August 21st Weekly Board Hour

[kalvin@ebay.com]

Hi everyone,

Rodney & I will be here for the next hour to answer your questions - fire away!

Thanks,

[Anonymous]

Greetings from Toronto. 🙂

[rose-dee]

Greetings to both of you (from beautiful Annapolis Royal, NS - just had to put a plug in for my "new home").

I've been having a rather upsetting problem with Paypal/Pitney-Bowes labels (bar codes) not being able to be read by my local P.O. for about a week now.  This started very suddenly last week, and I've tried to isolate where the issue might be -- my conclusion is that it's a new incompatibility of some sort between Paypal/P-B and Internet Explorer.  I've essentially eliminated the following as the source of the issue: my printer, the paper I'm using; the ink I was using; my local P.O. (who says no one else's labels are a problem, although I'm likely the only eBay seller in this little area). 

Could one of you please read my initial post and also my post of today in the following thread, and let me know if you are aware of any recent issues with Paypal labels (bar codes) being unreadable at Canada Post? 

http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/Problems-with-Paypal-shipping-labels-not-reading-Help-ple...

I'd appreciate any input at all -- I'm switching to Google Chrome for the next 2 weeks, and if the labels work through that method, there is a problem with Explorer and Paypal/P-B suddenly not "talking" to each other in the labelling programme.

Sorry about the long question.  I'm hoping someone else may have reported this issue too.

Thanks!

[rose-dee]

Sorry, I should mention that this has only been happening for Expedited Parcel so far - I haven't tried Xpresspost (I don't dare!).  However, the tracking info does seem to be coming up through eBay/Canada Post, although more slowly than usual.  I assume this is because the bar codes are having to be input manually all along the way.  I'm just afraid my parcels will disappear off the radar.

I realize this isn't strictly an eBay issue, but wondered if you could look into it and see if there are other reports.  

[kalvin@ebay.com]

---

@rose-dee wrote:

Sorry, I should mention that this has only been happening for Expedited Parcel so far - I haven't tried Xpresspost (I don't dare!).  However, the tracking info does seem to be coming up through eBay/Canada Post, although more slowly than usual.  I assume this is because the bar codes are having to be input manually all along the way.  I'm just afraid my parcels will disappear off the radar.

I realize this isn't strictly an eBay issue, but wondered if you could look into it and see if there are other reports.  

---

Hi rose-dee,

Canada Post will be in our office this afternoon, so we'll ask to see if there are any known issues on their end. Currently, there haven't been other reports.

Thanks,

[rose-dee]

Hi Kalvin - Well, I'm at a loss to explain this, other than the browser incompatibility.  As I mentioned, I'll be switching exclusively to Chrome for my labels from now on, and I'll follow up here in a couple of weeks with an update.

[vipsoul61]

"Private Feedback - This member, XXXXXXXXX has decided to make his/her Feedback comments private." I think upper management should look at this option ... because trust on Ebay is based upon information in the feedback section of the seller or buyer. In the case i was involved in the seller sent pieces of string instead of backpacks to numerous members but the seller had his feedback comments made private so nobody could read the comments until it was too late. The seller in question has since been removed from Ebay but still if the feedback was public many more people could have been warned before making a purchase. Maybe its time to remove that option.

[rose-dee]

Kalvin, I just had an idea.  If any of the labels for Expedited that I do using Chrome in the next couple of weeks turns out to be unreadable, I'll print it again, then scan and save it on my computer and send it along to you.  Would that be a help?

[rose-dee]

One more quick question (sorry to be a 'problem pest' today): 

I've noticed that the new Powersellers Discussion Board doesn't appear until I actually reply to someone's post on another board (such as "Sellers"), then I can see it and access it.  Was this deliberate, or is it a bug?  Thanks!

[kalvin@ebay.com]

---

@vipsoul61 wrote:
"Private Feedback - This member, XXXXXXXXX has decided to make his/her Feedback comments private." I think upper management should look at this option ... because trust on Ebay is based upon information in the feedback section of the seller or buyer. In the case i was involved in the seller sent pieces of string instead of backpacks to numerous members but the seller had his feedback comments made private so nobody could read the comments until it was too late. The seller in question has since been removed from Ebay but still if the feedback was public many more people could have been warned before making a purchase. Maybe its time to remove that option.

---

Hi vipsoul61,

We appreciate the feedback on this - though it's currently an option for members, note that Sellers will not be able to list items if their Feedback Profile page is private. Members are encouraged to report inappropriate behaviours so they can be looked into & proper action be taken, if necessary.

Thanks, 

[kalvin@ebay.com]

---

@rose-dee wrote:

Kalvin, I just had an idea.  If any of the labels for Expedited that I do using Chrome in the next couple of weeks turns out to be unreadable, I'll print it again, then scan and save it on my computer and send it along to you.  Would that be a help?

---

The more info, the better - please send along.

[kalvin@ebay.com]

---

@rose-dee wrote:

One more quick question (sorry to be a 'problem pest' today): 

I've noticed that the new Powersellers Discussion Board doesn't appear until I actually reply to someone's post on another board (such as "Sellers"), then I can see it and access it.  Was this deliberate, or is it a bug?  Thanks!

