Another attack on Canadian Sellers

[bcwet]

I had noticed a decrease in my Canadian sales so I thought I would look up some of my items in the search lists.

To my shock and utter dismay all of my listings is search results were coming up with a 17 dollar and change shipping cost. when I clicked in the listing however the right shipping cost was there but in search results using price & shipping lowest first it puts us beneath gsp sellers from the states. Is this deliberate? sure seems like it to me.

Then I checked other Canadian sellers with and without stores using calculated shipping and buy it now and they have the same thing happening to them.

I have also noticed that american sellers who are not using gsp are showing up in .ca as shipping not specified but again they are showing up above Canadian sellers.

The only sellers with the correct shipping costs in search results lists are those that offer free shipping, fixed price shipping and auctions. Oh ya and americans using gsp.

Comments Anyone????

[pierrelebel]

Could you please provide listing numbers for the many problems you outlined above?

[bcwet]

Just follow this search string Pierre you will see what Im talking about. This is a search for Elizabeth Grant a popular canadian skincare line sold by many canadian sellers:

http://www.ebay.ca/sch/Skin-Care-/11863/i.html?_from=R40&_sop=15&LH_BIN=1&_nkw=elizabeth+grant&_pgn=...

[pierrelebel]

Got it!

Major bug where search result pages show a much higher shipping charge than shown in your listing.

I suggest you get on the phone with eBay immediately to inform them of the problem.

Good Luck.

I checked listings from other sellers in other categories and "stuff" offered by American sellers does how as "shipping not specified" even when a shipping method and charge is clearly indicated in the listing.

For example: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Canada-158-50c-Bluenose-Ship-VF-OG-NH-Cat-450-00-Stuart-Katz-/231248538519?p...

Then I checked some listings from Canadians where the shipping appeared excessive ($15 to mail a stamp) but it was exactly what the seller wanted!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Canada-Stamp-Scott-158-50-Cents-Bluenose-MH-/380240687919?pt=Stamps_World_St...

Other listings in the same category all correctly showed the shipping charge if the seller was Canadian:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/158-50c-Dark-Blue-Bluenose-VF-84-LH-/320703221417?pt=Stamps_World_Stamps&has...

Major bug offering different results in different categories.

No wonder our sales are non existent.

[dinomitesales]

That sure is strange. I took a look at your listings and you're right; on the search results page most of them show a shipping charge of +15.86 Canadian, however when I actually go into the listing itself the shipping is listed at CDN 11.43. Weird.

I have also recently noticed many listings showing up as "Shipping not specified" when doing searches, but then when I click through it clearly shows a shipping charge. 

[bcwet]

I called them this morning then I called every seller I know on here one of them who doesnt speak english very well told me she noticed it last week but doesnt like to call customers service because of her accent.

The customer service rep was basically floored had no answers for me and could only put in a ticket saying it wouldnt be fixed for a few days most likely.

But we still cannot sell multiple items to the usa and thats been going on since last year, I finally got hold of an american customer service guy after 20 calls and he said that all the tickets and complainst that were put in for that were ignored because it was not a mistake that they were trying to boost american sellers. Then I asked for a refund on my store fees. I dont think this is a mistake either I think its a way to boost american sellers using gsp on the canadian site.

[froogal_electronic_parts_and_overstock]

Software glitch or unforeseen search placement algo result.

One implies an honest mistake, the other manipulation. 

Does anybody buy the honest mistake? 

[ricarmic]

I checked out some searches that had a lot of my stuff:

-if there is a shipping charge, it shows as "shipping not specified" (Note that I use flat rate shipping)

-if it is free shipping it is showing that properly

I changed it to show me in the US:

-if there is a shipping charge it shows OK

-if it is free shipping it is showing that properly

So from my albeit short and small sampling, it looks like it is only failing for folks with Canadian addresses where there is a shipping charge.... 

[bcwet]

Yes you have alot of free shipping but on .ca where you do charge shipping its showing in searches as shipping not specified. Which I think is better than them doubling your shipping costs like they did with people who use calculated shipping.

Wow there sure seem to be alot of stamp and lettermail item sellers on this board.

[pjcdn2005]

The U.S. listings that I see of yours has free shipping so I couldn't tell if your U.S. shipping was showing a price or not. But when I view your listings as a Canadian or as being in the UK, the listings with prices are all showing shipping not specified.

[pjcdn2005]

This is all very bizarre. As others have stated, my free shipping listings are fine.

