posted on February 28, 2012 04:21:22 PM new
News for Top Rated sellers:
Ecommerce standards for service have evolved in the three years since the eBay Top-rated seller program was first introduced, and savvy merchants like you have adapted to compete. Now the Top-rated seller program will also evolve to keep pace.
Starting in June, Top-rated sellers will need to have tracking information uploaded to eBay within their stated handling time on 90% or more of their transactions with US buyers. As of June 1, the 20% final value fee discount and greatest on average boost in Best Match will go to those listings from Top-rated sellers that include 1-day handling and a minimum 14-day return policy with a money-back refund option. Listings without these two services will still have the Top-rated seller badge and some boost in Best Match but will not earn the discounts or the highest average boost in Best Match.
So, if you say NO RETRUNS ACCEPTED, no discount!! Hmmm....
posted on February 28, 2012 04:35:26 PM new
hwahwa, pretty nasty new rules. 14 days return policy, money back, 1 day shipping, tracking uploaded, etc.
Can't get all that from any other on line vendor that I can think of. Amazon doesn't ship in 1 day. Zappos does if you are a VIP buyer, but it is full retail. Zulilly has NO RETURNS & ship after 2 weeks.
What is Ebay, the super heroes of on-line sellers. Well, only if you want the 20% discount.
posted on February 28, 2012 06:37:47 PM new
I wonder if they are trying to force out the sellers who rely on dropshippers.
Electronics sellers often use dropshipping and they cant upload tracking in one day or ship in one day and there is usually no return and no refund.
posted on February 28, 2012 06:53:55 PM new
this is probably the straw that breaks the back for many sellers including ourselves.
our business model simply doesn't fit into this any longer. we buy and sell vintage items, so we have to be on the road several times a week to acquire merchandise. providing 1 day service is just not possible.
this system is good for merchants who sell new merchandise that is in their warehouse and ready to go.
if you left the corporate world to get away from someone else controlling your every move, eBay has managed to take its place... except you don't get the benefits of being an employee.
posted on February 28, 2012 08:27:19 PM new
I agree shag, too many rules, too many hoops to jump through.
I guess it is also a way to do away with the discount. They want us to do free shipping, they charge their fees on the shipping we do charge and now they are going to make it too hard to get the discount.
It is certainly not the "old" Ebay, not just a venue.
posted on February 28, 2012 10:38:51 PM new
I miss 'THE VENUE'
EBay was fun and you couldn't help but make money! The Sellers had fun...the Buyers had fun! Sometimes there would be a 'Family spat' but we all got over it.
Then Corporate greed took over because the Execs didn't have the vision to see how they could expand on what was a superb idea, all they knew was what they learnt in University & Bain & Co. That was the beginning of what has not yet ended but has gone as we all knew it.
posted on February 29, 2012 05:51:44 AM new
I, too miss "the venue." It was fun & no matter what you think, that mattered. The fun certainly has gone. Ebay is no longer unique & management has tried too hard to cover all bases & copy other sites & instead has lost their identity.
I would love to join a unoccupy Ebay, but as has been noted, sellers are not united. If it gets going, I'm in, I mean out.
posted on February 29, 2012 06:04:08 AM new
Those who can be away on business trips and have merchandise in the warehouse ready to ship in a day are the established retailers with a staff and they cant sell their merchandise cheap .
They may show up high on the list with best match,but when the buyer changes from bestmatch to cheapest with shipping,then they will be at the bottom of the list.
HAVING NEW AND OLD MERCHANDISE,PROFESSIONAL SELLERS VERSUS WEEKEND WARRIORS,WHOLESALERS VERSUS RETAILERS,INTERNATIONAL VERSUS DOMESTIC SELLERS ALL IN ONE VENUE =166,000 RULES !
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posted on February 29, 2012 07:16:40 AM new
hmmm....
i actually own the website "OccupyeBay.org".
I bought it on a whim one day while talking about some of the frustrations with another person. I went to check if it was available and it was... go figure. What's the harm in paying $7 for a domain name???
There are so many stories about bad experiences for eBay.
Here is one... someone I know saw an advertisement on eBay for AliExpress. They clicked on the advertisement, starting buying merchandise from there, and then eBay suspended their account for selling "suspicious" products. Well, after further investigation, eBay was correct. The products were counterfeit. Where does eBay take responsibility in any of that??? They even have a screenshot of the aliexpress advertisement directly posted on eBay's website!
posted on February 29, 2012 07:49:36 AM new
eBay was fun in the old days. Sold a lot of stuff made a few bucks. I think I am done. will haul my eBay left overs to a flea market in a few months what does not sell will go to the dump or GoodWill.
posted on February 29, 2012 08:29:03 AM new
Just because you upload tracking information within your specified handling time(for top rated sellers it is 1 day) does not mean you have to ship the same day.
It just mean you have picked the item,packed the item and printed the shipping label.
