The NEW LOOK eBay

[baillin-0]

Simple question. Do you think these new changes they have introduced a good or a terrible move?

For me personally they are bad because I will have to leave.

Simple Delivery just doesn't work for what I sell, lots of people on here saying the same. 

Big question is what are the benefits for buyers or sellers cannot see any myself?    

[lucy_farmer]

'Yes, one of the more surprising benefits has been that more longterm users are increasingly discovering a life beyond Ebay?'

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Actually, yes, you're right!

I was wedded to shopping on ebay because I'm extremely lazy and was used to it and couldn't be bothered to find out about other stuff..........

Well recently, I've been all over the place and only gone back to ebay when I couldn't find what I was looking for anywhere else!

So I do have to thank this upheaval for dragging me out of my comfort zone and making me find out about the rest of the world 😂

.... not sure that was the effect ebay wanted to have on their users, but never mind..😆

[department28]

Even though many will be ok with printing labels at home, (providing their computer & printer are on speaking terms...😄) eBay obviously did not take into account all those who don't have printers, and/or would prefer to use stamps.

It is no wonder many private sellers are feeling disgruntled - and unwanted by eBay.

Maybe new sellers will settle in to the 'new look' eBay without much trouble - until they have been around long enough to experience changes that spoil things for them, too...!

[baillin-0]

Maybe eBay are to big to bother if hundreds of users like myself do a runner to try some where else,

BUT HOPE NOT.

Maybe they do notice and realise they have shot themselves in the foot getting us to use these stupid changes.

No complaints from me at all with eBay before they did this, everything for me did work fine.

Used eBay for years even recommending them to friends, Sorry eBay not any more.

I do own a printer but on principle will not be printing labels not when I still have plenty of postage stamps to stick on the envelopes i send stuff away in, why change, when its so much easier using a post box or the P.O.

Can only keep my fingers crossed they see the light and go back to the old way that worked perfectly for years for both their buyers and sellers.      

[cbclassicbuyer]

It's the loss of control that gets me. They are my items I'm selling and I'll post them the way I feel most suitable for the item, for me and for the buyer. I've never had a problem with this over the past 20 years. How Ebay think they can expect adults  to tow the line without a fight is beyond me.

Make SD optional. 

[crafty_cat_lover]

I think one of the problems on Ebay is that a lot of people don't like change. I personally don't like that there are numerous shops and cafes that don't take cash yet a lot of people don't agree with me and no longer use cash anymore.

I guess the Ebay changes are the same, bearing in mind Vinted are doing quite nicely with the same processes that some Ebayers don't like.

Just like using cash, we all have a choice. I currently chose not to use those places that don't take cash (although parking may become a major issue if we can only pay using an APP) and people who don't like the Ebay changes can go elsewhere - although obviously not Vinted!

[zed.1015]

The problem with ebay isn't change but change for the worse and change with no choice.

Non of it is real world improvements but more like sideways and backwards steps just for the sake of it that are seriously damaging Ebays appeal and driving away life long members of both buying  and selling alike.

All they had to do was MAKE SD AN OPTION with the CHOICE that allows you to continue using your preferred  and proven postage method if you wish and all the many threads like this wouldn't exist..

After a while they would soon see that 99% of sellers likely won't use SD and they could quietly slip it out the back door and give it the send off it deserves..

[crafty_cat_lover]

So explain why Vinted are doing well despite the buyers chosing the chosing their postage option and the sellers having no say except for items too large or heavy - a bit like Ebay SD.

I'm also curious where you get your figure of 99% of sellers likely won't use SD. Of course there will be some and they are posting on these boards but the majority of the thousands of Ebay UK private sellers will just carry as before.

[podlingsmum2007]

There are more carrier options on the other site. No penalty increase in price for a carrier if another one is disabled from use either.

[moonlight-rhapsody]

"The problem with ebay isn't change but change for the worse and change with no choice."

Exactly.  It hasn't been changed for our benefit.  It's been changed because the CEO wanted a new "revenue stream" that he could boast about to investors.  Ebay call it "Managed Shipping" internally.  They thought they'd be able to get away with it by changing the name to "Simple Delivery".   They must have thought we'd be simple-minded enough to buy it. 

[zed.1015]

The only simple minded are those at Ebay who thought it was a good idea.

If brains were Dynamite they haven't got enough to blow their own noses.

[baillin-0]

I am all for a change when I see a clever improvement that makes something better and much easier to use.

But with these changes they have made it more complicated than before they have taken us over making us print their Simple Delivery labels and not giving us any other choices.

I am like you, but its not happened to me yet if buying a bar of chocolate and being told I can only pay by a card and not the £5 note in my hand afraid I would have to tell them what to do with it.

Bob Dylan- The times they are a-changin.      

[moonlight-rhapsody]

"So explain why Vinted are doing well despite the buyers chosing the chosing their postage option and the sellers having no say except for items too large or heavy - a bit like Ebay SD."

Vinted was founded by a 20-something year old and its appeal (at least originally) was to people of a similar age.  Those people probably didn't sell on ebay which is populated more by older people, so the Vinted sellers didn't know that a better way existed and have accepted the business model they were presented with.

[zed.1015]

As already mentioned by other posters the wider choice of couriers etc and not the very limited choice between one half decent and one terrible option.

