Why does Ebay want to change/decide everyone's calculated shipping settings?

[suzysemporium]

Just received an email from Ebay stating that on May 15 they are going to change shipping settings for everyone who uses calculated shipping. They have decided that it is our best interest to offer our shipping discounts to our buyers directly. This will attract more buyers to your listings. You have to use Ebay labels though.

That option has been there for a long time already. I thought about doing it previously, but decided against it.

Hold on dear overlords. Why couldn't you just treat all sellers as if they have some sense. Send an improve your listing message instead. I get those to become a top rated plus by having 1 day handling time. A message with a link to the setting would have been much nicer. Maybe not every one knows there is a setting or where to find that setting to make the change if we so desire. Instead our dear overlords decided to give an opt out option, or you could change the settings back later on.

I opted out. I figure there are sellers who already have that option turned on. Buyers can choose, and wonder why my shipping is higher. If they want what I have to sell, and the overall cost is reasonable they will buy from me. I guess I should be grateful that our dear overlords decided to include that option even though they seemed to want to hide the link. It is in the 3rd paragraph down within the first sentence click "let us know here".

I remember two of the reasons. 1) You use shipping to compensate for handling and shipping fees. 2) You do not always use ebay labels. 3) I forget the the third reason, and can not go back to see it 4) other

I'm sure they are collecting data on sellers shipping habits with this opt out form also.

[az93]

I opted out. Ebay has no right to force me to use their shipping labels.

[dbfolks166mt]

@farmalljr  I opted out when I received the message.

But that said, ebay has almost certainly done some math, and has presumably concluded (rightly or wrongly) that , while they will collect a smaller fee on the shipping due to the reduction in the shipping price, that reduction will be more than compensated for by increased sales velocity (more FVFs, and perhaps more PL fees as well).

For sellers, the questions become:

1. If I opt out, will I actually lose sales because too many of my competitors will be offering lower shipping rates? The answer will vary, because sellers are a varied lot.

2. If I allow myself to be opted in, will my sales increase at a rate that more than makes up for the revenue I will lose?  Again, the answers will vary.

As for me, with what I sell, I do not think I will lose by opting out, and I do not believe my sales would increase enough (if at all) if I opted in. 

Perhaps I'll change my mind after the change has gone into effect and I've had time to see the results. But for now, ebay hasn't convinced me that this will benefit me at all.

     There are a couple of pieces to your points above the first being whether or not it will have a +/- effect on your sales. The second is what the impact will/would be with regards to your ROI or bottom line if you do not offset the revenue loss by some action like adding handling costs or raising your prices. 

     It's the same considerations sellers had to take into account when eBay started the whole promoted listing sham. 

[twk]

As I see it, if you have a store on eBay you are a vendor because you rent your space monthly.

[fern*wood]

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@az93 wrote:

I opted out. Ebay has no right to force me to use their shipping labels.

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I don't see this as anything to do with using ebay labels.  Does the email say that?  I believe ebay just wants us to charge less and absorb the difference in order to boost sales (as they say).  Ebay still gets the fee regardless of where we buy the labels.

[dbfolks166mt]

My prediction........should they ever decide to make this required........is that sellers will immediately increase the shipping weight on the listings and then lower it when they go to print the label........if ebay locks the listing weight in on the shipping page, sellers will find another place to purchase labels with a discount. 
Ebay will then lose whatever they make on those labels. 

Making the opt in the default is more or less a company standard on stuff......long ago, companies found that offering beneficial programs, such as IRA's, with an opt in, failed because people didn't want to take the time to figure it out.   Programs worked much better when people were given the choice to opt out.......most didn't.  And likewise, New sellers will have no idea of any of it and probably stay opted in.  How much that will hurt opted out sellers with higher shipping costs remains to be seen....  And how much buyers will realize the benefits and therefore buy more is also a big question.  Ebay will take a revenue cut, just because $ amounts of shipping would be less (which is probably the reason the 10c increase was put in), but of course, they can also slightly lower the discount and recoup the money.....

It's not a win for sellers.........but if it really makes any difference to buyers......it could possibly increase sales, on an overall basis.  Some of the discounts I see are pretty nice chunks of change.  Except of course, if sellers raise item prices/handling to recoup what they are losing on the change. 

     I have not used eBay to purchase shipping labels in a LONG time. There are other sites that offer the same discounted rates, sometimes better, and had priority mail cubic and ground advantage cubic LONG before eBay. I also use a cash back credit card to purchase those labels which further reduces the shipping cost .

[norskmediashop]

Have not received this email yet, but where do you opt out specifically? thanks

[dbfolks166mt]

Have not received this email yet, but where do you opt out specifically? thanks

     You may not get the notification. But following is the one I received. 

          We’re reaching out to let you know that, starting May 15, your listings that display calculated shipping will default to showing eBay Labels discounted shipping rates. The new default rates will apply to all of your active and future listings that offer calculated shipping; listings with free or flat rate shipping won’t be affected.
We’re making this change to help your listings attract more buyers by offering a lower shipping cost. To get the discounted rate that will be displayed on your listings, make sure to purchase your shipping labels through eBay Labels.
     If you want to opt out of this change, just let us know here by May 13 and we won’t make any changes to your current shipping rates. You can also switch back to showing standard rates at any time after May 15 through your shipping discount settings.
     Please note that this change will only apply to sellers receiving this email.
Thanks for being part of the eBay community.

[toysaver]

I've been passing on my discount since forever but now it will no longer be as big of an advantage.  I may re-think and opt in of opting out.  Nothing but twists and turns being an eBay seller.  

