Thread for sellers' experiences of Simple Delivery and if only their chosen carrier is actually used

[jjambadger27]

Yes, I know there are a lot of Simple Delivery threads but I imagine this one will be helpful for others too.

I'm holding off listing any more items and taking existing ones down tomorrow as there's no way that I want to use Evri. I asked earlier this week in the community chat if it's correct that eBay can override my choice of item carrier even if I've specified that I only want to use Royal Mail.

The response was "That could happen, but only under very specific scenarios. For example, if you disable Royal Mail can keep Evri only, but Evri doesn't deliver to the buyer's location, or doesn't offer the service needed, then it would be sent with Royal Mail."

Quite ambiguous. Whilst I'm left presuming that only Royal Mail will be used, I don't know for sure which isn't good enough. eBay could at least expand on these other scenarios - after all, they are apparently "very specific". eBay also haven't said what Standard Delivery or Express Delivery represents - Evri or Royal Mail, or RM Tracked 48 and 24 if you've chosen Royal Mail? 

It's rubbish that sellers will be guinea pigs in all of this, but with some brave souls using Simple Delivery already for selling, it would be good to know if their delivery company choices were adhered to or not. 

Better putting that here than some of the more all-encompassing long Simple Delivery threads, I reckon. 

[akemp1]

As much as I am opposed to SD on principle I did try both buying and selling a small parcel with it via Evri and it was fine although than my Evri drop-off is a pain to get to, and as always Evri they just dump deliveries outside the front door making no attempt to hide it.

However as I send around 50% via RM large letter, often over 100g, it's going to be uneconomic and inconvenient so I've stopped buying and selling on ebay in protest.

[suelel1968]

This is on my first listing with SD. I was going to relist with Yodel and let it change over automatically, but decided to do it "properly". I think it said £2.94 but lists as £2.45 or £2.87. Yodel was £2.69, so SD IS cheaper !

I am not happy about delivery in 2-3 days (I have 3 day dispatch)  and the detail behind the 2-3 days states that it includes my dispatch time, which I've seen mention of elsewhere. However, why would anyone pay an extra 42p for the privilege of getting it a day later!

[suelel1968]

This one used to be RM Large letter £1.90, so more expensive, but not as much as they had us believe.

[suelel1968]

And the final trial listing had no option for SD at all. They have all been sell similar and similar weights and measures. No option for SD when I went in to edit it either. i would call my experience, "mixed"

[suelel1968]

And now 30mins later it shows as this for the £2.94 one that originally showed as £2.45. I think my experience is going downhill rapidly.

[suelel1968]

when trying to add the dimensions of my 85p letter post items it doesn't let me enter 0.5cm on a desk top....cunning!

[cbclassicbuyer]

So looking at your screen shot, express delivery will take longer than standard delivery 😂😂😂

[akemp1]

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@cbclassicbuyer wrote:

So looking at your screen shot, express delivery will take longer than standard delivery 😂😂😂

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Well spotted. It's just a nonsense to call one carrier express and another one standard they should just be honest with people (a frequent issue with ebay...) and say which company the buyer is getting. Even the competitor that ebay is copying makes that very clear when I placed my first order there today.

SD is just ridiculous, embarrassing and shameful.

There's a special place in Mr Blobby land for whoever came up with it.

The more change I see the more it looks like ebay deserves to fail as it can't get the basics right.

[suelel1968]

And the LL £1.90 SD item has now changed to 2.70.

[brookheather]

If you offer collection has anyone noticed that it says "Save £2.45" when the postage cost is £2.94?

[davrman]

Those prices are excluding VAT. Standard Tracked is Evri and Express Tracked is Royal Mail Tracked 24, so well worth an extra 50p in my opinion. The Estimated Delivery Dates being nonsense is a long running saga, but apparently it's "working as intended".

[akemp1]

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@davrman wrote:

Those prices are excluding VAT. Standard Tracked is Evri and Express Tracked is Royal Mail Tracked 24, so well worth an extra 50p in my opinion. 

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It's not worth the extra when most buyers and sellers are perfectly happy with RM Tracked 48 at 3.45 inc vat if only ebay hadn't seriously restrict our options.

[papso22]

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@brookheather wrote:

If you offer collection has anyone noticed that it says "Save £2.45" when the postage cost is £2.94?

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That's the troublesome 20% VAT again.  The 'savings' is VAT exclusive,  the postage is VAT inclusive. 

Why does ebay keep getting this sort of thing wrong?

[akemp1]

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@papso22 wrote:

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Why does ebay keep getting this sort of thing wrong?

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Because the software coders cannot keep up with the management decisions makers.

Just imagine how butchered the database structures and source code for the ebay's platform must look by now after years of bad ideas being implemented and reworked - it must be very hard to maintain and change.

[papso22]

Agree, it's almost, if not already, unfit for purpose.

[jjambadger27]

It is ridiculous. There is no transparency with regards to what Standard Delivery and Express Delivery represents. Why can't eBay just state this? It makes no sense for the former to be Evri if I've specified that I don't want to use that company as a seller, but we know eBay can override that in "very specific scenarios" that Marco from eBay didn't expand on in the weekly chat.

[akemp1]

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@jjambadger27 wrote:

 There is no transparency with regards to what Standard Delivery and Express Delivery represents. Why can't eBay just state this?

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I'm guessing it's because they don't want to tell buyers it's Evri or they won't select it and if they tell them the other one is RM then buyers will think they are being overcharged.

And they want to keep their options open to mess around with it in future, if this/they even have a future.

[rigbyl01]

I wrote on another thread about a light weight thin blouse I was looking at , the seller is on SD , the postage like you say does not quote who it is with : standard tracked at £4.27, express tracked at £4.50 , the only place on the price chart provided by EB .. is for a small parcel with RM only at £4.27, can not see any where where there is a price for £4.50 , but the laughable part is the standard tracked is delivery in 2 -3 days , the express is 3 days … it’s ridiculous.. far far better to allow us to choose our choice of postage method , a thin blouse like that would be £2.70 if printed direct from RM , 48 tracked, or £2.90 over thr counter for RM at the PO …,how can EB claim they are 20% cheaper ?.. 

[downsizingxs]

I quite agree. I'm taking virtually all my listings down on the 14th as I'm still able to choose at the moment. As I don't always have access to a car I normally choose Royal Mail 48/24 Tracked & collected. Evri does collect but not as a separate platform if bought elsewhere i.e. eBay, so I've removed that option.

I won't be listing again until I see some sort of resolution to all the self inflicted problems eBay have given themselves.

It never rains but it pours as our local postal round is vacant so fill in service hap hazard at the moment 😞