eBay

eric8112 · ‎09-07-2014

When I list an item with the new listing tool, I can only offer one primary and one additional service for domestic shipping. In other words, if I want to offer regular shipping and local pickup, I cannot offer any more options such as Xpresspost, UPS, etc.

Even worse, if I want to add an international shipping option, I can choose either USA or Worldwide but not both. There's absolutely no way for me to specify one rate for the USA and a different rate for other countries.

With the older listing tool you could select multiple options and shipping rates for every country you shipped to.

I know, I know, that's "progress" but...really, what's going on here? And, more importantly, how can I add more shipping options to my listing?

Thanks

pjcdn2005 · ‎09-07-2014

As far as I know, you have to change to the other form in order to give other shipping options. To change the form there is a link on the top right side.

eric8112 · ‎09-08-2014

Thanks for your reply. However, it seems to me like the advanced listing tool is only available after I click the "Change Category or Product" link. Then it takes me to the page where I can create a new listing. But what I want to do is to revise my current listing because I have already listed the item. Am I out of luck?

reallynicestamps · ‎09-08-2014

Let's change the question.

Why on earth would you want the buyer to choose the shipping service?

Have you read the many plaintive posts on these Boards about buyers who demand a cheaper, usually slower and untracked, service and then win an Item Not Received dispute when the seller cannot show that the item was received within the 45 day Dispute period?

The seller should choose the option that gives her the protection she needs.

Personally, I rarely use tracked services, and when I do, I do not charge the buyer for them. My categories (books, dress patterns, discount postage lots) have very honest buyers who actually read the descriptions. I do insure through self-insurance or through our B&M insurance company.

Pick up with cash payment is very secure.

Tracked Air Mail and express services are very secure.

The problem is not usually with delivery (unless you use international surface shipping) but with the demographic of buyers in your category, whatever that is.

Do you actually have many claims? More than one in a thousand sales?

eric8112 · ‎09-09-2014

I haven't reached a thousand sales yet but *crossing my fingers* I've yet to have a single claim filed against me. The worst that happened so far is that people would message me to ask when the item was shipped but they would always end up getting it a few days later.

My default service is always standard (non-tracked) shipping but I like to add the Xpresspost option in case a buyer would prefer to pay a little extra for faster delivery.

The reason why I wanted to add more services was not so much to offer more options to domestic (Canadian) buyers, but rather to specify different rates for shipping to the U.S. and to other countries. The way it is right now, with the simplified listing form, I can either specify one rate for shipping to the U.S. and not be able to offer worldwide shipping, or else specify one rate for worldwide shipping but then the rate will be the same for all countries, including the U.S. Since shipping to the U.S. is generally cheaper than shipping outside of North America, I don't want to charge the same rates to U.S. buyers as I would charge buyers outside of NA.

This used to be very easily done with the older (advanced) listing tool, which used the long form. This was always the default for me until now, but eBay seems to have defaulted to the simplified listing tool recently. Not sure if that's the case for everyone or just me but that supposedly "simplified" tool is a real pain. I'm guessing it's meant to look better on "smartphones" and tablets...that's pretty backwards progress if you ask me.

Anonymous · ‎09-09-2014

I have lots of buyers wanting mail service with tracking number. So I always include many options for them to choose. And it is ideal during the auction-style formats, they don't have to ask just before the auctions end.

eric8112 · ‎09-11-2014

I believe I found the answer to my question. Apparently it's impossible to switch to the advanced listing tool to make changes after the item has been listed. I'd have to start over and re-list it using the advanced tool...kind of a pain but what can you do. I mean, it can't be that hard to choose which listing tool you wanna use if you're editing the same item and thus accessing the same database.