Seller protections for weather / storms

This question comes up all the time and eBay never communicates how it actually works, so I'm explaining it here. If you see people asking about it, send them a link to this post.

Seller evaluations take place on the 20th of each month. eBay protections for weather, when offered, kick in before that evaluation happens.

What you're seeing on your dashboard's "if we evaluated you today" stats is projected info for the evaluation on the 20th; your account has not been impacted yet. When protections for severe weather are in effect, those performance stats will be updated before the 20th eval - typically just a couple days before.

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In the future, use Time Away mode when you are alerted to possible severe weather impacting your region. That's one of the reasons eBay makes this tool available to all sellers. You can keep selling while on Time Away.

Do not rely on eBay applying protections after the fact. Be proactive about your account health, and about setting buyer expectations with Time Away features such as extended handling time and adjusted estimated delivery dates.

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Here's the page that tells you how Time Away settings work and how to set it up:

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/selling-tools/time-away?id=5137

If you allow sales while away, make sure you read all the exclusions carefully.

Whenever possible, plan to have auction format listings and offers end a week before you schedule Time Away.
If you have automated seller initiated offers enabled, turn them off here.
If you have best offer on your listings with auto-accept thresholds enabled, either turn off auto-accept or temporarily shut down your sales.

There's an option to set up an out of office auto-response for messages within the Time Away settings.

Keep in mind you're still responsible for handling any return requests, claims or payment disputes that are filed while you're away. You may want to check in via the app or through a web browser on your phone every couple of days.

wastingtime101

0 View listings

Posted 7 months ago·Last reply 7 months ago

11 comments

christworks

·7 months ago

1406 View listings

Even using "Time Away" would not have helped in this case given our mail service shut down for ten days. Interestingly, my views and sales sharply decreased the week following the first storm. It was the worst period in over a year. My initial thought was fewer people were buying during the storm. That goes against my own rule: People never stop buying.

All three of the big carriers shut down service here right after the first storm. We then got hit with a second storm last weekend, and services remained shut down until Wednesday, when USPS and UPS returned to normal local operations here. FedEx followed on Thursday. Since Thursday, my views and sales have gone back up.

Maybe it is a coincidence. Whatever the reason, I'm glad to see those sales numbers going up.

I like snow, but we've already had more than twice our annual average. I'm over winter.

mr_lincoln

·7 months ago

5086 View listings

@christworks

Yes, you were in one of the hard hit areas down there near the boarder of VA and NC ... I normally get regular purchases from VA, NC, SC. I was watching where sales were coming from during and shortly after that storm.

There was a definite lull in sales going to those areas and for good reason. Here in PA we were hit good with snow but then sleet on top of that ... fortunately, no freezing rain.

mr_lincoln

·7 months ago

5086 View listings

@wastingtime101

Here is eBay's "blanket" bad weather protection announcement, you are more than welcome to include it in your OP, nice we have 24 hour editing right?!?

Seller Protections are in place for sellers impact... - The eBay Community

worldwide_ship

·7 months ago

1645 View listings

I don't like to use time away because then I won't be eligible for the 5% Top Rated Seller Discount. Those savings can add up. Not to mention as soon as I put up "Time Away" my sales pretty much come to a hault.

While ebay says they will automatically remove those defects, sometimes they do and sometimes they don't. I successfully called ebay today and quickly got 15 late shipment defects removed due to the weather delays.

wastingtime101

OP7 months ago

0 View listings

@worldwide_ship wrote:
I don't like to use time away because then I won't be eligible for the 5% Top Rated Seller Discount.

That's not how it works @worldwide_ship . The discount for TRS+ listings is not affected by using Time Away.

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Not going to add the link to the OP @mr_lincoln as this is a general post to be used as a reference for any/all weather events. It's not about Fern, specifically, and eBay de-pinned that "blanket" statement from Dec and replaced it with a specific announcement about Fern. So the post is out of date as it's no longer pinned.

mr_lincoln

·7 months ago

5086 View listings

@wastingtime101 wrote:
@worldwide_ship wrote:
I don't like to use time away because then I won't be eligible for the 5% Top Rated Seller Discount.
That's not how it works @worldwide_ship . The discount for TRS+ listings is not affected by using Time Away.

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Not going to add the link to the OP @mr_lincoln as this is a general post to be used as a reference for any/all weather events. It's not about Fern, specifically, and eBay de-pinned that "blanket" statement from Dec and replaced it with a specific announcement about Fern. So the post is out of date as it's no longer pinned.

@wastingtime101

Interesting considering THAT thread was the one eBay specifically told us to use and share with members, the blanket protection. Seems home office's left hand doesn't know what its right hand is doing ...

wastingtime101

OP7 months ago

0 View listings

A day or two after I gave you the link to that "blanket" post @mr_lincoln , the shipping team published a new pinned post on the shipping board, along with a seller news announcement, specific to Fern.

I wouldn't say there was any corporate confusion in this case. At the time you got the info, the Dec post was relevant, then a day or two later it was replaced with an update as more news about the upcoming storm was released.

I don't want to derail this too much with a drawn out discussion about timing of announcements - if you want to keep talking about it you can send me a message or start a new thread. I'd prefer to leave the comments here open to people that want to discuss the OP. ðŸ™‚

Signing off - have a great weekend, Mr Lincoln.

mr_lincoln

·7 months ago

5086 View listings

@wastingtime101 wrote:
A day or two after I gave you the link to that "blanket" post @mr_lincoln , the shipping team published a new pinned post on the shipping board, along with a seller news announcement, specific to Fern.

I wouldn't say there was any corporate confusion in this case. At the time you got the info, the Dec post was relevant, then a day or two later it was replaced with an update as more news about the upcoming storm was released.

I don't want to derail this too much with a drawn out discussion about timing of announcements - if you want to keep talking about it you can send me a message or start a new thread. I'd prefer to leave the comments here open to people that want to discuss the OP. ðŸ™‚

Signing off - have a great weekend, Mr Lincoln.

@wastingtime101

Thanks for the reply, it's all good, you have a great weekend too and stay warm my friend!

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luckythewinner

·7 months ago

1162 View listings

@wastingtime101 wrote:
@worldwide_ship wrote:
I don't like to use time away because then I won't be eligible for the 5% Top Rated Seller Discount.
That's not how it works @worldwide_ship . The discount for TRS+ listings is not affected by using Time Away.

Can someone please explain the "5% Top Rated Seller Discount"?

I did not think Top Rated Sellers got any discount. And I thought the Top Rated Plus Discount was a 10% discount on FVF fees on a listing by listing basis?

mr_lincoln

·7 months ago

5086 View listings

@luckythewinner wrote:
@wastingtime101 wrote:
@worldwide_ship wrote:
I don't like to use time away because then I won't be eligible for the 5% Top Rated Seller Discount.
That's not how it works @worldwide_ship . The discount for TRS+ listings is not affected by using Time Away.
Can someone please explain the "5% Top Rated Seller Discount"?

I did not think Top Rated Sellers got any discount. And I thought the Top Rated Plus Discount was a 10% discount on FVF fees on a listing by listing basis?

@luckythewinner

Correct, TRS Plus discount is still 10%

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kensgiftshop

·7 months ago

389 View listings

I don't understand why some sellers don't use the tools Ebay provides to protect their accounts?