Community Chat, Jan 3rd @ 1pm PT - General Topics

[Anonymous]

Please join us today at 1 pm Pacific today for our weekly chat with the Community Team. We don't have a set topic for this week, so feel free to ask us your eBay buying & selling questions.

The thread will open for replies at 1 pm and will remain open for one hour.

See you then! 

[mam98031]

Oh excuse my rudeness !!!

Happy New Year to ALL !!!

[alan@ebay]

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@mallontown wrote:

this is a follow up to previous community chat.
Has ebay shipping team got back and explained why  there delivery dates were wrong and what ebay is doing to protect sellers from ebays erroneous shipping times during the busy holiday season.

Also these false delivery estimates will discourage buyers who were affected.
I've included all comments on this subject for transparency

alan@ebay wrote:

@mallontown wrote:

usps holiday shipping deadlines 12/19 for first class mail

Why does ebay show buyers false delivery times for usps deliveries? This effects millions of people , buyers and sellers who use usps.

I included an example of an auction today 12/20 with delivery date of 12/23 to compare with usps saying all first class needed to be shipped 12/19 for Christmas delivery. 

Hi @mallontown, 

Thanks for sharing this, I'm going to contact our Shipping team to have them review, I'll get back to you when I know more. 

Hi @mallontown, 

Our shipping team wrote back on Wednesday after reviewing your listing to advise: 

"When USPS publish their holiday calendar they are stating the most conservative date that would work for the longest possible delivery for that carrier service – ie from east coast to west..

When eBay makes a delivery prediction we are looking at the actual distance between seller and buyer and historical data for that carrier, at this time of year between those two zips. We are a lot more specific and therefore accurate.

It seems here that the seller is checking their own listing – and the delivery estimate algorithm is, therefore, showing the ship speed from and to the same zip code. On top of this, the seller offers same day handling so it's completely realistic that if it shipped today (Wed 20th) it would be delivered on Saturday.

When I check this listing now (Wed 20th) i.e. after their same day cut-off – the estimate is now Dec 26th."

Thank you! 

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Hi Alan

Thanks for getting back to me.

There are major flaws in the shipping teams response.

First they assume I only checked my zip code 17929 when in fact I checked multiple zip codes including

04569 Christmas Cove, Maine

47579 Santa Claus, Indiana

32709 Christmas, Florida

97641 Christmas Valley, Oregon

All of these showed delivery before Christmas

99705 North Pole Alaska and 00901 San Juan Puerto Rico were the only 2 that I checked that had an extended delivery with multiple dates as the estimate (shown on ebay as expected delivery between X and Y dates which included a date after Christmas)

Second is what historical data are they using? Data for the 4th quarter,data starting 1st week of December? Since I checked on this issue on the 20th only data from that date should apply and USPS informs everyone that delivery takes longer than usual. Did the shipping team only use data from 12/20 of the previous year(s)?

Third is the shipping team erroneous statement about same day handling by me. I researched the various zip codes as shown above and posted the question between 4:00 and 5PM EST . Since the shipping department researched my items and saw that I offer same day shipping they should also know that my cut off time for same day shipping is 8:15 am EST Which is a full 8 hours after my checking delivery times and posting the question. So the statement  "On top of this, the seller offers same day handling so it's completely realistic that if it shipped today (Wed 20th) it would be delivered on Saturday." is an unrealistic statement.

Here is the true question on this issue.

Is ebay providing buyers with unrealistic ship arrival dates in order to compete with other venues that have fast shipping.

Thanks again Alan for addressing the issue and if you can forward this back to the shipping team it would be appreciated.

Since I can't post to a locked thread I will start a new one and reference the original community chat

Happy holidays

Deb

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Hi @mallontown, 

Thanks for posting, I'll share your post with the Shipping team and get back to you. 

