Simple Delivery...Not so simple without a device or printer

[bluevintage2014]

No smartphone or tablet to recieve the QR codes...I'm on a big old heavy laptop here... not dragging that to the shops heh heh!...no printer either....been onto CS, they have no answers for me...other companies provide a ref number as well as a QR code incase there's an issue with your phone etc?.. which I always use ...as I don't have one... so that's me goosed, heh heh!

[Anonymous]

They do not care sadly.

[wyvillman]

Hi. I am in exactly the same position as yourself. I have been trading on E-Bay for 25 years with no problem and all of a sudden, I find myself having to withdraw all my items from sale because I do not possess a printer but more importantly, I do not own a smartphone or tablet to download a QR code. Unfortunately, I can see me having to close my account with E-Bay and use Vinted or Marketplace as a alternative selling platform.  DIDN'T E-BAY THINK OF ALL THE OLDER SELLERS WHO HAVEN'T GOT HIGH TECH EQUIPMENT TO DO THIS???????????

Regards, Steve.

[bessie17u]

Oh well, I discussed this with ebay as I do not have a printer and my smart phone is not so smart these days!

Their response was to tell me to go and buy a new phone ha ha ha

[wyvillman]

AS FROM TODAY 15/4/2025, I WILL NO LONGER BE TRADING ON E-BAY DUE TO THEIR STIPULATION FOR ME TO OWN A PRINTER OR DEVICE FOR DOWNLOADING A QR CODE WHEN SELLING. UNFORTUNATELY, I DO NOT POSSESS EITHER OF THESE THINGS SO I WILL BE SELLING ON FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE INSTEAD WHICH IS EASIER AND CHEAPER. THANK YOU ALL FOR 25 YEARS OF GREAT SELLING. KIND REGARDS, STEVE.

[suelel1968]

Hi, you have terrific stuff for sale, beautifully photographed, i hope you can find somewhere else to sell it. You said other companies have  codes as well, which would solve the problem wouldn't it. I know Yodel have codes because the shop scanner can never read the QR code when printed and he has to use the code. So sometimes your printer isn't good enough even if you have one.

Perhaps raise the issue on the Wed 2pm chat?

What you could do is get a really old smart phone just to get emails on and do it that way. I had about 3 which i took to charity shop. I'm sure you could get one on freecycle. Or any young relative will have old phones! As long as it connects to the internet and gets email it would work. 

[davrman]

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@suelel1968 wrote:

What you could do is get a really old smart phone just to get emails on and do it that way. I had about 3 which i took to charity shop. I'm sure you could get one on freecycle. Or any young relative will have old phones! As long as it connects to the internet and gets email it would work. 

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It might even work with an older feature phone, as long as it has a camera. Take a clear picture of the QR code on your computer's screen, then take the phone to the Post Office or other drop off point. Even a stand-alone digital camera might work. QR codes have quite a lot of error correction built in so should still work with this approach.

[edwardian-dreams]

You’ll soon be able to get a collection with postie bringing the label

how soon soon is is anyone’s guess

[department28]

It is infuriating to be told 'we're working on bringing you an option where you can request the label to be brought to you, which will be available soon'... 

So, why didn't they get everything like this sorted out before launching this wretched Simple Delivery scheme, instead of leaving people not knowing if they will be able to carry on selling, or not?  

Good of eBay to bring us something we already had... along with all the other postage options they are busy taking away.  Everyone was happy with the postage system as it was! 

Simple Delivery & the BPF have spoilt eBay for private sellers - it will never be the same after this, imo.

[xyz307xyz]

"If you don't have a smartphone, you'll also receive a 6 digit PIN code with EVRi labels. The option to use a PIN code is only available with EVRi labels so make sure to update your carrier preferences to select EVRi as your preferred carrier."

At a Evri parcel shop - enter the PIN (6 letters/numbers) on the machine to get your label.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/posting-items/setting-postage-options/simple-delivery?id=5575#se...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/ship/prf

[billben2014]

Really ... if your foolish enough to use the worst rated courier in UK ... Hermes...so bad they changed their name but not their levfel of apalling service 

[wyvillman]

Hi. Thanks so much for your advice and kind words. Since leaving E-Bay and selling on Marketplace I have been very sucessful and NO FEES or anything it's cash in hand and everybodys happy. E-bay is advertising being free to sell, but it's not due to the buyer protection...........Why couldn't E-Bay just leave things alone, 25 years of trading combined with client trust gone.

[simplybananas]

I have no printer and no smart phone and have been happily using Royal Mail collect service where they bring the label with them, before eBay changed to Simple Delivery.

I contacted customer services about this today having recently sold an item, and had to seek out a local business who would do me a favour by printing my label, so I could send my parcel to my customer. I live in a village in Cornwall and do not feel inclined to drive to the nearest town library to get a single label printed, as it is more costly in petrol than the postage itself - let alone the time and inconvenience.

The customer service lady said that the solution is to offer free delivery, and when the item sells, to generate the label, then go to Royal Mail and arrange and pay for the collection/bring label service. Once I have done that and have the RM tracking number, I should be able to change the tracking number which eBay provided to the one that RM provided to me directly.

THEN (not done yet!!!) I should apply for a refund of the Simple Delivery cost because the label was not used.

The Simple Delivery cost is determined by eBay, so could be quite a few quid depending on what you are selling.

Whether this will work or will go smoothly, I have yet to discover.

Wish me luck!!

[edwardian-dreams]

I just read this in the help pages 

[department28]

'The customer service lady said that the solution is to offer free delivery, and when the item sells, to generate the label, then go to Royal Mail and arrange and pay for the collection/bring label service. Once I have done that and have the RM tracking number, I should be able to change the tracking number which eBay provided to the one that RM provided to me directly.

THEN (not done yet!!!) I should apply for a refund of the Simple Delivery cost because the label was not used.'

I had assumed this was a 'work-around', or a way to avoid using the dreaded Simple Delivery, so it is interesting to hear that someone from CS actually suggested this method of bypassing Simple Delivery...

Perhaps they think having to fiddle around changing the tracking, & applying for refunds, will discourage most people from doing this. After all, the whole scheme was for SD to be the only postage method... 🤑