eBay

tyler@ebay · ‎11-04-2020

This week we’re being joined by jen@selling with shipping experts amy@shipping and nate@shipping to talk about the new QR code and shipping during this holiday season amidst a global pandemic.

You can download our holiday shipping guide here and check out the seasonal playbook here for helpful tips to get through peak season.

We’d also love to hear your thoughts and plans about what you are doing or experiencing with carriers.

The Community Team will review each question as it comes in, and will quote the original question in our reply. This quote and the reply will appear later in the thread, so just keep refreshing the page and scrolling down to see our answers.

The chat thread will remain open until 2 PM PT, at which point the thread will be closed from additional responses. After that time, the team will continue to work on responding to any queries that might still be unanswered.

**Please note that while off-topic questions will not be removed, they will be answered after the chat closes, to allow priority to remain on the topic for this week's chat. Thanks!

Tyler,

nate@shipping · ‎11-04-2020

@golfingaddict wrote:

Could anyone please explain why I am still seeing this type of tracking information on all my tracking/shipping info on ebay. Pre shipment sent to USPS after they already have picked up and processed the package. (these are still happening frequently) Buyers are seeing this and it is confusing and irritating to have false information provided to buyers .

Hi @golfingaddict ,

Thanks for the feedback. This doesn't look right. The pre-shipment even should be coming before the other events. The community team will reach out to see if you can share the specific example tracking numbers for us to dig into. Thanks for sharing!

~Nate

my-cottage-books-and-antiques · ‎11-04-2020

golfingaddict, Yes, I remember that, and I've asked to have that sort of thing brought back---and/or a filter on the left hand side so buyers could easily find listings offering gift wrap. But it's November. We should ALREADY have this stuff.

golfingaddict · ‎11-04-2020

I don't know if the shipping team is the one responsible for the new "packing slip" but I think the new thing is awful. It's limited in how much information we can have on it and while I appreciate that you want to splatter the ebay logo on things, I don't particularly want the added cost to print the ebay logo every time. (thank goodness I don't print in color)

I want to add a message for my buyers, not the pre-selected sillyness that you guys have chosen. I don't need my seller badge or feedback. I would like my return policy but I would like to add a bit of detail .. nothing nefarious, just a reminder that returns need the original tags, in package etc.

Item price/shipping/tax etc would also be nice.

Of course it is still ok for bulk shipping and the problem packing slip appears to be just when you ship an individual label but it worries me that the bulk shipping packing slip is next.

_____

Edit: A reply to our message can be found here

donsdetour · ‎11-04-2020

Ok USPS I have delays in tracking info still happen.

One case I had to go to the PO to get a delivery update pushed to be updated.

Have not had a hang up on the packages so far this mounth.

I have seen recent posts of lost or locked in shipping still.

From what has been posted USPS is still a problem.

_____

Edit: A reply to your message can be found here

amy@shipping · ‎11-04-2020

@mam98031 Agreed - shipping costs come up continually as a top priority for sellers. In some categories or situations, using other carriers makes financial sense. We also recognize how important the postal service is to many sellers, and have a team that constantly works with USPS on pricing and programs we can bring to our community.

jen@selling · ‎11-04-2020

@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:

jen@selling,

Do you guys really not understand how bad this sort of SNAFU is for ebay? My God, if we sellers screwed things up as badly as you guys do, we'd be banished from the site. For the Love of God, PLEASE learn to PREVENT errors like this. Jen, I really do WANT to have more confidence in ebay, but when you guys do stuff like this......I'm sorry, but it is just so disheartening to see this sort of thing happening over and over again.

@my-cottage-closet I appreciate the feedback. I was being human, honest, and transparent in my response. The launch of several pages within a website is a heavy lift, and as you already recognize, we have a lot of moving parts. Sometimes we have to address changes after the fact even though we try our best to prevent these types of errors.

comics-scifi-collectibles · ‎11-04-2020

nate@shipping wrote:

@comics-scifi-collectibles wrote:

nate@shipping Can ebay supply a list of the possible surcharges that sellers will encounter when using Fed Ex and UPS that are not included in the shipping calculator?

I am always so disheartened when OP's come to the community asking for help with their surprise high bills... usually Fed Ex.

The poor OP's thought they were saving money and end up paying MUCH more than expected.

