eBay

rocketscollectibles · ‎04-05-2023

I have store coupons for a 3rd quarters in a row now. They have nothing useful for me. I took polymailers everytime because this is all they have that i could maybe use, but i'm just stacking them. I used like 5-10 max on 200 in 6 months. I'm getting in a dumb situation where i have a $35 discount, but because of taxes, it cost money to use it. My options are either to void a $35 discount, or pay for something at good price but that i don't need and won't use.

My question is. Is is against rules to

A. sell the coupon to someone

B. buy and resell the supplies

reallynicestamps · ‎04-08-2023

I likethe idea of the swag.

One reason the prices seem high, I believe, is that when we look at the choices, we see the UNDISCOUNTED price.

So 100 poly envelopes for $38 is silly.

But take off the $35 coupon and 100 envelopes for $3 plus tax and shipping becomes more reasonable. And I don't have to get on the bus and transfer downtown then walk two blocks to Staples to get them.

vintagenorth · ‎04-08-2023

@intimewithmusic wrote:
@vintagenorth wrote:
In 18 years of selling I think I have only used my eBay supplies coupon once. Cheaper to buy locally from a packaging company plus there is never anything that I can really use. I mostly use the No.1 size bubble envelopes or the 7.5" x 10.5" brown manila envelopes.

The book size pkg is a good idea though!
Your comment suggests this complaint spans nearly two decades. Another way to look at it is every 3 months you have an opportunity to use the items for something else. For example;

The shipping tape is pretty good. You could donate it to a local food bank or mission for their international shipping.
The poly mailers would be great for long term emergency food storage and/or emergency supplies. Also useful for dust free household storage and/or eBay inventory storage. If the bags aren't considered "food safe" possibly a Zip Lock inner liner would be good.
Use the waterproof packaging with the bright colored logos in your onboard boat compartments if you have a boat, camp or have an RV.
If you don't need the mailers you might divide them up among your neighbors who would appreciate them
The boxes are faily durable and make stackable storeage for media and book collections etc. Food banks and neighbors would take the extras.
It seems a shame to waste the advantage of the coupon. Possibly others could add their ideas on how to repurpose the limited selection.

I previously suggested eBay could have some promo "swag" items IE: shirts or coffee mugs as an alternative.

Sorry, don't agree. I'm not going to spend my hard earned money on items that I don't need and won't use. Honestly, I can buy the items I do need at lower prices from a company not too far from me and even though I need to pick up myself it's in a town where I drive to when going for my groceries, etc.

I think I still have all the boxes and stuff from the one order that I did place from eBay about a year ago. Come to think of it, I need to get rid of all the unworn eBay t-shirts and other items that I have acquired as swag over the years. I should list them I guess. But not my eBay mug or pens, those are useful.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎04-14-2023

@38e_avenue wrote:
@reallynicestamps wrote:

And while I appreciate the branding, on high value shipments I put stickers or labels over all the words on the envelope. I'm not sure I want to advertise to porch pirates.
My thoughts exactly ....

2 Observations regarding the eBay branded shipping supplies.

Several of the items do not meet CP guidelines. The work around get creative when generating your listing with the measurements then update when the item sells and you process. Smaller measurements will be accepted at that stage of the operation.
In reviewing the new International Shipping Options for dot com sellers, one of the tidbits in the fine print is they highly recommend using generic packaging. Unsure how a shipment would be affected if it a different type of packaging were used or if it would just be repackaged at their discretion.

Personally I have never used eBay branded outer packaging when shipping except to return something once to the River. Maybe River packaging for eBay items. 9 times out of 10 packaging just goes in the recycling/garbage bin.

When packing your item, it is best to use nondescript boxes and packaging. You should also take care to pack your item so that it will arrive to your buyer undamaged.

-Lotz

ricarmic · ‎04-14-2023

In my own case, I was VERY hesitant to use branded packaging for the "take me I'm something good" concern we all have.

But way back when, I don't know how many years ago I took the leap and began using the branded packaging and as you can see from my annual self insurance statistics, they haven't changed...so in my case at least it was an unfounded fear.

