Global seller performance program questions.

I do not understand this.  Can anyone explain it to me?

 

Starting August 1, 2017, only sales to buyers outside of the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany will count toward your seller performance in the Global region. Sales to US buyers will no longer apply to the Global seller performance program.

To maintain your Top Rated status in the Global region, you may need to build up your sales to buyers outside of the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany. To give you time to meet the eligibility requirements, we will continue to offer Top Rated Seller benefits to sellers who are currently Top Rated in the Global region and maintain good performance on sales to that region until February 20, 2018.

 

Does selling within Canada still count in the Global?

Message 1 of 23
latest reply
1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

Re: Global seller performance program questions.

Counter intuitive but I agree, Global will include everything except US, UK and GAS.

 



"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

View solution in original post

Message 3 of 23
latest reply
22 REPLIES 22

Re: Global seller performance program questions.

hlmacdon
Community Member

@musicyouneed wrote:

I do not understand this.  Can anyone explain it to me?

 

Starting August 1, 2017, only sales to buyers outside of the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany will count toward your seller performance in the Global region. Sales to US buyers will no longer apply to the Global seller performance program.

To maintain your Top Rated status in the Global region, you may need to build up your sales to buyers outside of the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany. To give you time to meet the eligibility requirements, we will continue to offer Top Rated Seller benefits to sellers who are currently Top Rated in the Global region and maintain good performance on sales to that region until February 20, 2018.

 

Does selling within Canada still count in the Global?


From the way it was explained in the seller update forum, yes. Anything that is in the US, UK&Ireland, and Germany, Austria, and Switzerland sections of your dashboard is not included in the Global pool.

Message 2 of 23
latest reply

Re: Global seller performance program questions.

Counter intuitive but I agree, Global will include everything except US, UK and GAS.

 



"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.
Message 3 of 23
latest reply

Re: Global seller performance program questions.

Russ still has the Summer Update thread open and is actively responding to questions on it. I'd suggest you ask him directly?

Message 4 of 23
latest reply

Re: Global seller performance program questions.

What I think they should do is change the name "Global". It is not global if there are countries excluded. They should rename to something like "Other countries" or "Rest of the world". Global means worldwide in the dictionary.

Message 5 of 23
latest reply

Re: Global seller performance program questions.


@mjwl2006 wrote:

Russ still has the Summer Update thread open and is actively responding to questions on it. I'd suggest you ask him directly?


Where can I find this thread? I don't see it on the site... unless it is on the US one?

Message 6 of 23
latest reply

Re: Global seller performance program questions.


@lady.stark wrote:

@mjwl2006 wrote:

Russ still has the Summer Update thread open and is actively responding to questions on it. I'd suggest you ask him directly?


Where can I find this thread? I don't see it on the site... unless it is on the US one?


http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Updates/2017-Summer-Seller-Update-community-discussion-thread/m-p...

Message 7 of 23
latest reply

Re: Global seller performance program questions.


@lady.stark wrote:

What I think they should do is change the name "Global". It is not global if there are countries excluded. They should rename to something like "Other countries" or "Rest of the world". Global means worldwide in the dictionary.


I agree. The term 'Global' is misleading now. Maybe call it 'Other eBays of the World' or something similar.

 

 

Message 8 of 23
latest reply

Re: Global seller performance program questions.

This whole thing is nonsense, erroneous semantics or not.  EBay knows very well that most Canadian sellers rely heavily on sales to the U.S. and U.K., and that removing those countries from Global TRS is the easiest way to drop a whole slew of Canadian sellers off the TRS wagon entirely.  Many will not have quite enough U.S. sales alone to qualify for U.S. TRS.  

 

This whole stupid business about "creating a level playing field" is a smoke screen.  I don't mind cost-cutting, I could accept it if it were presented to us as if we were adults.  What I do mind is eBay's addiction to paternalistic prevarication.   

 

They really might as well get rid of "Global" TRS for Canadian sellers now, for what little good it will do.  Only sellers whose sales are spread widely all over the world will ever qualify. 

Message 9 of 23
latest reply

Re: Global seller performance program questions.


@rose-dee wrote:
They really might as well get rid of "Global" TRS for Canadian sellers now, for what little good it will do.  Only sellers whose sales are spread widely all over the world will ever qualify. 

Nonsense.

 

CANADA is part of the "global" TRS zone.