[tyler@ebay]

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@rock4best wrote:

4 months ago I asked here if eBay team can fix for us this situation:

"

Problem with new Promotions interface.   When you ebay started to farce everybody in Seller Hub interface they changed Promoted Listings interface (nothing bad) and Promotions interface, which is really bad. I understand that people do not like changes, I don't like too. But this is not about just interface. You took our important functionality. I need to be able to have $1 or $2 off from like every $20 customer spend in our store. It wasn't a problem until you took our old interface. Some programmer would like to make life easy and they started from $5 off without any ability to put anything smaller. It was an option "OTHER", which were giving us that option. Now, $5 is the smallest possible. Old Interface New Interface   After more than a month and few calls to Dedicated Support I almost lose my hope anybody even cares about small seller problem. Is there any possibility you will be able to let those programmers know about our situation so they will be able to make that small change for them but crucial change for us?   Thank you very much in advance for your help."

It was a promise to forward it to the appropriate team.

After four months we still with the same interface and I feel like nobody cares about the situation that we couldn't create any new sales for 4 months just continue run the same sale over and over again. Why it is not important for eBay to help us?

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Hi @rock4best - sorry that you're feeling unimportant, it's definitely not our intention to do so! While the limit for a specific dollar amount is currently limited to $5 or greater, you could consider a percentage off instead. As an example, if you normally do a “$1 off when you spend $5” you could try “Save 20% off when you spend $5" instead.  Would that work for what you're looking to do? 

[chrysylys]

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@vrykalak wrote:

I think eBay should just stop sending the message at all.
It's meaningless,.

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Disagree

[castlemagicmemories]

Hi again and Happy New Year,

Just want to add I am sorry I failed many on those two threads, being as I could not locate any threads per your request.  Nor did I ask for threads.  I did a limited search under Buying and Selling, but there are many threads on the Shipping Returns Board, and there are some great links and comments on the threads as well that posters kindly took the time to research, find, post, and comment on.  

Hope you find it useful and a big thank you to all those who have participated!

[vrykalak]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@rock4best wrote:

4 months ago I asked here if eBay team can fix for us this situation:

"

Problem with new Promotions interface.   When you ebay started to farce everybody in Seller Hub interface they changed Promoted Listings interface (nothing bad) and Promotions interface, which is really bad. I understand that people do not like changes, I don't like too. But this is not about just interface. You took our important functionality. I need to be able to have $1 or $2 off from like every $20 customer spend in our store. It wasn't a problem until you took our old interface. Some programmer would like to make life easy and they started from $5 off without any ability to put anything smaller. It was an option "OTHER", which were giving us that option. Now, $5 is the smallest possible. Old Interface New Interface   After more than a month and few calls to Dedicated Support I almost lose my hope anybody even cares about small seller problem. Is there any possibility you will be able to let those programmers know about our situation so they will be able to make that small change for them but crucial change for us?   Thank you very much in advance for your help."

It was a promise to forward it to the appropriate team.

After four months we still with the same interface and I feel like nobody cares about the situation that we couldn't create any new sales for 4 months just continue run the same sale over and over again. Why it is not important for eBay to help us?

---

Hi @rock4best, while we are happy to pass along any suggestions or feedback we receive here on the Community Boards, changes and possible enhancements are never guaranteed. We will consider the impact to our Community with the cost of the proposed developments to determine if a potential improvement is the right decision. We aren't always able to give an update on these suggestions, even when they are a part of future plans. We absolutely value your opinion and encourage you to share any ideas you have!

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This is just another example of functional capabilities being REMOVED during the effort to promote Seller Hub. 
eBay should consider any report of LOST capability as an emergency, not a fun thing to consider.

