Miriam - Questions re Recent Changes

[whoscloset]

Could you please clarify some issues around the recent changes announced today.

1. Are we still allowed to offer Money Orders as a payment method on our .ca listings?

2. If yes, will this impact whether they are displayed on .com?

3. If the answer to the above two questions are yes and no respectively, can we put a blurb in our .com listings directing customers to our .ca listings if they wish to pay via MO?

4. With regard to the 30 day fixed price listing format. What happens with Best Match on BOTH .ca and .com when this format is used? As ending time has been a factor in determining listing placement for Best Match does this mean that if I use this format my listings will be buried for 3.5 weeks regardless of my DSR rating?

Thanks in advance!

[miriam@ebay.com]

Hi whoscloset,

1. Yes, you can continue to offer money order on eBay.ca until we change our policy (date not known at this time, should happen in 2009).

2. If you make your item available to the US and you offer money orders and cheques (along with one of the eBay.com approved payment methods), the paper payment methods won't appear on the US site. Only the approved one will.

3. If you explictly say in your item descripton that you accept money orders after the policy kicks in (even if you indicate it's only for Canadian buyers, or only on your Canadian listings), your listing will technically be in violation. The US, however, is not going to enforce this part of the policy until mid-January of 2009, so you have some time on this one.

4. My understanding is that Time Ending Soonest will not be a factor in Fixed Price listings on eBay.com and eBay.ca anymore because it's not as relevant for the format. Trust factors like DSRs and cost elements like shipping cost will apply on both sites. On eBay.com, they are implementing a "recent sales" factor in multi-item Fixed Price listings, which you can learn more about here on eBay.com: http://pages.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/ConfidentBuyers/

On eBay.ca, item location will continue to play a role - if your items are located in Canada, you'll automatically get a boost in Best Match on eBay.ca search.

Thanks,

Miriam

[whoscloset]

One more...

eBay is REALLY pushing this Free Shipping thing with Best Match advantage and rebates on FVFs. Unfortunately UPS will not give me free shipping...I've asked. 😉

I really don't think my customers are stupid enough to believe that shipping isn't incorporated into the price of the item either, so here is my idea...

Is there anything against the "rules" about adding the following blurb to my listings?


Re: Free Shipping

Of course we are charged for shipping these items to you and these charges must be passed along. I've tried to get UPS to provide free shipping and they have absolutely refused. 🐵

In the interest of full disclosure, the total price of the item listed includes a shipping charge of $X.XX. Please not that this amount is a substantial discount from regular UPS charges as we have passed along our volume discount to save you money.

[bcbeautiful]

I think eBay should call it "shipping included" not "free shipping".
Everyone knows it is built into the price.
Nothing in life is free...

[craftycatsattic]

Miriam. I am in the process of revising all my items when I re-open in September and have 2 more questions:

1) I am removing all references to Money Orders within the item description and the payment instructions area. I understand that the changes will be in full force as of January 2009 but do not wish to make further revisions if I can do them now. If I continue to offer other payment options in the CREATE NEW ITEM form, will my listings be removed or will only the additional payment method options be removed leaving my listings still active?

2) I sell books but almost all of them are sold in the craft category under crochet patterns. Most of my single item US shipments fall under the $4 maximum but a handful do not and significantly so in the case of books that must be sent as a parcel. Are they also subject to the media shipping cap or is that cap applied to the books category only?

Thank you.

[americanchateau]

Miriam,

It would make sense for the .ca team to release their own announcement with details on which of the changes will (and which changes will not) apply on the ebay.ca site. You are clearly saying the the Electronic Payment Portion does not apply but does the 30 day duration? Does the new fee structure? Do I get free subtitles on .ca if I list with free shipping? etc. Thanks in advnance for your effort of communicating our messages and helping answer our questions.

Thanks.

[westernstargifts]

I think eBay should call it "shipping included" not "free shipping".
Everyone knows it is built into the price.
Nothing in life is free...


Hi bcbeautiful.

You are absolutely right! I remember when the DRS's were first implemented and I wondered why sellers who offered free shipping were also getting dinged for shipping charges. I think it was recped who stated the same thing you just said.

So even "free" shipping doesn't guarantee that you will qualify for the double FVF credit at the end of the month.

[tea_past_times]

Welcome to the new "new Ebay" Not the new Ebay of last October, not the new Ebay of January 29th, not the new Ebay of May 19th, or even the new Ebay of August 18th, this is the new Ebay of August 20th. I can't wait to see what next week's new Ebay looks like.

