eBay Seller Release to Include Changes to Fees, Feedback

[pierrelebel]

By Ina Steiner
EcommerceBytes.com
February 28, 2012

eBay will announce the first Seller Release of 2012 today, and fees and feedback are on the table. Some of the forthcoming policy changes are designed to encourage sellers to send items quickly and reward sellers for having no communication with buyers, and eBay is raising the bar for Top Rated Sellers who wish to receive the 20% Final Value Fee discount.

Beginning July 2nd, eBay will offer sellers free image hosting, and beginning in the fall, all listings will be required to have at least one picture - additional quality standards for pictures will also be in effect.

eBay will also raise the maximum Final Value Fee for auction listings to $250 for non-Store owners, which impacts auctions that close at $1,111 and above.

for more:  http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y12/m02/i28/s00 

[vincenzo@ebay.com]

Hi Sheepgal54

You are correct. Lettermail will not count as a trackable service. The tracking uplaod is 90% so if lettermail is less than 10% of your shipments to the US you will be fine and will get the full US TRS benefits plus the extra boost.

[altimateoutlet]

We use DHL and notice it is not an option in the drop down list

[vincenzo@ebay.com]

Hi,

Yes, we'll work with the shipping team in the next few months to cover the carriers that are not currently in the list and that are used by Canadian sellers.

[puckstopshere]

Lettermail will not count as a trackable service.

Is registered mail acceptable as trackable?

[recped]

I haven't read the entire thread but just wanted to stay one thing......

"extra boost", don't even think about it or if you are going to get it or not. The "boosts" in search that eBay dangles out there are completely bogus. By now there must be dozens of factors that eBay claims gives you an "extra boost" in search, so many now that the lack of one or two are meaningless.

There is really only one way to get a "boost", have the lowest price and/or be the only one currently selling that item. Anything else eBay claims will help you is bogus.

[Anonymous]

Hi puckstopshere.

Registered mail does not include tracking.

The intent of the policy is to encourage adoption of services that actually allow buyers to track their package.

We recognize that this is not going to be feasible for some types of listings (like trading cards for example).

We also recognize that for Canadian sellers, the cost of trackable services can be prohibitive for many sellers. That's why we've created a special rule for Canadian sellers only that permits you to achieve US Top-rated status without meeting the tracking requirement. (US sellers won't be able to do that!)

Canadians still need to meet the tracking requirement in order to get the greatest level of boost on eBay.com. But in categories where even US sellers are typically not using trackable services, sellers with great reputations, great merchandise and great prices will still be very competitive in Best Match search.

[recped]

Canadians still need to meet the tracking requirement in order to get the greatest level of boost on eBay.com.

How much "greater" is the "greatest level" than the second greatest?

[Anonymous]

Hi recped.

It's really difficult to say with any degree of certainty due to the complexity of Best Match.

The more Best Match factors in your favour, the better.

If you can't meet tracking requirements, then be sure to do the other things that can help you in Best Match. Generally speaking, we are giving lift in search to the listings with the things that buyers want: sellers with great reputations, listings at great prices, favourable handling and return policies, listings with great sales histories (for multi-quantity listings) etc.

[it*s-not-me]

So then.......... for Canadian sellers the tracking does not mean that much other than perhaps altering place in a Best Match Search.

........ but for US sellers shipping with tracking affect TRS status?

Is that correct?

If that's true, and if First Class International fake tracking does not qualify, then US sellers will no longer ship that way to Canada.

Also......... as far as I can see there is no change to the way TRS status is evaluated in relation to the number of 1s and 2s received for DSR ratings......

It looks like the average might have changed (which does not mean much becuase it's the number of 1,s and 2,s that matter.)

Is that correct?

[Anonymous]

Hi it*s-not-me.

I would say tracking means a lot to your buyers in all cases, which is why we're encouraging sellers to adopt trackable services where possible.

But yes, as a Canadian seller, you don't need to meet the tracking requirement to qualify as US Top rated. And there's no tracking requirement for anyone for Global Top rated.

If you can meet the tracking requirement, it will help you out in best match on any listings that have 1 day handling or better and 14 day return policy with money back.

We'd be happy to see more US sellers using trackable services to Canada. We all know how frequently items can get stuck in customs in either direction, and tracking mitigates a lot of buyer anxiety.

And yes, no change to rules on rate of low DSR's under either program.

[femmefan1946]

How about changing the term from "tracking" to "shipping invoice number"?

This has the double benefit of being an accurate description of services (like Expedited ) that are at best Delivery Confirmed and ending the unwarranted expectation of buyers that they will be able to see exactly where their Delivery Confirmed (at best) item is at this moment.

