eBay

rose-dee · ‎01-05-2014

For the second time already this winter I've had to put my store "on vacation" ahead of some very nasty weather, in order to avoid shipping issues, since I now promise 1-day shipping.

It's nice that eBay gave us this feature (a lifesaver really, considering how important DSRs are these days), but as a concession to us Canadian sellers in particular, I would love to see eBay tack on an option to the "Vacation" setting that is weather-related.

This could be something along the lines of: "This seller has placed his/her store in abeyance until _____, 2014, due to expected severe weather which may delay communication and/or the processing and shipping of items". EBay did a similar thing last year on the "Leave Feedback" page after Hurricane Sandy.

Every time I put my store "on vacation" due to weather, I also place a very large and prominent message on my store home page explaining that the "vacation" is weather-related and delays/power outages may occur. Of course that message doesn't show up anywhere else, and I just wish there were a way to inform buyers at each item page.

I imagine there are others who are even more severely hampered than I am by horrid weather. I'm only 2.5km from my Post Office, so I can even walk there in a pinch, but some sellers might not be so lucky (I'm thinking of 'brande').

The thing is, most of my own customers are in the US, and are not normally impacted by the same weather systems we get (well, not until this year). I don't think they're too understanding about weather-related delays -- especially if they're somewhere like California.

Is this an idea worth passing up the eBay chain of command to see if it sticks somewhere?

cumos55 · ‎01-05-2014

Some listings are currently showing on eBay

rose-dee · ‎01-06-2014

@cumos55 wrote:
Some listings are currently showing on eBay

Yes, I took the "Vacation" setting off yesterday because the roads got cleared and the storm passed.

I just wish that eBay provided us with a "weather" vacation setting that would clearly show that as the reason for the store being closed for a short time.

pocomocomputing · ‎01-06-2014

Here is a way to simulate a listing message system in every listing.

You could design a listing with an image banner at the top with a specific URL coded hosted outside eBay. Make two image banners, one with just welcome and another with welcome with weather warning message. Switch the image in the url hosted outside eBay.

This avoids listings being locked to changes when bid on.

You could also announce sales or specials this way. Using images like this to display information regarding sales might be not allowed because the information is hosted outside eBay and cannot be controlled by eBay listing revisions. So it is possible to bait and switch or be accused of this.

rose-dee · ‎01-07-2014

@pocomocomputing wrote:
Here is a way to simulate a listing message system in every listing.

You could design a listing with an image banner at the top with a specific URL coded hosted outside eBay. Make two image banners, one with just welcome and another with welcome with weather warning message. Switch the image in the url hosted outside eBay.

This avoids listings being locked to changes when bid on.

You could also announce sales or specials this way. Using images like this to display information regarding sales might be not allowed because the information is hosted outside eBay and cannot be controlled by eBay listing revisions. So it is possible to bait and switch or be accused of this.

Hmmm, this is a little over my head 'poco' , and it sounds a bit risky, partly because I'm not sure I could do it properly. I'm not totally hopeless where computers are concerned, but I'm not quite this accomplished.

I think I may bring this subject up at the Wed. discussion if I have time. This is an ever-present issue for me. It's not like blizzards aren't going to happen again...at least not around this part of the country. I see the snowplow just went by again.