Simple delivery is far from simple

[thesupremesilversurfer]

It's just stupid. A massive oversight from Ebay.

So I have to pack every item I sell before I list and sell it.

How else am I going to know how much it weighs?????

Ridiculous idea

Why cant I use all the other senders Yodel Parcelforce DHL etc etc

[edwardian-dreams]

When you list an item ebay recommends a size  and weight (highlighted in blue)

if you’re sending   parcels then it’s not so bad 

if youre item is  oversized or overweight as long as they made  the  recommendation ,you can just send it and it’s  no t your problem   anymore 

[sml192]

It should be relatively easy to estimate the size/weight band irequired without having to pack the item first.  You just need to weigh and measure the item and if any of the dimensions are close to the cut off point for a particular band then you know that you will need the next one up. 

[thesupremesilversurfer]

And therein lies the issue. ESTIMATE!!! Costs escalating. What if I under ESTIMATE.
A prepaid label which is incorrect.
I list items roughly 30 at a time of all different shapes, sizes and weights. They are listed from photos that I've taken of said items and then stored away until they sell.
Simple delivery is a logistical nightmare.

Sent from Outlook for Android<>

[ruby*ryan]

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@thesupremesilversurfer wrote:
And therein lies the issue. ESTIMATE!!! Costs escalating. What if I under ESTIMATE.
A prepaid label which is incorrect.
I list items roughly 30 at a time of all different shapes, sizes and weights. They are listed from photos that I've taken of said items and then stored away until they sell.
Simple delivery is a logistical nightmare.

Sent from Outlook for Android<>

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How did you set the postage before SD?

Surely you had to get the weight/size of the packed item then?

[thesupremesilversurfer]

I would price the item I'm selling at a fair price but mostly with free delivery. It would then be up to me to find the cheapest or fastest or most suitable parcel or large envelope etc to suit the item for mine and the customers requirements. Not dictated to

[thesupremesilversurfer]

Ok sounds better.

So if I just list eveything using ebays recommended weight and size as you say highlighted in blue, then if they get it wrong then the parcel will still arrive on time and I or the customer won't be charged any excess due to their error of guessing what my parcel will measure and weigh?

[thesupremesilversurfer]

Ok. First item just sold using the recommended highlighted blue. Gone to pack it and it's bigger than the recommended prepaid postage. Do I just send it and hope for the best?

[edwardian-dreams]

Yes that’s what eBay say

see second paragraph 

where it says as long as you don’t go over the maximum for the service, I think that means the largest size and weight that the carrier does 

So for instance if eBay recommends a 2kg medium parcel and yours is a 5kg one then you’re fine to send

if it recommends a 2kg medium parcel and yours is over 20kg and bigger than medium parcel then you,ll be charged extra 

hope that makes sense

[department28]

'So for instance if eBay recommends a 2kg medium parcel and yours is a 5kg one then you’re fine to send

if it recommends a 2kg medium parcel and yours is over 20kg and bigger than medium parcel then you,ll be charged extra.' 

I still think this is a very unsatisfactory system. I would much rather know I had purchased the exactly correct size/weight label for a parcel before posting it.  Then there can be no worries at all about it being under or over anything...

[forestfeline62]

we have scales here and measure our parcels that way. If ebay give a recommended  weight and it is wrong ,there are options to change to the right weight ,I have been selling large padded camera bags and when packed have been over 2 kg ,so I opted for the 10kg option and ebay automatically put the postage in .It is not such a problem with evri but with the post office they have been told not to accept parcels that are over the weight and size on the ebay label and one lady in a post office told us that if they do take a simple delivery parcel that weighs and measures more than the label says ,then the parcel goes into a naughty bag so that the royal mail know and then the recipient at the other end has to pay the extra 

[ruby*ryan]

Your post office lady needs to contact Royal Mail and find out exactly what she is supposed to do.

One of the reasons I never use a PO. 

[ruby*ryan]

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@department28 wrote:

'So for instance if eBay recommends a 2kg medium parcel and yours is a 5kg one then you’re fine to send

if it recommends a 2kg medium parcel and yours is over 20kg and bigger than medium parcel then you,ll be charged extra.' 

I still think this is a very unsatisfactory system. I would much rather know I had purchased the exactly correct size/weight label for a parcel before posting it.  Then there can be no worries at all about it being under or over anything...

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I think it's a great system when the buyer pays £2.26 for a 2kg+ parcel that would have cost around £5 to send if eBay hadn't decided it was a 1kg LL! I'm trying to make the most of it at the moment, before they decide to make sellers pay for any overcharges.

[sml192]

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@forestfeline62 wrote:

It is not such a problem with evri but with the post office they have been told not to accept parcels that are over the weight and size on the ebay label and one lady in a post office told us that if they do take a simple delivery parcel that weighs and measures more than the label says ,then the parcel goes into a naughty bag so that the royal mail know and then the recipient at the other end has to pay the extra 

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Post Offices have been told no such thing.  They have been told to accept all parcels with a Simple Delivery label provided it is within the maximum dimensions permitted by the carrier.   There also won't be any surcharges to the buyer as eBay's contract with Royal Mail is based on averages not actuals.  Any discrepancies will just be monitored and taken into consideration when the contract is next reviewed/renegotiated.

This is the advice the Post Office gives on their own website:

How do you post things on eBay?

You’ve made a successful sale, now it’s time to post your product to your customer. There are lots of posting options out there to choose from, including through Post Office.

If you have a personal eBay account, you’ll most likely be using Simple Delivery. This means the buyer pays for the postage and you’ll be sent a prepaid postage label. You can print this yourself or ask the Post Office team to print it from a QR code. Our branches should accept all parcels, as long as they’re within the service’s maximum weight and dimensions (20 kg and 61 cm x 46cm x 46cm).

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

[forestfeline62]

if you have scales you know exactly the weight and we measure our parcels too with a tape measure so we know the size & weight .With the Post office my partner had a book that when wrapped was just marginally too thick to get through the large letter slot ,but ebay had estimated it as large letter but when my partner handed her the QR code to scan the label came out and then she tried to put the package through the large letter slot but it was tight so she said then that it would go in the naughty bag etc .We have since purchased a template that has a letter and large letter slot in it so we know exactly where we are ,so that we know the buyer isn't going to be charged at the other end .

[oldbargainbits]

Is the "Naughty Bag" behind the counter maybe...? 😜

[vinylscot]

Sadly, there are still a lot of posters who think it's more important to have a go at eBay than to actually post truthfully.

No post office could possibly still be operating so ignorantly of their required procedures. Yes, there could have been some initial confusion, but these days are long behind us.

[forestfeline62]

Get some scales and a tape measure problem solved, we picked up some cheap kitchen scales that go up to 5 kg . There are probably scales that weigh more but up to 5 kg is enough for us . 

[ruby*ryan]

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@forestfeline62 wrote:

if you have scales you know exactly the weight and we measure our parcels too with a tape measure so we know the size & weight .With the Post office my partner had a book that when wrapped was just marginally too thick to get through the large letter slot ,but ebay had estimated it as large letter but when my partner handed her the QR code to scan the label came out and then she tried to put the package through the large letter slot but it was tight so she said then that it would go in the naughty bag etc .We have since purchased a template that has a letter and large letter slot in it so we know exactly where we are ,so that we know the buyer isn't going to be charged at the other end .

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The buyer won't be charged at the other end.  When a business has an account with a courier/RM any overcharges will be the responsibility of the account holder.

I have had a few 'oversized' parcels since using SD, and as I have used the eBay 'recommended' option there has been no charge to myself or the buyer.