As for the 99% it doesn't really matter what rhetorical figure i plucked out of the air it's the fact they ARE and will continue losing users because of their blinkered decision to force SD as the only postage method .

If it had been introduced and pitched as an option they would have avoided all the uproar and over time the usage figures would have shown whether SD was a viable prospect to eventually phase it in completely or not but whether the percentage of users that rejected it's use was 99% , 75%,  44.3% , 23.7% or whatever other random figure it's not great business practice to introduce "improvements" that alienates established users and drives away existing custom.. 

[akemp1]

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@lucy_farmer wrote:

S.D. is only on private accounts though.... if you're using your trading allowance, you have to be *trading*. 

I.e. a business.

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Well we know ebay have accidentally put SD on some business seller listings.

My comment was just that "some sellers would benefit from having it as an option" so wasn't specifically limited to those sellers where ebay are offering it and making it mandatory. It could be of benefit to both private sellers using Evri already or business sellers wanting to make the most use of their use of their trading allowance, etc.

[akemp1]

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@crafty_cat_lover wrote:

So explain why Vinted are doing well

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The fixed element of their buyer tax starts as low as 30p

They combine the buyer tax without paying duplicate fixed elements

They let buyers place orders automatically combing the postage usually at no extra cost.

They let sellers configure automatic bundle discounts which can partly or fully cover the buyer tax.

They let seller use a wide range of carriers with no penalties for removing some.

They let buyers choose from the names of the carrier rather than just SD standard / express.

They have low cost options such as £2.29

They did not attempt to charge more than carrier list price for postage.

They often have promotions to discount or cover the postage even on low value items.

Overall I would say that what they have is better than both the old and new way of selling on ebay as it encourages efficiencies from multiple purchases from the same seller. Buying two £1 items on from the same seller would be around £10 on ebay with duplicate buyer tax and postage but it would only be around £5 there.

[edwardian-dreams]

The only benefit simple delivery has given me is having to click once or twice less when generating a label

wow

and I suppose a benefit is not paying more for tracked 48 RM because when it started I had to pay 3.71 or something..not that I ever did but that’s the price they quoted 

The downside of it is it being imposed were it doesn’t have to be imposed even though they have said certain things are exempt there’s no reason a £11 item needs protection with tracked postage when a £10 item doesn’t or a 150g item can’t go custom but a 100g can 

i suppose if something went wrong they do all the legwork to get refunds and moneys back off the carrrier which is great

i expect they’ll be doing a lot of that with evri 🤣

[wintersdawn1]

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@akemp1 wrote:

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@crafty_cat_lover wrote:

So explain why Vinted are doing well

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The fixed element of their buyer tax starts as low as 30p

They combine the buyer tax without paying duplicate fixed elements

They let buyers place orders automatically combing the postage usually at no extra cost.

They let sellers configure automatic bundle discounts which can partly or fully cover the buyer tax.

They let seller use a wide range of carriers with no penalties for removing some.

They let buyers choose from the names of the carrier rather than just SD standard / express.

They have low cost options such as £2.29

They did not attempt to charge more than carrier list price for postage.

They often have promotions to discount or cover the postage even on low value items.

Overall I would say that what they have is better than both the old and new way of selling on ebay as it encourages efficiencies from multiple purchases from the same seller. Buying two £1 items on from the same seller would be around £10 on ebay with duplicate buyer tax and postage but it would only be around £5 there.

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Thanks for that list, wow it really does make ebay seem bad!

I just registered for a Vinted account this week and had my first order come today, was given half price postage.  They are also offering the buyer of my first item sold free postage to make it more likely they will buy from me.  Can't imagine ebay doing anything like these things now, their greed is all they want to satisfy now regardless of anything or anyone. 

[akemp1]

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@wintersdawn1 wrote:

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I just registered for a Vinted account this week and had my first order come today, was given half price postage.  They are also offering the buyer of my first item sold free postage to make it more likely they will buy from me.  Can't imagine ebay doing anything like these things now, their greed is all they want to satisfy now regardless of anything or anyone. 

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Welcome to the dark side but it was ebay SD that drove us to open accounts there.

I've now done 16 transactions at that place and it just shows how stale and awful ebay's proposition has become. That's why I don't think we need to pressure them as market forces will do that anyway and our job as a forum is just to let them know what they are doing wrong.

[wintersdawn1]

Yes it was recent changes aimed at private sellers that made me investigate Vinted.  I had heard of it before but ebay helped me take the plunge and try it out.

The seller feedback system they have helps to avoid bad sellers and with Vinted expanding their categories to take the business that isn't good enough for ebay now, they'll hopefully do well.

Perhaps there was a time when ebay was more dynamic and able to think of things to attract buyers and sellers but now they have turned into a greed obsessed monster that will devour anyone to get what they want.

[akemp1]

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@wintersdawn1 wrote:

The seller feedback system they have helps to avoid bad sellers and with Vinted expanding their categories to take the business that isn't good enough for ebay now, they'll hopefully do well.

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Yes maybe ebay didn't know about that competitive expansion when deciding to dump on everyone. It's annoying that place has a Vision that limits which categories they may ever offer. The site language still seems focused around clothes and doesn't really work when thinking about the new categories. I wish they would better embrace the opportunity and open up more categories as they seem in prime position to take the best private sellers and buyers away from ebay.