New Business Policies - Shipping/Returns/etc. - I am going to SCREAM!!!

[specialtogs]

Has anyone had any experience with these new automatic listing shipping/returns tools where you 'opt in' ??

I have over 300 listings with individual shipping prices and shipping options and so now it ends up that I have more than two dozen "shipping policies".  I am near crazy as I have recently gone through most of them to adjust shipping prices for the US and International.  'Opting in' has screwed up my listings showing options that I never put there and to try to change anything/policy is nigh unto impossible.  What in the H...... is going on?

[rose-dee]

I've used Auctiva for years, which has had "business policies" available for a long time.  I like the way they have set it up, allowing a seller to create as many alternative templates as desired.  All I do is choose which one I want from my list each time I prepare a listing. 

I was interested to see eBay offering this on their own site, but after hearing a few reports such as yours, I think I'll stick with Auctiva. 

Sorry I couldn't help you directly...maybe another seller has tried it and has answers.

[specialtogs]

Make that 40 different shipping policies - each has a 10 - 12 digit number.  It appears that they have set up a shipping policy for each different option and each different price.  I use different shipping options because some of my stuff is pricey and it has to be insured and I try to use the actual shipping cost. On other lower priced stuff, I am willing to take a risk to keep the price down. Price ranges are between $25 and $400. 

In some cases, it appears that the shipping prices have been changed.  My listings are a mess!!  I don't know where to start.

When I go in to make changes, I keep getting error messages and don't know how to fix them or get the changes I make to be accepted.

Obviously, these new policies were designed for situations a lot less complicated than mine.  And I don't think I can 'opt out' once I have opted in.

[truenorth2015]

Hey, I'm in the same boat and my shipping costs are all over the place. I can't edit or delete any of them, but I can create all sorts of new ones to add to my 24 that already exist!! What a catastrophe. What the hell is this opt-in but I can't opt-out crap!! Ebay please don't add new "business policies" that are completely useless and don't function.

[Anonymous]

I noticed that when anyone "opt in", then their lives become pure hell as they canot opt out at any time.  Same with US sellers who are trying to opt out of eBay's insane scam which is Global Shipping Program.  Why eBay needs to have more and more control over us is beyond us!!

It is like telling Wal-Mart what to do and how they should operate when in fact we have no business to do so.  Anyone who run their own businesses, are the ones that have control not anyone like eBay telling them what to do.  eBay, are you listening??!!

[rose-dee]

These "Shipping Policies" are apparently going to become mandatory at some point on eBay (at least that's what a "Pink" mentioned in one Wed. discussion). 

This is a serious worry -- those of us who use boilerplate seller policy texts through sites like Auctiva are going to have a disastrous mess on our hands if we have to start duplicating what already appears in our listing frames.  Auctiva has told me that eBay hasn't even let them know the start date for mandatory sign-up, and hasn't advised them of any strategy for ensuring Auctiva's seller policies options are compatible with eBay's (or that sellers can be exempted if they are using this function through Auctiva).  What a fiasco.

And it sounds as if those who have already opted in to this function are having nightmares.  The concept itself isn't a bad one, but it looks as if -- as usual -- the implementation is going to be a mess.

More frustration and time wasted...

[tradinteri]

I'm screaming too....it's a bloddy nighttmare and listing has become pure torture. I sell different types of items, all different weights, different shipping methods....so I have to use a different shipping policy for each one. Ugh! I want things to return to the original  way, or give small time sellers like me a choice to opt-in or out.

[rose-dee]

---

@tradinteri wrote:

I'm screaming too....it's a bloddy nighttmare and listing has become pure torture. I sell different types of items, all different weights, different shipping methods....so I have to use a different shipping policy for each one. Ugh! I want things to return to the original  way, or give small time sellers like me a choice to opt-in or out.

---

I'm just curious -- were you forced to opt in? 

This was my big concern of mine, as I'd end up with duplication everywhere.  I never did get a satisfactory answer from any of the Pinks on whether sellers with Auctiva "business policies" already set up could opt out permanently.  What are those guys in San Jose thinking?  Or are they even thinking clearly?????

[downsizing2018]

My understanding was that eventually we would all have to opt in as sellers here, so I took the opportunity to opt in while I thought |I had time, and well, as has been said before, "what a bloody mess"

I went in prepared, or so I thought, named the policy, described the policy, updated the policy, and wow!

After I deleted the 80 + shipping policies that had 0 listing, I still have dozens upon dozens that have 1, 2, or 3 listings only.

I don't know what those listings are.

Then for no apparent reason a light weight shipping policy became the default on just some of the listings - I have just now spent the better part of the evening finding all the listings that I was to ship "free" and changing them to actual costs.  But not before I lost probably $15.00 shipping on an item that I DID NOT list as free shipping.

Yech, now I feel that I have to check and recheck every day not only existing listings, but new ones as well.

[downsizing2018]

Okay a good 4 hours sleep (ha) and back at it......

I am using turbo lister, everything is updated, policies etc,  I keep getting an error message when uploading new listings, does anybody have any ideas how to get rid of it, or what it means:

"shipping information provided is outdated and will be ignored"

[rose-dee]

---

@sistersweird wrote:

My understanding was that eventually we would all have to opt in as sellers here, so I took the opportunity to opt in while I thought |I had time, and well, as has been said before, "what a bloody mess"

---

You might want to take a look at Post #13 (my question to the Pinks concerning "business policies") from this week's Wed. discussion:

http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Weekly-Board-Hour-Session/August-14th-Weekly-Board-Hour/m-p/138794#M701

I was thinking of you and your experience when I put the question to Raphael, and wondered what you'd think of the reply.  I can guess...

So far, apparently no ETA on this function being mandatory on eBay.ca.  Let's hope it takes a few years.

[downsizing2018]

Rose-Dee

You are sooooo right. Wow, if I did not like change, ebay would sincerely be a challenge.  I understand the idea behind BP, but wow the implementation, or transitions needs some work.

Not sure what would help, but really, I still have about 200 or so BP that are identified by a 8 - 9 digit number, and I have no idea what the policy is, or what listing that ridiculous number corresponds to...

[downsizing2018]

I found a way to by-pass the best business policies!

Not exactly recommending it - but since I have a choice, I sure am not opting in until I have to.

I hade computer problems, had a new mother board installed, obviously all data is either re installed or scrambled, and somehow the BB policies ARE GONE!!

When re-installing turbo lister I did have a choice to opt in to a beta program of TL, maybe saying no this time will keep me safe until I have to use BBP again, and then I will be more prepared and eBay will have figured out the glitches!~!

woo hoo!