Of course if you work alone and on the road,you cant print shipping label.
Sellers who use dropshippers are at the mercy of their dropshippers !
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posted on March 1, 2012 05:03:48 PM new
In some ways these new rules takes the pressure off of me. Since I know I can not "live" up to them, there is no sense sweating the small stuff, like 1 & 2 in communication category, free shipping, 14 day return policy.
Too many unreasonable rules, in some ways takes the pressure off. I cannot please the EBAY GODs, so I will just make sure my customers are happy. (until I throw in the towel!!)
posted on March 1, 2012 06:36:31 PM new
thanks. i kind of did it on a whim, and the start up page only allows a certain number of characters.
I had read some other ebay user comments. One guy said that he sells patches and usually ships via 1st class mail. now eBay is going to require him to enter tracking info to qualify for his discount and then also ship everything next day. the problem is that patches are flat, and you aren't supposed to use DC on flat envelopes. So, he is going to have to spend more to save that money or he is going to give up the 20% discount which will cost him $50 a month in fee increases.
eBay is telling people we either have to pay more money whether it is to eBay in higher fees or pay more in other expenses to meet their expectations. these are not our expectations, but rather eBay's. It is all about making eBay look good, not about the seller... and exactly why are we even bothering with feedback if we are to be robots buying merchandise for eBay to take all the glory? we are selling goods... they are selling services and they are in control? who exactly needs who?
posted on March 1, 2012 07:56:01 PM new
who exactly needs who?
Ebay needs us and we need Ebay.
Ebay has no merchandise to sell and we cant come up with a venue good enough to get all the traffic we are getting now.
I know some sellers dont bother with DC,when buyer does not get the item,they just ship another one.
But you can use DC on flat envelope,every year I use it on my tax return.
But if this guy is selling patches,his postage for an envelope may be 45 cents or 65 cents,add a DC it would be what 65 cents more?
If he prints lable online,minimum will be $1.64 with DC.
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posted on March 1, 2012 08:02:10 PM new
You cant have the cake and eat it too.
If you want that 20% discount,then you have to comply with Ebay rules.
I dont get 20% discount,I set my own shipping terms,so far so good,I am still selling on Ebay.
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posted on March 2, 2012 02:42:02 AM new
I guess ebay got wind that many sellers where going to stop taking returns rather than increase the return policy to 14 days.
Maybe we should have seen this coming.
posted on March 2, 2012 06:08:24 AM new
I print shipping labels of first class 3 ounces every day and pay 19 cents for DC,total comes to $1.64 on Ebay and Paypal.
But sellers who ship patches and postcards would be spending more if they print their shipping labels on line with DC,minimum is $1.64.
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posted on March 2, 2012 06:15:59 AM new
I guess ebay got wind that many sellers where going to stop taking returns rather than increase the return policy to 14 days.
Maybe we should have seen this coming.
/////////////
14 days is Bestbuy return policy,for books,Barnes and Noble and AMZN have 30 days return policy.
But we are not Bestbuy.
You can lose money with return policy,if a buyer returns a new camera because he does not like it,the merchant would have to mark down the price of the camera and sell it as 'returns' or 'used'.
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posted on March 2, 2012 08:19:59 AM new
If you are sending standard 1st class flat envelopes with delivery confirmation, you are in violation of USPS regulations. DC is only for packages that are a minimum 3/4" thick or is rigid (hard like cardboard).
From USPS:
To use Delivery Confirmation, a Package Services or Parcel Select parcel must meet the following criteria:
The surface area must be large enough to contain completely and legibly the delivery/return information, postage, and any applicable markings, endorsements, and extra service forms.
The parcel must be greater than ¾ inch thick at at the thickest point.
If the mailpiece is no greater than ¾ inch thick, the contents must be prepared in rigid packaging: the contents must be prepared in a strong and rigid fiberboard or similar container or in a container that becomes rigid after the contents are enclosed and the container is secured.
The parcel must be able to maintain its shape, integrity, and rigidity throughout processing and handling without collapsing into a letter-size or flat-size piece.
Ineligible Items
Express Mail (Delivery Confirmation is automatically included as part of the price)
Periodicals pieces
First-Class Mail letter-size and flat-size pieces
Standard Mail letters and flats and all Enhanced Carrier Route Standard Mail pieces
Package Services letter-size and flat-size pieces
Mail paid with precanceled stamps
Mail addressed to restricted APO/FPO and DPO destinations.
Mail addressed to ZIP Codes in the following U.S. territories or Freely Associated States:
Palau - ZIP Codes 96939 and 96940
Micronesia - ZIP Codes 96941, 96942, 96943, and 96944
Marshall Islands – ZIP Codes 96960 and 96970
posted on March 2, 2012 08:56:33 AM new
Well,my tax return is 3/4 inches thick and in rigid form after inserting all these pages into a big brown envelope!
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