As a note, I do exercise care depending on the country, I either make sure the label is over top of the branding or I use 3rd party plain packages to the likes of Latin America, Israel etc, the "scarier shipping to" countries. Everything to Canada, USA, Europe, Australia has been going "branded" for years.....

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎04-14-2023

@ricarmic wrote:
In my own case, I was VERY hesitant to use branded packaging for the "take me I'm something good" concern we all have.

But way back when, I don't know how many years ago I took the leap and began using the branded packaging and as you can see from my annual self insurance statistics, they haven't changed...so in my case at least it was an unfounded fear.

As a note, I do exercise care depending on the country, I either make sure the label is over top of the branding or I use 3rd party plain packages to the likes of Latin America, Israel etc, the "scarier shipping to" countries. Everything to Canada, USA, Europe, Australia has been going "branded" for years.....

@ricarmic

I've always erred on the side of caution and figured best not to advertise. Maybe now not so bad with the majority of Canadians now having community mail boxes (well except for those every so often carriers that give carriers a bad name). In the USA and many other countries they still have home mail boxes or at the curb type that are not 100% secure. Signature service is offered, paid for, now available with Shippo as an add on(unsure how that work with Small packet air that is supposed to be untracked). How often an actual signature where applicable is being retrieved is debatable. 20% to 30% of the time? I had a recent higher value shipment enroute. Was noted in USPS tracking details as signature required. It showed up super quick once it arrived in Canada in community mail box without a signature. Defeats the purpose if signature is paid for and not happening and/or the parcel mysteriously walks away. Why apt residents are purchasing with major intrepidation.

River stuff routinely arrives on my bottom step a 2 second grab from sidewalk. Doorbell is fully functional but almost never used for deliveries. As per couriers including Intelcom according to the fine print deliveries are supposed to be either to person, signature or in a secure location. This stopped happening ages ago.

-Lotz

PS. Feel free to include miss-deliveries into this quagmire.

mindbender3 · ‎06-27-2023

Yeah, I loved those mailers too. Perfectly designed for shipping vinyl LP's. Today I inquired about the product and this is the message I received:

"Thank you for your interest in our listing at eBayshippingsuppliescanada. Unfortunately, the 12.5x12.5" flat folding adjustable boxes are no longer available at this time. We continually review and refine our supplies offerings to ensure we’re providing the right assortment at the right prices.

We found that there was a relatively lower demand for this size box, which led to our decision to discontinue them. The products we provide are based on guidance from eBay, as we are partnered in this venture they must approve all of our branded offers."

So now these coupons are pretty much useless to me.

flipistics · ‎06-27-2023

@mindbender3 wrote:
Yeah, I loved those mailers too. Perfectly designed for shipping vinyl LP's. Today I inquired about the product and this is the message I received:

"Thank you for your interest in our listing at eBayshippingsuppliescanada. Unfortunately, the 12.5x12.5" flat folding adjustable boxes are no longer available at this time. We continually review and refine our supplies offerings to ensure we’re providing the right assortment at the right prices.

We found that there was a relatively lower demand for this size box, which led to our decision to discontinue them. The products we provide are based on guidance from eBay, as we are partnered in this venture they must approve all of our branded offers."

So now these coupons are pretty much useless to me.

Yeah, I haven't used my coupons yet (I guess I'd better do that in the next few days). I have a pretty good stockpile of bubble mailers (and the quality of them has decreased substantially). I may pick up some poly bags, which I put bigger books in before boxing just in case the package gets wet. Interestingly, it looks like the US site has dropped the record boxes too.

rocketscollectibles · ‎06-28-2023

Update on that i tried to resell in smaller lots, fairly priced and sized to ship lettermail. It just sit. I checked the store and they added nothing once again. No bubble mailers, no envelopes. Once again the **bleep**ty coupon situation incoming. Once again stacking another 100 polymailers i won't use. Why don't they give us a credit on fees on something... It's acted like it's a return to sellers's subscriptions but in reality it's literally just manipulation to have sellers doing free ads for eBay by using their stuff. We pay them to give them free ads, that's deep. They really got us in their pockets.