[rock4best]

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tyler@ebay wrote:

---

@rock4best wrote:

4 months ago I asked here if eBay team can fix for us this situation:

"

Problem with new Promotions interface.   When you ebay started to farce everybody in Seller Hub interface they changed Promoted Listings interface (nothing bad) and Promotions interface, which is really bad. I understand that people do not like changes, I don't like too. But this is not about just interface. You took our important functionality. I need to be able to have $1 or $2 off from like every $20 customer spend in our store. It wasn't a problem until you took our old interface. Some programmer would like to make life easy and they started from $5 off without any ability to put anything smaller. It was an option "OTHER", which were giving us that option. Now, $5 is the smallest possible. Old Interface New Interface   After more than a month and few calls to Dedicated Support I almost lose my hope anybody even cares about small seller problem. Is there any possibility you will be able to let those programmers know about our situation so they will be able to make that small change for them but crucial change for us?   Thank you very much in advance for your help."

It was a promise to forward it to the appropriate team.

After four months we still with the same interface and I feel like nobody cares about the situation that we couldn't create any new sales for 4 months just continue run the same sale over and over again. Why it is not important for eBay to help us?

---

Hi @rock4best - sorry that you're feeling unimportant, it's definitely not our intention to do so! While the limit for a specific dollar amount is currently limited to $5 or greater, you could consider a percentage off instead. As an example, if you normally do a “$1 off when you spend $5” you could try “Save 20% off when you spend $5" instead.  Would that work for what you're looking to do? 

---

Why it so difficult to keep previous ability to use $2 instead of percentage? With $2 off I can get multi items transactions, with the percentage it is not possible to achieve.

[brian@ebay]

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@siayan wrote:

I sold an item with shipping and local pick up options. Someone bought it as local pick up. After they picked it up they requested it to be marked as paid. When I marked it as paid there were 2 drop down menus with shipping options. If one is marked as local pick up the other must be marked with a shipping option, both cannot be local pick up. As a result I had a no tracking ding and had to call to get it removed. Why?

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Hi @siayan, that's odd. I'd like to check on that transaction to see what happened so I have a better understanding. I'll send you an email shortly and we'll take a closer look at it. 

[Anonymous]

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@fern*wood wrote:

Are buyer questions/answers no longer being shown on listings when the box is checked to show them, or is it my browser?

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Hi @fern*wood, questions and answers from buyers are now located under the "Contact Seller" option to the right of the photo. When a buyer selects to Ask a Question, any previous questions the seller has elected to make available publicly will be visible through this process.

[mam98031]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@golfingaddict wrote:

I brought this up several weeks ago.  At the time it was sort of passed over as not a big issue.

It is important to me and it is important to follow the rules, both by ebay and by the seller.

I have a blocked buyer list and I don't use it willy nilly.  I added a buyer to the list when it was apparent to me that they didn't like the way I do business or they were costing me money.

That buyer then immediately turned around and purchased using a guest account.  I knew it was the same guy because of the address and name. 

In another instance, I put a buyer on my blocked bidder list and he later  purchased with a guest account and then immediately registered the account as a regular user.  However, it again was easy to see that it was the same guy based on zip code, the name he used and the user name he chose (closely matched the other name I had blocked)  This user then tried to use feedback extortion on me to get a partial refund and when I refused, he left me negative feedback.  (It was removed)

But my question is:   Is the blocked bidder list a waste of time if these guys can buy anyway? And what actions can and will ebay take against users that manipulate buying this way?   The first guy didn't do much, but by my count the second guy broke several ebay rules.

I don't trust blocking buyers is doing much good.  What do you think?

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Hi @golfingaddict, when a buyer has circumvented your blocked list in an effort to disrupt your selling account we are happy to review and take appropriate action. I recommend you report the buyers behavior for review so we can work to keep the site safe.

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I've been down this road a few times myself.  According to the CSRs I've talked to over the years, the mere fact that the buyer opened a new account, used an alternate account or used a guest account did not prove that the buyer was trying to "disrupt" the seller.  It only showed to Ebay that the buyer really wanted the item.  I've been told this several times over the years and a year or so ago on the weekly chat.

The BBL is just for buyers that choose to abide by it.  If they choose to go around it, most can.  Unless they do something like leave bad FB that clearly shows they purchased just to hurt the seller or there is some other evidence, in the past Ebay has not been willing to get involved for me when a buyer gets creative on getting around the BBL.

