EBAY CUSTOMER SERVICE / SHIPPING FEES
I am writing this comment to bring to the attention of fellow 'Mom & Pop' ebayers a disturbing trend. I am a 75 year old sole employee of my ebay anchor store and I have been selling (and buying) for 26 years!! I have watched ebay customer service go from OUTSTANDING to pretty bad, as I just experienced. It seems that corporate greed is overtaking the relationship with small business sellers.
The problem I contacted ebay with was a 'Simple Fix'. I had listed a large quantity of copper coins that I bought cheap enough to offer a competitive price. The first one I sold today (they are $2.75 each plus STANDARD SHIPPING) and when I went to print the shipping label...it didn't offer STANDARD SHIPPING. I called Customer Service and talked to a pleasant sounding lady and explained the problem..I told her that I have shipped bullion coins and coins many times....always used Ebay's Standard Shipping. She proceeded to say that my item didn't qualify for Standard Shipping, and that I had to use another type. I told her several times that this qualifies for Standard Shipping because it's a coin, with total shipping weight with envelope and packaging is only 2 ounces and a standard #10 envelope. She continued to tell me why it didn't qualify, which made no sense....I asked her to speak to a supervisor...I had this problem with First Day covers some time ago and they fixed it in a day!! I asked her again to read the Standard Shipping qualifications.....IT HAS THEM ALL!! I told her that the last time they fixed this error all the Customer Service did was contact the tech people and it was done.....asked her to please do that..........she put me on hold for several minutes and came back saying they said to UN-LIST the items and pick a different shipping service!!! I know she didn't contact the techs. Again, I am writing this knowing ebay will retaliate .....they seem bent on eliminating small business folks that may not bring them the profit they want. Well they can check their Customer Service tapes....I checked mine, and they will hear this incredibly bad service.
Please let me know if anyone else out there is having similar problems. I pay bills with my ebay income, I can't afford not to use it.....and they don't care.
cardxcraft
·2 years agoThe problem is you listed the coins as >other bullion. Otherwise they would've qualified for Ebay Standard Envelope. Do you believe this is the case? See ESE qualifications below
 
duffy4444
·2 years agoI've been here going on 26 years myself. There have been constant changes - some good, some bad. Continued success requires being able to Accept > Adjust > Adapt.
Others here have explained to you about the advances in USPS sorting machinery. Don't send metal or anything that makes the packaging rigid. It's not acceptable anymore. If you really insist on continuing to send your coins in an envelope, then you can switch your shipping to another service like Stamps.com. It is seamlessly integrated in real time with eBay including post-back of all shipping and tracking information, and I get to choose the shipping category I want without interference or hand-slapping by eBay. That's what I did about 15 years ago when I accepted, adjusted and adapted to the somewhat restrictive and occasionally unreliable eBay shipping and labeling by making the switch.
The one thing I agree with is the stress in dealing with a CS person on the phone. They are notorious for being unreliable and often saying anything you want to hear just to get you off the phone. That is one of the bad changes. However, the advice they gave you is correct, except that you don't have to "unlist" a listing; you only need to edit it and change the shipping category, and maybe adjust your price to compensate for any extra shipping costs if you want to continue using eBay's shipping system.
No, eBay will not "retaliate" because you raised this issue, and they are not out to squeeze Mom & Pop sellers. I'm 73 and one of those sellers. Since I've rolled with the punches and haven't gotten my knickers in a twist the last 25+ years, but instead Accepted > Adjusted > Adapted, things are running smoothly. Even thru the current economy-related downturn, I still have sales, albeit a bit slower than I wish they'd be. And I don't need to take any stress pills or blame eBay for the undesirable changes over time.
Think about it...
Cheers, Duffy
reallynicestamps
·2 years agoTwo things.
If you hit Enter at the end of each paragraph, or even sentence, a long post is easier to read.
And.
The phone reps have a terrible reputation for getting you off the phone as soon as possible even if that means giving you the advice you want to hear instead of the advice you need to have.
They have a quota to make before they get a pee break.

https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness/ — Message button in upper right on landing page.

https://twitter.com/askebay?lang=en

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/How-do-I-contact-Customer-Support/m-p/32016431#M1783851 -> Automated Assistant, type AGENT -> enter. You will then get more options.


