mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999
Join us here on Feb 20th at 1 PM PT for our weekly Chat with the Community Team. We'll be discussing general buying and selling topics and look forward to seeing you 
@coinslabz26 wrote:
2 Questions egarding ebay payments.
Will/does ebay offer any sort of seller protection for payments processed by ebay such as protection from INR or Unauthroized purchase chargebacks the same way paypal does today? Any new protections or other differences other then what is offered by paypal today?
Is there or will there be any volume discounts similar to what was offered before the ebay/paypal split?
This is from the managed payments page:
"Will we have seller protection?
Yes, as long as your account is in good standing with eBay, you are eligible for seller protection. Seller protection from eBay is designed to help you safeguard your online sales and prevent you from losing money due to eBay Money Back Guarantee claims. Learn more about eBay Seller Protection Policy."
"How will claims and returns work?
In the managed payments model, you will contact eBay for support and service on claims and returns. eBay will offer buyers the capability to submit disputes and claims through the eBay resolution center for most situations. Having resolutions centralized will provide better visibility to you in managing claims and disputes. In the majority of claims, returns and refunds, eBay will continue to follow existing policies, and refunds will be returned to the original payment method used at time of purchase."
You can read it all a https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/service-and-payments/managed-payments-on-ebay.html.
@warrenshobbies wrote:
brian@ebay wrote:
@warrenshobbies wrote:Any update on a shipping discount?
Ebay has to be a huge account for the USPS and Fedex. I'd think something better than we are paying would be something ebay would have already had in place.
Hi @warrenshobbies! Savings are offered on eBay labels. Additionally, Top Rated Sellers and high volume sellers (more than 300 shipments a month) receive a higher discount on USPS Priority Mail labels purchased on eBay. Beyond these rates, we have nothing new to announce.
I can get the ebay rate just about anywhere. As of now there is zero incentive to use ebay shipping.
How about cubic rates?
That would be because USPS does NOT allow for negotiations on FCP Domestic or Media Mail for online postage providers. ALL online providers of postage will be the same. Ebay, Stamps.com, Amazon, Etsy, Pitney, ETC. That is why they are the same and ALWAYS have been for these specific classes of mail.
@coinslabz26 wrote:
How can we see where a buyer was charged sales tax and what amount that was?
I have been seeing the notification in my shipped items that tax exempt items are being charged sales tax as a generic note, but I don't see where an amount was collected or if one actually was. How can I confirm my buyer was not charged sales tax?
Hi @coinslabz26 - at this point in time if a buyer is charged sales tax based on your tax tables you should be able to see that amount in the sales record. If a buyer is charged sales tax because they're in a state where we are required to collect tax you aren't yet able to get that information for you to see.
From the tax team:
We’re currently creating a buyer exemption system that will allow buyers to submit tax exemption certificates. We expect a solution in March. In the meantime, a buyer may be able to get a credit for sales tax paid to eBay directly from their state. However, buyers will want to consult with a tax advisor or contact the department of revenue of their respective state for further details as policies are different for each state.
Thanks!
Thanks everyone for participating today. Today's chat is now closed, but we will be sticking around to make sure to respond to everything, and we'll follow-up as promised or needed.
See you next week here, 1-2 PM PST for the weekly chat with the Community team.
@Anonymous wrote:
Join us here on Feb 20th at 1 PM PT for our weekly Chat with the Community Team. We'll be discussing general buying and selling topics and look forward to seeing you
@vrykalak wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
Hi @mam98031, I will be happy to elaborate on this but I will need an example. With this question currently sitting as a hypothetical, it's hard to say how a member should know the difference. The short answer based on what we have here is that if there is any confusion, clarification can be requested. If this is a widespread issue, we as a team can just stop using the word recommendation altogether to avoid problems. eBay communications and resources may continue to deliver expectations with the word recommendation, and I would counter that if eBay is recommending something, why would this recommendation not be followed? We either expect as a form of policy or have reason to believe it is the best course of action. Again, happy to elaborate or make adjustments if needed with a specific example
I don't see why an example is needed to differentiate between a recommendation and a requirement.
If the item being discussed is a requirement, call it a requirement, not a recommendation. Period. Full stop.
What is unclear about that?
Hi @vrykalak, if we only dealt in black and white situations, this would certainly be possible. Since a great number of situations that arise while running a business reside in a gray area, it is not as simple as you may hope it to be to clearly define what is purely a requirement and what is purely a recommendation. This is a discussion of semantics and ultimately, the frustration with the use of this specific word may lie more in the action being recommended than the word recommendation. Ultimately, when we provide a recommendation, there is a reason - this may be due to potential consequences to your selling account for not following this recommendation, the potential for a poor buying experience, or simply because our recommendation is the easiest option. The reason I ask for a specific example is because I am attempting to identify if the way we are communicating on the boards here are leading to confusion or if the context of our responses provides the clarity that is being sought.
Again, we can make adjustments as needed to the way we communicate here, we just need examples to review for alternative ways to phrase ourselves. Without examples, we aren't able to identify the source of the confusion beyond possibly eliminating a word from use by this team.
@mam98031 wrote:
brian@ebay wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
@mr_lincoln wrote:
@ste_2639 The difference between 38.6mm and 38.5mm is less then the width of the text on this page ...
