eBay - PLEASE read the room and Trustpilot

[downsizingxs]

A few years ago I'd have been really shocked to see the results below. Not now after the new rules forced on Private sellers.

[gnosemalf]

I'm glad it works for you. If it wasn't optional, I wouldn't have a problem but it doesn't work for everybody and people should not have to try to explain why it doesn't work for them. Simple Delivery is not just a policy change, it is a disrupting shift in workflow, a rip off if one compares the shipping charges to existing Royal Mail tariffs and a cheek, forcing sellers to use a duopoly of companies that eBay have gone into partnership with who are probably rubbing their hands - I would have thought that every other major shipping company would have made some kind of representation to the Competition and Markets Authority.

One of my greatest gripes is when one asks a question on any forum (but particularly Apple's) how to do something and there will be one Alec with a reputation score in five figures who will demand to know why on earth you want to do that rather than offer a solution.

[thepillenwerfer]

You are, of course, correct that Simple Delivery doesn't work for everybody as not everybody has a local Post Office or Evri drop-off point and may not be able to deal with Royal Mail Collections.  If e-Bay had done a deal with two different companies my selling days would be over as none of them have pick-up points near me.  However no business can please everybody — changes to public transport are going to be improvements for some and detriments to others for instance — and can only hope they satisfy most of their customers.  We've been told that they are hoping to add additional 'Partners' in the future, but there's no sign yet and that is, obviously, no help NOW.

I'm not so sure about "a rip off if one compares the shipping charges to existing Royal Mail tariffs" as everything I've sent has been charged at the same rate I'd have paid when buying direct from RM, in fact I save a bit as I don't have to pay 30p for collections.

[gnosemalf]

Well, as things were, sellers could use any service that they chose, they were not limited to two companies - or any number of companies - remember the likes of 'other 48 hour courier'? The fact that they have done a deal is problematic, in my opinion. The fact that one of their 'partners' is Evri is doubly problematic. Gone are the days when I sold an item and headed to Parcel2Go to see what the cheapest service was.

I'm 99% certain that the 30p collection charge which Royal Mail started charging as Simple Delivery was introduced is no coincidence. The free collection that they used to have was a lifesaver for me as my nearest Post Office is five miles away and only opens certain mornings.

As for the charges being a rip-off, I am possibly guilty of relying on what others have reported on here as I am one of those who have stopped selling due to Simple Delivery but there are plenty of threads started by people complaining about how much more Simple Delivery is costing them (amongst all the other 'features' it has introduced).