November 25th 2015 Weekly Session

Hello everyone,

 

Welcome to our last weekly session for November. Please go ahead and start posting, I'll be here for most of the day.

 

Here are the issues I am currently tracking:

  • Gallery pictures missing from live listings (jt-libra)
  • UPC codes suddenly not recognized on live listings (mjwl2006)

And the issues for which I have had news:

  • SYI form stripping weight value when switching currency - The team is working to figure out a solution to this.
  • Full shipping FVF charged on combined orders with discounted shipping (dutchman48) - The billing team is investigating on this.
  • SYI preventing relist and Sell Similar if the original listing had a non compliant photo (pierrelebel) - problem has been identified and work has begun.
Message 1 of 48
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47 REPLIES 47

November 25th 2015 Weekly Session

Hello and good morning. I'll just elbow my way in here today with a few issues I'd like to raise. 

 

1. Why were we not, as sellers, formally notified at the exact moment ‘restocking fees’ went live on all of our listings? Mine date back to Nov. 8. Trying to change the details on the SYI form results in many fatal errors. 

 

2. When there are clear signs that point to a severe postal failure beyond the control of a seller, will ebay protect its sellers from defects or negative feedback? Theft (http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/I-feel-sick-Canada-Post-whole-bunch-of-missing-item-not-r... or Service Disruptions (http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/CANADA-POST-ANNOUNCEMENTS-AND-SERVICE-DISRUPTIONS/m-p/319...

 

3. Back to my old issue with defects due to not-late 'late' delivery due to incorrect timelines displayed for untracked Canada Post services. A customer in Yukon bought items and requested shipping by Canada Post Lettermail. The order was dispatched within six hours. The shipping calculator on the listing shows the buyer can expect his order within two to six business days HOWEVER actual Canada Post Lettermail standards for delivery to this postal code in Yukon from mine in Winnipeg is MORE THAN 13 BUSINESS DAYS. Specifically, how is ebay going to protect me from a defect for a problem that is not of my creation? The listings outright mislead buyers when when they say: “Estimated delivery dates include seller's handling time, origin Postal Code, destination Postal Code and time of acceptance and will depend on shipping service selected and receipt of cleared payment. Delivery times may vary, especially during peak periods.”  The estimates for delivery absolutely do NOT take origin or destination postal codes into account. We have all seen proof of that and it is acknowledged freely yet nothing is done to address it. So, again, how is ebay going to protect me from a defect and/or negative feedback because, due to its own errors, the buyer will expect to receive this within impossible-to-meet delivery times? Even if I sent this order via Priority service which is fastest possible service available in Canada, it would cost five times what the buyer paid for shipping, it would still take one day longer than the longest timeframe ebay states the buyer should expect. When will this problem be fixed? Who is going to protect good sellers from bad programming? 

 

4. Sadly, today is Pierre’s last day. Or at least the day he plans to close his store. Maybe we could bid him adieu. I will miss his candid expertise; he has been invaluable here.

 

Thank you,

Maureen 

Message 2 of 48
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November 25th 2015 Weekly Session

Good morning Raphael,

 

My issue relates to missing gallery pictures.  I’m not sure whether the problem is currently as bad as it was a couple of weeks ago, when searching for any item revealed dozens of missing pictures.   Some of my items were without a picture for 2 or 3 days, which is particularly worrisome where 7-day auctions are concerned.  I personally haven’t had an issue with this in the last week or so, but I can’t speak for others.  Is this something that eBay has addressed and corrected or is it an ongoing problem?

 

Several “work-arounds” were offered by various posters ... but this shouldn’t be necessary.

 

One poster did indicate that large sellers who upload thousands of listings will not take the time to add a picture if no stock photo exists, but that isn’t the case for most of us.

 

Any info you can provide would be appreciated.  Thanks!