I think part of the problem on this particular issue is how the CSR responded to them during the appeal process. The CSR told them there was not any policy that prevents or otherwise is an issue if the buyer ships the item BACK to the seller from a DIFFERENT address than the one they shipped to. That goes against what the MBG states.
Hi @mam98031. The information provided by the customer service agent is correct. A buyer returning an item from a different location other than the location it was originally shipped to does not indicate it was forwarded, and thus would not void the buyers Money Back Guarantee protections. Buyers may travel for various and legitimate reasons, such as business trips, vacations, etc. and they can still return items if needed.
With that said, if we have proof that an item was forwarded to a different location, this would void the buyers Money Back Guarantee protections.
OK, lets look at the EXACT words in the policy. A RESHIPPER is NOT mentioned at all. Not even once.
- Items shipped to another address after original delivery
Hi @mam98031. An item that is shipped to another address means it was shipped again after it was delivered to the original delivery destination. We may use the term 'reshipped' or 'forwarded', but ultimately what we mean is that it was shipped again after delivery. If we have proof that reshipping occurred then the buyers Money Back Guarantee is void. However, I want to reiterate that a buyer returning an item from a different address is not proof that the item was shipped to a new address.
@vrykalak wrote:
Item 29 from last week:
@vrykalak wrote:
I'm experiencing a major problem with selecting categories for clothing I sell. Categories should be organized by main garment type first, then variations within that type, and whether it's for men/women/kids/unisex last.
I sell lots of t-shirts and costumes that could be worn by men or women, and sometimes kids.
But I have to choose one or the other for my listing, because nobody ever searches for unisex garments. So half my potential buyers never see my offerings.
Certainly, eBay can't abandon the current category hierarchy.But could there be a different hierarchy, each item in it linked to the same item today, that organizes garments by type first, and potential wearer second?
Hi @vrykalak - thanks for this insight, I think it's a sound idea for unisex garments to have some kind of different sub structure to help surface it in relevant searches. Ideally search should be surfacing items if they apply and I imagine 'unisex' would apply to all types, but I'll see what I can find out. Thanks!
--------
Any new information on this?
Hi @vrykalak - I don't have an update for you at this point in time. Thanks for your patience!
@a_c_green wrote:
@ihave2manycars wrote:
Mr Tyler
I for one would be GRATEFUL if you can get this concern pushed up. I am certain there are those who want/like/need the new format, but I would respectfully ask that the developers let those people OPT IN for this, rather than, in effect, saying here it is and you will like it.
In addition if any developer wants to include me in any input or beta testing, I would be happy to assist.
AGAIN< THANK YOU!!
It's also extremely frustrating to be unable to have any actual on-site (i.e. via eBay) dialogue with the people actually designing and coding these forms. Is it possible to even have a one-time Weekly Chat with them? Are offsite areas such as StackOverflow.com the only ways to communicate with people actually involved in eBay coding and design?
Happy to pass the suggestion on @a_c_green !
@mam98031 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
Hi @mam98031, I will be happy to elaborate on this but I will need an example. With this question currently sitting as a hypothetical, it's hard to say how a member should know the difference. The short answer based on what we have here is that if there is any confusion, clarification can be requested. If this is a widespread issue, we as a team can just stop using the word recommendation altogether to avoid problems. eBay communications and resources may continue to deliver expectations with the word recommendation, and I would counter that if eBay is recommending something, why would this recommendation not be followed? We either expect as a form of policy or have reason to believe it is the best course of action. Again, happy to elaborate or make adjustments if needed with a specific example
Also, no worries about how this formatted - though I may need to update my photo after seeing it's larger format - I think that one is a few years old
Your photo is FINE. LOL
Last week we were discussing the recommendation by Ebay that sellers have buyers open a claim if they contact a seller directly and want to return an item. Some buyers don't want to open a claim. But for whatever reason Ebay may have, they apparently no longer feel that sellers can take care of their customers without Ebay intervention. I know that is harsh, but it is how I feel about it. It is micro management gone WILD.
Anyway, Ebay "recommends" that the seller have the buyer open a case, even if the buyer doesn't want to open one. I know Ebay has reasons for this, I'm not trying to rehash that. We've talked about it at great length. But this is a prime example of when a recommendation is not a recommendation.
Hi @mam98031, thanks for the example - I will discuss this with the team and we will come to a consensus on how to be more clear in these sitautions. I can't speak for Tyler or Brian, but I personally would use the word recommendation because you as the seller can make a decision to refund without a return request, but a defect would likely be recorded. Sellers have some wiggle room with our metrics, and are empowered to resolve their customer's issues as they see fit, we simply have a recommendation for the appropriate process that has no consequences. Additionally, I do want to add that often times these processes are in place to curtail abuse - some sellers may be refunding directly quite often, and thus avoiding any record of returns or item not received issues. Without this data, the expectations we hold other sellers to may not be accurate, and we also may not be able to identify abuse from some buyers.
Can a seller take care of their customer without eBay intervention? Certainly. Are there sellers who may seek to abuse this option and weaken the site overall? Yes, hence the consequences of not following the recommended process.
In closing, I know how important clear commnication is and will discuss this with the rest of the team to ensure there is no confusion going forward. That being said, language can be imprecise and if there is any question about what steps should be taken, we are always happy to rephrase or elaborate where needed.
