Simple Delivery now optional for items under £20 including Large Letter

[moonlight-rhapsody]

New email just received says:

We’ve listened to your feedback and made Simple Delivery optional for more items priced £20 or less. This includes items in categories like Trading cards, Coins and Stamps, which are typically letter or large letter-sized and 100g or under. 

It’s an update that gives you more choice. You can choose a low-cost, untracked delivery option when protections aren’t essential, or stick with Simple Delivery to benefit from prepaid labels and automatic tracking, all at competitive prices. Learn more about this update. 

I note it specifically includes "Large Letter"

[crn303]

Very good news at last with regard to Large Letter posting.

There has been several posters on this forum who said this would not happen.

Egg on their faces !!!

[retroman303]

Thanks for posting, I never get emails with important announcements like this (or was this actually in My eBay messages?).

Should have been this way from the very start, but at least they've come to their senses a bit more.

Just ended my listings until I get home and can revise the postage options for a few of them.

[moonlight-rhapsody]

"I never get emails with important announcements like this (or was this actually in My eBay messages?)."

I received it as an announcement sent to my email address - it may be that you can change your settings so that you receive emails.  The announcement is in my ebay message box as well.

[*maetrix*]

Yep,just the beginning of what will be even more back tracking.

"The customer is always right" - DFens.

And don't let the mods on here bully you into believing otherwise (V.S.)

[kyanyama]

Thanks - but it only includes certain categories, e.g. trading cards, Coins and Stamps, most of which are really letter rate and perhaps large letter for multiples.

Majority of my large letter items are not in those categories - so no benefit to a lot of sellers who sell large letter sized items in the clothing category which aren't hair clips or wallets.

Am happy for those who will benefit from this change.  But having been a member for > 2 decades I do know the size of the items I post which this site doesn't cos they don't have the actual item in their hands.  Just saying.

[sumnites]

Dont think the categories are that exclusive. There are many small items like dolls clothes, craft items etc. Basically if it fits into a large letter and valued under £20 you 'should' be able to opt out but we will have to see. I love the 'listened to your feedback'...should say 'read your complaints, realised we have ****** up and trying to mitigate the effects it has had on selling and ebays bottom line'. A little apology would not go amiss for the wrecking ball taken to small, cheap item sellers.

[sizzenergy]

they should make SD optional for "letter & large letter" for items £5 or less in all categories

[guymafo]

Also includes CDs and DVDs

What's new

• Simple Delivery is now optional for more items priced £20 or under in categories like Trading cards, Coins and Stamps, Mobile Phone Cases, CDs, and DVDs, which are typically letter or large letter-sized and 100g or under. Now you can choose to select a low-cost, untracked delivery option when protections aren’t essential, or stick with Simple Delivery to benefit from prepaid labels, automatic tracking, and  full protection if the item is lost or damaged in transit, all at competitive prices.

[kath3735_wxmjn]

they should just revert and make SD optional!

[moonlight-rhapsody]

"they should just revert and make SD optional!"

That's really the only thing that would get me to consider selling again, which incidentally would also get me buying again as well.  Most of the items that I *could* sell would be under £20, but because most would weigh more than 100g or wouldn't qualify for size/shape, the latest roll-back is of very little (if any) value to me.

(My recent experience with CS when reporting totally irrelevant search results remains a sore point and a barrier to selling again as well).

[sml192]

It still says 'in certain sub-categories', plus it's only items 100g or under, so doesn't apply to everything under £20.  However, interestingly the long list of sub-categories that the opt out previously applied to has now been removed from both the help pages. 

[akemp1]

---

@kyanyama wrote:

Majority of my large letter items are not in those categories - so no benefit to a lot of sellers who sell large letter sized items in the clothing category which aren't hair clips or wallets.

---

Yes ebay's position on postage is still unreasonable on so many levels.

They really need to speed up their acceptance of how SD failed and do a proper U-Turn as this frustration is causing people to increasingly buy and sell elsewhere.

SD is an annoying sore that just won't heal and occasionally leaks puss when dealing with certain listings.

[retroman303]

Thanks for confirming.

No, for some reason I stopped receiving announcement emails like this at least a couple of years ago (I still get the messages in My eBay, but have to remember to check, whereas I check my emails several times a day). My eBay account settings are set to receive all communications.

I tried to get Community Manager Kat to help with this some time back, but she just said it must be an issue with my email account (it's not - I receive all eBay emails about buying & selling, offers, discount codes, etc. - but not these important announcements) or my eBay account settings (it's not, as covered before). I told her this, but she just washed her hands of it.

It's another reason for my dissatisfaction with the platform and the level of customer support.

But back to the main topic... 

[sumnites]

Can confirm dolls clothing large letter under £20 has the 'custom' postage option reinstated.

[derekmines]

I withdrew all of my items from sale when SD became compulsory, will have a look tonight and see if I can list again!

Hopefully this is the start of a complete backtrack on their screw-up of postage in general!

[bitternloco4464]

I have a question from this morning's email about the changes to Simple Delivery. Ebay say that a seller can even request a feedback review for a Simple Delivery item by using Seller Help. I want to look into this but I can't seem to be able to locate Seller Help. Can anyone point me in the right direction please. Thanks.

[xenavsbuffy1]

When does it start? so far no difference

[thepillenwerfer]

---

@sml192 wrote:

It still says 'in certain sub-categories', plus it's only items 100g or under, so doesn't apply to everything under £20.  However, interestingly the long list of sub-categories that the opt out previously applied to has now been removed from both the help pages. 

---

Can you please tell us where it says that?  The e-mail I received and the text at the link provided therein mentions items "typically letter or large letter-sized and 100g or under."  There's nothing about only items of 100g or less being included in the exception. 

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

The option to opt out and select Custom postage is only available for items in specific categories that are priced £20 and under. This includes items which are typically letter or large letter-sized and 100g or under. The £20 limit applies to the item price only and excludes the Buyer Protection Fee.

Again nothing to say items MUST be under 100g.

[badger1-0767]

still no good have a load of stuff to get rid of under £20 but not large letters most are small parcels, i posted 48hr tracked before still cannot do it