Message 3 of 48
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November 25th 2015 Weekly Session

I also have problems with missing gallery photos. I have a few missing on this ID right now. I have tried to revise the photo and also triEd deleting and uploading a new photo but that doesn't always work. I guess all we can do is cancel and re-list? I don't want to do that if I don't have to.

Message 4 of 48
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November 25th 2015 Weekly Session

Good afternoon Raphael.  I have one question that is not meant to be a trick or a joke, but is of critical concern to many smaller, traditional, or "boutique" sellers like myself and has been the subject of a lot of discussion.  I imagine you won't like the question, but I hope you can provide an honest answer: 

 

Do intentional "blackouts" exist on eBay?  (I'm sure you will know what I'm referring to by "blackouts"). 

Message 5 of 48
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November 25th 2015 Weekly Session

Also, can it be said that having the major tweaks and updates to the platform taking place during the business time of the year is ill-conceived? Sellers cannot sell and buyers can't buy. Can we, as sellers -- millions and millions of sellers -- kindly request these shifts be moved to the first quarter of each year? Not the last.

 

No one using a mobile device is able to do anything on ebay right now. The only part of that statement which is news is the details of the specific problem of the moment. There is always a major problem using some part of the site these past six weeks. I'm all for improvement but there is a time and a place for these matters, and the eleventh hour before Christmas is neither the time nor the place. 

 

I beseech you to carry that request to whomever it is that gives these major projects the go-ahead. It's killing us. 

 

Message 6 of 48
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November 25th 2015 Weekly Session

I too would like a honest answer to the Blackout question.

I seem to experience it by geography.  I will have nothing for 5 days then I

may get 4 sales from the North America west coast.  Then nothing.  Then I will get sales from Texas then nothing for a few days.

Then I will get a rash of Canadian sales then nothing.  Then I will get a lot of sales from the midwest. Then nothing, then sales from NY.    It goes like this every month almost to the point when I know what area my next sales will be from..

 

I also have a problem with the gallery photos not showingWoman Sad - not right now as I am gearing down to not be selling and mailing in December but the last month has been bad for this.

 

Also to Pierre, thank you for all your posts, tips and funny stories.  You will be missed.

 

-Judith

 

Message 7 of 48
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November 25th 2015 Weekly Session

Those aren't blackouts. It's placement in Best Match: if people from Texas start buying stuff, eBay will assume you're interesting to Texans and rank higher in search. It's like when you see a crowd of people at the mall. You assume they're doing something interesting, and look yourself.

It's the opposite of a blackout, really.
Message 8 of 48
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November 25th 2015 Weekly Session

 

Hello 'raphael',

We often hear on the boards here how eBay owns Kijiji, - indeed, there are endless posts from members expounding

the virtues of Kijiji (and other online sites, too, for the matter of that.)

Yet some others clearly believe that any mention of Kijiji is an unpardonable breach of board etiquette.  

 

How, though, is anyone to imagine that praising the utility of Kijiji  (where better to get a cast iron stove or an upright

Bell piano?) when an eBay employee posts an invitation to not only discuss the site, but to use Kijiji:

http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Canada-Town-Square/eBay-Announces-Kijiji-Please-let-us-know-your-feedbac...

 

"We encourage you to visit the Kijiji site", we are told by this representative of eBay.  Now wouldn't that be 

tantamount to "Enabling, encouraging, or instructing others to leave eBay so that they can sell, buy, or participate on sites

other than eBay that includes the sale of merchandise, auction-style listings, or services, such as off-eBay forums, off-eBay

groups, and other sit/es" ?  

 

It's one thing if an ordinary schmuck such as myself unknowingly makes such an egregious gaffe but for an eBay employee 

to so flagrantly violate policy is simply unforgivable, a most inexcusable offense for which only complete and utter 

dismissal would be appropriate.

 

You see, based on the 'encouraging' and 'instructing' by that eBay representative suggesting we should all feel free to 

"post a classified" on Kijiji, I would think imparting knowledge of Kijiji would be perfectly acceptable.  Even welcome,

for pick-up items  like speed boats.  