[dhbookds]

@norskmediashop 

Hopefully this will work........this is the page that will govern it and presumably will be changed to have the first option checked on May 15.     However, looking at some of your listings.....looks like you are using flat rates.......and the change will only effect calculated rates.

https://www.ebay.com/ship/prf/carrier?mkevt=1&mkpid=2&emsid=e99011.m2.l1&mkcid=27&bu=43765280045&osu...

[btjfitter]

if they are only the platform, how can they offer discount pricing on items they do not own?

[wastingtime101 · Accepted solution]

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@norskmediashop wrote:

Have not received this email yet, but where do you opt out specifically? thanks

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If you receive the email there will be a link in the email @norskmediashop , but to make it even easier:

1. If you are opting out before the May 13 deadline you can do so using the link on the Seller Center page:

https://www.ebay.com/sellercenter/shipping/calculated-shipping-rates

2. If you miss the May 13 deadline, then you will have to opt out after this goes into effect May 15 on your Shipping Preferences page: https://www.ebay.com/ship/prf

[suzysemporium]

Yes, the email does technically say that.

"To get the discounted rate that will be displayed on your listings, make sure to purchase your shipping labels through ebay labels."

Meaning that after they change your settings to give your discount to the buyer, you need to buy the label through ebay labels in order to get the discount price. Otherwise you may be paying a higher price than the seller paid through who ever you prefer to buy shipping labels from. In a way it is also a tactic to get sellers to buy labels through ebay than a secondary source.

[suzysemporium]

Thank you for giving clear and concise links to where sellers need to go to opt out.

[operationspirit4troops]

I opted out. I already charge less weight on shipping to pass through savings.  I also  use extra for shipping supplies even though I try to recycle and ask friends to save  items.   Usually, I only charge 4oz for up to 8oz. 8oz for 9/11 oz. So, thanks, but  I will pass.

[farmalljr]

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

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@farmalljr wrote:

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

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@farmalljr wrote:

What irks me about it is, if eBay is JUST a platform for buyers and sellers, WHY are they changing your seller settings at all? As the OP points out, they COULD just send a "improve your listings" email and point out the benefits and HOW to change the settings. 

Except anyone who has been here long enough selling realizes eBay is NOT just a platform for buyers and sellers to meet. eBay tells sellers how they are going to sell and makes changes to seller setting and listings WITHOUT sellers asking for it. eBay is constantly manipulating sales, terms, and all sorts of things their fingers have no business in. eBay is skirting lawsuits by playing the "we are only a platform" card. They are NOT just a meeting platform, they are controlling sellers and sales. At some point this will all come to a head, and eBay will no longer be able to hide behind their touted, old tired line. They will be like Amazon an be responsible for all the stuff they are doing. 

This whole thing just honks me off. They want sellers to give buyers the discount, but they are not dropping the FEES on the shipping now, are they? They expect sellers to take another loss for the sake of making more sales to boost their own numbers. I hope sellers in mass tell eBay where to pack it, and tell them WHY they are not going to participate in that bull puckey. 

I have ALWAYS charged buyers counter rates to pay the FEES and the packaging costs.  What would make eBay think I would be willing to sell for even less? Is eBay so dumb not to think if sellers lower the shipping, they aren't going to just tack that back onto the price?

I buy a lot of stuff and have it shipped in. No one else is lowering their high costs of shipping. Neither will I. Neither will most sellers. Anyone who does is just allowing eBay to cut the seller's profit margins. 

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It has been stated (CEO Wenig) that we are vendors on a managed marketplace. Once people accept this, changes like this are easier to deal with, whether we like them or not. Fortunately, we can opt out.

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They state that, but we are not really vendors. Being a vendor would assume we pay for our "space" and follow general rules set forth by the platform. Not that the platform has any power over the actual policies we chose. We are not vendors here. Just like this example, eBay is changing your policies, when a landlord or a platform provider has no place running your business FOR you. An employer tells an employee what to do. eBay is telling sellers what to do. They are requiring YOU to take action to do something that you already had set a long time ago. I did not hire eBay to manage my business. I did not ask them to or give them express permission to manage my business. 

And yes, we can opt out. I did immediately. 

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Our marketplace is managed - that was his point - and not by us. Wenig was basically putting us in our 'place' but at least he was being honest by refuting the myth that somehow eBay was 'only a venue' - it hasn't been 'only a venue' for years - eBay basically sets the rules for how a lot of us run these businesses. A lot of the angst about the existence of these changes (the changes themselves can have their own problems and frustrations - yes, this one was pretty stupid IMHO) can be eliminated by that realization because I think a lot of sellers somehow think that these issues should be in our own hands - they are not and haven't been for a long time. It's virtually impossible to have a multinational marketplace of many millions be 'only a venue', particularly when it's going in an asset-heavy direction. A 'vendor' can mean anything, not necessarily anyone self-employed.

We need to get away from the very old concept that we each have our own little independent booth in some gigantic flea - we don't.

I'm just trying to save people some stomach lining here.

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Yes, but the part you are leaving OUT is that every time eBay is in trouble with the law, they are telling them that THEY ARE JUST A VENUE. That is my point here, that eBay is controlling the aspects and terms of all the sales. In this instance, sellers who have previously chose NOT to give buyers the discount, are now being told they HAVE to give the discount, unless the seller JUMPS through more hoops, giving PERSONAL information to opt out. 

And by that I mean, you have to give your full name, and email address as well as provide a reason you are opting out. And even though they will not openly admit it, those of us who opt out, will be sanctioned and our traffic sliced some more. I did not have to provide ANY of that before when I chose the setting in my seller settings. There will be punishment for telling eBay "NO". You will either lose profit margins or you will lose traffic and sales. It's a lose - lose for sellers.