eBay

raphael@ebay.com · ‎03-18-2016

Hello Canadian sellers,

This thread is open for discussion regarding the recent announcement about eBay Canada retiring USD support from its selling flows. Myself and other employees will come visit this thread and do our best to answer any questions on this topic.

lady.stark · ‎03-31-2016

Thank you Pierre, I did not think about that... it is a real hassle to change my billing currency LOL.

I guess I will really wait until the tools are available before changing anything. Since that tool will just create new listings (and I will have to end my current listings), it will be easier to make the change at that moment.

fabulous-marty · ‎03-31-2016

Ok so apparently I'm not gonna get an "official" answer from eBay about this, so we'll go with what has been announced and try to draw conclusions on when is the best time to end your business relationship with eBay if you can't do this transition for reason x, y or z (that they didn't think about, apparently).

You let your GTC items run until ~May 30th, then you cancel all of them, just to relist them under this new starting date : May 30 or 31st. In June you won't be able to list anything (unless blablablabla you list on .com and blablablablabla ... yeah ... we know... doesn't really apply to us). 30 Days later, on June 29th or 30th, all your items will renew even though you can't list new stuff, and another 30 days later, on July 28th-29th, your items will renew one last time until end of August... and this just in time for an extra 30 days as on August 1st, nothing will renew. By the end of August, terminate your agreement with eBay.

So this is it, the plan to end your business relationship with eBay with dates on it instead of their usual corporate bs telling you to list on eBay.com like it was the same thing except the currency ... yeah, forfeit the shipping tools, forfeit the lower media listing fees, forfeit the OBVIOUS Canadian advantage of the extra exposure to Canadians (probably through BEST MATCH, the DEFAULT search method on eBay) even though they tell you it's not true (I've had listings on both sites since a few years, I've seen it from my own eyes).

Hopefully this will help a seller or 2 who'd like to stick here to the end (since the efforts were made anyway to make those listings ... with 500px wide minimum, nothing added to the picture (even for your inventory) and blablablablabla .... Over time, I almost forgot how it was a pain to try to sell things over here... with their constants "new rules" to the game ... I look at this and I'm actually glad we finally hit one of those "changes for the better of eBay" that we can't adjust too, even if we wanted to. 3 months to continue directing my eBay buyers to the website (all within eBay RULES again, because you know, they dictate how you operate your business even though you pay your fees to them), and it will be pure liberty from then on ... I think to enjoy this even more, I'll convert my price to Japan Yen on my website ... you know like .. 100% control of what you want to do with your business, instead of doing business FOR eBay.

Good luck to all who will stay, I'll stay for the few free monthly listings (well, while this thing still exists, it should disappear under a new "seller update" sooner or later) to let go of bulk lots, but I'm done being here to provide them regular fees, store subscription (glad I never felt for that YEARLY CONTRACT thing? How many of you have just been screwed over with this?) and good reputation for them by being an awesome seller on eBay (really, I buy on eBay too, and ... not a lot of people give my kind of attention to their transaction/packing/etc ... ) ... I guess it's part of the reason why I was a Top Rated Seller here.

I'll be a Top Rated Seller for my customers from now on, not for eBay.

pocomocomputing · ‎03-31-2016

@fabulous-marty wrote:
Ok so apparently I'm not gonna get an "official" answer from eBay about this, so we'll go with what has been announced and try to draw conclusions on when is the best time to end your business relationship with eBay if you can't do this transition for reason x, y or z (that they didn't think about, apparently).

You let your GTC items run until ~May 30th, then you cancel all of them, just to relist them under this new starting date : May 30 or 31st. In June you won't be able to list anything (unless blablablabla you list on .com and blablablablabla ... yeah ... we know... doesn't really apply to us). 30 Days later, on June 29th or 30th, all your items will renew even though you can't list new stuff, and another 30 days later, on July 28th-29th, your items will renew one last time until end of August... and this just in time for an extra 30 days as on August 1st, nothing will renew. By the end of August, terminate your agreement with eBay.