[tyler@ebay]

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@chrysylys wrote:

When will Hawaii be admitted to the Union as a State?

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Bidding-Buying/Shipping-to-Hawaii-International/td-p/27940903/jump-to/...

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August 21, 1959. 😉

Thanks for bringing this to our attention, I'll make sure it gets reported!

[siayan]

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brian@ebay wrote:

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@siayan wrote:

I sold an item with shipping and local pick up options. Someone bought it as local pick up. After they picked it up they requested it to be marked as paid. When I marked it as paid there were 2 drop down menus with shipping options. If one is marked as local pick up the other must be marked with a shipping option, both cannot be local pick up. As a result I had a no tracking ding and had to call to get it removed. Why?

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Hi @siayan, that's odd. I'd like to check on that transaction to see what happened so I have a better understanding. I'll send you an email shortly and we'll take a closer look at it. 

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If you need more info let me know. I only had one local pick up recently.

[Anonymous]

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@vrykalak wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@vrykalak wrote:

I carried a parcel to the post office, stood there while they scanned it, and got a receipt.

No, 20+ hours later,  it still doesn't show as having been scanned or accepted.

I'm concerned because, if it didn't get scanned yesterday, I'll be liable for a late shipping defect...or at least be in danger of losing my TRS status.

Living in the middle of nowhere as I do, I often have packages delivered "late" even though they were sent "on time." So being sure I get credited for when I turned the package in is important.

I called eBay to ask about that, and they said if it doesn't show up on the USPS site as having been scanned yesterday, the defect is unappealable! because they can only go by what the computer says.

I said I have a receipt showing exactly when it was scanned at the PO. The agent says it doesn't matter. If the computer says it's late, I'm stuck with the defect.

Does that make sense? Has that happened to anyone else?

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Hi @vrykalak, if you loose Top Rated status due to a late scan but you have proof that it was shipped within your stated handling time we will be able to review this for a manual reinstatement into Top Rated. It can take up to 48 hours at times for our system to update with the carrier information so definitely keep an eye on it and retain the documentation you received from USPS in case it is needed. Additionally, I recommend you discuss your concerns with the service you are receiving with the local management to ensure they are scanning packages as they should be.

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Thanks for the comment, but I don't see what the local post office can do other than scan the item, give me the receipt, and throw it in the bin.

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Hi @vrykalak, I apologize that I may have misunderstood your original post. I got the impression that you are concerned with your local post office not scanning items correctly. If they are scanning the item when it is received, then we will receive this information and you won't have any late shipments recorded. When late shipments are recorded for an item you drop off during your stated handling time, it most often indicates that your local post office is not scanning the packages correctly upon receipt.

[doug@ebay]

Hi @duchess-at-speakeasy, we have been working on and testing an archiving tool that will make it much easier for us to archive posts. We're also working on a mass archive that should take place very soon. 

As for you not being able to report posts, this is the first we've heard and we'll look into it. Can you give an example board, or posts so I can take a look?

Thanks!

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@duchess-at-speakeasy wrote:
Why is Lithium pushing so many necro threads to Page 1 of a board? Even I fell for one of them the other day -- and there was no recent comment that would have bumped the thread. While I'm on the subject, why does Lithium prevent use of the Options menu to report such threads? The only method of alerting the Mods is to add a comment, which only makes the problem worse. It's a brand new year -- please, let's clean up the boards and archive threads from 2017 and earlier. Thanks! ~~C~~

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[dtexley3]

Happy New Year,

As more and more items are tied to product pages you really need to add a LOT more education on what consitutes a "Review".  Many times buyers are using the review feature to make extended feedback comments instead of a review of the item.  Why would I want my "Mint" collectible to be tied to a product page where the top review is "item is not mint, I wouldn't even consider it 'very good'.  I'm disappointed with the item" or similar.