EBay is the best ever for mail order parcel/package items.  But large-sized pick-up items?  Not so much.  I used Kijiji

last year to sell a large upright freezer.  Or would folks here truly be daft enough to suppose I ought to have listed it

on eBay and 'mailed' it to someone?

 

(I'm not even going to mention the endless posts by members applauding - and  naming - other online shopping sites).

 

But for future reference,  because clearly everyone on the boards (me especially) needs to be informed, - both members 

and moderators alike,-  and in light of the enthusiastic encouragement from eBay itself as demonstrated in the above link,

 

 

. . .  is it permissible to talk favourably about using Kijiji?

 

 

Smiley Very Happy

 

 

Message 9 of 48
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November 25th 2015 Weekly Session

(No one outside of Canada will understand the word, Kijiji if you use it.)
Message 10 of 48
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November 25th 2015 Weekly Session

Yes perhaps.  The dead times in between my sale flurries are not good news though, but thanks for the positive thought.

Message 11 of 48
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November 25th 2015 Weekly Session

Hi Maureen,


@mjwl2006 wrote:

Hello and good morning. I'll just elbow my way in here today with a few issues I'd like to raise. 

 

1. Why were we not, as sellers, formally notified at the exact moment ‘restocking fees’ went live on all of our listings? Mine date back to Nov. 8. Trying to change the details on the SYI form results in many fatal errors.


At this point you're probably not going to be surprised by me saying that rolling out such a feature as a restocking fee functionality on a platform like eBay is not as easy and clear cut as one may think. In this case, there were unforeseen conflicts that delayed the initially planned roll out date and we were forced to proceed with more caution than we normally would need. As a result, different sellers got the feature at different times so we could ensure proper monitoring as we gradually turned it on.

 

Can you elaborate on the fatal errors you mentioned?


@mjwl2006 wrote:

2. When there are clear signs that point to a severe postal failure beyond the control of a seller, will ebay protect its sellers from defects or negative feedback? Theft (http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/I-feel-sick-Canada-Post-whole-bunch-of-missing-item-not-r... or Service Disruptions (http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/CANADA-POST-ANNOUNCEMENTS-AND-SERVICE-DISRUPTIONS/m-p/319...


As I mentioned before, we have protected sellers in the past when large scale events have disrupted the eBay business. Such palliative action is decided upon on a case by case basis, so it's hard for me to promise anything ahead of time.


@mjwl2006 wrote:

3. Back to my old issue with defects due to not-late 'late' delivery due to incorrect timelines displayed for untracked Canada Post services. A customer in Yukon bought items and requested shipping by Canada Post Lettermail. The order was dispatched within six hours. The shipping calculator on the listing shows the buyer can expect his order within two to six business days HOWEVER actual Canada Post Lettermail standards for delivery to this postal code in Yukon from mine in Winnipeg is MORE THAN 13 BUSINESS DAYS. Specifically, how is ebay going to protect me from a defect for a problem that is not of my creation? The listings outright mislead buyers when when they say: “Estimated delivery dates include seller's handling time, origin Postal Code, destination Postal Code and time of acceptance and will depend on shipping service selected and receipt of cleared payment. Delivery times may vary, especially during peak periods.”  The estimates for delivery absolutely do NOT take origin or destination postal codes into account. We have all seen proof of that and it is acknowledged freely yet nothing is done to address it. So, again, how is ebay going to protect me from a defect and/or negative feedback because, due to its own errors, the buyer will expect to receive this within impossible-to-meet delivery times? Even if I sent this order via Priority service which is fastest possible service available in Canada, it would cost five times what the buyer paid for shipping, it would still take one day longer than the longest timeframe ebay states the buyer should expect. When will this problem be fixed? Who is going to protect good sellers from bad programming?