Sellers who continue selling to the Canadian market will still qualify.

 

-..-

Message 10 of 23
latest reply

Re: Global seller performance program questions.


@ypdc_dennis wrote:
CANADA is part of the "global" TRS zone.

Sellers who continue selling to the Canadian market will still qualify.


Yes, you're right, that's quite true, but it will be a question of seller size and sales volume.  Canadian sellers will either have to have a large enough sales volume overall (including Canadian sales), or be in a market where they have traditionally attracted a high percentage of Canadian sales, in order to qualify for Global TRS. 

 

For the rest of us, which I imagine is the majority, the U.S. is the main source of our sales income.  I've used a lot of strategies over the years to try to increase my Canadian sales, but it's never been over about 5%.  I've heard the same story from many other smallish Canadian sellers.  EBay's claim that we can somehow boost that percentage enough to qualify for Global TRS is silly. 

 

The reality for the large number of small Canadian sellers whose sales have always been mainly to the U.S. is that we'll just have to increase them further to qualify for U.S. TRS -- if we still care to get the 10% discount.  

 

Actually, it's the recent comments by eBay about visibility, etc. based on TRS that have me concerned.  There is no doubt I will end up losing Global TRS, and may struggle to maintain U.S. TRS.  However, it's questionable whether that will mean much in the .com market where Canadian sellers will be competing against U.S. sellers who are able to achieve the U.S. TRS Plus designation and get a better boost by eBay.  

Message 11 of 23
latest reply

Re: Global seller performance program questions.

There is no doubt I will end up losing Global TRS, and may struggle to maintain U.S. TRS.  However, it's questionable whether that will mean much in the .com market where Canadian sellers will be competing against U.S. sellers who are able to achieve the U.S. TRS Plus designation and get a better boost by eBay.

 

 

I will also lose Global TRS but may have to consider TRS plus if I want the tiny discount.... lol!  

 

Anyone who sells on eBay.com can achieve TRS Plus as long as you quality for it. eBay has been bugging me for over a year to make changes in my listings in order to receive the so-called benefits of TRS plus. 

 

All my packages are shipped with a tracking number so I just have to change my handling time (same day/one day handling) and have 30 day returns.   

 

These are two things I do not want to change.... Is it worth a 10% discount for the potential grief I may experience? Probably not. 

 

But we'll see how things play out in the late Summer/Fall....   

Message 12 of 23
latest reply

Re: Global seller performance program questions.


@silverpinups wrote:

 

All my packages are shipped with a tracking number so I just have to change my handling time (same day/one day handling) and have 30 day returns.   

 

These are two things I do not want to change.... Is it worth a 10% discount for the potential grief I may experience? Probably not. 

 


If you can handle the one day handling time I would go for it. On ebay you can not prevent returns. If a determined buyer wants to return the item, they'll find a way. I currently offer 14 day returns and experience a return rate that averages out to less than 3 per year over the last 4-5 years. If and when I move to a one day handling time I would adjust the return period as well and just shift to top rated plus. Having a very short return period or no returns just decreases the buyer's perceived seller trust level. Unless you are in a category with an extremely high return rate the benefits would outweigh the likely limited hassle. Ebay will most likely be moving to 30 day mandatory returns at some point as well.

 

 

Message 13 of 23
latest reply

Re: Global seller performance program questions.

One gets the impression that if one is a Canadian seller one must sell to Canadians first and  elsewhere second.

 

However,  the largest single market  for many Canadian sellers  is ... south of the border USA way.

 

Consequently, if a Canadian seller can add inventory that Canadians would be the first to purchase.... then Canadian sellers would maintain TRS Global.,

 

Things ........ they are a changing....

 

 

 

 

Message 14 of 23
latest reply

Re: Global seller performance program questions.

 Ebay will most likely be moving to 30 day mandatory returns at some point as well.

 

Yes, I agree and I usually ship within one day anyways, but I like the flexibility of 3-5 day handling time. This also extends your estimated shipping time for deliveries. 

 

I don't sell in Categories with a high return rate so it's another plus for me. I haven't dealt with a return in 8 years! 

 

But, it maybe time to go with the flow.... I'll see how the TRS issue plays out by the Fall...   

 

Message 15 of 23
latest reply

Re: Global seller performance program questions.


