mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999
Join the Community team here at 1 PM PT on May 27th for our Weekly Chat with eBay Staff. We don't have a specific topic this week, so please bring any general questions you may have about buying or selling.
The chat will be open for questions from 1-2 pm PT, at which point we'll close thread from additional responses. After this time, we'll continue to work on responding to any queries that might still be unanswered.
If you're new to the chat, welcome! Simply Reply to this post with your question from 1-2 PM Pacific Time and we'll be happy to look into it for you.
@vrykalak wrote:
I posted a listing for a set of forks. The category was: Flatware, Knives & Cutlery > Flatware Sets.
Pre-set Item specifics included: department (adult, baby, kids, teens), character family, character, occasion. features (BPA free, engraved, reusable), Wood tone. These seem kind of unlikely Specifics for flatware. If any applied, the seller could add them.
Likewise, whenever I list a book, I have to wade through several Item Specifics that apply only to cookbooks, and several others that apply only to history, geography, and travel books.
I venture to say that the vast majority of book listings on eBay are not cookbooks, and don't pertain to particular time periods or geographic areas. Yet these continue to clutter up the device screens for every book.
Why are sellers (and potential buyers) required to wade through highly eclectic "specifics" like this for every listing in that category?
@vrykalak, Items Specifics are generated by information entered by sellers when they create listings. If you notice some that don't seem to fit then please email sdsupport@ebay.com. That is the item specific teams email and they are happy to review examples from members and make needed updates.
For what it is worth, here is my outlook on MP.
Tthe significant changes being made to MP in July, more specifically moving to a Simplified Fee structure is a HUGE change. As it true for most people, we don't like change and we particularly don't like HUGE changes. It often is very difficult to wrap our heads around the ramification around such significant changes.
I know I'm one of those people. When I first looked at this fee structure, I was VERY vocal about my objections to it and I was VERY hard on Brian Burke about it. I'm sure if he is reading this, his head is bobbing up and down.
But when it settled more in my brain and I started looking at this is a broader sense and not just for a transaction or two, it makes more sense. What I see on the worksheet I built to compare current Ebay fees with MP fees is that overall for the month of May's sales [so far], on US sales only I will be paying about $1.25 more in selling fees.
If you are only going to look at transactions that have sales tax on them you are not getting an accurate view of what simplified fees does. You have to consider all the types of transactions you have and look at them in a broader sense.
Now don't get me wrong. I still absolutely do not like having a FVF on sales tax. And I don't like Brian B's response to that concern on the thread he had going for awhile. I still think this deserves discussion. But no one seems to want to engage.
And then there is International transactions. That has some issues to from my viewpoint. Simplified Fees on an international transaction is absolutely going to mean higher fees for sellers. Plus there is the unclear portion of this regarding the 3% conversion fee and if Ebay has an auto block against international buyers paying with foreign currency or not. But there is a discussion on this going on on the MP payment board.
@go-bad-chicken wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
tyler@ebay wrote:
@gwzcomps wrote:
With the due date rapidly approaching will the MP team start doing separate weekly chats to help answer questions people have?Hi @gwzcomps - we've made that request several times, and currently there are no plans for that to occur.
We'll pass that along again!
If sellers that have been told they are going into MP in July would complete the Pre-registration process, which literally takes about 60 seconds, then they could come and ask to get permission to be given access to the MP Payment board.
All you need for the pre-registration is your SSN and the bank info [acct # and routing #] for the checking account you want to attach to MP.
Another note, just because you pre-register does not immediately put you into MP. That won't happen until July. And the pre registration process is just that "pre". There will me more info Ebay wants later once they review the information from our pre registration info.
"....then they could come and ask to get permission to be given access to the MP Payment board."
Are there moderators or eBay employees from the Managed Payments Team answering seller's questions on those Managed Payments boards?
Moderators are not Ebay CSRs. I think I've only ever seen a moderator get on a thread to give advice once. I thought it was extremely odd but I've never seen it since either.
Yes, they are getting better at responding on the MP board. It too was very sad, but it has improved over the last 48 or so hours.
@gwzcomps wrote:
I am curious if it is possible to get any info on the future of selling on eBay. eBay consistently sends mixed messages on how we are partners and how they value small businesses. The policies continue to prove otherwise. eBay is no longer the place to be as there is another "Marketplace" buyers seem to be going to, to fulfill their used and unique item desires. That opinion comes from more than personal experience, but from the other boards and forums I am on. With the most common comments being it is easier to buy and sell on with less scams. Is it safe to assume eBay will continue to alienate its original market to chase and copy other more successful platforms that are in a different field? As much as I have mixed feelings about eBay there is a part of me that would prefer to see the company succeed.
Hi @gwzcomps - I'm not able to make official 'forward looking statements', so please know that anything I say here is my personal opinion.
Personally, I feel confident that the direction eBay is going is being done with the intent of setting sellers and the platform up for long term success. That does mean growing pains from time to time, and even the occasional misstep, but overall the goal is to make your business more vibrant and successful than it already is.
It seems like you've been fairly discouraged lately in chats, and I know that things can look rough sometimes, but I hope that things improve for you. Know that you're doing a great job, here and I'm sure elsewhere, and I hope you have a great day!