Question: How much can Ebay be changed, before it is no longer Ebay??

Like if I order a BLT sandwich on Rye Toasted, and the cook substitutes bologna for the bacon, cabbage for the lettuce, Tofu for the tomatoes, and Dye instead of Rye, do I still have to pay for the sandwich if it makes me sick??

[tea_past_times]

Welcome to AmEbaZon, and thank you Dr. Frankenebsite!!

[craftycatsattic]

LOL TEA. Thanks for breaking the tension with that laugh!

[lil-angel-gifts]

All these changes are making me very nervous. I'm not sure whether to get myself all paranoid, trying to keep these DSRs up, or to focus on diversifying, and getting OFF eBay.

Makes me sad. I used to like eBay.

Time to put some real thinking into this...

[cartoonsinabox]

I need help !

Does any know if there is a possible way to take off the word "MONEY ORDER" from existing auctions in the "seller payment instructions box" without having to go over 900 auctions (one by one). This is getting very frustrating . They asked us last month to redo the shipping option and had to do them one by one. I can't take this anymore.

If any one has answer please !

Frederic

[tea_past_times]

Frederic, click on the VIEW LISTINGS link, next to my user ID to see how I'm dealing with all the changes.

[pierrelebel]

"to see how I'm dealing with all the changes"

Tea_past_times - you may think your post is funny but in fact it is intellectually dishonest.

You have not listing on eBay in two weeks - obviously nothing to do with "dealing with all the changes" announced yesterday and taking place in the Fall! .

[miriam@ebay.com]

Hi whoscloset,

While I'm not a policy expert, I don't see anything wrong at all with your new Free Shipping blurb.

bcbeautiful, I like the idea of calling it "shipping included" too.

Miriam

[miriam@ebay.com]

Hi craftycatsattic,

For your first question, it depends upon which site you list. If you list on COM, you won't have the option of adding other payment methods once the new payment policy kicks in.

If you list on CA, you will still have the option of adding other payment methods, such as money order. One of two things could happen here:

1. If you ONLY offer money order after the new payment policy kicks in and you try to make your listing available to the US, the Create Your Item form will not let you. You have to offer one of COM's approved payment methods to be allowed to ship to the US and be seen by US buyers.

2. If you offer money order AND one of the approved payment methods, you can offer your item to US buyers. It will appear on eBay.com as usual, but the money order option will not be shown to US buyers.

On your second question, my understanding is that the shipping charge limits are category specific on eBay.com. This means if you list in Crafts, you won't be subject to the limit.

Thanks,

Miriam

[miriam@ebay.com]

Hi americanchateau,

We did release our own announcement and supporting materials, which indicate where eBay.ca is going to be different from eBay.com.

Announcement is here: http://www2.ebay.com/aw/ca/200808200956332.html

Materials are here: http://pages.ebay.ca/sell/August2008Update/Overview/

The biggest differences are in payments, shipping charges limits and the minimum seller standards. The fee structure is the same between the two sites, as is 30-day duration and the free Subtitle offer for listings with free shipping.

Hope this clarifies!

Miriam

[snoopwiz]

Miriam. How are you? Still would like to know how I will protect myself (SPP) on a local pick up/Paypal payment? I have been asking this for 4 months, still no coherent answer. What specifically can I provide Paypal as proof of pick up?

[americanchateau]

Thanks Miriam. I do see the announcement now and do see the differences listed. Have a nice weekend.

[miriam@ebay.com]

Hi snoopwiz,

I'm very good, thanks, but admittedly quite busy for the last several weeks with all the announcement materials. 🙂

The local pick-up issue hasn't changed since we last spoke. PayPal is required in the category you're listing in, and that means it must be offered, even for local pick ups.

A user posed a similar question on the US discussion board about the changes ... here's the link:

http://workshops.ebay.com/thread.jspa?threadID=13000000369&tstart=40&mod=1219420818023

When I saw that question, I thought about you right away. Given that many more local pick-up sellers are going to be in a similar position once the new payment policy kicks in on eBay.com, I'm cautiously optimistic that a solution can be found that better protects those sellers offering local pick-up, while still providing adequate security to the buyer.

I wish I had a solution for you now, but I don't. However, I haven't forgotten and will continue to remind PayPal and Trust & Safety that we need to find a better solution in this regard.

Thanks,

Miriam