@cumos55 wrote:

One gets the impression that if one is a Canadian seller one must sell to Canadians first and  elsewhere second.

 


I think the changes have to do with the different territories getting spun off as separate business units, compensated and evaluated on their territory sales, with marketing budgets that are specific to each territory and that  have to be generated from the business within that territory. If you notice how much promotional activity there is the form territory specific coupons and such, you can guess what the sources of those marketing funds are coming from. Decreased discounts and increased visibility fees builds a marketing budget for the promotions ebay will need to drive marketplace sales. Since ebay is not a retailer, the primary way to generate discounts on a marketplace where the retailers are at a cost disadvantage (higher costs once factoring in fees) is to use marketing funds to generate deals. Decreased visibility within other territories is a protectionist measure that levels the playing field between the territories (and sellers). Having worked in retail/etail for a number of years, the whole thing just reminds me of how things often transpired when sales divisions divvied up the territories they were responsible for and compensated on.

 

If a Canadian seller wants to maintain a Global TRS discount, they'll need to either sell enough volume in Canada or to international markets other than the UK, Ireland, Germany, Australia, and Switzerland. I broke out my numbers and I should be able to maintain Global TRS even with zero Canadian sales. That being said there are going to be a number of smaller sellers impacted, particularly in categories where international sales to locations other than the US and within Canada may be problematic due to the average selling prices of items sold and logistics considerations (parcel post required for example). I imagine quite a few smaller sellers have a bulk of their sales to the US via light/small packet.

 

 

Message 16 of 23
latest reply

Re: Global seller performance program questions.


@silverpinups wrote:

 

Anyone who sells on eBay.com can achieve TRS Plus as long as you quality for it. 

 

All my packages are shipped with a tracking number so I just have to change my handling time (same day/one day handling) and have 30 day returns.    

 

 


While I agree that anyone who lists on .com can get TRS Plus if they qualify, the problem for Canadians is what it takes to qualify.  At least in my case, I simply can't afford to send the vast majority of my items with tracking (I don't live anywhere near the U.S./Canada border, so using an alternative to Canada Post is out of the question). 

 

The big problem with switching to same day or 1-day handling for Canadians sellers is that you are then gambling against eBay's delivery time requirements.  I had 1-day handling for a long time, but switched to 2 or 3-days recently in order to hedge my bets where the on-time delivery policy is concerned.  Going back to 1-day handling means I will always have to hope Canada Post's delivery estimates match eBay's -- and as we all know, there have been some serious problems with that. 

 

So for my own situation, it would involve a significant risk (changing handling) and expense (for tracking) to try to qualify for US TRS -- and that's assuming I could manage to keep sales volumes at the required level, which is doubtful with current trends of low turnover.  I'd really have to know for certain that the risk would be justified in higher sales.  And that's a big question. 

Message 17 of 23
latest reply

Re: Global seller performance program questions.

If you ship with tracking, the Estimated Date of Delivery is irrelevant the moment that you've gained your acceptance scan within your stated handling time.
Message 18 of 23
latest reply

Re: Global seller performance program questions.


@mjwl2006 wrote:
If you ship with tracking, the Estimated Date of Delivery is irrelevant the moment that you've gained your acceptance scan within your stated handling time.

Yes, quite true, but that extra couple of days of handling time means I don't have to panic if -- like today -- I can't get a label out of Paypal, or if it's winter and the roads are horrid and I'd rather not risk driving to the Post Office that day.  At a certain age, continual rushing becomes more difficult too, I'm finding.  With a 1-day handling time in order to qualify for US TRS Plus, I'd be forever in a rush (I don't live near any handy city facilities). 

 

If circumstances arise that delay my ability to get a parcel to the P.O., as they sometimes do, I'd rather not have to cope with getting things out the door within 24 hours knowing that everything else I'd worked for to get TRS that month could possibly be jeopardized by a few slightly delayed dispatches.  As we all know, without that acceptance scan, we're at the whim of the postal service and the weather. 

 

I'm more or less resigned to my fate.  Oh well.  What's another 10% loss of FVF discounts anyway, on top of all the other costs we've been slapped with over the past couple of years?

Message 19 of 23
latest reply

Re: Global seller performance program questions.

Personally I'm more worried about the reduced visibility from being non TRS than the 10%.

Having said this, I've not been TRS on the .COM side for year(s) now and i'm still going....

Message 20 of 23
latest reply