eBay

pierrelebel · ‎04-02-2013

Mon Apr 1 2013 20:16:16

In what is sure to be perceived as bad news by many small eBay sellers, the company said its stricter requirements for maintaining Top Rated Seller status is working - meaning it's unlikely to relax its tough TRS standards. At last week's Analyst Day, Senior VP of eBay North America Christopher Payne said higher standards for TRS sellers has had a significant impact on its business.

One of last year's changes requires TRS sellers to upload tracking information within handling time on 90 percent or more of their U.S. transactions. At the time, this was very controversial - and it continues to be so. I received the following email from a seller just la...

For more: http://www.ecommercebytes.com/C/blog/blog.pl?/pl/2013/4/1364861776.html

Do not miss the comments from eBay sellers at the bottom of the page.

asyahijab · ‎04-03-2013

To the person that said printing labels through paypal counts as tracking, is partly not true. I print all my labels through paypal, except the packages I ship within Canada that qualify for oversized lettermail, I put stamps on those. But a lot of my packages are sent light packet for International sales, I print those labels on paypal, but they do not count as tracked packages for TRS, because there is no tracking on light packet.

PJ has clarified my statement.

I spoke base on my experience. I am selling $15.99 item with free shipping to US and some $5.99 item with $2 shipping to US. There is no way I am afford to buy real tracking number, yet if you view my listing through dot com site you will see there is TRS plus badge on it.

If you bought your postage through paypal check your selling dasbord. Click performace, click US flag, you will see how many percentage tracking requirement uplodes within 1 business day after clear payment (means you printed your label). If it is less than 90%, you are not qualify for TRS plus on US.

Note: your item must be offer return policy 14 days or more.

PJ: I have never uploaded the reference number for light package unless when paypal and ebay do not sync (that happened occasionaly) and there is 2 item paid separately and I shipped together(one will be marked when I bought the label, and I enter the treference number for the other through paypal).

pjcdn2005 · ‎04-03-2013

PJ: I have never uploaded the reference number for light package unless when paypal and ebay do not sync (that happened occasionaly) and there is 2 item paid separately and I shipped together(one will be marked when I bought the label, and I enter the treference number for the other through paypal).

I remember you mentioning that before but light packet numbers are not ever uploaded automatically for me. When you print a label, do you click on print shipping label from ebay or do you go directly to paypal to print labels? I go directly to paypal so if you do it differently that could be why we have different results. But it's odd that when I print labels small packet numbers automatically upload to ebay yet light packet does not.

Anonymous · ‎04-03-2013

I have read all of your comments about TRS with the so-called tracking. Yes I do call them so-called tracking because it is VERY confusing. PayPal considered it "tracking" even I didn't purchase PayPal shipping labels by using Expedited or XpressPost with real tracking numbers.

Now with TRS with tracking, what does the "tracking" means?? Did eBay expects us to use mail services with real tracking numbers like Expedited Mail or XpressPost? If YES, then eBay/PayPal Shipping FAILED us!! Yes I would consider them as being failed us because they didn't get to work with Canada Post to make the mail service with real tracking numbers MORE ATTRACTIVE and MORE CHEAPER for us sellers to use those mail services to ship all our items. Never mind those so-called tracked packets as they are not available to ALL countries including the worst country such as Italy!! They FAILED us!!

eBay/PayPal Shipping could have work with Canada Post to make it attractive. I suspect that they didn't because eBay has too much $$$ signs in their eyes because of the hefty final value fees on the shipping costs. Or there are too many people at eBay not thinking right.

If eBay really "penalize" us for not using tracking numbers like Expedited Mail or XpressPost, then eBay is UNFAIR and DISCRIMINATING against the sellers.

eBay MUST work to make it possible with Canada Post, otherwise eBay's "threatened" with TRSs are demaning and not acceptable.

Ever wonder what any lawyers think of this insane demeaning demands made by eBay regarding TRS with tracking??

It seems that it is getting worse and worse for us sellers nowadays. Sigh!!

Anonymous · ‎04-03-2013

What is worse about eBay's "threatening" regarding TRS and the returns. I have a warning for my other account, non-store subscriber about that as I do not offer returns for all my items. Yes, that is my rights that I do not offer returns as I am selling photos, slides that are very copyability and no way would I offer returns for those items (unless I send the wrong items), making easy for anyone to copy and then return. I would be out a lot of $$$ for those!

There are millions of stores that don't accept returns like panties, earrings, and other things so why can't we do the same??? eBay, wake up!! To eBay, respect sellers!! To eBay, don't control us toooooo much like you are already, enough is enough! We sellers are not that stupid as you think we are!! Come on, eBay!!

bilge21 · ‎04-03-2013

"Payne said Top Rated Sellers represent the best of the best and deliver the best experiences to shared buyers. "This program recognizes them and rewards them for their efforts. Today they drive a significant portion of the GMV in North America."

Because eBay rewards Top Rated Sellers with greater exposure in search, it's no wonder Payne said Top Rated Sellers' growth in 2012 not only outpaced non-Top Rated Sellers, but outpaced the ecommerce market overall."

North America?