So far, all the data we have looked at suggests that buyers are very, very fair when answering the OTS question when leaving feedback, especially when they buy from another country. You can see it for yourself on your seller dashboard preview. Just like you, every single seller who expressed worries about missing the OTS metric have a 100% on time, all-green reading on their dashboard. There is nothing, at this time, that suggests that our delivery estimates data is inaccurate enough, or that your buyers are unreasonable enough to bring you harm via the OTS metric.

 

Beyond that, please remember that the reason we don't hold seller accountable for a 100% record on any metric is because we know that sometimes, mishaps are inevitable.


@mjwl2006 wrote:

4. Sadly, today is Pierre’s last day. Or at least the day he plans to close his store. Maybe we could bid him adieu. I will miss his candid expertise; he has been invaluable here.


Thanks for the reminder. I hope he comes around today so we can give him a warm greeting.

Message 12 of 48
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November 25th 2015 Weekly Session

One more question, please. 

 

I currently have 2 active promos running on .ca.  One, which was issued earlier, is for 1,000 free listings (no listing fees).  The other, which is a bit more recent, and which represents a far larger potential savings for me, is for a $10 cap on Final Value Fees on 100 listings.  Here's the link: 

http://pages.ebay.ca/promo/2015/1122/BlackFriday.html

 

Can you tell me how I can be sure that an item I list will be counted under the FVF promo?  

 

I tried (as a test) to list an item using "Sell Similar", but it didn't show up on that FVF promo counter.  I'm wondering if it's necessary not only to create a brand new listing, but also to have used up all 1,000 of the earlier promo before the counter begins on the FVF promo? 

 

I guess that's really 3 questions in 1... Woman Very Happy

Message 13 of 48
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November 25th 2015 Weekly Session


@jt-libra wrote:

Good morning Raphael,

 

My issue relates to missing gallery pictures.  I’m not sure whether the problem is currently as bad as it was a couple of weeks ago, when searching for any item revealed dozens of missing pictures.   Some of my items were without a picture for 2 or 3 days, which is particularly worrisome where 7-day auctions are concerned.  I personally haven’t had an issue with this in the last week or so, but I can’t speak for others.  Is this something that eBay has addressed and corrected or is it an ongoing problem?

 

Several “work-arounds” were offered by various posters ... but this shouldn’t be necessary.

 

One poster did indicate that large sellers who upload thousands of listings will not take the time to add a picture if no stock photo exists, but that isn’t the case for most of us.

 

Any info you can provide would be appreciated.  Thanks!


Hello jt-libra,

 

I will need a bit of time to track this down and be able to answer your questions. It may take me more time than a day so I'll add this to my list of tracked issues. In the meantime, can you shoot me a quick email if you have more items with this problem, so I can look at them? Please include item numbers, thanks!

Message 14 of 48
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November 25th 2015 Weekly Session


@rose-dee wrote:

One more question, please. 

 

I currently have 2 active promos running on .ca.  One, which was issued earlier, is for 1,000 free listings (no listing fees).  The other, which is a bit more recent, and which represents a far larger potential savings for me, is for a $10 cap on Final Value Fees on 100 listings.  Here's the link: 

http://pages.ebay.ca/promo/2015/1122/BlackFriday.html

 

Can you tell me how I can be sure that an item I list will be counted under the FVF promo?  

 

I tried (as a test) to list an item using "Sell Similar", but it didn't show up on that FVF promo counter.  I'm wondering if it's necessary not only to create a brand new listing, but also to have used up all 1,000 of the earlier promo before the counter begins on the FVF promo? 

 

I guess that's really 3 questions in 1... Woman Very Happy


The FVF 100 listing promo will only count when you have a sale that meets the $100 FVF requirements. It is is not a listing promo, it is a sales promo. 

Message 15 of 48
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November 25th 2015 Weekly Session


@vintagenorth wrote:

I also have problems with missing gallery photos. I have a few missing on this ID right now. I have tried to revise the photo and also triEd deleting and uploading a new photo but that doesn't always work. I guess all we can do is cancel and re-list? I don't want to do that if I don't have to.


