posted on November 1, 2001 03:55:48 PM
***Checkout Clarifications***
We would like to clarify a few things about how Checkout works.
1. Checkout does not require eBay Payments.
Checkout does NOT require a buyer to pay with or a seller to accept payment via eBay Payments. On the Select Payment page in Checkout, the only payment methods the buyer may choose from are those payment methods the seller selected on the Sell Your Item form.
2. Member Contact Information
Buyers may store shipping addresses on eBay. Sellers may store their payment address (i.e., address where buyers should send non-electronic payment) on eBay. Please note that your shipping address (for buying), your payment address (for selling) and your eBay registration information are three distinct and separate addresses. The Checkout feature may use eBay registration information to pre-fill fields as a convenience for buyers, but it will never be sent to another eBay member without your prior authorization.
BUYERS. When you go through Checkout, your shipping address will be pre-filled using your eBay registration information. This is done as a convenience for you, but you may always edit this address. The phone number is an optional field. Note that within the next few days, we will no longer be pre-filling the phone number field. Your shipping address and phone number (if provided), will be sent to the seller when you request the total amount or complete payment.
SELLERS. For sellers that do not have an eBay Store, your payment address will be sent to the buyer only if you submit it via the Sell Your Item form AND the winning bidder selects "Check", "Money Order" or "Other" during Checkout (assuming you have enabled these payment methods). Please note that your payment address (if submitted) will not be shown to the buyer if you do not list with Checkout details or update Checkout details, OR allow the buyer to edit/enter the total price after the listing ends. Also, the phone number is an optional field. If you provided a phone number, you can delete it by going to the "Edit my payment address" link under the My eBay "Selling" tab.
For sellers with an eBay Store, your payment address will be sent to the buyer only if the winning bidder selects "Check", "Money Order" or "Other" during Checkout (assuming you have enabled these payment methods). Please note that your payment address will not be shown to the buyer if you do not: (a) list with Checkout details or update Checkout details, OR (b) allow the buyer to edit/enter the total price after the listing ends. Note that the payment address used is the one you entered when opening an eBay Store. You can change this address at any time.
3. Fixed Shipping is not required to list an item or to use Checkout
Checkout is faster if the seller is able to include the shipping cost when listing the item. However, we understand there are times when the seller is unable to specify the shipping cost until the listing ends. If the seller is unable to specify shipping up front, the seller should simply not specify Checkout details when listing the item. After the listing ends, a buyer will only be able to send his/her shipping address to the seller through Checkout. The seller can then determine the shipping cost and update Checkout details.
Regards,
eBay
*** Checkout Update ***
Since Checkout was released, we have received a good deal of useful feedback on how we can improve Checkout. We want to take this opportunity to thank you for your feedback and update you on how we are responding to the concerns and issues you've raised. In particular, we want to discuss some of the changes that we've made to Checkout and those changes we plan to make.
**Changes we've made or are working on based on your feedback:
*Buyer information - For buyers, we will NOT pre-fill the phone number on the Shipping Address page. We will also try to make it more clear that the phone number is optional and that this information will be sent to the seller. The shipping address will continue to be pre-filled using the buyer's eBay registration information. The buyer may edit this shipping address.
STATUS: Will be completed within a next few days.
*Store Buy-It-Now items - Inventory will be decremented when the buyer requests the total amount from the seller.
STATUS: Will be completed within a month.
*Payment Reminder - We will reinstate the "Payment Reminder" link in My eBay.
STATUS: Complete.
*"Request Total" enhancements - If the buyer requests the total from the seller (because the buyer does not know the total amount), design enhancements to the web pages and emails will make it clearer to both the buyer and seller what to do at that point and afterwards. For example, instead of displaying an estimated total price, the buyer will be told that the price is "To be determined."
STATUS: Will be completed within a few days.
*Checkout emails - The messages entered by buyers and sellers will be made more prominent in these emails.
STATUS: Will be completed within a few days.
*Text - Modify the text around the Checkout button from "JoeeBay is the winner and SHOULD Checkout" to "JoeeBay is the winner and MAY Checkout".
STATUS: Complete.
Modify the text when sellers do not list with Checkout details to "Seller will provide details in the item description or after the listing ends."
STATUS: Complete.
*Item listing page - When sellers list with Checkout details but will not charge insurance and/or sales tax instead of leaving these fields blank, clearly indicate whether these items will be charged or not.
STATUS: Complete.
Here are some of the issues that have been resolved since Checkout was released.
*Mister Lister and Seller's Assistant did not support Checkout.
RESOLVED: Mister Lister and Seller Assistant beta now support Checkout.
*Some listings that were listed through certain third party selling tools were incorrectly displaying "0.00" for shipping.
RESOLVED: For new listings through third parties selling tools, "0.00" should only appear in new listings if the seller specifies this amount when listing.
*eBay Payments icon was displayed even if the seller did not accept eBay Payments. RESOLVED: the eBay Payments icon will only show up if the seller accepts eBay Payments for that listing.
*Seller's "Payment Address" was not displayed when the seller relisted the item.
RESOLVED: seller may view and modify his/her payment address when relisting an item.
*eBay Payments confirmation emails were not being sent. RESOLVED.
*Some buyers and sellers were incorrectly notified that an eBay Payments transaction was successful. RESOLVED.
*Some sellers had difficulty accessing the SYI form and certain parts of Checkout. RESOLVED.
Several issues and concerns have arisen from the Discussion Boards. They include:
*Checkout appears on all listings regardless of whether Checkout details are specified
*Checkout needs to support multiple purchases (non-Dutch).
*Shipping insurance enhancements (e.g., add "included in S&H", etc.)
We are aware of these issues and appreciate the feedback we have received on them so far.
Checkout is not appearing on Disney listings because they are on a separate area of the site with different programming. We are focusing our efforts right now on addressing the Checkout issues that affect the entire community but we will address this issue in the near future.
This list is not intended to be comprehensive -- we know there are many more suggestions than what is captured above. As always, we'll continue to closely monitor this feature by looking a number of different sources and will make the necessary adjustments.
posted on November 1, 2001 07:12:02 PM
Thankyou for the Posting .
I wont be a happy camper until ebay puts an off button on their checkout - I wouldnt use it now if they paid me.
posted on November 2, 2001 08:03:33 AM
Wow, I am floored! Ebay actually posted useful information here!
Don't get me wrong, I happen to be one seller who likes checkout, though I think the buyers are still quite confused by the new feature and will take some time to "get it".
I find the very l-o-n-g list of modifications to be proof of ebay not giving this and other new features sufficient thought, planning, testing before implementation. In fact, if ebay would give its sellers complete information BEFORE such features were introduced, and then LISTEN to them to avoid problems, these innovations would be better received and less problematic.
How you could have the gall to introduce checkout without it being compatible with your own bulk listing programs is incomprehnsible. It demonstrates either arrogance or ignorance on ebays part and results in many of your most loyal supporters storming off in disgust.
There need to be serious changes in the ebay culture, though the intensity of feelings towards you from your own power sellers (myself included) is already a problem.
You know, you have dropped the ball on the ebay stores, they are withering on the vine due to neglect of the issues there of design, shopping cart and search; and the failure of AFA is a direct result of your not involving sellers in the planning. This misguided attempt to do good could have been a smashing success, but you TOLD sellers what do do, you should have ASKED instead. This is the corporate culture problem that you (and half.com) have.
WE are neither sheep, nor lemmings, and I for one will continue to harp on this lack of seller involvement in ebaY until your culture changes, or I leave, which ever comes first.
