eBay

katlover1952 · ‎08-13-2014

I sell smaller items and I rarely use tracked packet to the US as it is just too expensive. Have had the odd one go astray but for the most part my small packet air parcels arrive safely. I am wondering how many sellers out there are using it on small items. Makes our shipping cost pretty expensive compared to the US sellers. I did read somewhere though that this will affect our seller ratings if we do not have 90% tracked shipping to our US customers and that our listing will not show as favorable there or some such thing.

I really think my sales will go down if I insist on tracked packet shipping to the US. Wonder what others are thinking and doing?

treasure.hunter.d · ‎08-13-2014

@katlover1952 wrote:
I sell smaller items and I rarely use tracked packet to the US as it is just too expensive. Have had the odd one go astray but for the most part my small packet air parcels arrive safely. I am wondering how many sellers out there are using it on small items. Makes our shipping cost pretty expensive compared to the US sellers. I did read somewhere though that this will affect our seller ratings if we do not have 90% tracked shipping to our US customers and that our listing will not show as favorable there or some such thing.
I really think my sales will go down if I insist on tracked packet shipping to the US. Wonder what others are thinking and doing?

I use Tracked Packet pretty much exclusively for anything under the 1kg weight limit.I'm not the trusting sort so I like the benefit of having a Canada Post record of delivery. Occasionally on smaller(under 500grams) cheaper items I will use Small Packet Air as the extra cost for Tracked just isn't workable but from what i recall of the last time I checked, anything over 500 grams there is no benefit to using Small packet Air as the rate is as high as Tracked Packet.

I guess it comes down to the size of your packages and how much risk you are willing to take, outside of the 90% Tracked requirement anyway.

triber · ‎08-13-2014

I rarely use it, but the items I sell are usually not expensive. If I am mailing something under about $45, I used small package rate and to be honest, I have had very little problem with loss or INR complaints. I find that over $45, I like the security of knowing that the package is insured.

I don't like the cost of shipping, but it is what it is, I undercharge on almost all packages, my items would not sell otherwise.

dinomitesales · ‎08-13-2014

"I did read somewhere though that this will affect our seller ratings if we do not have 90% tracked shipping to our US customers"

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the 90% is only a requirement for maintaining Top Rated Seller status on eBay.com - if you primarily deal with eBay.ca or have TRS on eBay.ca, then the 90% tracking requirement is not an issue.

pierrelebel · ‎08-13-2014

You are correct.

ricarmic · ‎08-13-2014

I almost never use tracked packet. There are rare situations where I do to balance risk. If you haven't seen this before, here is my thread on my loss rate..... http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/My-experience-Updated-Self-Insurance-statistics/m-p/22247...

katlover1952 · ‎08-13-2014

Thanks for clearing up the 90% tracked item. I do have a Top Rated Seller status on eBay.ca so guess I should be OK continuing to ship via small packet air to US. I do sometimes used tracked if the items are more expensive and I don't want to take a chance but many of my items are under $20 so tracked shipping just is not practical under 500 grams.

I note that an eBay employee is answering some of the questions but did not answer who makes the final decision on whether an item is "not as described" and just how we are to be protected from buyers who simply change their mind when they get the item for no good reason.

reallynicestamps · ‎08-14-2014

and just how we are to be protected from buyers who simply change their mind when they get the item

At the moment of course, our only real protection is the cost of return postage to the unhappy buyer. We see buyer complaints about this very often on the Boards.

This is based on Paypal's policy, which is turn is probably based on them not wanting to pay out money they have never touched.

As a Best Policy, sellers should ethically be repaying at least a portion of return, tracked postage if the buyer's unhappiness is based on something the seller did or did not do.

I wonder why this came in at all? Has eBay finally decided to do something about the China sellers who knowingly sell bad product confident that they will at worst get yet another bad feedback? Having a $40 'fine' for selling dollar carp might clean up that mess.

