Simple Delivery problem

[anifkin]

I listed an item. In the past when I used eBay's delivery options I could enter size and weight etc. But this time there seemed to be no such step. eBay assured me all was well, and they had calculated everything needed from the listing.

It sold. Using the GSP. No problem. That's always been great.

Not this time. The options I have (Royal Mail parcel) tops out at 61cm. The parcel is 73cm, and 20kg.

Trying to use eBay support is useless.

What options do I have?

Thanks for reading.

[xyz307xyz]

Are you on mandatory simple delivery?

If so, does it fit Evri dimensions?

• For an EVRi parcel shop drop-off – no side exceeds 120cm in length, the volume is no more than 245cm. To calculate the volume, add together the two shortest sides and multiply it by two, and then add the length

[anifkin]

Thank you. I think so. The Simple Delivery thing blindsided me. I probably should have paid more attention. I just selected the 'postage is free for buyer' option, and the GSP. As I always have. In the past I would select the courier after the sale, and enter the package information at that point. But I don't seem to have any of those options any more. Just the option to print a postage label for Royal Mail, and a note that I don't need to worry if the package is over the specs quoted, as ebay will deal with it all for me when I drop it off. But I'm reluctant to drag a 20kg massive parcel to the Post Office to find that they won't accept it. I also don't see any collection options.

As I said, maybe I didn't pay enough attention. I wasn't aware of these changes, and haven't sold anything sizable for about a year.

[xyz307xyz]

I don't think PO will accept it. It's too big for the RM SD program.

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

and

https://www.postoffice.co.uk/mail/guides/how-to-sell-on-ebay

If you can't cancel the label on ebay and get an Evri one on ebay (if the item fits Evri as I said above), then you can just arrange your own courier to the address printed on the label.

There has been some talk on these forums about whoever paid for the SD label (you in this case) may get a refund if not used in 30 days. I'm not sure if printing the label counts as using the label or not. Here it talks about filling in a form: https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/posting-items/setting-postage-options/simple-delivery?id=5575#se...

Let us know what happens, as we will all probably face it at some stage!

[department28]

Yes, if you don't use the label eBay provided, you should receive a refund - not sure how long this takes... 'within 30 days', I think...

Parcels over 61cm and/or weighing more than 20kg can't be sent via Simple Delivery, but it sounds like it 'approximated' the parcel size, and automatically issued a label that would be incorrect for your item.

[sml192]

As stated by @xyz307xyz, if the seller offers free postage (and the buyer opts for Standard delivery) then the refund needs to be requested manually:

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

'To process your refund, we'll verify the following:

• The label was paid for by you (you offered free shipping to the buyer).
• The refund request is created within 14 days from the item's sale.
• The label wasn't used within 14 days of the item's sale.
• The package was delivered using a different tracking number.

If your request meets all these conditions, you'll receive a refund for the shipping cost. Please note, it may take up to 14 days for the refund to be processed.'

[xyz307xyz]

Further to my above response, if you don't use the ebay label it won't track the delivery to the GSP centre based on the label. Hopefully once the GSP centre receive it from your own courier, that will mean ebay will update it to received at the GSP centre and then track it from there under the GSP tracking. But I wouldn't bet my life on it.

Depending on the value of the item and the value of the postage*; and the buyer it may be easier to cancel the sale and relist.

(*) I've not tried the refund postage process, it may be straightforward, it maybe that it only works in certain conditions.

[anifkin]

Thank you. I was wondering about this. It would be a solution. I have messaged the buyer, asking if they would be amenable to me cancelling and re-listing with different courier arrangements. I'll see what they say.

Trying to contact ebay support is proving challenging. The AI chatbot just took me in circles. If I can get confirmation that I can ship to the ebay UK GSP hub then I'd be happy to do that.

Thanks to everyone for replying.

[lucy_farmer]

'To process your refund, we'll verify the following:

• The label was paid for by you (you offered free shipping to the buyer).
• The refund request is created within 14 days from the item's sale.
• The label wasn't used within 14 days of the item's sale.
• The package was delivered using a different tracking number.'
• ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Is this specifically for items going GSP or for all  'seller pays postage' S.D.?

(Thank you for digging this info out sml! very useful...)

[godwinson1066]

Since the implementation of SD I've stopped selling to see how things pan out for others. From all I have  seen and heard it sounds like SD is a confusing mess which hinders private sellers like myself. 

I will therefore not be selling on ebay until compulsory SD is removed.

I've bought a couple of items on ebay recently but the knock on effect of not selling any excess items is that I've drastically reduced the amount of money I spend on ebay. 

[sml192]

---

@lucy_farmer wrote:

'To process your refund, we'll verify the following:

• The label was paid for by you (you offered free shipping to the buyer).
• The refund request is created within 14 days from the item's sale.
• The label wasn't used within 14 days of the item's sale.
• The package was delivered using a different tracking number.'
• ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Is this specifically for items going GSP or for all  'seller pays postage' S.D.?

(Thank you for digging this info out sml! very useful...)

---

It's for all Simple Delivery refunds where 'seller pays postage' is selected. 

[lucy_farmer]

It's for all Simple Delivery refunds where 'seller pays postage' is selected.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you!

I thought it was an 'automatic' process and didn't have to be requested.

I take it it *is* automatic where it is 'buyer pays postage' ? (and seller used alternative method)

[sml192]

---

@lucy_farmer wrote:

It's for all Simple Delivery refunds where 'seller pays postage' is selected.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you!

I thought it was an 'automatic' process and didn't have to be requested.

I take it it *is* automatic where it is 'buyer pays postage' ? (and seller used alternative method)

Yes, the refund will be processed automatically, within 30 days, where 'Buyer pays for postage' is selected and the label isn't used. 

[lucy_farmer]

Thank you.

I wonder why this is?

Obviously spotting when a label *hasn't* been used is simple enough for the bot to do.

So is it a case of won't , not can't , when it comes to the seller's side....?

[vinylscot]

It looks like they have brought in the extra step where a seller needs to request a refund for an unused label. It should really be refunded automatically once the label has expired.

I can only think this is to deter sellers from choosing "seller pays postage", but never using the SD label, and continuing to use their own tried and trusted postage methods.

[lucy_farmer]

Spot on.

That's the *won't* not *can't*, I meant ☹️

[sml192]

---

@vinylscot wrote:

I can only think this is to deter sellers from choosing "seller pays postage", but never using the SD label, and continuing to use their own tried and trusted postage methods.

---

Yes, I think that is almost certainly the reason behind it.  I can't think of any other logical reason for it having to be requested manually.  Obviously if the buyer has paid for the label and the seller chooses not to use it then it wouldn't really be fair to expect the buyer to request a refund manually, so they will still be refunded automatically. 

[anifkin]

Agreed. The 270+ page thread about SD with over 5000 replies seems to support this view.

Simple Delivery has caused me, and my buyer, significant inconvenience. I suspect the problem started when I selected 'sell one like this' for an identical device, then edited my listing. I think it took the dimensions from that sale. But who knows?! 

[anifkin]

Is it the case that I can use an alternative courier to ship the package to the GSP hub, with the address shown in my account, and the reference number they have allocated, and this will then be forwarded to my buyer in Germany?

If that will work then I'll do that, just to make this problem go away.

[anifkin]

Typo: GSH.