The social media Chat accounts are covered by trained eBay employees with some authority.
And you get a transcript so you can compare what you heard with what you were told.
wastingtime101
·2 years agoThe answer to your problem @the_purveyor_of_needful_things is the listing does not qualify for eBay Standard Envelope. Bullion is restricted.
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/setting-shipping-options/ebay-standard-envelope?id=5308
Category details and restrictions
Coin & paper money
retro_entertainment_collectibles
·2 years agoYou can go into you're account and select "Business Policies," there you can create a shipping policy that's flat rate or flat rate with a surcharge for additional items etc. Then in the listing you can assign that policy to the listing.
Now towards coins I don't know the USPS policy, eBay has nothing to do with that other than making sure the shipping offered by eBay DEFAULT is compliant with USPS policies. For example there are certain things that can be shipped "Media Mail" and those not. eBay stays compliant with what the Postal Service says can be sent that way but that's not to say a seller doesn't ship or try whatever, collectible bottle caps using that service.
Envelope mail tend to be just for correspondence, paying bills by mail and not for shipping products such as coins, stamps, post cards, sports cards etc albeit people do it. The USPS did have "First Class Parcel" (or something like that) mail not long back but that's all been replaced with USPS Ground Advantage service. eBay as a business has to stay compliant with what the USPS offers in services in as far as eBay's DEFAULT shipping policies.
The postal service is DEFINATELY cracking down on what they consider "Products" vs other forms of mail. They are doing this as they are trying to at the very least not loose money as they have for ever so long, they've been told basically "Get to running in the green vs red or else." A big part of that has come about due to Amazon's own delivery mechanism as Amazon was by far in the way the USPS's biggest merchandise shipping customer. Atop that they want replace all delivery vehicles with eVehicles at a rather expensive price tag as you might imagine.
Now from what my clerk whom I've known for years told me not long ago is the USPS is ramping up inspection mechanisms to enforce compliance with shipping options. What USED to happen (and still does but will change) is merchandise using incorrect services either has it return to sender. With improperly weighed packages where postage be due, I guess some services now will automatically bill the difference. That said, what he told me is improper service usage the USPS will be seeking to HOLD such parcels UNTIL proper postage is paid PLUS a service fee for holding it. Items unclaimed be handled just as they are now. At least, he told me, that's what's being proposed...
I asked how does that happen, I mean I know Media Mail has been subject to inspection but he told me that new systems going into place that scan and this/that are more advanced that what's currently and been in place. I'd guesstimate that means metal detectors, perhaps high lumen projectors or X-Ray and AI computer automation, but that's just a guess. According to him the USPS is cracking down or trying to on a variety of issues from Opioids being sent in the mail to mail theft and much more.
monica-sells
·2 years agoPostal regulations have changed in the past year or two...
A first day cover is not an encased coin/round....
just because it 'fits' in a #10 envelope, and weighs only 2 ounces does not qualify it for envelope rates. It is not "bendable' by the new definitions. I noticed your past sales had a lot of poker chips....you set those up with standard shipping of 4.25 which is more accurate
Note: You need to change all your parcel shipping from First Class to Ground Advantage sooner than later.....
2nd Note: You have a lot of cool, unique stuff...great job sourcing and locating these items
the_purveyor_of_needful_things
OP2 years agomonica-sells......Again, I use this service all the time....I have mailed coins and bullion many times......my complaint was the ONE LISTING that excluded the qualifying coins....these are not 'encased' they are in a simple coin flip .....never lost one, never had damage to any. I beginning to think that there's a lot of ebay employees selling and responding in the Community!
ed8108
·2 years agoWhy do you now just begin to think that ?
12345jamesstamps
·2 years agoYears ago it was easy to ship coins to people and from people. Not any more.
Coin(s) in an envelope can damage sorting machines because of the weight and thickness and not bendable envelope. We didn't have these modern sorting machines years ago.
The small standard eBay shipping label is used best as metered mail. These are suppose to be envelopes that have paper in them and not metals.
Might have got away with it years ago...but not anymore.
And sending such an envelope using stamps on an standard envelope through the USPS chances are it may get damaged or lost.
I remember my mom who did refunding on foods and would get like coins in an envelope from the manufacturer as maybe 2 quarters or such as coins in the mail. But that was a long time ago when we were not using such advanced sorting machines.