And even a technodolt like me could do this with a simple "search and replace" command.

KISS.

[tobyshitzu]

"We'd be happy to see more US sellers using trackable services to Canada"

Really?  You realize just how much higher shipping would become with USPS to upgrade from frist classs international  or the negative experience UPS brokerage fees cause?

Already there are compalints posted here all the time about all the items in search resutls that have absurdly high shipping to canada from sellers  requiring a tracked service.

[Anonymous]

Hi femmefan1946.

We want to encourage shipments that actually have tracking that a buyer can use to see where their shipment is. When there's tracking on an item, the rate of item not received claims plummets, the buyers leave higher DSR's, etc.

A shipping invoice doesn't have that same positive impact. It helps a bit because the buyer at least knows you shipped the item, but it doesn't help when the item gets stuck in customs or something.

[tobyshitzu]

"Is that correct?"

No because they protect Americans from being harmed from anyone outside the USA, while punishing Canadians for buyers from anywhere thinking it was slow.  yes i am bitter about jsut losing TRS for 3 slow ratings which include one from portugal and 1 that left fb in 6  days

[Anonymous]

Hi tobyshitzu.

Yes really. Buyers prefer trackable shipments - provided that the cost is not unreasonable.

Obviously f the shipping cost becomes too high that is not a good thing, and sellers will need to decide what makes sense for what they are selling, and how they are shipping. It is not the same answer every time.

And no, if everyone moved to courier companies that incur brokerage fees for the buyer, that would not be a good thing. Given the relatively low adoption of UPS, I don't expect to see many people moving from USPS FCM to UPS.

[pierrelebel]

Canadians may want to take a look at the special discussion board on eBay.com handling questions about the policy changes annonced today:  Over 180 threads with thousands of questions and comments, many addressed by eBay staffers:

http://forums.ebay.com/db2/forum/Special-Discussion-Board/5200000023

Well worth your time.

[it*s-not-me]

We'd be happy to see more US sellers using trackable services to Canada. We all know how frequently items can get stuck in customs in either direction, and tracking mitigates a lot of buyer anxiety.

Yes, I see what you're saying........... and I understand how this would almost eliminate cases claiming items didn't arrive.......

for more reasons than one.

(One reason beging the tracking, and the second reason being that sales to Canada from the US would be all but eliminated for most items.)

I, for one, would probably no longer buy from the U.S. if I had to use trackable services.

I refuse to buy that way.

These are not just empty comments or speculations.

I do not buy from sellers unless they ship via First Class International.

EVER........

I am not alone.

That's why I keep asking if the fake tracking works for First Class International?

[pierrelebel]

Hi Rodney

I picked up this comment on eBay.com from an unhappy seller:

"ebay will make higher fees because you will have to ship Priority to get the Best Match bonus.  Ding Ding!!!  Ebay ONLY makes changes that are good for ebay.  Do we all get it now?"

That was following a comment by one of your staffer:

"First class will no longer be considered an expedited shipping option, so you will need to shift shipping services for your listings to adhere to the expedited shipping recommendation for Best Match"

Is that correct?  Is eBay really suggesting to sellers to use a more expensive shipping option in order to get better ratings in Best Match?  Does eBay realize buyers eventually end up paying more? ... while eBay collects higher FVF?

Whatever happen to eBay trying to be the best venue for buyers?

It seems to me that someone in San Jose forgot about about the "law of unintended consequences".

[sheepgal54]

So Ebay makes more on FVF for increased shipping costs and USPS that is claiming huge deficits makes more money and the buyer loses.  HMMM...I wonder what kind of deal Ebay made with the postal service?  And I wonder how long it will be before the buyers shop elsewhere?  I do see the reasoning behind stopping all those INR complaints that probably are bogus but the honest shopper is getting the hit.  I for one won't buy if the shipping is too high and to be honest, I have never checked tracking for myself in the 8 years I have been buying on ebay. No, its all about business and the almighty dollar but the dollars will be gone if the shoppers figure this out.  Like I did.

[recped]

We'd be happy to see more US sellers using trackable services to Canada. We all know how frequently items can get stuck in customs in either direction, and tracking mitigates a lot of buyer anxiety.

If eBay is "happy" it's only because they have NEVER bought or sold anything involving a cross-border shipment.

The odds than "tracking" info is going to "mitigate" anything is phantasy, all the tracking ever shows is that the package seems to have vanished enroute.

I'm sorry but you people (eBay) are idiots if they think pushing sellers into using trackable services for International is a good thing!

These same idiots are probably going to start promoting UPS/FedEx Ground when US sellers ship to Canada.