Simple Delivery more expensive for letters & large letters

[williaugus]

With custom postage being rolled out and eventually the only option, I am a little confused and trying to clarify something please.

If I am posting something of large letter size, less than 100 grams and low value - a DVD in it's case for example, I can post this 2nd class large letter with Royal Mail. With the current Royal Mail prices, this'll cost me £1.55. When I'm listing an item and look at simple delivery prices, the same classification of large letter shows a minimum cost of £2.74.

What if I happen to posting something that may fit in a standard letter size? This currently costs just under £0.90, but when settings this up on the item listing page it still comes up as £2.74? Why is that?

I can either take up this difference in cost myself or pass it onto the buyer. It feels like that I'm likely to lose money either way as the latter might discourage buyers from buying - due to a higher price point?

I just wanted to make sure that I am understanding this correctly and not missing any steps in the simple delivery set up. Is it really the case that it'll now cost more money to send smaller items? Thanks. 

[jonjonjonnie]

I think that some categories have the custom shipping option:

For example, "coins" appear to have it.. But "tools" do not.

So I think xyz307xyz is saying that the category "Business, Office & Industrial - Office Equipment & Supplies - Office Supplies & Stationery - Other Supplies & Stationery" has the option for Custom Shipping

[xyz307xyz]

Try sell similar to mine and change to your photos/details (for one).

If that doesn't work in itself, try sell similar to mine and change to your photos/details (for one). Enter the item price as £800, enter the below details (with the correct figures for your packaged item. (If the packaged item is over 100g you will need to use Simple Delivery.)

Enter your postage service rates.

Change the item price to whatever you want, under £10.

Hopefully your postage services remain.

This is how I listed my item. I'm using Chrome browser on a PC laptop. I suggest not using the app, and using a laptop/desktop browser if you can, preferably chrome.

Don't change the category at any stage.

[xyz307xyz]

Yes, that was the whole point of my post, to list them in a different category to what @sarahgr1  was currently using:

Business, Office & Industrial - Office Equipment & Supplies - Office Supplies & Stationery - Filing & Storage.

[leighbayuk]

I still don't understand why Large Letter items priced at £10-£20 cost more to send than one under £10. Royal Mail 2nd Class provides cover up to £20. Beyond £20 would require Tracked 48, which is the point the pricing should actually change.

[akemp1]

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@leighbayuk wrote:

I still don't understand why Large Letter items priced at £10-£20 cost more to send than one under £10. Royal Mail 2nd Class provides cover up to £20. 

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The reason is that £10 is the number that ebay came up with when deciding on the exception to SD being mandatory on everything.

They were under pressure (as SD was even more awful earlier this year) and wanted to limit the quantity of items allowed exceptions but it also goes to show how none of the decision makers understand the UK postal market or what buyer and sellers would consider reasonable.

It's similar to how SD prices increase for items with insurance valve over £100 when Tracked48 provides £150 protection.

Of course SD was never designed to satisfy RM users which is why they thought they could get away with combining small/medium parcel rates which also needed a concession.

£10, £100 and combining the small/medium parcels may have some meaning in their Evri contact perhaps? SD was designed for Evri not RM items sadly.

[sarahgr1]

So I put in £1.80 for RM 2nd class  as it is just over 100g (you can only adjust the "Buyer pays", not the "Seller pays" option) and save the listing after adjusting the price accordingly. I view the listing and Ebay has put the postage the buyer pays as £2.16, not £1.80!

[xyz307xyz]

If you are talking about what we were discussing; 187522192537 shows £1.80 postage.

But as it's over 100g, you do need to use Simple Delivery.

[goodibags]

But if you can enter a weight of 99g then custom postage should still be possible and you can enter a postage price for an item that weighs more than 100g?

[kazziesattic]

Not just small items, I have just sent a medium parcel under 2kg, eBay has charged me £6.65, for tracked 48, if I was able to do this myself it would cost me £5.15, I am livid as I cannot even do it myself as eBay charges you the postage before you have sent it which is non refundable unless you cancel the sale and also does not show the buyers address so you wouldn’t be able to sent it anyway, in my eyes this is theft and they are making money on everyone’s sales on a service they don’t actually supply. They are making it very difficult for private sellers, might be time to use another platform as I not not like the p***being taken. What will they come up with next, we are loosing control over our own items 🤬

[jonjonjonnie]

I just had a dispute from someone who paid £3.79 for an item, which cost me £2.90 to "Simple Shipping" (which I am assured will be refunded) and £1.55 to Royal Mail using my standard (2nd Class Large Letter) method..

