Simple Delivery

[4_bathrooms]

As per today's User Agreement update:

"Simple Delivery

We may add certain delivery options to your listings in order to help improve both seller and buyer experience for selecting a delivery label. For listings that are eligible, you may see a simplified listing flow where you are not required to select a delivery option. In such instances, your buyer may be able to choose whether to have a standard or express delivery service or whether to collect in store and will pay the delivery costs to the delivery service provider on your behalf. Once your item has sold and the buyer has paid, a delivery label will be provided to you.

By using the label provided to you or not opting out, you and your buyer agree that you purchase the label from the delivery service provider, and you agree that no further delivery costs are owed to you by your buyer. Any delivery costs you owe to the delivery service provider to send your item are paid by the buyer to the delivery service provider on your behalf. For this purpose, any applicable delivery costs are not credited to your account but deducted from the buyer’s order total and directly transferred to the delivery service provider. You also acknowledge and agree that should the buyer request a return, you may be responsible for refunding the buyer any outbound delivery costs (including for express delivery) for the label provided to you, and that the outbound delivery costs will be deducted from your account to execute the refund.

In the event that you declare the size and weight of your item at listing, you will be responsible for ensuring you declare this correctly. Should we find that you have under declared the size or weight of your item and additional delivery costs are due to the delivery service provider, the additional delivery costs will be deducted from your account."

So, the bit I understand is eBay may - at their discretion - decide dictate what delivery options are available to the buyer. That's about the only part I understand.

It then states the buyer will "pay the delivery costs to the delivery service provider on your behalf" followed by "you and your buyer agree that you purchase the label from the delivery service provider, and you agree that no further delivery costs are owed to you by your buyer". 

Quoi? The buyer pays the delivery costs to the service provider but the seller agrees they will purchase the label?

Then: "For this purpose, any applicable delivery costs are not credited to your account but deducted from the buyer’s order total and directly transferred to the delivery service provider. You also acknowledge and agree that should the buyer request a return, you may be responsible for refunding the buyer any outbound delivery costs (including for express delivery) for the label provided to you, and that the outbound delivery costs will be deducted from your account to execute the refund."

I don't understand this part at all. I understand the seller's price would include a delivery charge if they originally offered "free" shipping etc. but I can't see how the seller isn't out of pocket in any return situation. Am I being dense or missing something?

Also, nowhere does it state whether the seller remains liable for INR cases or not if they don't opt-out of this. It would seem rather unfair to hold the seller liable when not only did they not have any control over the estimated delivery date shown to the buyer but also had no control over the carrier employed. There's also no mention about how a seller would file a claim for compensation if the item they sent was lost or damaged in transit.

I'm pretty sure the "opt-out" button will be a popular choice unless eBay does a better job of explaining all this and explaining exactly what the benefits for sellers who don't choose to opt-out are.

Simple mon cul, Rodney...

[cobwebcottage]

It is poorly written. I stumbled over the same sentence and had to  re read it and I still don't understand all of it.

Surely this also means that we will no longer pay fees on the postage. I can't see Ebay being happy with that. If they are going down the Vinted route, the seller can still choose which courier the label is purchased from which prevents running to several drop off points.

Where's the opt out button?....

[*vyolla*]

Yep, eBay are trying to morph into Vinted.  😁

[4_bathrooms]

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@*vyolla* wrote:

Yep, eBay are trying to morph into Vinted.  😁

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After seeing this I thought it was eBay trying to be Amazon but I'm not sure "On Demand Delivery" is related. 

[**peaseblossom**]

Seriously, where is the opt out button?     😬

[4_bathrooms]

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@cobwebcottage wrote:

Surely this also means that we will no longer pay fees on the postage.

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If the seller offers "free" delivery the usual (standard) delivery charge is included in the price. If they offer delivery charged separately it sounds like the seller's usual option(s) will be removed and the options chosen by eBay shown instead. eBay always charges their fees on the total amount paid by the buyer so the final value fee will presumably include whatever delivery charge the buyer paid.