So this is it, the plan to end your business relationship with eBay with dates on it instead of their usual corporate bs telling you to list on eBay.com like it was the same thing except the currency ... yeah, forfeit the shipping tools, forfeit the lower media listing fees, forfeit the OBVIOUS Canadian advantage of the extra exposure to Canadians (probably through BEST MATCH, the DEFAULT search method on eBay) even though they tell you it's not true (I've had listings on both sites since a few years, I've seen it from my own eyes).

Hopefully this will help a seller or 2 who'd like to stick here to the end (since the efforts were made anyway to make those listings ... with 500px wide minimum, nothing added to the picture (even for your inventory) and blablablablabla .... Over time, I almost forgot how it was a pain to try to sell things over here... with their constants "new rules" to the game ... I look at this and I'm actually glad we finally hit one of those "changes for the better of eBay" that we can't adjust too, even if we wanted to. 3 months to continue directing my eBay buyers to the website (all within eBay RULES again, because you know, they dictate how you operate your business even though you pay your fees to them), and it will be pure liberty from then on ... I think to enjoy this even more, I'll convert my price to Japan Yen on my website ... you know like .. 100% control of what you want to do with your business, instead of doing business FOR eBay.

Good luck to all who will stay, I'll stay for the few free monthly listings (well, while this thing still exists, it should disappear under a new "seller update" sooner or later) to let go of bulk lots, but I'm done being here to provide them regular fees, store subscription (glad I never felt for that YEARLY CONTRACT thing? How many of you have just been screwed over with this?) and good reputation for them by being an awesome seller on eBay (really, I buy on eBay too, and ... not a lot of people give my kind of attention to their transaction/packing/etc ... ) ... I guess it's part of the reason why I was a Top Rated Seller here.

I'll be a Top Rated Seller for my customers from now on, not for eBay.

You do not understand how the change is being implemented.

As of June 1, any new or relisted non-GTC listings must be in Can $ on ebay.ca. Existing running non-GTC listings will run to their end date in the month of June. Let them end normally. Then convert them to Can$ on ebay.ca or move to the eBay.com site in US $ using the tool that comes out in May 2.

GTC listings will run and automatically renew until the month of August. A seller has two more months to left them run before they will not renew.

No need to panic because of the June 1 date. Listing will not be ended by ebay. They just will not be able to be relisted without being in Can $. And for GTC, it is August when they will not renew.

I would suggest sellers list any new listings now on eBay.ca in Can $ to get a feel for it if they have never listed in Can $ before. Or list on eBay.com in US$ if they never listed there before. Learn the process. If you have non-GTC listing ending in April, do the same. Experiment and learn the process. If you are bold, let the most non-GTC listing run in US$ one more month.

When the tool comes out in May 2, then try the tool out on a few listings. You do not have to end listings, let those non-GTC listings end as UnSold and try converting them. Let the existing non-GTC end on their own in May so you get the full advantage of the listing duration in US$ on ebay.ca. Same for moving to eBay.com in US$. Test a few UnSold and see how it works with the tool. No need to end your listings.

Let the GTC listings ride as you have more time until August to be forced to move. I would let the GTC all end on their own in August and take advantage of being able to list in US$ until then.

Now the above plan may not work well for sellers with thousands of listings. But for under 500 or 1,000 listings, it should be fine. If the tool works well and you would know how it works from the test in May, you can phase your listing over at your convenience and still take advantage of listing in US$ until you are forced to move over.

Stop the panicking. Slow down and read and think. It will be some work to do this but it can be phased over the 3-4 months until Can$ is fully enforced on eBay.ca.

deeeight · ‎04-01-2016

I think they've given up answering the tough questions/issues... like mine about paypal debit cards, and buyers who will instinctively perceive a lower dollar figure as always being cheaper, regardless of the currency involved...and will also see daily fluctuations of USD prices as the CAD dollar continues to increase in value as a sign the seller is raising their prices and not that their own currency is losing value.

rainbow71113 · ‎04-01-2016

you have a point there, US buyers don't think to question our shipping etc because they see it in their currency, it's mostly the Canadians who know there's an exchange involved. I have yet to have a US customer ask me to lower my price because I'm getting an exchange on it.

pierrelebel · ‎04-01-2016

"like mine about paypal debit cards, "

That question should be addressed to PayPal, not eBay.

eBay no longer owns PayPal or has any control over its operations.

bnssnb · ‎04-01-2016

hi, so why is it eBay is again screwing it's sellers? What did we do to deserve this? Are we not making you enough money as you charge us fees on fees?

