eBay Spring Seller Update

[Young_Gun21]

I was just about to say the same thing.

If you want to continue selling out of your basement (or for those of us in Southern California, our garage), go right ahead. Okay, so I won't get the highest match on "Best Match." If I want to continue to grow this business, and become bigger than a hobby seller, then I'm going to have to use some business sense and figure out ways around it, until it doesn't affect me negatively.

Competitive price, listings that stand out, etc.

Maybe I'm not the the smartest guy, or a big time seller, but if I'm pricing it just slightly better than the big guy, I'm probably going to get a couple of sales.

This is totally true. I had between 10-20 feedback around Christmas and I didn't lose sales to "bigger" guys. It will just require a little more effort and smarts.

-I don't always going shopping, but when I do I buy Lego-

[StarCityBrickCompany]

One thing caught my eye: under the new "defect" rating seller cancellations will count against us.

 

Right now, if a buyer asks me to cancel the transaction, I simply cancel it for them, they accept, I get my fees back, no harm done.

 

If those "seller initiated cancellations" are now going to count against me, that's annoying. I'm signed up for the Thursday seminar, so hopefully either I or someone will be able to ask that question.

 

What they NEED is buyer initiated cancellation requests, as on Amazon, and they've needed it for awhile now.

 

(OTOH, I do LIKE that seller initiated cancellations will count against the yahoos who didn't get the price they wanted at auction, or who don't have the item in hand.)

 

I initially thought the same thing, but if it is on request of the buyer, it won't be considered a defect.

 

Does the transaction count as a defect if the buyer asked me to cancel it?

 

No, a cancelled transaction does not count as a defect if we can see the seller cancelled at the buyer's request. If the buyer asks you to cancel the transaction, make sure you do so through the eBay cancel transaction process and select the correct reason for the cancellation.

[justafrog]

Oh, thank you Star, that's good news.

[river41]

• A valid tracking number

[justafrog]

 

• A valid tracking number

[labfreak7]

Ebay used to be an auction website. In the auction world, there are no returns. I used to get the 20% discount before eBay required returns to be eligible. I do not offer returns on anything. I really wish there was another website as popular as eBay. Hopefully one day there will be.

[Brickshopper]

 

 

Right now, if a buyer asks me to cancel the transaction, I simply cancel it for them, they accept, I get my fees back, no harm done.

 

If those "seller initiated cancellations" are now going to count against me, that's annoying. I'm signed up for the Thursday seminar, so hopefully either I or someone will be able to ask that question.

 

The way I read the update it is the choice used when requesting the cancellation ie; seller ran out of stock counting against you but buyer changed his mind would not count against you. So it will be important what reason for cancellation you select and buyer agrees to. 99% of the time its buyer requested and being penalized for the items you are out of stock or cannot fulfill the transaction are a good thing if they apply the rules fairly across the board especially to TRU and Target Ebay etc.

[Brickshopper]

That appears to be correct. Be sure to get your post office on board now, if they are among the slackers who don't do acceptance or departure scans (everything is supposed to depart the same day you take it in, so either scan will work provided it happens before midnight of the last day of your handling time.) If you provide them with a scan form, it'll be easy for them, and if you do carrier pick up at your house or business, a scan form will make it easy on the employee who comes to get your packages.

 

eBay is doing this to thwart the many, many yahoos who print postage and then don't mail the package until days later, or who just flat out invent a tracking number to get the TRS discount.

We are going to have to change back to 3 days handling time on all on our listings because our PO does not scan good enough.

[Brickshopper]

Ebay used to be an auction website. In the auction world, there are no returns. I used to get the 20% discount before eBay required returns to be eligible. I do not offer returns on anything. I really wish there was another website as popular as eBay. Hopefully one day there will be.

you might as well offer it because with buyer protection you will be forced to accept returns.

[chinothegeeko]

you might as well offer it because with buyer protection you will be forced to accept returns.

Exactly. You are forced into returns either way.

[justafrog]

We are going to have to change back to 3 days handling time on all on our listings because our PO does not scan good enough.

 

That's a bummer, Brick - don't take "mediocre" for an answer, though, you can force your post office into compliance if its worth it to you to fight for it. Start with the postmaster and work your way up the food chain.

[river41]

We are going to have to change back to 3 days handling time on all on our listings because our PO does not scan good enough.

i think that if you do 3 day handling time you don't get the 20 percent discount.

I drop off my packages at the post office loading dock.They generally scan about 75% percent of them and there is no rhyme or reason to wich ones they scan although priority mail does scan at the highest percentage-so basically ebay is saying either waste a ton of time by going into the post office or forget the 20 percent discount.

Also frog I have had many pickups and the carrier never not even once scanned the items when they picked them up-were they supposed to?

[justafrog]

River, use a scan form. You can get them to print whether you're using eBay shipping, PayPal, stamps.com, etc. It puts all your packages on one form so that the post office only has to scan one sheet of paper and everything is scanned.

 

You need to use the bulk shipping feature of whatever postage system you're using, and the scan form will be an option.

[river41]

River, use a scan form. You can get them to print whether you're using eBay shipping, PayPal, stamps.com, etc. It puts all your packages on one form so that the post office only has to scan one sheet of paper and everything is scanned.

