@marnotom! wrote:
You say you've been selling since 2000, and I'm afraid you're still sellin' like it's 1999, too.
The eBay you once knew has changed. eBay and its buyers are expecting more "professionalism" from its sellers. The garage sale mentality doesn't hold sway anymore. eBay sellers are now being regarded more like "franchisees" than "mall tenants". You've probably made the best decision in going to other sites and selling locally. Good luck.
As a general response to the subject raised by the OP, this comment hits the nail on the head.
EBay is a far different place for sellers than it once was in the days when restrictions and rules were few and fairly simple.
Now that eBay has taken on some big name sellers, it expects the rest of its sellers to come up to the same standards. We don't always like it, but we do it if we want to prosper here. By the way, I'm the first to admit I hate 1-day handling because I'm in a rural area, several kms from a P.O. [there is no box within 10kms], but I had to switch to keep up with the pack -- I now use Paypal labelling almost exclusively and try to time any trips to the P.O. with other errands whenever I can. Since the labels are prepaid, it's just a drive-by drop-off at the P.O. anyway). And of course the vehicle use is a business deduction.
Admittedly it takes a lot of effort as a seller to stay informed and to change selling practices to keep up with eBay's requirements. However, there is no point in bemoaning the expectations placed on sellers by eBay or in blaming buyers when they rate a seller 's performance in relation to other sellers. The key is to be flexible and creative in finding ways to make eBay continue to work for your business in a manner that gives your customers the best possible service and yourself the best possible feedback and ratings.
EBay provides a venue with unequalled worldwide visibility. They set the rules (which have indeed become more numerous and onerous), but there are still opportunities here if you continue to adapt. One can always find excuses and rationales for avoiding making changes to selling practices, but ultimately each seller is responsible for his or her own success on this site. Nonetheless, EBay is perhaps not for every seller.
To the OP, if you are thinking of staying on eBay, try an experiment: Even though you dislike Paypal, hold you nose and use the Paypal/Canada Post labelling service for 3 or 4 months. You may actually find it a real time-saver. Change your handling time to, say 2 days. Unless you're in a remote rural area, there should be a mailbox somewhere within a few kms where you can drop off most parcels -- at the very worst, you may have to go to the P.O., but you won't have to waste time standing in line. I suspect those selling limits will be lifted, or you may be able to request a review of the limits within a couple of months, if that matters to you.
This is just a suggestion if you really prefer to stay on eBay and get rid of the limits. However, it does sound from your comments as if you expect eBay to adapt to your preferences, rather than the other way around, or that you expect eBay to continue to operate the way it did many years ago. That eBay is unfortunately dead and gone.