It just so happens that I am one of those TRS sellers (100% feedback rating; 5.0, 5.0, 5.0 and 5.0 DSRs; zero case closed without resolution, free shipping on all items; one day handling; 30 day return privilege, etc...) who was advised by eBay last year that I had lost my TRS status on eBay.com, my TRS icon on eBay.com and higher placement in Best Match on eBay.com.

All the above was not good enough for eBay! 😞

Why? Because I did not include a tracking with every shipment which I shipped at my own risk!

In the meantime most of my American competitors who ship with USPS with DC for a few cents are TRS, show the icon in their listings, benefit from higher placement in Best Match for competing items.

OK I get the 20% discount. Big deal. As a Canadian, I am still treated like a second class citizen and put into an uncompetitive situation in the "North American" market. I noticed a substantial decrease in sales soon after the TRS icon was removed from my listings and from Search results on eBay.com, not to mention excluded from many buyers specifying TRS in their search.

So eBay has done a good job selling the merits of TRS to buyers. Great job. Too bad they decided to knowingly ignore many Canadian sellers in the process.

Some of you may remember that earlier last year, eBay had advised Canadian sellers that we would be exempted of the tracking requirement due to the onerous cost of providing such service through Canada Post. Unfortunately, eBay Inc (.com) later decided to forget the Canadian exemption - without notice. Shame on them.

I agree with you there Pierre.

I also have 100% feedback, DSRs are all 5.0 across the board, Free shipping WITH tracking and I lost my TRS status because my sales for the year was short by 6 transactions. I also lost my 20% discount and my sales just slowed down big time to less than 2-3 a MONTH.

Ebay just wants the volume sellers and would bend over backwards for them to accommodate them even if they have less than 95% feedback and trashed DSRs, because they are still selling and pay their big monthly fees.

What's good for the goose is definitely not good for the gander on eBay!

asyahijab · ‎04-03-2013

PJ: I print direct from paypal.

I think you misunderstand me. Just like yours, when printing light package, the reference number is not uploaded like when you print small package, but on my ebay the item will marked as shipped (paypal and ebay synch).

I always just leave like that. I don't bother to enter the reference number, but I keep them just in case my buyer asked where is my item.

If my buyer asked where is my item, I will give them the reference number and telling them to go to Canada post website. There they will find when did I buy the postage, from where it was sent, and the destination address(their city). Those info is good enough to reduce their anxy.

Anonymous · ‎04-03-2013

To be realistic, it doesn't make sense that eBay would be sitting "inventing" to "penalize" us as sellers with all those insane policies like TSRs, DRSs, feedback, etc.

If eBay want to "penalize" us by removing the discount, TSRs, etc., then why not "retire" the 20% discount, etc.

Why can't eBay work to ensure that everyone would be happy, buyers to be happy, sellers to be happy, eBay to be happy? But no, eBay prefer to make us as sellers miserable, to make our lives hell and for what?!!

eBay should be named eSadistic!

When you go to WalMart, WalMart don't make you bend backward to please them. WalMart go backward to please us as customers!! eBay can't do that? What eBay is doing is doing wrong! I am sure that WalMart gets lots of customers going to the customer service to get refunds, exchanges daily and we don't "penalize" Walmart for that, we just go away happy with refunds, exchanges or rainchecks. So why can't eBay do the same?

Say, all of you, I mean ALL of you, when you get the surveys from eBay, please respond and vent your frustrations to eBay, they need to hear your vents. I do that all the time and hope they will see that and maybe listen. Only way to do that. If eBay have their own feedback with DSRs, believe me they will fail miserably than all of us combined!!

Thanks.

reallynicestamps · ‎04-03-2013

I still don't understand why they eBay is looking for sales volume instead of total dollars. rosscd57

Because they want to keep their shareholders happy. And since the shareholders can only make money by buying and selling stock, they massage their reports to make the gamblers who hold the stock happy.
If eBay made no money at all, but had a stock that rose and fell allowing for windfalls to stockholders, the stock market would be perfectly happy. (There was this company doing that a while back, called something like Enron. What ever happened to them?)

I didn't know l that if a stamp dealer attached paypal label is consider insult
Hmm... learning something new. -asiahajib
Not an insult, but the stamps are a little extra gift. Also stamp collectors are sensitive about the possibility that their collectible will stop being made.

Did you know that many charities use stamped envelopes rather than metered because people will open a stamped envelope while they will toss out the metered envelope without a thought?

I too lost the TRS because half of what I sell does not have tracking.
I know it is self serving, but it is possible to get discounts of 20% (or more) by buying discount mint postage.

i laughed when i get cards from china sellers that saiy leave us 5stars with a picture. but honetly. im thinking its a good idea...

How about adding "Five Star Buyer" to all our feedback? Prompt pay, shipped 4/4/13 Canada Post Five Star Buyer!

comicgeek74 · ‎04-07-2013

After reading that thread here on this topic... well, I'm glad that I had retired as a seller some few years ago. Haven't sold one item since then. Now I see FeeBay has made more "twists" in their selling rules... guess that doesn't concern me?

I contiune only as a buyer because sometime I still find great deals. If I do score a good find and when I want to flip over - I will do that sale somewhere online but NOT in Feebay. That way I keep more money in my pocket, rather not pay more "fees".

With their rules, like the DSR thing, as they are, it become more risky for me to sell. I have worked hard to keep my record clean to come that far. Herce why I left out as a seller.