SImple Delivery Mandate Pushed To Q2

[valueaddedresource]

I'll add exact wording once the Q4 earnings call is over and a transcript is available but just FYI - CEO Jamie Iannone just said Simple Delivery mandate has been pushed to Q2 and they are working on adding a seller-paid free shipping option to the Simple Delivery program.

[wyntersemporium]

Same I was going to charge for it this year. Just cannot afford the postage as sometimes items I have are lightweight plastic chokers and items I want rid of. 

[valueaddedresource]

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@papso22 wrote:

Packlink are not a carrier, they are a broker.

Also, the transcript says they plan to introduce home pick up and drop off.

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@papso22 just to clarify, he said:

"we plan to introduce out of home pick up and drop off capabilities"

and then went on to say they believe many UK customers value those kind of options due to their convenience, lower cost, privacy, security and environmental benefits.

That suggests to me what he is talking about is actually like a parcel locker type situation (some place out of/away from your home) for both drop off for sellers and pick up for buyers.

A parcel locker of course can, in some situations, be convenient - like if you aren't home during regular pick/up delivery times and there is a locker location near your work.

It can also be more secure/private to not have your home address on a delivery and lower cost/lower environmental impact for those kinds of centralized locations vs going to individual residences.

That being said - all of that of course does not apply to every situation and there will be plenty of scenarios where an out of home drop off or pick up would not be more convenient, less expensive, or preferred for any number of reasons...so at the very least, I would say Iannone may be overselling the "benefits" and/or degree to which users may value such options.

[papso22]

Thank you for that clarification!  I find the language he uses quite hard to translate to plain English.

[valueaddedresource]

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@papso22 wrote:

Thank for that clarification!  I find the language he uses quite hard to translate to plain English.

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@papso22 no problem and you're not the only one! The corporate buzz word salad is strong with that one and I frequently have to listen to parts of earnings calls multiple times just to try to parse what it is he is actually talking about. 😂

[andha-21]

Surely an eBay fan like you actually meant "Simple" English. Plain is just boring and doesn't fit the rest of the show. 

😝

[lucy_farmer]

'That suggests to me what he is talking about is actually like a parcel locker type situation (some place out of/away from your home) for both drop off for sellers and pick up for buyers'

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Hmmm... are 'InPost' parcel lockers?

It's just been announced that 'Inpost' will no longer be dealing with Evri parcels. 

(thread about this yesterday..)

May put a spanner in the 'lockers' works...

(And many thanks for translating all this business bumf/newspeak carp into English!)

[kidmore_kats]

Firstly thanks for your input, some welcome clarity in an ocean of obfuscation

Secondly I see you are based in the USA and I wondered whether you are aware of what VAR means in the UK ?

[valueaddedresource]

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@kidmore_kats wrote:

Firstly thanks for your input, some welcome clarity in an ocean of obfuscation

Secondly I see you are based in the USA and I wondered whether you are aware of what VAR means in the UK ?

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@kidmore_kats you're welcome! And I was not aware at the time of choosing a moniker but have since learned about its meaning in football (not the American kind 😂).

[kidmore_kats]

Excellent 👌 

Although it's a different demographic, I reckon at the moment eBay is marginally less popular amongst it's fan base than VAR is.

Which is no mean feat.

[insidethe93]

barry.110 wrote: If they really are listening to the sellers then they shouldn't make Simple Delivery mandatory. I am quite capable of selecting the service and courier I want to use and purchase the label.

I think many or maybe most buyers agree sellers are indeed quite capable of sorting out the shipping. eBay sellers have been doing it for decades. I've bought over 1,000 times and not had a problem, nor do I have an issue with sellers receiving my money straightaway (there's the MBG if necessary) and I doubt I'm an unusual buyer.

"mandatory" happens to anagram into "damnatory"

Sometimes anagrams are right such as the famous: eleven plus two = twelve plus one

However, eBay has the opportunity to make changes to SD as currently planned, and turn it into a useful shipping tool to help sellers e.g. by passing on to sellers some or all of any financial discount eBay's probably negotiated with certain courier(s) and/or by providing sellers with a quick easy shipping organisation tool. Help sellers, don't hinder them, and that means building in options for flexibility including an option not to use it.

[abrahamtoast]

The price thing may be the ace eBay believes it has up its sleeve with regard to Simple Delivery.

At the prices they are currently charging, eBay will be making well over £1.00 in clear profit from every single package sent using Special Delivery. Perhaps if they passed some of that benefit back to the sellers, we might be more willing to accept it. By reducing the postage prices by, say 50p, they could at least claim they were helping to cover the cost of packing materials etc.

Special Delivery encourages poor, or at least minimal, packing of goods, as the cost of packaging now always comes from the item price, and not from the p&p price. (eBay is inconsistent, sometimes referring to postage charges, and sometimes to postage and packing charges) It is also another charge which discriminates against sellers of low cost goods, as the cost of their packing material will be proportionally higher, compared with their sale prices.

They will have thought of this, but perhaps won't implement it, unless they feel they need to.

[andha-21]

Are you mixing Simple with Special Delivery there? 

[abrahamtoast]

You are quite right - a sever case of brain freeze.

Of course I was meaning to refer to Simple Delivery throughout. I hope I haven't confused too many with my error.

[roberth5777]

Please push it away forever, not a single seller on the platform wants this in their life.