The bit that doesn't make sense to me is the seller doesn't receive the delivery charge levied by eBay; it is remitted directly to the carrier involved. However, in a return situation the seller is expected to refund the outgoing delivery charge in full even though they never received it. At least, that is how I understand it will work from the stated terms. Even if the seller offers "free" delivery the amount paid by the buyer is deducted from the seller's payout so I fail to see how the seller isn't out of pocket in any return scenario.

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@cobwebcottage wrote:

Where's the opt out button?....

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I don't think it's there yet. As it is mentioned sellers need to opt-out I assume that means sellers will be automatically opted-in. I just hope this doesn't end up like the GSP opt-in/out button that randomly opts sellers in without warning.

[cobwebcottage]

Unnecessary change for change sake from someone in the tower trying justify their wages.

No benefit to the buyer or seller.

[technthread]

This isn't a bad idea if the start out simple with Vinted style small / medium / large options to make it easy to understand. And offer competitive pricing... Vinted and their carriers don't police this at all, I buy 10kg items, the seller lists it as a small parcel and there is never any comeback. 

In the event that you declare the size and weight of your item at listing, you will be responsible for ensuring you declare this correctly.

They need to make sure the simplified listing format on the app doesn't cause chaos on this point. That is, assuming they don't just let everything go through. 

It is a very tricky thing to manage as a small parcel in an InPost locker can be very different to an Evri small parcel, for example. If they roll this out to private sellers they will have to give a lot of leeway with clear instructions until people get used to the process. 

I would probably opt in if it is implemented properly. 

[technthread]

One of the main benefits is InPost Lockers. It just doesn't work on here yet, on Vinted it is so popular and generally the cheapest option if locker to locker delivery is selected.. 

[technthread]

They will need to make sure sellers have some control in terms of being able to select couriers that they can't use. If sellers live rurally there may not be an InPost, Yodel etc for miles. I'm sure there will be a lot of problems to iron out but we should be open minded to it. 

[the_book_seekers]

ebay needs to provide clarification (specifically on how to opt out). What exactly makes a listing eligible? When is this going live? What make ebay think this is going to 'improve' a sellers experience? I think most will view it as another unnecessary interference.

[technthread]

I'd love to know this. It may be a placeholder T&C for something that doesn't get rolled out for a while but I hope not.

If they can offer £2.29 or so postage on a small parcel up to 1kg and let the buyer choose which InPost Locker or Evri/Yodel collection point they want it delivering to it is a win win for everyone. I would imagine clothing is the perfect category to start trialling it. 

[4_bathrooms]

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@*vyolla* wrote:

Yep, eBay are trying to morph into Vinted.  😁

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Having look at Vinted's offering it seems they (Vinted) compensate the seller if the item is lost or damaged by an "integrated carrier". Well, up to a limit of £500 provided the item was packed properly - I assume they require evidence of that. Another key difference is Vinted is purely a C2C marketplace and it seems they don't entertain remorse returns (please correct me if I'm wrong).

Having thought about the seller being out of pocket for the outgoing shipping I now realise I'm perhaps wrong about that. Instead of the seller receiving the postage/shipping levied and paying it to a carrier it is conveyed directly to the carrier instead; the seller would be liable for refunding the outgoing postage/shipping in any case. And even if "free" delivery was being offered most people know that "free" shipping isn't really free. 

[*vyolla*]

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@4_bathrooms wrote:

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@*vyolla* wrote:

Yep, eBay are trying to morph into Vinted.  😁

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Having look at Vinted's offering it seems they (Vinted) compensate the seller if the item is lost or damaged by an "integrated carrier". Well, up to a limit of £500 provided the item was packed properly - I assume they require evidence of that. Another key difference is Vinted is purely a C2C marketplace and it seems they don't entertain remorse returns (please correct me if I'm wrong).