 

You need to use the bulk shipping feature of whatever postage system you're using, and the scan form will be an option.

will look into it thanks

[dbost01]

buyer protection will be 90 days?

[holleman67]

buyer protection will be 90 days?

Read the beginning of the thread please....

[dbost01]

wow....alright teacher

[Cetona]

Ebay will have to make a major upgrade to their tracking program- it's rarely updated in sync with the USPS tracking page. It's also going to be a pain to have to take smaller packages into the PO to ensure they get scanned rather than just dropping in a blue box.

[Guest betsy805]

All the changes are irritating for sure, but hopefully the number of people that jump ship will make it worth it for the ones that 'keep on keeping on'.  The 'best match' feature is golden in my book as I noted a huge jump in my monthly sales once achieving top rated seller status last year.

[Soadfan4ever]

Ebay will have to make a major upgrade to their tracking program- it's rarely updated in sync with the USPS tracking page. It's also going to be a pain to have to take smaller packages into the PO to ensure they get scanned rather than just dropping in a blue box.

That's very true.  I've had to send numerous buyers links to USPS.com to get the most up to date tracking info.

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

Brickshopper - You have been an USPS supporter. Now you will see why I hate them. Mine doesn't scan things in and refuses to - but if I talk to them about it, she will as good as laugh in my face. USPS has no management. They are literal worthless screwups. Here are a few conversations I have had with my post master.

 

- regarding lost packages

    "They were probably put on a different truck or something. We will just have to wait a couple of weeks to see if they show up some where. If not, there is nothing we can do."

 

- Regarding me catching my mailmen leaving notices when I was home and they never stepped out of their trucks

     "Well sometimes they are late and they have to make up time. You can always drive over here and pick them up"

          - This one was particularly funny because I like that they can't take 2 seconds to just leave it on my frickin doorstep, but I should have time to drive 15 min to the post office.

 

- Regarding me constantly getting mail for other people and reminding her I am not one of her mail carriers

    " Well whenever you get someone elses mail, just leave it in your mailbox with the flag up and we will reroute it tomorrow".

 

- Regarding packages being set in front of my garage (out in the open) instead of 5 feet up under my awning where they aren't seen

   " If you think you have a theft problem, you should ask shippers to do signature delivery

 

I mean they literally don't give a ****.

 

The tracking thing is going to be an issue for me. I may try the scan forms - problem is the two USPS nearest to me are about the most ghetto of all time. They are full of people who are paying by counting pennies and people that can't even spell the word "package". Standing in line will never happen.

 

Maybe I can do pickup from my actual job. We have people there who take USPS packages, but I think they just drop them in a bin. I doubt they could do a scan form.

 

I agree people overreact to things, and I am to a certain extent, but Ebay wants to act like a retailer when they aren't one. They do one little piece of the work - get people there with a website design. And that isn't even good. Its actually alarmingly bad most of the time.

 

Ebay is taking for granted that the only reason they are where they are is that they were the first auction site and pulled name recognition. That day will eventually end if they keep up shotty website design and seller alienation when they don't take responsibility for anything.

 

Eitherway, I am going to explore Amazon FBA. At this point, it just makes more sense for some things.

[dbost01]

Amazon FBA makes a ton of sense for selling legos

[justafrog]

DoNot, don't stop at the Postmaster level, that's merely the first step. Next step, call 1800ASKUSPS and file a formal complaint, and ask for the name and telephone number of the regional manager. They will give it to you and they will actually follow up on the formal complaint. Contact the regional manager and ask their advice on how best to get scans for your packages - you need an acceptance scan or a departure scan, either of which should occur the day you drop off the packages.

 

Once you reach the level of daily shipping that you have, you are VALUABLE to your local post office - their hours, their staffing, their very existence depends on regular commercial package shippers like you. The local people may be too stupid to realize it, but I guarantee you that the regional manager, or his/her boss, are not too stupid.

 

It is a process - you're dealing with a semi-government agency after all - but it is worth it for anyone who needs the post office for part of their business. They can be housebroken, they're just one of the dumber breeds and it takes longer.

[tdw]

So if you want to offer the holiday return all the those selling the hot out of stock items will be getting returns when the buyers find them in late January at msrp or even on clearance. So the parents can use eBay sellers to get the hot toy regardless the price knowing they can return it once they find it in stock after xmas.

[justafrog]

tdw, you can specify that sets must be returned unopened and eBay will back you on that. Kids aren't going to wait to rip into their LEGO until Mom or Dad finds a sale after Christmas.

 

The return bogeyman is nothing to be afraid of. A certain number of returns will happen, but most people are too honest, too lazy, or, most of all, just plain don't care enough to pull sparkly shenanigans with returns. The few who are a problem are a cost of doing business that can be added to all your other costs and split amongst all your customers.

 

Any time you and your competitors are dealing with the same challenges, you have the opportunity to do as well as or better than they do, it just depends on your smarts and your willingness to find the best way. Its only when your competitors gain an actual advantage over you that you have to worry and pedal faster or think a lot harder or find a way to get an advantage over them.

 

eBay is a level playing field among like sellers - the diamond sellers like TRU have their type of challenges, the top rated plus sellers another type, the riff raff    yet another.