Simple Delivery package size not large enough - Ebay changed an old listing

[timetosay_goodbye]

The problems with Simple Delivery, seem to be never ending.  When I listed a large painting, I was able choose ParcelForce.  Just accessed my listing now to reduce the price and see that eBay have changed it to 'Simple'.

Not even the largest size listed for posting is big enough, so I shall have to take it off .... unless anyone has any idea please?  Thanks.

I think I speak for many (whether we like it or not), re HMRC - it is what it is - it is the law.  But as for making it mandatory that you have to abide by ebay's choice of which company you use to post your items, is hard to swallow and making life difficult for so many.

There's no such thing as 'a free lunch', as the saying goes .... I didn't like it when there were 'no sellers listing fees', now there's 'no sellers' final fees', it's too good to be true.

As it stands, the buyers' fees can't possibly cover those two revenues that they once received.  Think it's best I leave it at that and say no more.

[the-nutwood-collection]

If you register as a business seller, the choice of carrier is yours.

[sml192]

Why should they register as a Business seller?  They don't appear to be one. 

[timetosay_goodbye]

If I were, then I would.  It's nobody's business but mine, though seeing as you jump to conclusions I will enlighten you and everyone else.  My rental home is full, my health is poor - very poor thanks to the NHS.  My house years ago was paid for by me, not the taxpayer and I paid cash for it.  I had an accident, but no care and so I had to sell it and rent.  All my money, savings, lump sum pension was lost - spent on rentals.  The culture that exists within the NHS when things go wrong, is something that you wouldn't know about.  That was 20 years ago and since then, my heart is poor and as God is my witness, I am struggling for some care.  There are no resources for me to have an Echocardiogram and so I spent £800+ last year to try and help myself.  My car cost over £1000 since January and I have a little over £200 to my name.  My plan was and there was no other way, but to try and sell every damn thing, but that is going to be impossible now.  I don't get all the freebies that pensioner's get, just my state pension and private pension ..... that doesn't increase due to income tax.  I'm at the stage where almost all my income goes on bills.

I have read so many threads and anticipated that someone would not be able to hold back and hit hard.  Happy now?  Think before you make accusations please - it can be really upsetting!

[xyz307xyz]

Your two current listings have Parcelforce as the carrier. Is it one of these two? When you revise it and it changes to Simple D - is there an option to change it to Custom Postage and back to Parcelforce?

[wonderfulworld]

I am here because I discovered, as I was busy listing an item, that eBay enforces a defacto item size restriction via the shipping system.

Why not just be open about it & declare eg "eBay does not permit the shipping of items larger than 61cm"?

This is, in practice, the reality that exists as of now as far as I can tell.

If anyone knows of a way in which larger items can be sold for shipping on eBay whilst remaining in compliance with it's ever changing kafkaesque ruleset , I would be interested to hear it.

[a45heaven]

@the-nutwood-collection 

for now. Lets see what the future brings.

[xyz307xyz]

You could use Evri if within their sizing: https://www.evri.com/send/parcel-size-and-weight-guide

Otherwise there is the idea to ignore Simple Delivery e.g. as I explained on another thread.

Note, I don't know what the consequences are of doing this!

My view, piecing together various fragments of ebay published text is.

For such an item:

You could list it [with Simple Delivery mandated] selecting Seller Pays postage.

When it sells, ebay give you a Simple Delivery label.

You arrange your own courier and ignore the Simple Delivery label

You claim the cost of the Simple Delivery label back. On any questions then/later from ebay asking why you didn't use the Simple Delivery label, you say "Too big/heavy"

Your payment will eventually be paid out without tracking, probably after 14 days if no case or any other hold.

If a buyer raised an item not received case - enter the Courier tracking number in messages (or if allowed in a tracking number box), once/if delivered. I suggest also trying to ask customer services to change/register the new tracking number (if they can).

It would be nice if ebay had a page with their version of the above or their alternative recommendation.

[wonderfulworld]

Claiming the cost of the label back does not seem like a good idea. Ebay is not trustworthy when it comes to expectations of human form reasoning. I believe it will simply identify that you have not followed the rules & ban you or force you to pay twice for postage & then ban you.

[xyz307xyz]

Indeed, as I said there may be consequences. I might try it once or twice to see what happened. I wouldn't be brave enough to list loads of items on that basis.

But you would be following the rules if the packet is too big/heavy. ebay state "Bulky items and Authenticity Guarantee listings are currently excluded from Simple Delivery" and states the sizes and weights.

And see the last line of what I said.

[natsci]

Hi guys, I am flabbergasted that it is now impossible for private sellers to sell large items on ebay.

Why is this?

Do ebay not want my money?