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You're right, the reason being that (at the moment) only private sellers may list on Vinted. 

[theelench]

I'd like to know more about how this fits together with the Late Delivery Metric.  The buyer is deciding who delivers an item and ebay is deciding when it should be delivered.  Am I still responsible if it arrives 'late' when I have no say in the matter ?

I've used only one delivery company since I started selling on ebay.  I trust them, they haven't lost or broken anything in ten years of selling.  I trust them to deliver my purchases as again in ten plus years there service has been faultless, but deliveries made by some other companies have arrived broken.

Without knowing more I don't feel happy about having a buyer looking at an ebay list, selecting the cheapest option, safe in the knowledge that if it arrives in pieces they will be refunded.  Selling glass items, I don't like that idea at all.

Until I've seen more info. I'm hoping that with all the mentions of labels my stuff won't be eligible because I take it to the post office and don't buy ebay labels.

Perhaps that might be a way out for others who would rather not be enrolled ?  

[the_book_seekers]

ebay mentions opting out. I don't see that sellers can be made to participate - it has to be their choice. 

This is just more pressure on sellers to offer something they're not completely comfortable with. 

[theelench]

That sounds like everyone will be automatically opted in by ebay and if they don't want it, can then opt out.

I remember when everyone was enrolled in the International Shipping Programme (ISP) and had to opt out if they didn't want to ship overseas.

I do hope ebay makes a better job of it this time as that box kept re-ticking itself years after, due to a periodic 'glitch'.  It was still turning itself back on, on my listing form, not too long ago.

It really should be the other way around, the default being "No Change", if this is such a good idea, sellers will be happy to opt-in once they've read ALL the relevant info.  and weighed up the pros and cons.

Anything else just makes me suspicious that there is more benefit in this for ebay than for anyone else, why else is ebay in such a rush to get everyone on board ?

[jckl1957]

I don't like the idea of 'being sent a label'.

Actually, I won't be sent a label to put on the parcel - I will be sent a link to print a label.  I have a printer but it is about 14 years old and is a bit temperamental and uses expensive ink cartridges which suddenly and randomly run out.

What about the padded envelopes I buy, plus bubblewrap and tape?  Currently, I include a cost for those in my postage costs.  I am a private seller and not looking to make a profit, but I do need to cover my costs.

So, having printed the label on my old, temperamental printer, and put it on the padded envelope that I am providing free of charge, I then have to drop the parcel off in my small town.

I can walk to the Post Office - at least one of the parcel shops would involve a drive and as for 'inpost lockers', I am not quite sure what they are or if there are any close to me.

I'll admit, I am 67 and don't like change.  Especially when it looks like change for the sake of change.

Rant over.

Thanks for reading.

[theelench]

I'm 71 and my printer just went on permanent strike a few years back when I last changed lap-top, so it went to a charity shop.

Luckily I have three post offices nearby in easy walking distance.

In my local Lidl cat park there are a block of Inpost Lockers and they do seem to be getting busier, although as they seem to rely on people using their mobiles to gain access, so not much use to me.

Another thing I don't like is, having watched the delivery / collection driver several times, that as they take parcels out, they stack them on the pavement.  The lockers are in the open, so hard luck if your parcel is on the wet surface or if it takes any length of time to do whatever he's doing and your parcel is in heavy rain getting wet.

To me it looks like further complications and another pile of things to go wrong with something that can be so easy.  (Go to post office > buy stamp.)  Unless ebay has some, yet to be revealed, compelling reason to try this, I'll probably not bother with it.  Having been here for ten years I've seen various fads, bells and whistles announced to great fanfare, promising all kinds of wonderous enhancements to the "ebay experience", only to see them quietly fade away not long afterwards.

[ett1954]

@theelench   "Unless ebay has some, yet to be revealed, compelling reason to try this"

Follow the money - more people using this equates to more commissions they receive from their selected couriers with whom they undoubtably have negotiated preferable discount rates for themselves.