posted on May 26, 2012 07:58:22 AM new
Received this email from Ebay. I have changed most of my items to 14 days return with the my TOS being: unused, INAD, etc. (I know there are ways around it)but, I do not have 1 day shipping on anything & I am not going to. Does this message mean my items are not going to be seen?? I have given up on the 20%, but it is senseless to continue to pay Ebay fees & list items if no one gets to see them??
"We noticed you have 19 listings that don't include 1-day handling and a minimum 14-day return policy with a money-back option.
Fast handling and a great return policy are important to buyers. Adding these services is your choice, but starting June 1 only those listings from Top-rated sellers that offer these terms will qualify for the greatest average boost in Best Match and a 20% final value fee discount. Note: To retain Top-rated seller status, you must upload tracking numbers (within your stated handling time) to 90% or more of your completed transactions with US buyers.
Remember you can save time by editing your listings in bulk."
PS: I have ordered many new books directly from Amazon & they do NOT have 1 day shipping!!
Today, marketplaces like eBay are equivalent to the sweatshops of the old days. Instead of being cramped into an unventilated, poorly-lit room, we sit at our computers in our homes, with eBay at the center of the hub, acting as a "venue" for our sales.
We make what we can, while eBay deducts the FVFs, charges us for stores, or auction listings, while skimming profits from financial transactions, and postal costs.
Further, eBay now appears to be dictating our business policies - telling us how we should conduct our business, or they will place our items so low in views that they will most likely never be seen.
posted on May 26, 2012 08:40:32 PM new
I got that email too, because I sell some items in which I do not accept returns. But that policy starts June 1, so if your sales are not good, I am not sure that this new policy is the reason. It could just be the time of year, or something else. I personally have had almost no sales in the past few weeks.
posted on May 26, 2012 09:13:36 PM new
Off the subject - but I just learned tonight that Amazon no longer allows sellers to leave feedback for our buyers. I missed seeing the change, if there was a notice of it. This is really dumb; I get good feedback from my buyers and have always, in the past, left friendly feedback in return.
What could have been the reason for this change? Are selling sites just going bonkers?
posted on May 26, 2012 09:46:22 PM new
Well,since we cant say nasty things about our buyers,not leaving feedback saves us some time to do other chores.
If you want to thank your buyer,you can always email them direct or include a card in your package
*
posted on May 27, 2012 01:45:47 PM new
That is the thing that is most bothersome. It is just impossible to meet these new standards if we have to travel to find many of our great finds.
Ebay has obviously forgotten what real customer service is in this whole process. They want us to be robots.
I now understand why Republicans are so hell bent in deregulation. It just gives corporations free will to do as they please to make more and more money on the backs of everyone else. But it is more than just the money... it is the control, the intrusion by big business into our daily lives. That is the great loophole and the deception of this system. Ebay is even worse because 100% of their revenue isn't generated by their employees. It is generated by sellers offering goods. And they want to control us even more. When you weigh out the pay you get, you have to ask yourself... is it better to be an employee of eBay or a seller? An employee gets a salary, health care, 401K, etc... all on the backs of the work sellers do to provide the goods.
Republicans have argued about government health care that the government will be part of the decisions being made in your health care. Well, insurance companies have constantly been in the middle of your health care, so what is the difference? You can always vote a Congressman or President out of office if you don't like what they have done, but you can't vote out a CEO making $20 million dollars on denying coverage.
Doctors prescribe you the most effective medicine or a surgery, but the insurance company won't pay for it because it isn't in their formulary or they have deemed it cost prohibitive.
posted on May 27, 2012 03:12:54 PM new
Shag, I agree, I can live with not getting the 20% discount, but if my items are going to be invisible to the average Ebay customer, what is the point of even listing anything. I refuse to promise 1 day shippimg.
I just bought some books from Amazon & they said they will be shipped in 3 - 5 days. I have no problem with that.
I also ordered some kids' shoes from zulilly. They said the items will be shipped in 12 - 16 days. No returns. I weighed the prices, etc & it was worth it to me. I have no problem with those TOS as long as I know the rules prior to purchasing. The same should go for Ebay sellers. We should not be penalized by Ebay for our TOS. If the customers do not like our terms, that's ok, too. They have the right to buy from someone else if they like their terms better, but it should be the buyers decision, not Ebay's.
posted on May 27, 2012 04:53:35 PM new
It does not make any difference,since most items sold on Ebay are not mint in box,he can always find an execuse to return ,no matter what the seller said.
I just have a case of a lady who bought a small delicate item from me,it was shipped in a box.
Her hubby returned it in a padded envelope and insured it,it arrived broken and she filed a dispute with Ebay.
Ebay is so kind,it lets me keep the money and gives her back her money.
If you want more say on how to run your own business,take a look at Yahoo shopping,you can have a shop there and they pretty much leave you alone.
Unfortunately so do the buyers !
*
posted on May 28, 2012 01:51:12 PM new
"Ebay has obviously forgotten what real customer service is in this whole process"
Shag, CORRECTION...Ebay NEVER KNEW what Customer Service was and are now so big they can get away with not caring because as one Seller leaves...others take their place!
posted on May 29, 2012 08:26:04 AM new
I did not get one of those emails. I still have a 14 day return policy on all of my listings. I have never had nor will I ever have 1 day shipping.
