They unfair and riduclous ebay mailing system that does not have mail tracking allowing for negative
eBay’s “Standard Envelope†system does have tracking — but it’s unreliable
The tracking isn’t real USPS tracking. It’s eBay’s internal barcode, and USPS does not treat it like normal mail.
That means:
Packages often get zero scans
USPS workers sometimes ignore the barcode
Buyers can claim “not received†even when you shipped
eBay often takes the buyer’s side because they don’t see scans
So yes — sellers get punished for something completely outside their control.
23 comments
atlasesattic
·9 months agoit is annoying...but I always write in large lettering, PLEASE SCAN!!! AND UNDERLINE
not sure if it always works but I do it anyway
a_c_green
·9 months agoFor the eBay Standard Envelope mailings that we're discussing here, it's physically impossible for USPS workers to scan the Intelligent Mail Barcode; their scanners only understand package bar codes.
The IMB routing code markings on an eSE envelope can only be read by sorting machines at USPS sort facilities along the way.
bashort
·9 months agothe sellers that use this service successfully are selling super cheap items that have either been bought in bulk or items that the seller is just happy to get anything out of instead of trashing them.
They know that a certain % of these shipments are going to go missing, when that happens they just refund and go back to grinding through listings.
a_c_green
·9 months agoIt's not eBay's; it's the Intelligent Mail Barcode that is used by USPS in its sorting machines on envelopes that can be processed automatically. When a sorting machine reads the code, its sighting can be reported back to eBay as a simplified form of tracking, and the last scan at the destination sort facility is assumed (by eBay) to be a Delivery.
USPS workers cannot scan the IMB; that's only read automatically by a sorting machine. The IMB is not the same as the bar code used on package labels which does report true tracking through to delivery. If a standard envelope is reported as Not Received, the seller must refund the buyer, then file an insurance claim (for up to $20 in package value) with eBay to be reimbursed.
onefootflipper
·9 months agoIf your items are not getting scans then you are sending out items that are too thick or rigid to go through the automated machines and they are only getting there because nice postal workers are manually sending them on anyway rather than returning them to you or marking them postage due.
On the first page of your listings I noticed a nice thick looking patch card with standard envelope on it that would almost certainly be a problem.
jerseyboymusic
·9 months ago@isaiahlaw1
Instead of venting and ranting about it... don't use it. It is an optional service you DON'T have to use
kensgiftshop
·9 months agoIt is under your control, stop using that cheap service.
1786davycrockett
·9 months ago@isaiahlaw1
If the ESE is of the correct dimensions & is of the proper flexibility, and is mailed properly (either in the "Metered Mail" slot in many post office lobbies, or in any of the USPS "blue boxes" located in most towns and cities in the United States), the ESE will receive its first "scan" at the next USPS Distribution Center.
Once the ESE has received even a single "scan," the ESE is covered by insurance for any delivery losses (including INR cases) -- see https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/shipping/ebay-standard-envelope.html
kayoscollectibles
·9 months agoI send my ESE's from my home mailbox, in most cases they get a scan within a day. It's a great low cost option for under $20 cards and 99.9% of the time there are no issues. When there are issues they either were resolved with delivery or a refund and I file the insurance claim which has always been paid.
I've had buyers see delivered on the scan and open claims because they didn't get the item in the mailbox that day, it generally shows up a day or two later and the case gets closed.
I've also refunded on cases that showed delivered and filed insurance claims and was reimbursed.
I've also refunded on cases that showed no scans at all and filed insurance claims and was reimbursed.
There really is no better way to sell low end cards outside of setting up at your local card shows.
bashort
·9 months agoIf you are going to use this you need to realise its limitations.
It is intended for low cost items to save shipping cost, the tradeoff is some will get lost and some buyers will take advantage, either way when a INR is opened you need to refund before ebay does it for you.
wmsakalaucks
·9 months agoIf the items are cheap cost, then maybe eBay should assume they are sent when postage is purchased and cover out of their pocket and settle with USPS at their level.
slippinjimmy
·9 months agoThere is nothing to "settle" with USPS, the insurance that comes with ESE is handled by a third-party that is funded by eBay.
Sellers who use ESE have to follow the requirements and then they will get scans and deliveries
see previous posts by @1786davycrockett and @a_c_green .
isaiahlaw1
OP9 months ago3. “Has anyone tried reporting eBay?†— Yes, thousands.
