eBay

jt-libra · ‎07-27-2015

I just checked my PayPal balance and noticed that I had both CAD and USD funds. I sell only in USD so I couldn't understand where the Canadian dollars came from. Then I found that an item purchased yesterday sold for $18.95 CAD instead of USD, and I hadn't noticed. How could that happen. I price my items to take into account the exchange rate so, with free shipping, I didn't get what I had planned for the item.

Unless things have changed, you can only list in one currency or another; you can't just selectively choose a currency for each item.

So I checked all my listings and found that there were several showing CAD, in both my selling accounts. In a couple of instances, I just increased the price accordingly and, with others, I ended them early. I have a thing about Americans seeing listings in CAD. I always assume that many will just pass them by ... it's probably too complicated!

Anyway, you might want to do a quick check of your listings.

jt-libra · ‎07-27-2015

I should have added that with the listings I did find, there was no mechanism to change CAD back to USD, so I can't even imagine what sort of glitch caused this problem.

Even if this glitch is temporary, for sellers who have a large number of daily sales, the loss in dollars would be huge.

triber · ‎07-27-2015

There is another link on this problem from a few days ago, I am having the same problem when I list on .ca, I can only use CAD. One listing from today I cancelled and then relisted and it worked, but it was a free one so I didn't lose anything.

cumos55 · ‎07-27-2015

Two of your listings, newly listed today, show Canadian dollars in a search on eBay Canada...

but the listings themselves have prices in US dollars right in the listings

Checked listings that I ended and relisted today.... no problems indicated

jt-libra · ‎07-27-2015

@triber wrote:
There is another link on this problem from a few days ago, I am having the same problem when I list on .ca, I can only use CAD. One listing from today I cancelled and then relisted and it worked, but it was a free one so I didn't lose anything.

I did look to see if there was an earlier thread before I posted, but I must have missed it. Thanks.

I always use Sell Similar but I've never seen a currency option on these listings. I mean, never. Where do you find it? I just did a test on an unsold item and I never saw this option.

jt-libra · ‎07-27-2015

@cumos55 wrote:
Two of your listings, newly listed today, show Canadian dollars in a search on eBay Canada...

but the listings themselves have prices in US dollars right in the listings.

I know that in Search it will show CAD, and US in the actual listings. However, there were a few that were CAD in both places, e.g. 261981897031. I find now that if I use that listing to Sell Similar, there is an option to select currency. But that doesn't explain how it came to be in CAD in the first place. It's not something you accidentally click on.

I'll have to be very careful in the future.

Sorry for re-opening an existing thread.

cumos55 · ‎07-27-2015

As sellers we have to be aware of many little things that happen on eBay...

and then how to remedy the situation and how to be careful.

eBay is full of little happenings..

Many notice these happenings and deal with them without letting others know ...

We must know just in case... and before something small becomes something very big...

tobyshitzu · ‎07-27-2015

Months ago staff declared they had new research to show it was advantageous for Canadians to list in CAN$. They were going to remove the line that said something like 'your listing is 15% more likely to sell in US$" that had been there forever, as they now kne wit was wrong. Nothing happened until late last week when that line was removed. It looks like at the same time they did something to make sure the listing form defaulted to CAN$. Which apparently has caused at least some US$ listings to be relisted at the amount amount in CAN$. No doubt a glitch, just another in the constant ones the introduce when they change something. Could be expensive for some sellers

bestchoicebrand · ‎07-27-2015

couple of days ago we discussed about currency setting, hoped that it was just a small glitch, doesn't look like it anymore. Probably they decided to set up CAN as default currency and if you need to sell in US dollars you have to change it.... every time

jt-libra · ‎07-27-2015

@bestchoicebrand wrote:
couple of days ago we discussed about currency setting, hoped that it was just a small glitch, doesn't look like it anymore. Probably they decided to set up CAN as default currency and if you need to sell in US dollars you have to change it.... every time

I see that now, as I'm relisting.

Of the many changes eBay has made, I think this would rank as a fairly significant one and perhaps could have warranted an announcement, however brief, by eBay!!

jt-libra · ‎07-27-2015

When the UPC became mandatory, it wasn't carrying over when doing a Sell Similar, creating a lot of frustration and extra work for sellers. Then, eventually, eBay remedied this.

Hopefully they'll do the same for the currency. I did several listings (Sell Similar) just now and then wanted to see if the currency would carry over when I did a Sell Similar of one I just completed. No!! That's what bestchoicebrand meant when he/she said "every time". I thought that meant the first time you re-listed each one of your items.

hit_the_icebox · ‎07-28-2015

We're having the same issue. You can find some of the discussion in the April 22nd Weekly Chat (or whatever it's called), but it's just plain dumb. Here's one of the answers from the eBay rep:

"In a nutshell, according to our analysis, all Canadian sellers would either see a positive or neutral impact on their sales if they start listing in CAD. Essentially, our old data that suggested better sales for USD listings has been disproved. The SYI will be modified shortly to reflect this reality, and we've made the changes to the quick listing tool last week. Additionally, we've started engaging with large Canadian merchants to recommend that they also list in CAD if possible.
My personal thoughts on why this may be are that this very likely has to do with the current exchange rate which makes CAD priced goods appear cheaper when converted to USD. I'm sure there are other factors at play though."

So, eBay has determined it's better for us sellers to sell in CDN whether we want to or not, and they've made some change that will force you to at least have to make the change back to US yourself on each listing.

Also, do buyers on .com see your listing automatically in US dollars?

Try me -- I just might buy it!

tobyshitzu · ‎07-28-2015

"Also, do buyers on .com see your listing automatically in US dollars?"

All ebay sites show a conversion to their home currency

jt-libra · ‎07-28-2015

@hit_the_icebox wrote:
We're having the same issue. You can find some of the discussion in the April 22nd Weekly Chat (or whatever it's called), but it's just plain dumb. Here's one of the answers from the eBay rep:

"In a nutshell, according to our analysis, all Canadian sellers would either see a positive or neutral impact on their sales if they start listing in CAD. Essentially, our old data that suggested better sales for USD listings has been disproved. The SYI will be modified shortly to reflect this reality, and we've made the changes to the quick listing tool last week. Additionally, we've started engaging with large Canadian merchants to recommend that they also list in CAD if possible.
My personal thoughts on why this may be are that this very likely has to do with the current exchange rate which makes CAD priced goods appear cheaper when converted to USD. I'm sure there are other factors at play though."

Thanks for posting that. I feel that I read the Boards quite regularly but I seem to have missed all the discussions on this issue.

So, eBay has determined it's better for us sellers to sell in CDN whether we want to or not, and they've made some change that will force you to at least have to make the change back to US yourself on each listing.

If that's the case, fine, but at least have us only make the change once on each listing and allow that currency to carry over with each re-list or sell similar, like they eventually did with the UPC.

Also, do buyers on .com see your listing automatically in US dollars?