EBAY WANTS ITS SELLERS BACK

[cartoonsinabox]

Interesting article in the Webpro news http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2009/01/09/ebay-wants-its-sellers-back

Makes Feedback and Payment Policy Changes


Early last year, eBay inflicted some damaging policy changes that sent many sellers running for the hills. Now, they apparently are changing the rules to remove negative comments left by customers towards the sellers.

A couple months ago I talked to a number of eBay sellers, and all but one of them told me that eBay's feedback policy was their biggest frustration. It now seems that eBay has decided to hear the howls of disgust from its users that have been going on for the majority of the past year. Ecommerce Journal reports:

The move to change the Feedback policy was prompted by numerous requests made by the cross-border sellers who received negative comments from customers while there wasn’t actual fault with the merchants. Now eBay will be removing feedback if: the listing meets the Customs Requirements and/or the seller receives a negative or neutral Feedback comment, which references customs delays or customs fees. Merchants in turn are obliged to advise the buyers that import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer’s responsibility.

There was also a lot of frustration about eBay's payment policy. Many were enraged by the favoritism showed to eBay-owned PayPal. eBay will reportedly now be adding Moneybookers and PayMate as acceptable methods of payment starting next month.


eBay users have been quite vocal in their displeasure with the famous auction site. It seems unlikely that many of them that have been so passionate will be willing to go back to eBay just because they finally acknowledged these issues. But the brand power that eBay carries does pull a lot of weight. Are you (or were you) an eBay seller? What do you think?

[ampurtle]

Oh and just for the record, eBay didn't strike any deal with Canada Post, Canada Post came up with eBay flat rate boxes after extensive consultations with Canadian Customers, I know because I made a submission and that was the suggestion that topped the list by all the eBay sellers consulted, but the box sure could have been bigger 😜

There was another consultation process in November, and the top of my list was the rigid photo mailers and the propensiy of some sorting stations to insist that paper bubble envelopes sizes include the extreme edges rather than the core of the envelope like unlaminated CP bubblopes. I also asked for local postal stations to have the option to supply the eBay flat rate boxes if a protocol could be established to effect that convenience. Oh, and I want those CP Labelopes back on the list and instock at the CP store with or without a cost associated with them.

And that's why you don't see me whining about Canada Post... they understand customer service and feedback and go out of their way to get it and implement what the most requested item on the list turns out to be, unless of course it's not feasible...

[gifts_of_elegance]

I bought these boxes too but they are useless to me. I ship fragile items and anything so small that I could ship in these boxes I can ship with Small Packet for fraction of the cost.

I think we all agree that new policies imposed by management have done MORE damage to our business than the failing economy. Does anyone really think that Management will change its policies now? That would be admitting they were wrong and did damage to their own company rather than taking it to next level. They can just put the blame on the failing economy.

Re: CUSTOM FEES,, ETC.
I sell internationally and I had two purchasers complain that I OWED THEM for the duties they had to pay so I posted a note on all my listings that Duties, Taxes might be levied by their country and payment was their responsibility.
It had a negative impact on my sales. I had several concerned emails from potential customers from USA so I removed it from all my 800+ listings one by one. Now I will have to put it back? Also changes that I can accept payments other than PayPal?

I have had it with all the changes that had to be made in the past year. With 800+ listings, it seems I don't finish one before another one has to be made! I truly pity sellers with 2,500 listings. They haven't got a chance!

When my inventory runs out, eBay will have lost another seller.

They already lost me as a purchaser. I used to spend around $150,000 on purchases per year. Now I only spend a couple of hundred a month.

[cottonwoodindustries]

I want those CP Labelopes back on the list and instock at the CP store

If these are the clear envelopes for labels on international shipments, I just ordered 100 of them for nothing. And they are online.

[gifts_of_elegance]

How did this topic of EBAY WANTS ITS SELLERS BACK turn into a discussion on Canada Post Supplies?

[ampurtle]

Probably the same way every other one does... welcome to the internat.....