Community Chat, June 5 @ 1:00 pm PT - General Topics

[tyler@ebay]

Join the Community team here at 1 PM PT on June 5 for our Weekly Chat with eBay Staff. No set topic for the week, so feel free to share any general buying and selling questions you have. 

The chat will be open for questions from 1-2 pm PT, at which point we'll close it down for additional questions and continue to work on responding to any remaining queries.

If you are new to the chat, welcome! Simply reply to this post with your question after 1 pm and we'll be happy to look into it 

[ziggys*outlet]

Good afternoon,

I have two questions.

1.  Why are my clothing items not showing up in solds?  If a buyer clicks “see all items” and then clicks “sold items” they see recent solds.  I understand that some solds do not show up on variation listings until the item ends.  Many of my clothing items are single listings.

I have called CS 5 times and they cannot figure out how to fix it.  I really need my clothing sales to show in “sold items” for future sales.  What is the cause and how can it be fixed?

2.  I recently did combined shipping on 3 items for a buyer, but I was not able to add tracking to 2 of the items.  Apparently, this has caused a defect on my account.  I called CS and was told they cannot add tracking to the 2 items and the defect will only drop me to 98.8%.  My comment, “if my daughter came home with a big red A on her paper, but the computer printed a B on her transcript, she would want it changed”.    How can I get this fixed?

Thank you for your help.

[dasarock]

i started a post about seller's hub showing the 'collected taxes' as part of the seller's true sales values for the day.  one of the replies to the post stated ebay does that for 'eye candy' purposes to make sellers feel good.  (or words to that effect.  showing eye candy is a lie, not truth or fact and makes it hard to use anything ebay says as a 'true' reference).  

anyway the premise is that seller's hub shows facts, not 'eye candy lies'.  this will cause a lack of faith in ebay by sellers if they cannot believe the "facts" ebay promulgates on seller's hub.  at that point can we believe ANYTHING ebay says?

[vrykalak]

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@vrykalak wrote:

noticed the last few days that the search engine can't find items that match a parenthesized text unless the words capitalized in the item title match the capitalization in the item title.
I always keep two Advanced Search tabs open, one for active items and one for completed items.
Whichever one I try second, the search usually works, even if I don't capitalize the words in quotes. Then, when I go back to the first tab and try again, I usally get what I want.

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Sorry, I meant text in quotes, not parenthesized.

[alan@ebay]

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@gracieallen01 wrote:

For Alan,

Last week, I guess you got tied up and all and didn't get a chance to respond or, perhaps, even read the question, so I thought I might post it again.

The following is my question, in response to your post - copied below it. Perhaps you would clarify?

Thanks for your time.

Hello Alan,

According to the current terms of service for payments statement, ebay state the following:

If (a) you have successfully completed the managed payments onboarding process (in accordance with Section 4) prior to 00:00:00 (12:00 AM) Pacific Time on June 4, 2019 and (b) your eBay account has remained  continuously enabled for managed payments: Your payments processing fees are calculated as 2.7% of the total order amount, including shipping, handling, sales tax and other amounts owed (the “payments processing rate”).

Has there subsequently been an amendment to that for the 'Variable Rate' mentioned? Or will it be rate be variable and/or different for later

'onboarders'?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

From May 29 Weekly Chat:

"Hi @goodluckselling,

We're working with the Payments team to figure out the best format for a Q&A session. It may be a live chat but I think having a place where you can submit questions and we come back with answers at a later time might work better. With payments and financial information, we want to make sure that all information is accurate and that may require us having more time to research questions.

Here is more info on the fee:

A per-listing payments fee works like this— example, if a buyer purchases two $5 items from you with the same eBay item number (that is, multiple quantities from the same listing), you would be charged only one payment listing fee of $0.25 plus the variable processing fee (i.e. a percentage based on the total amount of the sale).