I would truly appreciate an honest answer to why this change is being made. the ridiculous "official reasons" are meaningless:

Official explanation:

Moving to a single listing currency will:

Simplify the eBay.ca selling platform and selling experience.
-- [my analysis] : (It's simple enough now, there is no complication to selecting selling currency, in fact it's the easiest part of making a listing)
Make it easier to bring new selling features to eBay.ca
-- [my analysis]: what value are "new selling features", if i can't list? Exactly and specifically what "new selling features" are you going to add?
Help Canadian sellers to be more successful
-- [my analysis]: how does reducing my listings make me more successful? how does cutting my market by 1000% help me be "more successful"?

eBay has twice before upset my business with their "changes". Last time, you encouraged us to "List in US dollars, because buyers prefer it". What happened to that?

The real reason eBay is making this change I suspect is so that they can make the extra 2% on every listing when the currency exchange is completed in their system.

If that is not the actual true reason, please please please tell us all why you're putting us through this.

bnssnb · ‎04-01-2016

I think you have a very limited view of what is behind the change. See if the tools allow you to actually provide convenient listings for your buyers. For example, listing on ebay.com and wanting to ship from canada. What will the shipping options look like?

bnssnb · ‎04-01-2016

eBay.ca vs eBay.com

Several years ago, when eBay required sellers to use their shipping tool, i was forced to move all my listings to eBay.ca because my inventory and warehouse are located in CANADA.

eBays shipping tools are country specific (for no good reason, just eBay too lazy to do it properly). if you list on eBay.ca then they ASSUME you ship from Canada. If you list on eBay.com they ASSUME you ship from the USA.

that is why i had to move all my listings, because the forced move to using eBay.com shipping tools couldn't calculate a shipment originating in Canada.

DID EBAY EVEN THINK ABOUT THIS IMPLICATION TO IT"S CUSTOMERS???????

you want me to move my listings back to eBay.com so that i can continue to list in US dollars.

DID YOU FIX YOUR SHIPPING TOOL TO ALLOW CALCULATED SHIPMENTS ORIGINATING IN CANADA????????

If not, how do you propose i adapt my business to your "easier" way??????

pocomocomputing · ‎04-01-2016

@bnssnb wrote:
I think you have a very limited view of what is behind the change. See if the tools allow you to actually provide convenient listings for your buyers. For example, listing on ebay.com and wanting to ship from canada. What will the shipping options look like?

On the contrary, you have limited view of what is behind the change. Pierre has an extensive view of ebay and of these changes. No insult intended. Just because you do not know how to do something does not mean that it does not exist. It is is possible to list on ebay.com very easily with generic shipping options. Have an open mind and read and understand what is being posted.

Sellers have been using ebay.com for years. You do not have Canada Post shipping options for a listing on ebay.com so you must use generic shipping options. You must use Flat rate shipping options.

Set up domestic shipping with one of three "shipping from outside the US". Then set up Intentional Shipping with two option, one for Canada only, one for the rest of the world with whatever costs.

There are issues with this model because of flat rate shipping cost are fixed cost and no calculated shipping. So you overcharge within Canada with a fixed price or undercharge if not enough.

I would discuss in more detail but it has already been done in more posts.

Again no insult intended. First reaction to the change is emotional. Makes needless work. But read all views and information and try to figure out what is best approach to this change. React emotionally less.

pierrelebel · ‎04-01-2016

"a very limited view of what is behind the change."

"limited"? I think not. Prior to my retirement, I have listed and sold in both US$ on eBay.com for eighteen years and in Cdn$ on eBay.ca for fourteen years for a total of over 100,000 sale transactions. That level of experience gives me a fair understanding of the system as it applies to both sites and currencies.

According to your feedback page, you are registered as a seller located in the USA. Is that still the case? If so you should not be affected by the change of policy making eBay.ca a single currency site like all other eBay sites.

You sold a few items in the last three months. How difficult will it be for you to change your listings to eBay.com if you want to continue listing in US$ or convert them to Cdn$ on eBay.ca as recommended by eBay.ca?

