royal mail Now started charging 30 pence for collecting Simple delivery ebay parcels

[tickswift2]

Royal mail are now charging 30 pence for collecting postage labels that were purchased using simple delivery

so now ebay Labels that you have to purchase with no other alternative option Sellers are getting charged with 30 pence per item // Just happened to 

[tickswift2]

it appears that Royal Mail may have started charging a 30 pence fee for items using simple delivery labels. This change was likely implemented to offset the cost of the delivery process, particularly for smaller items. The change likely happened in April 2024, as mentioned in the search results, and it seems to be affecting private sellers on eBay who list eligible items. 

[ruby*ryan]

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@tickswift2 wrote:

Royal mail are now charging 30 pence for collecting postage labels that were purchased using simple delivery

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Not just SD it's on their Click & Drop site as well.

[parsley2003]

Originally when the RM collecting from home started they were going to charge 72p per parcel and kept putting it back and collecting for free so it looks like the charging has started now and i have no choice but collection 😐

[akemp1]

I don't think it's unreasonable that RM should charge for collecting stuff as otherwise it would be subsidised by those of us who travel to the Post Office at our own cost.

I do think it's unreasonable that ebay should charge such high prices for SD leaving sellers to pay the balance of P&P costs from their sale proceeds and still expecting the seller to resolve return-to-sender issues when SD fails to deliver.

Ebay want all the delivery money with only a subset of the costs and responsibilities. Pure greed.

[tickswift2]

Sent from my iPad

[tickswift88]

Just wonder if anyone else’s has come across this, or is it that eBay put incorrect sizes in there postage charges and when I came to book it I put correct weight and size, be interesting to know if any one else has come across this

[parsley2003]

I have checked the RM click and collect site and yes they are now charging 30p per item for collection so it's nothing to do with SD. I buy direct from RM and would have to pay this if i ever sell anything again

[peturning]

I'm fine with a collection charge, it has always been a little confusing RM were doing it for 'free' given the amount of work involved.

What we do need is more postage products though,there's a big gap between Tracked and Special Delivery services that needs filled. Something with £150-£750 of insurance for example, SD is great but expensive and it's annoying how often you have to use this expensive service because Tracked doesn't offer enough insurance.

[jckl1957]

I think you are confusing the abbreviation @peturning 

In this thread (and generally across the site now) , when members use 'SD' when referring to postage, they do not mean Royal Mail Next Day Special Delivery, they mean Ebay's new postage system, Simple Delivery.

Simple Delivery does offer cover for items sold for up to £750.

[peturning]

No I'm not confusing anything, I'm not using Simple Delivery.

It's more a comment on Royal Mail's products than anything else.

[akemp1]

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@peturning wrote:

there's a big gap between Tracked and Special Delivery services that needs filled. Something with £150-£750 of insurance for example, SD is great but expensive and it's annoying how often you have to use this expensive service because Tracked doesn't offer enough insurance.

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It depends on the items you sell.

I love tracked48 and the £150 cover is plenty for nearly everything I sell. Its extremely rare I would buy Special Delivery maybe once or twice a year. I generally try not to sell high value items on ebay due to the risk of getting scammed by a dishonest buyer abusing the MBG.

[millcottage]

Just tested via buying postage online (I tested via small parcel 2KG via 48 hour tracked).

Charge was £3.45

Collection fee 30p

or

Drop off at local post office counter FREE - QR code and they print label for you.

[cbclassicbuyer]

Collection was always going to be charged by RM when using click and drop, but until today, they never did implement the charge. I suppose RM need to get more money in, just like all other big companies.

It's got nothing to do with Ebay Simple Delivery. 

It was good whilst it lasted though. 

[department28]

'It was good whilst it lasted though.'

RM always used to charge a home collection fee, a few years back. The free collection was a 'promotional/special offer' thing, which has been going on for longer than expected... yes, nice while it lasted!

Unfortunately, higher postage prices via Simple Delivery + BPF + collection fee = fewer sales, certainly for those items where higher postage will make them virtually unsaleable...

[vinylscot]

This really puts a hole in eBay's Simple Delivery boat.

How they must wish they had been better prepared, and managed to get SD introduced for all private sellers before this hit. 

I am in no way in favour of SD (my own private account has not yet been converted), but previously had accepted that it would eventually settle down, and we would all just get on with it. Some of the postings on this board have been laughable in their over-reaction.

However, this does change things a little. It will be harder for eBay to claim they are not discriminating against disabled people now; their previous response had always been that Royal Mail will pick up for free.

I wonder if eBay will react. Could this be the reason the roll-out seems to have stalled?

[vinylscot]

This situation could actually give eBay an opportunity to rescue the whole SD project.

As eBay will be making HUGE profits, well over £1.00 for every single parcel sent under SD, they have plenty of headroom to reduce prices by 30p across the board.

Although this could still be interpreted as discriminating against disabled sellers, they could argue that they have done all they could to mitigate any unfairness, and they could point out that it is Royal Mail's decision to add the charge which is discriminatory (which is true).

This would immediately give eBay a huge reputational boost, at a time when they definitely need it. It would bring their prices down to a level properly competitive with the V site, and could be seen as giving a little back to those loyal sellers who have stayed with them. It could even tempt some back, and could be used as a positive, with which to attract new users.

[akemp1]

If ebay are only covering some of the costs maybe they will have to call it Partial Delivery?

[craddockcourtsales]

"As eBay will be making HUGE profits, well over £1.00 for every single parcel sent under SD, they have plenty of headroom to reduce prices by 30p across the board."

Where are you getting these figures for Ebays profit from?

Without knowing all their costs, including the amounts payable under their contracts with Royal Mail and Evri, how can you know?

[akemp1]

Also as SD cannot combine postage presumably sellers are sometime going to have to pay the 30p multiple times for the same buyer?