If a buyer purchases two items from you from different listings, you would be charged the per listing payment fee of $0.25 twice, plus the variable payments processing fee (i.e. variable rate as % of sale + per listing payments fee).

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Hi @gracieallen01,

Thanks for your question. 

Our pricing is specific to sellers who have been invited to participate in managed payments. Most sellers can expect to see savings compared to their current payments processing fees.

If you have received an invite to managed payments, you will receive more information on pricing before you opt in.

[thepapertrail]

1. I ship from the next town over. That is our closest USPS location.

-Our listings show the zip code (city where our items are located).

-Our labels have a different ship from zip code (next city over which is the same as our return P.O. Box on the label).

We DO NOT dropship, but does this setting effect our listing exposure within the algorithm? Should we change anything to get exposure back? Thanks! 🙂

2. Do you plan to fix the Cart to allow Buyers and Sellers the ability to use Combined shipping AND for Buyers to be able to request an updated invoice on a multiple purchase before paying? Thanks again!!

[mam98031]

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brian@ebay wrote:

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@goodluckselling wrote:

We are a registered business in Florida and collect and submit local sales tax on all Florida delivered orders on eBay. We are verified by eBay as a registered business. Our setting are in place on the eBay sales tax table and work as intended.

If and when my home state of Florida requires internet sales tax to be collected: will eBay still let me collect and submit it myself or will they take over this task for me?

Good Luck Selling!

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Hi @goodluckselling, we can't speak specifically to how Florida may handle online tax collection until they release their laws. With that said, current states are requiring the facilitators to collect and remit tax. Since eBay is required to do this the option isn't available for sellers in those states. 

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On the same subject but a different question.

For sellers affected by the Facilitator laws, IMHO it would be really helpful if Ebay designed a report that we could all access that was specific to the sales tax, by state that Ebay collects on our behalf.  But most especially in the state in which we do business.  

Some states, like the one I'm in will require me to report the Gross amount of taxable sales within my state and will also allow me to take a deduction from the gross sales for those sales in which Ebay collected sales tax on.  A report specific to this issue would be enormously helpful.

[mg152]

I just stopped by for a second, I didn’t make it last week. My 20 Th eBayiversary was May 28th. I got a new car from DH. What cha got to beat that gift eBay? 😂😂😂😂
JK about the eBay gift. Anyway, thank you to eBay, my fellow members, lithium and eBay employees! 😀😀❤️❤️🐶🐶🇺🇸🇺🇸
I gotta go, y’all have a great rest of the week.

[brian@ebay]

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@vrykalak wrote:

noticed the last few days that the search engine can't find items that match a parenthesized text unless the words capitalized in the item title match the capitalization in the item title.
I always keep two Advanced Search tabs open, one for active items and one for completed items.
Whichever one I try second, the search usually works, even if I don't capitalize the words in quotes. Then, when I go back to the first tab and try again, I usally get what I want.

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Hi @vrykalak, can you give me the exact title that you are searching? I'm happy to look into this! 

[vrykalak]

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@scga912 wrote:

Hey tyler@ebay 

This has cost many sellers quite a bit of monies through no real fault of their own.  They choose First Class Parcel Service.  Package type should NOT change that.  There shouldn't even be Letter and Large Envelope package options for First Class Parcel Service as they are not eligible.

It should be:
First Class Mail - Envelope/Large Envelope; and
First Class Parcel Service - Package/Thick Envelope

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Also, since the option for regular First Class Mail exists, and the buyer is free to choose that option (to save several dollars on shipping cost), the Seller shouldn't be downgraded (i.e., dumped out of TRS Plus) for using it. 

[scga912]

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@vrykalak wrote:

A buyer recently chided me for overcharging on First Class shipping.

I always have Calculated Shipping, and I noticed he was right:

buyers were getting charged at least $1 more than the USPS tables showed (after I subtracted out my handling charge). ?.

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You are listing with retail rates and adding a dollar. 