[xyz307xyz]

You can try - see my message 8. I would suggest you only try once or twice to see if it all works out.

Someone else has reported that since I wrote that; you can now override the SD tracking with your own.

[natsci]

I will try that but as of yesterday evening it is impossible to override SD tracking.

[xyz307xyz]

Maybe it works differently for different people (or e.g. on the app v browser). 

I found the other person's post and they said it could be updated on the page below. I'm not on SD so can't try it myself.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sh/ord/?filter=status:ALL_ORDERS

[xyz307xyz]

See this and hopefully updates ...

https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Postage/oversized-parcels-NO-delivery-service-with-Simple-Delivery/m...

[peter748203]

BUT i am Not A Business Seller, & WILL NOT BECOME ONE??  Not because of E-Bays Bullying Ways,

But because i am Not A Business???

They made a mistake by letting Private Sellers List For Free, (A Big Mistake)

They are now trying to recoup their losses, (& Face)by every devious means they can try,

Seller Protection??? What the Hell Is That About???

Sellers Monies being held on to?? until Delivery Is Confirmed??

i had spoken to a Call Centre  Person ( In The Phillipines??) who i had a hard job to understand??

(But thats another E-Bay Story??)

I told the Person that my package had been delivered & why was my pay out not approved,

He Checked & could see that indeed my Parcel had been delivered over FOUR Days Before , ,yet my Pay out was not forthcoming??  E-Bay used to be the "Best Selling Platform", now they are Quickly Losing Sellers?? & as i have Always said to the People at "Customer Service " ( Well That Is What Ebay Decide To Call IT??) NO SELLERS ====NO BUYERS, It Is That Simple?? But E-Bay Do Not Seem To Be able to Grasp that Simple Principle, But They Can Offer A ( Simple Delivery??)

[edwardian-dreams]

See 3952ricks post here, the solution 

https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Seller-Central/how-do-you-list-anything-bigger-than-61cm/m-p/7882449...

list as 800£ and custom postage kicks in 

then follow the instructions from that post 

art / paintings have a length width height specifics so make sure to enter them 

[rovin_hotshot]

Once I set the height, length, width and weight in the optional fields, it then displayed the correct carriers for oversized packages.

[evelynpeanut]

But if you are not a business seller?  What about sellers who are privately trying to declutter or sell personal items off for specific reasons which may involve hardship?  Many items are within the weight limit but longer than an arbitrary 61cm!  How do you sell a chair, for example, or a vacuum cleaner which doesn't fold down, a long footstool etc etc?  Some people NEED to make money as this country's economics are hitting them hard;  others are decluttering and can't be expected to GIVE stuff away via Freecycle etc.  

I've been with eBay for 25 years both as a Business and then a private seller, 100% feedback throughout as a buyer too.  I hadn't listed anything for a while but recently fell foul of the Simple Listing horror.  Does eBay not realise that not everybody lives near a post office or shipping point?  We live in a deeply rural location, no shops, just a church, no street lights, no close neighbours, nearest pub 4 miles;  nearest post office 8 miles, nearest collection/courier shipping point 10 miles if after 5pm.  Shipping within 3 working days isn't always possible and I always try to fit it in when we are doing either the 16 or 20 mile round trips as diesel is so expensive. Evri is useful as husband drives to gym 10 miles away on some evenings, but some buyers hate Evri.  I never up shipping costs in order to make more money but wonder if, because others have done, that's why the new regime has been introduced?  Anyway, I just sold a kit bag but didn't realise the size limitations for Royal Mail, which doesn't seem to offer a 'Large' option.  Drove 8 miles to post office, they wouldn't take it as it was in excess of 60cm long - of course it was, it was a ruddy military kitbag for heaven's sake!  Drove 8 miles home, purchased Evri (more expensive, opened parcel, removed RM ticket, inserted Evri one, repacked and completed 20 miles round trip to nearest collection point still open after 5pm.)   Now waiting for delivery confirmation so I can have RM refund.  Why does eBay dictate how sellers ship their items?  It's not cost effective (nor is it 'green'!)  to do a 16 or 20 mile round trip if selling items every few days and not everyone lives in a town or even close to one.   Evri is more expensive than RM and not always reliable (I know as a buyer as purchases are sometimes thrown over the fence or into a relatively nearby neighbour's yard, in the rain and mud, then say it has been delivered!) and some buyers are put off by that option.  But not everything is under 60cm long either, so it's all way too restrictive.  eBay:  please re-think this.   

[natsci]

FWIW the 60cm limit is not strictly true for Evri - their actual limit is higher than this (think it's take the 2 shortest sides, double it, must be less than 245cm). Ebay is confusing on the matter though and like you say, RM is the gold standard and you should be allowed to request or choose to use this as buyer or seller.