Most of your eBay history shows you as a buyer. The change of policy will not affect you one iota as a buyer.

bnssnb · ‎04-01-2016

No offense taken, and none intended to either of you when i say you sound very much like eBay apologists.

i appreciate that over 100000 items is a lot of items to sell. every seller is different. you're obviously in commodity business, so thousand of same items with well known weight, shipping costs etc, which makes it's simple to guess at a shipping cost, and not loose money on it.

In my case, i am a very low volume unique item seller. most often i don't have more than one of any item.

Selling for me needs to be low contact, low effort. Having to manually calculate shipping for every item every time is not really acceptable. Similarly, trying to guess a fixed shipping cost is not feasible. Worse is the previous situation where a buyer had to message me to get a shipping cost. That extra effort kills most sales, sellers don't want a difficult process, they want one click gratification.

I added another note above which explains my move from ebay.com to ebay.ca. (again forced by eBay).

The bottom line is that eBay is making this problem where one didn't exist, and the problem undermines my ability to carry out business. there is no benefit to me nor an obvious benefit to other ebay.ca sellers (if you are aware of a real benefit, please share it with me).

I would appreciate your sage advice based on your experience. From the way i see the details at this moment, it looks like i have to find a different auction site, which is too bad, because i have both devoted a lot of time and effort to my listings, but also i have had some success (even with so many policies clearly in eBays favour).

Maybe being the most used, worst auction site could be a valid business plan for eBay.

pierrelebel · ‎04-01-2016

"Having to manually calculate shipping for every item every time is not really acceptable. Similarly, trying to guess a fixed shipping cost is not feasible. "

Many Canadian sellers are in the same boat.

If calculated shipping is required, there is only one option: listing on eBay.ca in Cdn$.

Will listing in Cdn$ result in slower sales than listing in US$? My experience selling in both currencies (and I have sold large lots valued at $5,000+ before my retirement) on both eBay.ca and eBay.com tells me that the currency of listing is largely irrelevant - contrary to posts by many Canadian sellers whose opinions show they are afraid it will negatively affect their business.

"my move from ebay.com to ebay.ca. (again forced by eBay)"

Frankly, I think you have misunderstood something somewhere. No seller was ever "forced" to move from one site to another. eBay.com was created way back in 1995 for the American marketplace. Canadians and other international sellers were allowed to use the site and adapt their needs to the site (NOT the other way around). eBay.com never offered calculated shipping using Canada Post.

Eventually eBay opened eBay.ca with the advantage of listing in either US$ or Cdn$ with calculated available from Canada Post.

Nobody was "forced" to use eBay.ca. If it was more convenient to sellers, many did, just as you did.

Now eBay.ca is changing its policy and will become a single currency site like all other eBay sites.

Sellers who already listed on eBay.com in US$ will not have to change anything

Sellers who already listed on eBay.ca in Cdn$ will not have to change anything.

Those two factors account for the majority of Canadian sellers.

The change will affect Canadian sellers listing/selling on eBay.ca in US$.

Two options:

1) change the currency of listings to Cdn$ as suggested by eBay and continue to use the shipping calculator is important to you

2) keep the currency in US$ but list on eBay.com. That suggestion will work for sellers using fixed shipping only as the Canada Post calculator is not available on eBay.com (nor is the calculator for Royal Mail, La Poste, Australian Post, etc...). eBay.com is an American site for use by American sellers in American currency although - as mentioned above - foreign sellers are welcome to use the site if they can adapt their needs to the site (not the other way around).

And yes there will be a few sellers who cannot easily accept one or the other solution. That is unfortunate.

" it looks like i have to find a different auction site,"

Of course that is an option open to all sellers who cannot adapt their business to the new policy. However, most will find it difficult to find a site offering the same number of buyers as eBay does. At the end of the day sellers will either adapt or try somewhere else.

"I would appreciate your sage advice based on your experience. "

Since "calculated shipping" by Canada Post is required for your business, I suggest your best option is to continue listing on eBay.ca and change your currency of listing to Cdn$.

Good Luck

femmefan1946 · ‎04-01-2016

If the shipping cost, that comes up on Ebay.com, is converted to US dollars, for our good American friends.

