eBay no longer allowing 3 shipping options?

[eclectic_seller_too]

Driving me crazy, and has, for months.

I just listed two, heavier, items, and put USPS Priority, Parcel Select, and FedEx Ground as shipping options on both listings.

All options showed, until they went live. Now, one is showing only USPS Priority and Parcel Select, and the other is showing only USPS Priority and FedEx Ground.

Adding FedEx has been a problem for me for months. It shows up, when the listing is scheduled, but disappears, when the listing goes live.

What's going on?

[dtexley3]

eBay now, at it's discretion removes shipping options that, in their opinion are higher priced or slower than the others.  Per eBay, showing fewer shipping options improves the buyer experience and reduces confusion....

uh huh.

[nobody*s_perfect]

To put this crazy policy another way:  eBay will show each option only if its estimated delivery date (based oneBay's own secret data)  is sooner than a cheaper option.

[eclectic_seller_too]

Thanks for your comments, and if true, that's just dumb. In fact, I have of another listing, of a pair of lamps, that's showing all three shipping options: USPS Priority, Parcel Select, and FedEx Ground.

To list the two listings to which I referred in my first post, I used the two lamps listing to sell similar, figuring all three shipping options would show up (Like in the pair of lamps listing!), but they didn't.

One would think, that eBay would be happy with sellers trying to save buyers money on shipping, but that makes too much sense, I guess.

I give up.

[nobody*s_perfect]

Trying to follow eBay's logic on this: FedEx is showing because it's cheaper than the other two options, and Parcel Select Ground is showing because it's faster than FedEx.  I guess...

When I plug in a ZIP Code for Honolulu (96801), FedEx disappears.  I suspect that it has a surcharge that makes it slower AND more expensive than Parcel Select.

[eclectic_seller_too]

So, what you're saying is, it's random. hahaha

Seriously, though, what you're saying is eBay *may* allow more than two shipping options on some items, like the lamps, but not on others, depending upon what eBay determines will be the cost, based upon some unknown, to us, factor?

[nobody*s_perfect]

Based on cost and on eBay's estimated delivery date(s).

[eclectic_seller_too]

How did you find out about this? Was there an eBay update or notification? Curious, since I've been wondering about it for months.

[dtexley3]

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@eclectic_seller_too wrote:
How did you find out about this? Was there an eBay update or notification? Curious, since I've been wondering about it for months.

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It was part of one of the seller updates last year.  But it's compounded by the fact that eBay's delivery estimates are all over the place lately.  If you check around the forums you will find multiple complaints about odd and downright wrong delivery estimates. 

[eclectic_seller_too]

Okay, thanks, dtexley. I usually read the updates, but I guess I missed this silliness.

[nobody*s_perfect]

Read through the Announcements section every month or so:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/Showing-Buyers-the-Best-Shipping-Options/ba-p/29886668

[eclectic_seller_too]

Thanks. This portion is interesting: "The first shipping option you designate will always be shown on the listing and in search and never removed."

[jasoheat_0]

if theirs an issue with eBay's delivery estimate , couldn't that cause buyer's to open "items not received " requests , which would affect our service metrics .... related to their bug / glitch ... as we are now responsible for shippers and them delivering on time , hope you live in a good area( no theft ) with good delivery people as ours suck .