Hi everyone -
Opening the thread up for discussion. I'll be in tomorrow morning to review and respond!
Tyler
@amcdc79 wrote:
Hello Tyler,
When the defect system was introduced, at the time, the buyer. by simply asking the seller a question, unknowingly gave the seller a defect, Thanks to that system, many fine sellers were kicked off of ebay, some of whom, were my personal favourite sellers.
Here we are 4-5 years later, and once again ebay is wanting to give metrics hits to sellers for things they have no control over, but even worse, even when the buyer is happy as a lark, and has given the seller positive feedback. Sellers now can get a metric hit, even when they have done nothing wrong, and even when ebay, knows that.
Your competitor, who ebay is trying to emulate, used to give metrics hits every time the customer opened a case, but found that there was too much abuse of the system, so they had to change it. Now, if the buyer withdraws their claim, or the seller wins the claim, the hit goes away. If you buy your shipping through them, and the buyer claims INR, there is no hit. Of course only in the US, not in Canada.
Lastly, while we are on the shipping topic, You know the cost of shipping in Canada is way more than the US, why are our standards the same, when the challenges are so different?
Hi @amcdc79 - I want to clarify that there is not a change to the way the defect process works in relation to seller standards: any open request is not considered a defect unless it is escalated to us and not found in your favor, as it has been for some time.
I believe your post is referring to the implementation of Service Metrics as part of your monthly seller evaluation - which will look at your rate of opened Not Received requests and Not as Described return requests as compared to your peers in the same category, item type and average sale price. The metric would look at all opened requests of those types regardless of outcome, identify outliers (those with a Very High percentage as compared to others) and apply consequences for them. In the case of Not Received requests it would be in the form of additional time added to delivery estimates shown to buyers. In the case of Not as Described, it would be in the form of an additional 4% Final Value Fee.
This additional metric is one that we believe will help create a more consistent experience for buyers, encouraging repeat business. Identifying outliers allows us to get coaching to those members who may need it as well as encouragement to improve poor selling behaviours.
When it comes to shipping, there are exceptions made for Canadian sellers. Specifically, the requirements to be considered Top Rated are more lax than for US sellers when it comes to the tracking upload requirements. If you're referring to Service Metrics, the site an item is listed on is one of the criteria used for identifying peer groups - so items you list on .ca will not be compared to a peer group from the states.
@rose-dee wrote:
Hi Tyler, thanks for being here! Two questions:
1) I've had a "classic" style store almost since stores were first available. I've been selling successfully for over 15 years here, but this past year has been dismal, and not getting any better. This has mostly been due to the incremental, grinding effect of eBay policies, increased charges, and changes to the way the site is run, as well as shipping changes and cost increases (e.g. the demise of Light Packet USA and Int'l).
As part of my last ditch effort to remain viable on eBay, I'm considering trying to switch to the "new" store format/design to see if that improves my sales. So -- how do I do that? Or is it possible to do at this point? Can I switch back if it's a disaster?
I attempted to find a way to do this a couple of weeks ago (through the Seller Hub on .ca, via "Marketing/Summary" that led to a link called "Try the new store management tool"), but got stuck on a page that just went round and round for several minutes without producing anything. Someone suggested trying the same thing via eBay.com Seller Hub. I got the same non-functional page. However, I absolutely, definitely, don't want to end up re-opening my store on .com (or opening a new one on .com). The old link at the bottom of my storefront page ("Seller Manage Store") just goes to the same store management tools that have existed for over a decade, and I don't see any option to change store style completely.
If you can help with this, I'd be grateful.
2) Would you be able to explain, in more precise terms, what the message from eBay shown below means? It seems a rather vague reassurance to me. For example, how does eBay propose to "monitor" defects? Will sellers need to do battle with Customer Service over each and every one? Or will all defects resulting from INR's during the whole period of a postal strike be removed automatically? Will this include protecting sellers against any consequences related to the new (INR) Service Metrics?
Will the same protections apply whether there is a full-on strike, rotating strikes, or just the sort of uncertainty and disruption we had 2 years ago? How can eBay "adjust estimated delivery dates" if there is an actual strike and nobody really knows when it will end? If those dates are adjusted and the seller's delivery still doesn't meet them, what then?
I'm sorry, but I just don't feel much comfort from this rather general statement (I've put my store on vacation, better safe than sorry).
"Should a work disruption occur, eBay will ensure that sellers are not penalized for the delayed arrival of shipments originating or terminating in Canada. eBay will monitor and remove defects associated with shipping delays caused by any Canada Post disruption. eBay will also monitor and adjust estimated delivery dates and eBay Money Back Guarantee timelines."
Hi @rose-dee!
1) While the layout or format of your store isn't considered in your search placement results, updating may help impulsive buyers choose you as the newer format is one that they have become accustomed to. I don't have an 'upgrade' link for eBay.ca specifically, but if you opt into the new format on .com it should update your store across all sites (don't worry - no .com subscription necessary!). Sign into eBay.com and then click on this link. That will take you to a preview page, and you can choose the 'publish' button in the corner. That will update your storefront to the newer experience and let you set things like 'Billboard Photo', etc. If you work through it and it's just untenable for you, contact CS and they can help you revert back.
2) In an ideal world things would resolve easily without the need for any disruption of service. However, in the event of a disruption we're prepared to proactively protect you from impacts to your seller metrics. This means you wouldn't need to contact CS for appeals of late shipments or INR requests, as those would be handled administratively in batches. Adjusting delivery estimates is something we would do from our end to account for rolling delays or slowdowns. If it needed to be extended or an INR is opened we would still make sure you are taken care of.
If a strike happens we will provide further, more detailed, information about steps we will take as well as anything we need from you. Fingers crossed that it's unnecessary!
Featured Posts
