Miscellaneous information
Summary: soh.maryl initiated a discussion on the eBay board, emphasizing the need for better education for new sellers regarding the concept of 'free shipping' and the importance of understanding the Money Back Guarantee (MBG) for buyers. grann-4629 suggested that new members should be required to read essential information before registering. Participants exchanged ideas about implementing a system to ensure comprehension, such as a quiz or app. Others highlighted the challenge of encouraging users to read policies and agreements, suggesting eBay should offer lessons or alerts for transactions. Several members noted that all necessary information is already available but often ignored by both buyers and sellers.
On reading the Boards almost daily, have decided that eBay needs to add certain information to sellers, especially new ones: There is no such thing as actual FREE SHIPPING. Someone has to pay for it, either the buyer or the seller, and if the seller does it, he needs to add the shipping cost into the item price. PS: If it were actually free, wouldn't every seller offer F/S? And this one is for buyers: The very 1st thing you need to read before you buy one single thing on eBay is the MBG, its usefulness and its limits in terms of time. No one should be waiting for three months for a purchase. No one should allow themselves to be strung along by sellers who tell them to wait awhile or that a replacement will be sent.
luckythewinner
·1 month ago · EditedWherever I see it, eBay refers to it as "offer free shipping" to your buyers, not "free shipping".
For example:
To offer free shipping using the advanced listing tool, ensure you have a primary service selected under Domestic shipping. Once a shipping service is selected you will see the option to Offer Free shipping under Primary Service."
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/posting-items/setting-postage-options?id=4089
The bar to becoming a seller is very low. You need a computer, a bank account, and a pulse. That is it. You do not need to create a business plan, to learn how to sell, or even to have common sense.
pickapaper
·1 month agoI agree with you, @soh.maryl , but I don't think it will happen. Yes, all of the information is there for everyone to read but there is a LOT OF IT. Not very many people want to take the time to sift through all the information, and even if they do, they will probably forget most of it.
How many times do people sign important documents and contracts without reading them? We own some property and have a one-page contract. I don't remember anyone ever reading it before signing it. We all know we "should" but usually we "don't". Same with eBay.
albertabrightalberta
·1 month agoThe thing is that EVERYTHING is in the policies and user agreement already! People just don't read until it's after they've made a mistake.
I recall years ago, if sellers had counterfeit items removed, they were disallowed from selling and in order to get their restriction lifted, they had to take a tutorial and learn about counterfeit items. After the tutorial, they had to pass a multiple choice test.
That was phased out but the good thing about it is that it forced sellers to comply if they wanted to sell.
christworks
·1 month agoThere is part of me that believes there needs to be a test for sellers. It doesn't even have to be a test. It just needs to be a series of questions, one per page, that the seller must read and agree that they understand. There needs to be an attention-check question thrown in to make sure sellers are actually reading and answering the questions.
Then the problem still is just because someone reads and answers a question correctly, it doesn't mean they will remember when they face a certain situation.
Maybe eBay could put a red alert when sellers encounter their first return or their first cancellation. The alert would be in Seller Hub and on the return page, and direct them step-by-step what their options are.
I think eBay can definitely do more to help sellers. I don't know about buyers. You can't make people read.
It always comes back to personal responsibility. If you don't you can't drive a car, you have no business being in the driver's seat. If you are and you wreck, you have to face the consequences, including having to pay out of pocket to fix the car you hit.
The same is true with eBay. If you want to run it on auto pilot as a seller, do that. But if you mess up, you miss a deadline, whatever, understand your money is on the line. If your money is important, learn the ropes before you list your $900 widget. If I could take the time to learn and then relearn when I came back 4 years ago, I don't see why others can't.
adamcartwright
·1 month agoAnd while's we're at it, how about a test for buyers before they can purchase or bid -
(1) Have you read the entire description?
(2)Have you viewed all photos?