Was the item more than 13 oz?  If so, the shipping calculator won't work right as there is no First Class Retail for that weight.  I forget what it defaults to, but it's definitely a Priority Rate charge.

For my items over 13 oz, I just choose a Fixed Rate amount to workaround this.  I do want retail pricing for all other shipments.  Another option is to list with 13 oz for all 13 to 15.99 oz as the rate is the same. I'm not sure what the PO will do about it then. 

(Do you realize that all of those 13 oz shipments going to Zone 8 show $6.66 as shipping.  $5.66 plus $1?  People can be weird so you may want to think about that lol)

[mam98031]

I recently have been experiencing a problem with the Seller Hub.  If I go into my Order screen for Awaiting Shipments, I am able to see all my current sales that need to be shipped.

I select one and create the shipping label, print it off and then click on the link to go back to Awaiting shipments.  When I do that, there is NOTHING showing in my Awaiting Shipments.  I have to go back to the Order tab at the top of the page and then click again on Awaiting Shipments and then they all appear.  This has been happening for at least 3+ days.

[ittybitnot]

If you have received an invite to managed payments, you will receive more information on pricing before you opt in.

And if you haven't received an invite? 

[mendelsons]

With regards to today's announcement on "showing buyers the best shipping options"  I have a couple questions.

Are all the shipping options going to be view-able to the seller so that if you are looking at your own listing will eBay recognize that this is our own listing so we are able to view it just as it recognizes we are not able to purchase our own items ?  

I would like to see some more examples of how this will play out on items that not only have a free shipping option such as 1st Class, Priority, UPS Ground, UPS Next Day Air (our usual options when Free isn't offered)

Also, how will this work with multiples ? 

On multiple item purchases of the same item eBay was already hiding the shipping options from the buyer or giving them limited ability to view it when going through checkout (many reports from buyers on this).  I would like to see some examples on this as well.   I'm hoping this will fix the issue I have been reporting for several months now.

When is it or has it gone into effect ?

Please advise.

Rick

[dtexley3]

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@dasarock wrote:

i started a post about seller's hub showing the 'collected taxes' as part of the seller's true sales values for the day.  one of the replies to the post stated ebay does that for 'eye candy' purposes to make sellers feel good.  (or words to that effect.  showing eye candy is a lie, not truth or fact and makes it hard to use anything ebay says as a 'true' reference).  

anyway the premise is that seller's hub shows facts, not 'eye candy lies'.  this will cause a lack of faith in ebay by sellers if they cannot believe the "facts" ebay promulgates on seller's hub.  at that point can we believe ANYTHING ebay says?

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I made the statement.  My point was that the numbers and graphs on the sellers hub page are really more for to give you a quick view of what's happening ie "eye candy" and sellers should be depending on invoices and other reports for the most accurate view.   

I agree that including EBAY COLLECTED sales tax in our totals on the Seller Hub pages is inaccurate and inappropriate, but does make the numbers "look" better.  They are just not the numbers you should use for evaluating your "real" performance.

[vrykalak]

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tyler@ebay wrote:

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@vrykalak wrote:

When a buyer makes an offer, and I either counter or decline it, I can send a message to the buyer. But if I accept the offer, I can't.

I would like to ask for the capability to send a message even if I accept an offer

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Hi @vrykalak - will you expound on that? Are you saying that you are unable to send a buyer a message once the sale is considered confirmed?

From a Best Offer perspective, if you accept an offer there shouldn't really be any other need to message the buyer within the Offer flow, can you give me an example of what you'd need that additional feature for?

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When I respond to an offer:
- if I counter or decline, eBay gives me a chance to write a message to explain
- if I accept, the sale is done, with no opportunity to talk to the buyer
So, when I want to say something to the buyer (usually about shipping discounts, or related items I have for sale), I have to claim I am making a counter offer, tell the buyer "I am accepting your offer, and..."
I would like to be able to communicate with the buyer even if I click on Accept.