Our American customers, shopping on dotCOM, see their entire invoice in one currency, the US dollar.

Same with UK customers. They see their invoice in sterling if they shopped on dotcodotUK.

femmefan1946 · ‎04-01-2016

So punishment for listing on eBay.com USA is already here!

Nope.

There are some 'invitation only' promos being run on dotCOM. The one I noticed last night was for 5000 auctions.

It would be foolish to try to control the comparitively small number of Canadian sellers by witholding promotions from their primary customers-- US sellers.

femmefan1946 · ‎04-01-2016

fabulous marty:

I took a quick look at your listings and would like to suggest that you consider your move differently.

Many of your items can be shipped by LetterPost/LightPacket, and it looks as if those all have Free Shipping, which is basically Flat Rate shipping since I assume you have factored the average shipping cost into the asking price.

Moving those to dotCOM is not a problem.

However, some of your bulkier and more valuable games use parcel services that are Delivery Confirmed.

If you move those to dotCOM, you will also be using Flat Rate, but needing Calculated.

Those items should be on dotCA, unless you are willing to do a lot of massaging of your listings.

Remember that your Searching customer sees your prices in whatever is the currency of the site she is shopping from.

The US /dotCOM customer sees your prices in USD.

The Canadan/dotCA customer sees your prices in loonies.

The German/dotDE customer sees your prices in euros.

Shipping control is in my opinion much more important than currency of listing.

Here's a tip, if you decide to list on multiple sites.

Add a Note to each new listing, telling yourself which site you used. I find this really helps when it's time to relist or refresh.

great_junque_finds · ‎04-01-2016

I have a question (well ok, I have several but this is the main one right now).

I'm a US based seller who started listing on Ca site as well a little while ago in USD.

I just listed my first one in CAD and that wasn't too difficult as I've already worked out the shipping thing. Oh, except for the US buyer who sent an ASQ asking me to either change it to USD or relist it on the US site.

My main concern right now is, I don't seem to be able to revise the currency on active listings. Is that correct? Will I be able to revise the currency when they're relisted?

rainbow71113 · ‎04-01-2016

the US buyer should be able to purchase the item without you making any changes, did they give a reason why they wanted you to change it? and no, the listing has to end to change the currency

pocomocomputing · ‎04-01-2016

@femmefan1946 wrote:
So punishment for listing on eBay.com USA is already here!

Nope.
There are some 'invitation only' promos being run on dotCOM. The one I noticed last night was for 5000 auctions.

It would be foolish to try to control the comparatively small number of Canadian sellers by withholding promotions from their primary customers-- US sellers.

Since Pierre and now you took that line seriously, I have to post what I meant by that line.

That line was meant to be a little sarcastic for the conspiracy theorists and "ebay can only do wrong" and "ebay is deliberately trying to mess with sellers" posters. I did put an ! mark to imply the sarcasm but I suppose I should have put LOL or or /sarcasm

If you read the previous paragraph and do not take the line above alone and out of context with the original poster post that I had quoted, then perhaps you can read the sarcasm.

Not that it really matters to me but I thought I would put the record straight.

Original post was

@lisella64 wrote:
I am beginning to feel uneasy about the fact that Ebay gives us the option to continue to list in USD by moving over to Ebay.com. I am wondering that once we've done all the moving of our listings, that Ebay will "punish" us Canadians for listing in USD? No, they may not do it right away, but in 6 months or 1 year from now, they'll come down with another "decision reached by focus groups," which will be as devastating as this one.

eBay is currently offering eBay.ca Canada only promos as incentive to stay on eBay.ca and no eBay.com USA promos. I suppose this could be considered punishment for listing on eBay.com. I recall in the CAN$ topics that rodney or raphael said there would be more eBay.ca Canada only promos in the next few months.

So punishment for listing on eBay.com USA is already here!

I do hope that listing on eBay.ca Canada in Can $ will be 5-10-15% better sales for most sellers as stated by ebay Canada. If not, I hope it is at least the same. It had better not be worse.

great_junque_finds · ‎04-01-2016

Conversion rates I guess.

The buyer tried to purchase it and the payment transaction didn't go through. First time I've had THIS issue and I've sold international before. wth?