---

That's a great question - still getting to know the new platform, so I'll ask to see if this is normal behaviour. I'll drop you a note once I know.

Thanks, 

[rose-dee]

---

@vipsoul61 wrote:
"Private Feedback - This member, XXXXXXXXX has decided to make his/her Feedback comments private." I think upper management should look at this option ... because trust on Ebay is based upon information in the feedback section of the seller or buyer. [...]  Maybe its time to remove that option.

---

I completely agree.  I understand the rationale of privacy for buyers' sakes, but I've seen that sellers are using "Private FB", as well as "Private" listings as smoke screens to hide questionable (or nefarious) activity, as this member has pointed out. 

[rose-dee]

---

kalvin@ebay.com wrote:

---

@rose-dee wrote:

One more quick question (sorry to be a 'problem pest' today): 

I've noticed that the new Powersellers Discussion Board doesn't appear until I actually reply to someone's post on another board (such as "Sellers"), then I can see it and access it.  Was this deliberate, or is it a bug?  Thanks!

---

That's a great question - still getting to know the new platform, so I'll ask to see if this is normal behaviour. I'll drop you a note once I know.

Thanks, 

---

Thanks Kalvin, this issue is just a minor annoyance, but it would be nice to know if it can be fixed.

[kalvin@ebay.com]

---

@rose-dee wrote:

---

kalvin@ebay.com wrote:

---

@rose-dee wrote:

One more quick question (sorry to be a 'problem pest' today): 

I've noticed that the new Powersellers Discussion Board doesn't appear until I actually reply to someone's post on another board (such as "Sellers"), then I can see it and access it.  Was this deliberate, or is it a bug?  Thanks!

---

That's a great question - still getting to know the new platform, so I'll ask to see if this is normal behaviour. I'll drop you a note once I know.

Thanks, 

---

Thanks Kalvin, this issue is just a minor annoyance, but it would be nice to know if it can be fixed.

---

Let me start a thread with you now offline to understand the exact flow you're on. Expect an email in the next few minutes.

[rose-dee]

OK, well since we're here and nobody else seems to want the floor, I have another one (two actually)! 

Forgive me for asking this, maybe its a verboten subject, but it was brought up on a couple of the boards recently.  In terms of exposure in searches, etc., does it make any significant difference whether a seller puts up all 12 allowed pictures to the gallery on a listing, or just a few?

Also, it's been hinted by some that a more extensive listing description is advantageous -- I spend a lot of time on the descriptive text of my listings, not necessarily over-long, but lots of specific detail.  I'd like to know if that time is more or less wasted, or if it makes a real difference.

Only reply to the extent you are permitted of course...

[vipsoul61]

"though it's currently an option for members, note that Sellers will not be able to list items if their Feedback Profile page is private.' ....thank you for your answer Kalvin,... but then how did the seller have items for sale if his Feedback Profile was private? Obviously there is a workaround for the block. Did he go private after listing ?

[kalvin@ebay.com]

---

@rose-dee wrote:

OK, well since we're here and nobody else seems to want the floor, I have another one (two actually)! 

Forgive me for asking this, maybe its a verboten subject, but it was brought up on a couple of the boards recently.  In terms of exposure in searches, etc., does it make any significant difference whether a seller puts up all 12 allowed pictures to the gallery on a listing, or just a few?

Also, it's been hinted by some that a more extensive listing description is advantageous -- I spend a lot of time on the descriptive text of my listings, not necessarily over-long, but lots of specific detail.  I'd like to know if that time is more or less wasted, or if it makes a real difference.

Only reply to the extent you are permitted of course...

---

Hi rose-dee,

Pictures & descriptions alone won't help exposure, but rather, buyer activity (watchers, buyers, etc.). Very happy to hear that you're taking extra care in the quality of your listings, as these are conducive to help buyer activity, which in turn converts to better exposure.

Hope that helps!

Thanks, 

[rose-dee]

---

kalvin@ebay.com wrote:

Let me start a thread with you now offline to understand the exact flow you're on. Expect an email in the next few minutes.

---

OK, thanks Kalvin.  You know, I'm a historian and linguist by training, and this sentence made me smile, only because I was thinking what someone in 1913 would have thought of it.  The only words that would likely have had meaning would be "start", "Expect", and "next few minutes".  They would have said: "What's a thread, what does offline mean, what's an exact flow, and what on earth is an email!

Almost everybody would "get" that sentence today, in 2013.  There have been such vast changes in our language as a result of technology and social connection in 100 years!  Just a thought for the day.

Cheers, and enjoy the rest of your day!

[kalvin@ebay.com]

---

@vipsoul61 wrote:
"though it's currently an option for members, note that Sellers will not be able to list items if their Feedback Profile page is private.' ....thank you for your answer Kalvin,... but then how did the seller have items for sale if his Feedback Profile was private? Obviously there is a workaround for the block. Did he go private after listing ?

---

Just tested this after creating a listing & I received the following message:

Sellers would only be able to make their Feedback Profile page private once all items are no longer active.