Basic common sense, which isn't so common anymore.
christworks
·1 month agoI wasn't going to go there with that, but a simple screen before a buyer places an order where they acknowledge they reviewed the listing would be good. Then, if they later lie about an INAD, the MBG should not apply.
I do free returns, so I gladly accept them. But there is no need to lie about it. So far this year out of 12 returns, there have been 4 INADs and all 4 have lied. I think some buyers think I can't reduce their refund for an INAD or they do that so they can get their original shipping back. This is a loophole eBay needs to close one way or the other. This lady who opened an INAD return Friday for a $10 manual, I hope she enjoys driving 20 miles to the nearest FedEx dropoff point to ship it back. I surely sent her a FedEx label and I confirmed through FedEx they do not pick up in the middle of nowhere place where she lives.
gurlcat
·1 month agoMy #1 thing would be they must show proficiency in what the 3 return tiers mean. Actually mean.
ten_o_nine
·1 month agoThere is one.
eBay Training Program for New Sellers
monroe67
·1 month agoI have often thought that eBay should offer a basic set of lessons that E-V-E-R-Y new eBay seller needs to study before they can list anything for sale.
The definition of free shipping should be one of the lessons.
Others:
Packaging all kinds of items for safety and security.
Setting a handling period and sticking to it.
Simple explanation that listing an item and then selling it "off eBay" is not allowed.
Explanation of how eBay's Final Value Fees are calculated.
Explanation that the 50 United States have different laws about sales taxes.
Those are just a few of the topics I think should be included.
In my ideal world. (hahahahahahahahaha)
soh.maryl
OP1 month agoIMHO, they DO offer a set of lessons. They offer a raft of information for sellers to read, preferably BEFORE beginning to sell here.
tobaccocardyahoo
·1 month agoBut they do not require sellers to pass a test to determine that they learned anything.
stainlessenginecovers
·1 month agoThose that think 'free shipping' is free for the seller simply need to continue with garage sales only
roccotacodad54
·1 month agoIf reading and comprehending what is read became a somehow enforceable requirement, it would drastically cut the buyer and seller pool on eBay.
It's estimated one in five Americans are functionally illiterate and a little over half read below a 6th. grade level.
Unfortunate numbers..............................................
lacemaker3
·1 month ago@soh.maryl , you are absolutely right of course. (You usually are.)
However, I don't think it will ever happen.
Both of those warnings/information would be considered "negative" or "discouraging" for new users. And eBay never emphasizes anything that would be negative or discouraging in the policy pages. They are always kept positive.
tobaccocardyahoo
·1 month agoIt is likely that if Ebay followed your advice, some seller would start a thread on this forum complaining about how condescending Ebay was being by telling people the obvious, and how they should care about how they are wasting the time of buyers and sellers, and valuable space on the listings.
jerseyboymusic
·1 month agoI'm convinced people don't read any more.. only look at the pretty pictures
bonanza125
·1 month ago · EditedYou would be correct. People do not read anymore. Many of times I read threads where people create where there are a bunch of the same exact complaint. Like how many rural area complaint threads do we actually need. I personally believe moderators should create a thread solely on certain topics which generate the most talked about complaints and advise people to read through those threads first.
sin-n-dex
·1 month agoI'd like to pick up where I left off on threads instead of having to read the whole thread over again to catch replies I hadn't seen yet.
grann-4629
·1 month agoMaybe they could figure out a way to make new members have to read the basics of buying and selling on the venue before they can register ... like those terms you have to agree with that no one reads, except you would have to read it all to proceed.
All good ideas, btw ...
soh.maryl
OP1 month agoThat's been suggested before. But how would anyone prove that they had indeed read it. Would there be a pop quiz?
grann-4629
·1 month agoThat's the rub .... some AI whiz kid will have to develop an app that can verify the applicant has read it all. Maybe it will use the camera on your device to read what your eyeballs see. In this day and age, anything is possible 😎