the_purveyor_of_needful_things
OP2 years ago12345jamesstamps, I understand what you're saying.....but I have and I still am using this service for hundreds of items, including coins (which qualify for it). I use insert cards in the envelope which allows the sorting machines to roll right over.....HAVEN'T HAD A COMPLAINT YET!! My real complaint was Customer Service and how they handled (or didn't handle) the complaint....when I first started my Anchor Store the Customer Service was GREAT! Not any more. It seems to me that ebay cares about nothing but THEIR BOTTOM LINE!
kensgiftshop
·2 years agoThat listing had standard shipping, it didn't have the Ebay Standard Envelope.
the_purveyor_of_needful_things
OP2 years agokensgiftshop....ebay Standard Envelope or Shipping is cited in the listing...so were all of the other hundreds of items using it....this was the problem listing....AND THE WORSE CUSTOMER SERVICE I'VE HAD IN 26 YEARS!
wastingtime101
·2 years agoThe listing in question lists "Standard Shipping" which is a generic term and does not specify any particular shipping service, merely a shipping window under which several shipping services fall. The listing did not offer eBay Standard Envelope. Look at it for yourself, go to the shipping section. ebay.com/ITM/385966656562
Now compare that to the shipping section of one of your listings that offers "Standard Shipping (eBay Standard Envelope for Trading Cards, Stamps, Postcards & Coins up to $20)". ebay.com/ITM/384855193588
You have 3 active listings in the Bullion category. None of them will qualify for eBay Standard Envelope.
ebay.com/ITM/115895790067
ebay.com/ITM/385970976797
ebay.com/ITM/385970992638
Bullion has never been eligible for ESE. Check the link I posted earlier today @the_purveyor_of_needful_things . If you shipped bullion with ESE in the past then you were only permitted to do so if you had the item listed in the wrong category.
Your 2 sales on Aug 7 for bullion did not offer ESE. They offered a choice of First Class or Ground Advantage.
coolections
·2 years agoThere is no such thing as standard shipping and shipping coins has restrictions as to the weight and cost if you plan to use envelopes. You really need to read up on shipping before wasting more calls to CS.
the_purveyor_of_needful_things
OP2 years agoCoolections, you must be new.....I have been doing this for 26 years and have used ebay Standard Shipping (this is the service I was talking about) hundreds of times. The outline qualifying products are sports cards, stamps & covers and COINS!! The weight limit is 3 ounces, the items I want to ship...AND I HAVE SHIPPED many times are bullion coins copper at $2.75 each (there is a value limit on ebay Standard Shipping which is $20. Please learn this, you may need to use it one day. Again, I had this problem with my First Day covers (JVC CACHETS) several months back....all the First Day Covers I had for sale had ebay Standard Shipping, but somehow my covers didn't.......ebay customer service at that time quickly saw the error, notified the Techs and it was fixed in a day. This woman that I talked to just kept telling me to Un-List the coins (I had 100 available) AND PICK A DIFFERENT SERVICE!! SHE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THE QUALIFICATIONS!!! After going through this over SEVEN TIMES, she said she would call lthe techs like the other girl had......put me on hold, finally got back on and she said the same thing...AND I KNOW SHE DIDN'T CONTACT ANYONE!! I am quite familiar with Postal Regulations and rates....I have been a Postal Vendor since 2009. YOU, MY FRIEND EITHER WORK FOR EBAY OR ARE SADLY ILL INFORMED....YOU'LL LEARN AS YOU GO.
dryophelia
·2 years agoCoolections is using a posting ID here. They probably have at least one selling ID and one buying ID.
Since 2017 they have responded 12,000 times here.
12000 times they have taken time out of their day to read a post and type out a response.
It’s okay not to like an answer but there is no reason to diminish the efforts of any responder here. You came here for help. Had you not wanted real help, you could have asked for wrong answers only, or you could continue to call CS and still get the wrong answers you crave.
simply-the-best-for-you
·2 years agoWell, except that @coolections is correct in this case. There is NO SUCH THING as "Standard Shipping". The term you are using is NOT a class of service. Perhaps you mean the "eBay Standard Envelope", that does exist, but "standard shipping" is a generic term that eBay has used at times to refer to FC/Priority as a global term. It means NOTHING as far as the USPS is concerned.
And before you say I need to learn more, I've been doing it 27 years (as have many on here). You are being told the correct info by CSR's (except you don't need to end the listing), just change your shipping method. Also, jic you're not aware, First Class has changed to Ground Advantage as of July 9th.
Also, any eBay employees are denoted as such with a blue identifier. There are only 3 of them & they rarely make an appearance.
monica-sells
·2 years agoI tried to point that out for the OP parcel shipping, but we are not here to help.....
*sad*