This is all getting a bit personal, which is why I've basically stopped posting, because lets face it, no one is being convinced of anything, people have their views, have given them and not it's just swirling around, becoming more heated, but little else. People who aren't happy with the changes ebay are making have genuine grievances, and to the business sellers commenting here, frankly your opinions mean nothing, you aren't affected by what has happened. You can carry on and that's fine, but this is a matter that is solely effects private sellers. Oh, and to those who sell one or two things every blue moon, please, we all know you won't have an issue there, because all you are doing is showing that isn't how you mainly operate on ebay.
I've been on ebay on another account for nearly 25 years, my feedback on that account is five figures. Mostly a buyer but I sell too. I know people who've used ebay for many years and their circumstances have changed depending on what happens in their real lives. What ebay is doing would have significantly have impacted many of them. Honestly, it effects me too. The reason is simple. The money I get helps me out, as it does lots of folk here.. With ebay becoming more prescriptive, that help diminishes because not only is it more complicated, it means that the money isn't as readily available. You think two weeks, which in many cases is what we are talking about here, isn't too long to wait? Let me turn it round, do buyers like waiting that long to receive their items?
Over the years I've had buyers who contact me the day after buying to ask if the item is sent yet. After a week some are sending message after message. The only negative fb on my account in the last year is a guy who regularly leaves people negative fb for no reason. I had stated the item would take a while to send in the listing, a largish item stored elsewhere, and at the time I was having house renovations. Nevertheless, he left negative fb, even after I stated I'd happily refund him, and relist the item for less at a later date just for him. As my other fb shows, I do what I can for any buyer to make sure they have a good experience, because when I'm buying that's what I want too. Yet now sellers are asked to wait, for no reason I might add, in a way buyers don't want to, and lets be honest, the wait to send items is mostly physical, be it getting the right box, packing, having it collected and whichever courier/postal service delivering the item, so there is a reason for it.
Ebay have made the changes to make more money, we all know that. If fees had made more cash, they'd have stuck with that, but they didn't. At least, not for now. Give it a year, I can foresee these changes being supplemented by fees, but that's the future. I read Simple Delivery today. It says you can opt-out, which I will. If that changes in future, who knows, people here were talking as though it will be imposed. As someone who doesn't drive and has limited mobility, my parcels are collected, so if the change is to make me use a drop-off, I am done, no question. people liked ebay because you could do things your own way, as long as the item arrived in a reasonable time and intact. That has changed significantly, and no, people don't like that.
I will add, on every forum I use that belongs to a company, there are some people, on some sites moderators, on others guides or helpers, whatever, and no matter what the company does they defend it. If that's all you come here to do, please, do us all a favour and keep your praise to yourself. You don't help matters and just add to the friction that builds into negative comments and being personal. As someone in real life who has dealt with a lot of hate face to face and basically knows exactly how to cut people off at the knees, I stop myself from becoming too engaged because I know it gets nowhere. I'd happily say everything I say here or elsewhere to that person's face, no question, but I'd suggest, if you wouldn't, you shouldn't write it here. The world doesn't need more keyboard warriors, we already have a world where, as the Jarvis Cocker song says, certain people are running the world, (google it). Lets not sink to their level.