Hi vintagenorth,

 

Can you send me the item numbers so I can take a look please?

 

Thanks!

Message 16 of 48
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November 25th 2015 Weekly Session


@rose-dee wrote:

Good afternoon Raphael.  I have one question that is not meant to be a trick or a joke, but is of critical concern to many smaller, traditional, or "boutique" sellers like myself and has been the subject of a lot of discussion.  I imagine you won't like the question, but I hope you can provide an honest answer: 

 

Do intentional "blackouts" exist on eBay?  (I'm sure you will know what I'm referring to by "blackouts"). 


Hi rose-dee,

 

We never intentionally disrupt the normal course of business on eBay. That would be really bad for business!

 

Rest assured, if there ever comes a time when a scheduled downtime is necessary, the community will be amply notified. But there are no such plans that I know of, near of far.

Message 17 of 48
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November 25th 2015 Weekly Session


raphael@ebay.com wrote:

Hi Maureen,

As I mentioned before, we have protected sellers in the past when large scale events have disrupted the eBay business. Such palliative action is decided upon on a case by case basis, so it's hard for me to promise anything ahead of time.

 

Raphael, are any such accommodations being made by eBay at the moment to allow for the obvious delays that will be involved in shipping to western Europe?  Belgium and France are virtually shut down, and delays and backlogs are inevitable as border services step up the monitoring of incoming parcels and airports and train stations are shut down or delayed. 

 

You'll recall eBay put up a banner on the FB pages after Hurricane Sandy warning buyers of shipping delays to the east coast.  Will it be doing the same with regard to shipments to Europe? 

 

Concerning 'mj's' question concerning domestic shipping times: 

"Beyond that, please remember that the reason we don't hold seller accountable for a 100% record on any metric is because we know that sometimes, mishaps are inevitable." 

 

 

Yes, but if I understand 'mj's' concern, this is not a mishap.  This is an error on eBay's part that will, regularly and predictably, cause mishaps for sellers who ship to far-flung places within Canada.  I don't understand why eBay is ignoring this reality.  What your answer says is that eBay is not leaving the matter to sellers to do their best based on fair metrics, but on buyers to continue to be beyond fair and understanding even if parcels arrive later than eBay says they should. 

 

With all due respect, a better response from eBay would be that it will adjust its Canadian shipping timelines in line with Canada Post's.  Why is that so impossible? 

 

 

Message 18 of 48
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November 25th 2015 Weekly Session


@mjwl2006 wrote:

Also, can it be said that having the major tweaks and updates to the platform taking place during the business time of the year is ill-conceived? Sellers cannot sell and buyers can't buy. Can we, as sellers -- millions and millions of sellers -- kindly request these shifts be moved to the first quarter of each year? Not the last.

 

No one using a mobile device is able to do anything on ebay right now. The only part of that statement which is news is the details of the specific problem of the moment. There is always a major problem using some part of the site these past six weeks. I'm all for improvement but there is a time and a place for these matters, and the eleventh hour before Christmas is neither the time nor the place. 

 

I beseech you to carry that request to whomever it is that gives these major projects the go-ahead. It's killing us. 

 


Today's site outage was likely due to a non malicious action that took place outside of the eBay ecosystem. I don't know much more yet but I know it was not within our control.

 

I agree 100% with you that no major code changes should be made during the Holiday season (which starts in mid-November and covers the American Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Years). That's why we have a moratorium on code changes every year during this period.

Message 19 of 48
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November 25th 2015 Weekly Session


@pocomocomputing wrote:

The FVF 100 listing promo will only count when you have a sale that meets the $100 FVF requirements. It is is not a listing promo, it is a sales promo. 


Yes, I do understand the effect of the promo, but are you saying it's not like the previous FVF promo which did in fact keep count of the items I listed on which the (for that promo) free FVFs would eventually apply on a sale?  

 

Maybe we should wait and see what Raphael says.  I don't want to lose out on this promo if I can avoid it. 

Message 20 of 48
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