a prime example. But I think that last Wednesday's lull is a case of 'calm before the storm'.
Instead of going ahead with my collection-ony listings, I will monitor these boards to see how things are panning out for those made of sterner stuff (mainly sellers who are already experienced in conducting collection-only sales where the buyer pays prior to collection, or upon collection but not with cash). I'm pretty sure that many other sellers, nervous like myself, will do the same. Consequently, there will be a significant drop in collection-only listings. And I'll be far from astonished to see an increase in posts from stressed and frustrated sellers saying that they or their buyers are unable to finalize sales, or that they are having to deal with returns for items that unscrupulous buyers have inspected to their apparent satisfaction, and taken home with them.
Apologies if I'm repeating what others have said on this thread. Not only do I take way too long 'composing' my longer posts, but I lost my original text (not for the first time - on this occasion I accidentally closed the tab) and have had to reconstruct it from memory. I can be verbose at the best of times, but my original text was at least expressed more clearly and succinctly! I can see that there have been several posts since I embarked on this one, so I'll sign off in a minute or five, and get up to speed with them before posting again.
As someone who had been intending to list quite a few things as cash on collection, I feel very strongly about this change, and have plenty to say on the matter, so expect me to rear my ugly head frequently! I feel for those sellers whose sales are (soon to be 'were') mainly or totally comprised of cash on collection; this is a real kick in the teeth for them.
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