I would suggest that eBay rethink this, perhaps by giving a number (three? five?) of returns where the seller is not charged. This allows for honest disagreement while punishing the scammers. It might also apply to buyers. A buyer could return three items annually (or a low percentage of his purchases) free, but the rest would have to be paid for.

A seller who sells one item a day could accept up to five returns annually (1.3% of sales) without having to pay return postage, which would be covered by eBay.

I believe that would be a higher percentage of returns than most seller ever need to do.

A buyer who buys 100 items a year could return up to three items, with eBay supplying and paying for the return shipping label, but after that he has to buy his own.

Gives a new buyer time to learn what are the red flags of a poor seller, while penalizing the perennially dissatisfied.

rose-dee · ‎08-14-2014

@reallynicestamps wrote:

I would suggest that eBay rethink this, perhaps by giving a number (three? five?) of returns where the seller is not charged. This allows for honest disagreement while punishing the scammers. It might also apply to buyers. A buyer could return three items annually (or a low percentage of his purchases) free, but the rest would have to be paid for.

Well, yes, but that would require creative and rational thinking on the part of eBay for all its sellers and buyers, instead of pandering to its corporate buddies.

Can you tell I'm disgusted by the recent Seller Update announcements?

cumos55 · ‎08-14-2014

For any parcel weighing 0.5 to 1.0 kg... it s been Tracked packet to the US... since it was introduced on 2013. For all of 2013 about 20 % of purchases were by US buyers. This has been closer to 30 % for 2014 so far. It would appear that buyers have adjusted to the cost of Tracked Packet., as well as Expedited USA My average for tracking to the US has been approximately 70 to 75 % Tracked packages... Expedited USA and Tracked Packet to the US.

mr.elmwood · ‎08-15-2014

I really think my sales will go down if I insist on tracked packet shipping to the US. With the proper blend of pricing and Tracked Packet, you will achieve perfect seller protection. You will have no sales. None. Will you seep better knowing that there will not be any problem? Weird? Not really. A lot of people think that way. The more you sell, the more your exposure to risk. The higher your profit. The more profit you make, the more you can afford the occasional loss. Put losses in your operating budget.

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rose-dee · ‎08-15-2014

I agree, very well put, although in some instances I think tracking is warranted, and -- whether of any significant benefit or not to the buyer -- is appreciated and perceived by buyers to be good service. In such cases, my "go to" service is Expedited, as I find Tracked Packet over-priced and unnecessarily detailed (and it seems, also slower). Still, I pick and choose when I use Expedited, normally only when I want to ensure quick, insured and guaranteed delivery of an expensive item. I've used TP only twice since it was introduced. I honestly couldn't see why Canada Post introduced it, as it seems a more complicated and less speedy version of Expedited. I've never had any issues with either Light Packet or Small Packet Air that would justify using TP for anything under about $150. The odds so far have been completely in my favour over the years (although the pricing is a different story).

mr.elmwood · ‎08-15-2014

Vast majority of the OP's listings are under $25. 3 out of 295 are over $50. Who is going to pay $17 shipping for a $17 dollar widget. Disproportionate. Tracked packet is not for our OP. As you say, Rose, pick your spots for the expensive service, I do.

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katlover1952 · ‎08-15-2014

Thanks for the input everyone - was just curious at to what others are doing as eBay/Paypal is certainly pushing tracked shipping. My sales are smaller items - mostly in $15-$25 range and to charge $15+ for shipping makes no sense. I have had a few problems with items not arriving but I agree that the best thing to do is self insure. If it get to be a problem with some of the new policies now introduced then look at it again.

toff3 · ‎08-17-2014

I honestly couldn't see why Canada Post introduced it [Tracked Packet] Rose-dee, Desperate for revenue, Canada Post introduced it in the hope that more of their customers would think like Treasure Hunter: be inclined not to trust the postal service or fellow-eBayers and delude themselves into believing that the TP to USA rate for >500 g is no higher than for Small Packet ( when in fact it is nearly 13% higher). Tom