But here’s the truth:
⌠Reporting eBay doesn’t change anything
⌠Complaints don’t fix the tracking system
⌠eBay will not admit fault
⌠USPS won’t take responsibility either
Sellers have:
Filed complaints
Contacted the BBB
Posted in the eBay community
Contacted seller support
Escalated through Trust & Safety
And the result is always the same:
Nothing changes.
Because eBay considers Standard Envelope a “low‑cost, low‑risk†service — even though it destroys seller metrics.
kandf_vintage_finds
·9 months agoSorry you seem to be having issues.
I never tried to report eBay.
Who would I report them too?
I never really had the need to report eBay.
I like eBay!
I also like the usps!
Cheers!
grann-4629
·9 months agoOne seller on these forums even said he was going to contact Pam Bondi about high eBay prices and ripoffs ... still waiting for the results of that one. He would probably have better success trying to contact Karl Malden for help.
theteamsetguy
·9 months ago@grann-4629 ,
Instead of Karl Malden I think Rudy Giuliani might be a better choice. He's probably looking for work about now and you can get his services at a very good price.
Pamela I’m sure will be tied up dealing with Mr. And Mrs. Maduro.
12345jamesstamps
·9 months agoThe post office and a .78 stamp works for me.
Why you need tracking for something two bucks or such I don't know.
Most items ship cross-country 3-4 days with a .78 cents stamp.
And for international it works with $1.70....quickest one I saw lately was from San Francisco to UK...took only 8 days.
tobaccocardyahoo
·9 months agoEveryone including USPS and Ebay should know that ESE is a low-cost service.
The risk varies greatly based on what the seller is shipping and why. Sellers of stamps have found the service to be low risk.
Sellers of trading cards report differing levels of risk. As a seller of cards going back to the 19th century, I found ESE to be an unacceptable risk. and do not use it. My older cards require the protection of a rigid top loader. They are thicker than modern cards and crease more easily. And I will not take more time to attempt to protect them because time is money. I care about what I sell and who I sell to and choose not to use ESE.
I am responsible for my decisions. I forego selling really cheap cards. I forego selling to cheapskates who will not pay for Ground Advantage.
Any seller is responsible for the risks of how they ship. ESE has been around long enough that sellers should know whether it works for them, and know USPS takes no more responsibility than for a lost letter. In fact, USPS puts the same restrictions on ESE as they do for a First Class Letter.
If you care about your seller metrics do not use it. 20% of the cards I shipped by ESE were lost, damaged or delayed. That was unacceptable to me. If your numbers look that way, it should be unacceptable to you and you should not use it.
kensgiftshop
·9 months agoYa know the old saying, you get what you pay for.
isaiahlaw1
OP9 months agoBuyers can lie — and eBay usually sides with them
If tracking never updates, eBay assumes:
Even when you DID.
This is why you’re seeing:
INR cases opened
Refunds forced
Negative feedback
Account damage
Loss of promoted listings for months
You’re not alone — this is a systemic issue.
tobaccocardyahoo
·9 months agoEbay is not a court. Does not own a lie detector, either.
Some buyers are thieves and liars, so are some sellers.
Some sellers set returns policies which encourage buyers to lie. Other sellers set returns policies which factor the losses from returns into their pricing and are more liberal.
Liberal returns are a retail reality, though retailers may hate them.
I hate returns. I get few. I authorize a return for any reason within the return period, in spite of having a published no returns policy.
I make liberal use of my blocked buyer list. I block a buyer who messages me before he buys and signals that he is a high maintenance customer. That coupled with my published policy and conservative product grading help me avoid the problems you experience.
I take responsibility for customer satisfaction. Always have in my businesses, always will.
ccomic
·9 months agoWhen I see footage from Amazon warehouses with huge inventories and robots running all over the place, I’m thinking “how can anyone undersell Amazon with efficiency?â€, and I’m not sure they can. However it is possible to undersell Amazon by cutting corners, and one of the ways is eBay’s model of dispensing with the warehouse and going to a distributed virtual warehouse (the homes of sellers). This effectively negates the need for the large inventory storage and robots.
However, there is a significant drawback to this approach and that is where Amazon only has the opaque consumption side to deal with, eBay has both an opaque consumption and sourcing side. So when there is a problem, they have no idea who is really at fault. At the end of the day though, the power is with the buyers, not the sellers. EBay wants 20% of the buyer’s cash, not 20% of the seller’s beanie baby.
So I see no way around this issue. Basically eBay just wants to be the bank and have the seller assume all the transaction risk.
kensgiftshop
·9 months agoHow many more times are you going to post about it?