Simple delivery - is there any way around it?

[jocol_7214]

Hi guys, I sell pokemon cards on Ebay and just like everyone else I've been forced into this simple delivery thing. When I am selling cards it isn't a problem as the system always gives me a Tracked 48/24 large letter. 

I've decided to sell my old Xbox Series S on ebay however and I want to send it DPD next day, as they're the courier I trust the most. I assumed that ebay would show me the buyer's address before I generate the simple delivery label so I can just buy the postage elsewhere but as far as I'm aware they don't? 

Is there any way around this? 

I really don't trust Royal Mail to send a potential £150 parcel, being totally honest. I've already disabled Evri for the same reason.

[vinylscot]

Your summary at comment no.8 was correct.

Unfortunately, on all these threads, sooner or later someone with an agenda comes along and tries to derail the conversation. Ignore them. They are assuming implausible, worst-case, scenarios.

[jocol_7214]

Cool, thank you 🙂

I'm just going to use SD as DPDs compensation is... expensive. They are my preferred courier but I think RM should be okay too.

[jckl1957]

I don't know if there is a link but, as you can see from the two labels above, Simple Delivery does use RM Tracked 48.

If an item has been listed with Simple Delivery, the only way to access the buyer's address is to open the label.  A seller can then see for themselves the service which is being used.  If they then, with that INFORMATION (as opposed to guesswork, supposition, irrational prejudices etc.) choose not to trust the service their buyer has chosen and paid for, then that is up to the individual seller.

[j.p.greenwood]

As I said, it's possible it's using that for the actual shipping, however, if it's E-Bay buying the service 'in bulk' then there's no certainty which terms are actually in effect.

Unless E-Bay have specifically published in their T's & C's that it's the 'official' Royal Mail service and those terms apply no-one can be certain.  And don't forget, when someone files a claim, the claim handler is LOOKING for ways to deny that claim and at the moment there is uncertainty,, which is what needs to be directly addressed by E-Bay.

For example, are you even certain whether it's E-Bay or the Couriers who will actually be making any upcoming compensation payments?  Because there's nothing in any of the T's & C's that answer that question and my only concern is preventing members making well meaning assumptions that cost them hard cash later.

[dls-online]

"...choose not to trust the service their buyer has chosen and paid for".

If you're offering Free Postage, and send a parcel through Royal Mail 48 Tracked, but without going through Simple Delivery, so as to provide yourself with enhanced cover (i.e. so you deal directly with RM rather than ebay), I'm struggling to see why from the buyer's perspective, this is any different?!

Because of Richard's current case, which I believe is still ongoing, I feel there's quite a bit of uncertainty about Simple Delivery. As a reminder of the key issues about the ongoing case:

(i) An item of high value (a gold coin) was dispatched via Simple Delivery (the only option that we're told was available to the seller).
(ii) Royal Mail "delivered" the parcel to the buyer in a "safe place" which turned out to be outside the Buyer's house (as per the proof of delivery photo RM provided).
(iii) The buyer claims the item was subsequently stolen from said "safe place". So they never received the parcel, and therefore the buyer opened a "Item Not Received" case.

(iv) Richard (the seller) sought compensation through Simple Delivery for the stolen parcel, as he followed ebay protocol and sent the item in good faith via Simple Delivery.

(v) Currently ebay are asking for a "proof of delivery signature" to show successful delivery, so ebay can then process Richard's claim for compensation.
(vi) Simple Delivery, via Royal Mail Tracked 48, does not include obtaining a signature upon delivery.

That's where I believe we currently are. Will be interesting to see how this all pans out...

I also don't like the fact that the legal T&Cs have excluded items which means ebay might not be legally required to pay out if an item from those excluded item lists went missing. As I said before, only time will tell...

[ceres_plantery]

If an item is worth about £150, why should it be left outside the house? There should be a clause stipulating that the onus should be with the buyer if their DESIGNATED SAFE PLACE is NOT safe.