I only have a few listings with calculated shipping but those listings are also showing an exaggerated shipping cost for Canadians in search view. Also when I search my listings with lowest price plus shipping first, those items are put at the bottom of the search even though their total cost is less than many of my other listings.

Any flat rate shipping listings that were done on .com are showing as shipping not specified if I search as a Canadian.  The listings done on .ca with flat rate are fine.

It's almost the opposite if I search as if I am in the U.S.  The flat rate shipping listings that were done on .ca do NOT show a shipping price in the search view. The listings that were done on .com DO show a shipping price.

If I view as a UK buyer,all of my flat rate shipping listings done on .com or .ca show as shipping not specified.

I do not use calculated shipping for the U.S. or international. But the listings that were done on .ca that do have calculated shipping for Canada only and then have a flat rate for the U.S. and other countries DO show a correct shipping price when viewed as a UK or U.S. buyer.  

[skincaredelight]

Same thing happened to me and I am not a happy camper about any of the shenanigans going on lately.

Not a happy place to sell anymore when one can have a sale.....fewer and farther in between.

When does all this end pray tell???

[skincaredelight]

no definitelyte not

[rose-dee]

I searched in one of the categories in which I sell, and I'm seeing the same thing -- "no shipping specified" for both US and international sellers, yet the shipping cost is clearly indicated when you look at the listing itself.

I use flat rate shipping for everything, and it looks as if my own listings aren't affected in searches.  So this is perhaps solely a calculated shipping issue.  Whatever the reason or cause is, it's completely unacceptable. 

[pjcdn2005]

It is both a calculated and flat rating shipping issue but each method is affected in a different way.

Actually, your listings are affected. If you go to view your listings and change your location to the U.S. or another country, your listings are showing as shipping not specified in the search view. It is the same if I view your listings on .ca or .com.

[rose-dee]

Yes, I see -- I tried searching on .com as a "guest" (i.e. without logging in), and the search reveals some very strange results.  Here is one search I did on a category in which I occasionally sell:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2047675.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.X1970%27s+Paton+Knitting+Patt... 

Notice that although my item (#161084054570 - the 2nd LAST item in the search above) offers free shipping, that doesn't show up on the search list.  However, other items do have "Free Shipping" shown.  Most of the other items have no shipping shown at all, even though shipping costs are set out in the listing. 

Interestingly, although I have TRS Plus rating on the U.S. site, a seller with only 72 FB and no TRS has several listings shown ahead of mine, and as I said, I'm 2nd last in the regular search list.  This is the kind of thing that makes me wonder why I bother. 

It seems to me that eBay hasn't had their sites functioning reliably and properly for more than a few scattered weeks over the past year.  The one thing they should ensure they do right is show listings properly, and they can't even seem to do that anymore.  I'm disgusted!

[pjcdn2005]

I find that the customer service phone reps have a difficult time understanding any sort of Canadian shipping problem and wanted to make sure that someone is actually looking into the problem. So I wrote Raphael about it and he wrote back saying that the problem is being looked at.

[Anonymous]

It is what I consider "theft" by eBay by stealing our store fees and then not put us in search capability as they want to boost American sellers!!

We all Canadian sellers should call and demand the sellers fees refunds and maybe they will wise up and treat us equally or offer us free seller fees for the next 6-12 months!!

Please you call ebay and demand for seller fees refunds, otherwise eBay is getting AWAY WITH MURDER like O.J.!!

[pjcdn2005]

It's really frustrating when things like this happen and it does happen too often but comparing it to murder is much too dramatic way over the top.

[rose-dee]

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@pjcdn2005 wrote:

I find that the customer service phone reps have a difficult time understanding any sort of Canadian shipping problem and wanted to make sure that someone is actually looking into the problem. So I wrote Raphael about it and he wrote back saying that the problem is being looked at.

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Thanks for following up 'pj' -- let's hope someone at eBay takes notice.  Following on the heels of the hacker fiasco, this is the last thing we need.

An odd thing -- I just clicked on the link I posted above to the sample search, and my listing is now #4 on the list, and it now shows "Free Shipping".  Not that I'm complaining about the improved standing, but what the heck happened in the last couple of hours? 

It's this absence of any rhyme or reason that drives me crazy.  I'm tempted to say eBay operates in a world of randomness and glitches.  Perhaps if they focused as much time on making their sites operate consistently and reliably, and less time on endless tweaking and changing décor, we might all be better off.