He claims it didn't arrive (probably just late due to the bank holiday). He accused me of "ripping him off" because the Tracking Number that I got when using Simple Shipping shows it hasn’t been posted.. So he believes I never posted the item.. So SS has now added another layer of complexity. Of course I refunded him and as a result I am way out of pocket and its not worth it any more.

So I have added £100 onto the price of all my affected listings to ensure they don't sell.

I just have to hope that eBay either give us the promised "Custom Shipping" options, or add 1/2nd Class Letter/Large Letter to Simple Shipping and I can put them back to their original price.

For now, eBay is no longer a place to sell (or Buy) "cheap" products.

One other thing you might not have spotted.. Have you noticed that even if you do not 'buy' the shipping label you have still be charged.. Look in your Transaction history.. The moment your items sells, they charge you the delivery.. Even if you never actually 'buy' the label....

Sad times as many of the items I sell are for zero profit and I just do it as a hobby to help people.

[kazziesattic]

Yes I did mention that they take the postage money from your sale, I then tried to cancel the label as I wanted to send the item myself using my own RM account and eBay said the postage label is non refundable, that is disgusting. I don’t think they want private sellers anymore, what if I want to use special delivery, I don’t get that option 🤬

Sent from Outlook for iOS<>

[jonjonjonnie]

What worries me is that I keep buying labels from them just to get the address and then us my own shipping method BECAUSE EBAY TOLD ME TOO AS A WORKAROUND. And I keep getting told they WILL refund it, but there is no sign of this being true

I am starting doubt they will.. And if they don't, I have literally clocked up more in paying shipping that I haven’t used than the sum of my profits for the whole year.

They have basically charged me £2.70 to £2.90 for every order, and all I get for this is the shipping address... 

Everytime I speak to them they initially seem unsure of this workaround.. But then go away and come back with new found confidence that its OK and excuses that there have been "technical glitches" resulting in the refunds not happening.. This is the worst part of the story as they keep re-assuring me that i WILL get refunds, so I keep doing it.. Atleast if they told me it was an error and i would NOT get them, I would have stopped before now.

[suelel1968]

Hi @jonjonjonnie I think you are using the wrong work around. For anyrhing under £10 that can go large letter or less go to the opt out list and find the closest category to what you are selling with an opt out. I use one in DIY which might work for you on some of your listings. No one searches by category so it is somewhat irrelevant. If it still comes up SD, change the postage option to LL. 

[jonjonjonnie]

I always assumed that if you listed things in the wrong category, eBay would remove it or worse??

I have a few DIY items which I have had to de-list.. can you share the category that has Custom Shipping?

I am just trying some experiments changing and item to a catagory that I know has Custom Shipping and its not appearing.. So I assume you have to re-list it?

[kazziesattic]

I tried the exact same thing, purchased the label to get address as that is now omitted from your order details, then used the drop down menu to cancel the label for a refund, but it came up as eBay labels are unrefundable. Do they have made it that you cannot post the item yourself and add that tracking number as they don't give you the buyers address, looks like the beginning of the end 😞

Sent from Outlook for iOS<>

[jonjonjonnie]

you have to go here to request the refund:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/claims/simple-delivery/refund/seller

When you do, there are lot of questions asking why SS did not work for you, so its a good opportunity to vent.. Not that it appears to make much difference.

[suelel1968]

@jonjonjonnie @Home, Furniture & DIY other DIY materials.

Its not wrong to put tools under DIY just because there is another category you could use. I think if you used clothes it might leave you open to not as described perhaps. Needs must. 

[jonjonjonnie]

I just changed one of my "tools" to this category and still don't have "Custom Shipping".. I wonder if I need to relist it?

[suelel1968]

Try "sell similar" @jonjonjonnie 

[goodibags]

"No one searches by category so it is somewhat irrelevant"

It may be true that nobody searches by category but Ebay's algo may bring back search results based on the 'correct' category for what you're looking for.

One of my toy cars completely disappeared when I did a generic search because the results showed only 'Toys & Games - Cars - Contemporary manufacture' while mine got listed (using 'sell similar') under 'Collectables'.