I'll just have to wait a bit (say through June) and see what sales do then.
posted on May 29, 2012 09:12:06 AM new
sales have slowed down for me since May,I cant even find my items anymore when I do a search.
If not for intl buyers,my sales would be pitiful.
posted on May 29, 2012 09:49:44 AM new
I came across a thread on Ebay Seller Central,one seller who has been selling and then stopped for a month,decided to sell again and get a message he cannot exceed 50 listings per month.
After calling Ebay,he finally get more listing but there is still a limit on how many he can list per month ,it is either number of listings and /or dollar amount not more than $5500.
This is new to me,I have never heard of limits for veteran sellers?
posted on May 29, 2012 11:24:16 AM new
FINAL NOTICE: !!
Final reminder: Top-rated seller and other updates coming soon
Dear
We're writing to remind you of some important dates—coming up fast—that are part of the 2012 Spring Seller Update, announced in February. Make sure you're ready!
Act now to keep your Top-rated seller status and enjoy the top rewards
Updates are coming to the eBay Top-rated seller program:
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 only to those listings from Top-rated sellers that include both 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. Since these updates were announced, many sellers have added these services and are already seeing the benefits!
Based on a May 20 evaluation, you'll need to take a few steps to keep your Top-rated discounts and benefits in June:
Upload tracking information within your stated handling time to meet the 90% mark. Start doing this ASAP, as eBay began counting toward the new requirement on May 1. The easiest way to upload tracking is to use eBay Labels, as this information is uploaded automatically. And you can now get FREE Delivery Confirmation™ for many USPS® services—including First-Class Package service for parcels—when you purchase postage online. You can automatically upload tracking information to My eBay with a range of other tools and postage vendors as well—learn more.
Update your Good 'Til Cancelled listings to a 14-day or longer return window with a money-back refund option.
Add a 1-day handling time to as many of your listings as possible.
You can now check Selling Reminders on the My eBay All Selling page or the new Listing Improvement section of the Selling Manager summary page to see which listings need to be updated to meet these new standards, and then edit those listings in bulk. You'll also receive emails with a link to easily edit your listings to meet these new requirements. You can also track your progress in your Seller Dashboard.
For personalized advice and tips on how to integrate these services, you can schedule a FREE consultation with the eBay Seller Outreach Team.
Updates to boost your efficiency and profitability
Manage your business policies from one location. Opt in to a new way to create and manage custom payment, shipping, and return policies and apply them to listings quickly and easily.
Streamline returns: An optional new way to manage returns virtually automates the process according to the terms you specify. Your buyer clicks a link in My eBay to print a pre-paid, trackable USPS shipping label. When you get the item back, simply click a button to issue the refund. Your final value fees are automatically refunded.
New eBay Photo Center. The NEW eBay Photo Center offers tips on how to snap even better pictures. The more quality pictures you include in your listings, the easier it is for buyers to find and buy your items!
Note: When taking pictures, be sure that they adhere to our new picture quality standards, outlined below.
New picture quality standards. Starting this fall, all listings—new, revised and relisted—will be required to have at least one picture, and all photos must be at least 500 pixels on the longest side and cannot have added borders or text (watermarks okay).
Removing more duplicate listings. Now Auction-style listings with the Buy It Now option are considered duplicates to Fixed Price listings or to other Auction-style listings with the Buy It Now option for identical items. Also, sellers shouldn't list duplicate Auction-style listings, as duplicate Auction-style listings may be removed. Only items that do well when sold in an Auction-style format—hard-to-find or high-demand items, for example—and sell nearly 100% of the time should be listed in duplicate. If you're unsure of how your items will sell, create one listing at a time.
Get details on the 2012 Spring Seller Update and use the Seller Checklist to stay on top of important dates. Update your listings quickly and efficiently with bulk editing tools.
As always, thank you for selling on eBay.
Sincerely,
Michael Jones
Vice President,
Merchant Development
posted on May 29, 2012 01:26:35 PM new
My letter said something like "you could become a top rated seller. . . " I lost my status because I had one too many low star ratings on the shipping price.
posted on May 30, 2012 02:47:40 AM new
"Streamline returns: An optional new way to manage returns virtually automates the process according to the terms you specify. Your buyer clicks a link in My eBay to print a pre-paid, trackable USPS shipping label. When you get the item back, simply click a button to issue the refund. Your final value fees are automatically refunded"
Isn't that sweet. The buyer can print a pre-paid (out of your pocket) label for easier returns. After you have eaten shipping both ways - you get your FVF back. Say the whole thing just costed you $30 in shipping cost and you get a $5 FVF. Ain't life grand.
Ebay won't even return the seller's listing fees on a NPB item. Somethings not right with this picture.
posted on May 30, 2012 05:35:00 AM new
The prepaid return label will be paid by Ebay,it does it now.
But it does make it easy for them to return items,they dont have to ask you for a return address,they dont have to provide DC and they dont have to pay postage.
But it does not cover overseas returns.Puerto Rico is considered 'overseas'.