Hey @comics-scifi-collectibles ,

Generally, most of the surprises on carrier invoices I see come through are related to inaccurate weight and dimensions being entered on the listing or label printing pages. It is so important to enter the packaged item details (weight and dimensions) into listings (for calculated shipping listings), and on label printing (for accurate label cost quotes)...but this is often an overlooked element. In general, our calculator supports all surcharges related to delivery address (delivery area surcharges), and to weight and dimensions (additional handling surcharges), and fuel surcharges. However, our calculator isn't equipped to handle package related surcharges...(like these from FedEx Surcharge list - additional handling package related surcharges):

- is not fully encased in an outer shipping container;
- is encased in an outer shipping container not made of corrugated fiberboard
(cardboard) materials, including but not limited to metal, wood, canvas, leather, hard
plastic, soft plastic (e.g., plastic bags) or expanded polystyrene foam (e.g., Styrofoam);
- is encased in an outer shipping container covered in shrink wrap or stretch wrap;

...

We don't have a way to capture on our labels pages this type of non-standard packing additional surcharges.

My recommendation for all users is to enter as accurately as possible (and round up on weight and inches) the fully packaged shipment into our labels pages.

Hope that helps

~Nate

Sorry but the OP's that I help, myself included... have used the correct weight and dimensions and are experienced sellers.

I know that package surcharges can't be included in the calculator but how about a surcharge list posted on the seller announcements page so it can be referenced easily? This way sellers won't get hit with a surprise "Christmas Present" when they decide to give Fed Ex a try

Right now if an OP has a dispute with Fed Ex they are stuck and can not even begin to dispute the fees because eBay says to talk to Fed Ex... Fed Ex says NO ebay is the customer and Ebay must call on the seller's behalf.

_____

Edit: A reply to your message can be found here

Comics-scifi_collectibles Is a Volunteer Community Mentor.
I have been a seller since 2003

coffeebean832 · ‎11-04-2020

test

golfingaddict · ‎11-04-2020

nate@shipping wrote:

@golfingaddict wrote:

Could anyone please explain why I am still seeing this type of tracking information on all my tracking/shipping info on ebay. Pre shipment sent to USPS after they already have picked up and processed the package. (these are still happening frequently) Buyers are seeing this and it is confusing and irritating to have false information provided to buyers .

Hi @golfingaddict ,

Thanks for the feedback. This doesn't look right. The pre-shipment even should be coming before the other events. The community team will reach out to see if you can share the specific example tracking numbers for us to dig into. Thanks for sharing!

~Nate

Just to be clear Nate, the pre-shipment is there first, then it gets picked up and then it goes down to the sort facility then EBAY puts in the Pre-shipment info again. It does not show that way on the USPS site.

I will gather a bunch of tracking numbers to show you but they don't show up on the USPS site, it is only shown that way on ebay. Perhaps item numbers would be better?

_____

Edit: A reply to your question can be found here

nate@shipping · ‎11-04-2020

@dhbookds wrote:

Any news on a scan form to be available if printing labels individually rather than using the bulk print option...... I prefer to do it one at a time as I don't mix up the labels to the wrong packages..... Seems like it's been promised a number of times..........

Hi @dhbookds ,

I'm sorry for how long this has taken us to implement. We are still working to build this functionality. In the meantime, our bulk label printing flow is the only spot that support SCAN forms.

~Nate

coffeebean832 · ‎11-04-2020

Please keep the chat open 10 minutes longer it took me half an hour to sign in.

QR codes- will this be added as an option for buyer returns and when?

Can the codes be scanned at the self service kiosk?

_____

Edit: A reply to your message can be found here

buyselljack2016 · ‎11-04-2020

amy@shipping wrote:
@mam98031 Agreed - shipping costs come up continually as a top priority for sellers. In some categories or situations, using other carriers makes financial sense. We also recognize how important the postal service is to many sellers, and have a team that constantly works with USPS on pricing and programs we can bring to our community.

USPS is my only source of viable shipping. USPS goes by each day.

UPS/FedEx drops are too far away.

coffeebean832 · ‎11-04-2020

Can we get a downloadable report for shipping labels purchased on eBay?

___

Edit: Reply to this post can be read here

dhbookds · ‎11-04-2020

jen@selling wrote:

@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:

jen@selling,

Do you guys really not understand how bad this sort of SNAFU is for ebay? My God, if we sellers screwed things up as badly as you guys do, we'd be banished from the site. For the Love of God, PLEASE learn to PREVENT errors like this. Jen, I really do WANT to have more confidence in ebay, but when you guys do stuff like this......I'm sorry, but it is just so disheartening to see this sort of thing happening over and over again.

@my-cottage-closet I appreciate the feedback. I was being human, honest, and transparent in my response. The launch of several pages within a website is a heavy lift, and as you already recognize, we have a lot of moving parts. Sometimes we have to address changes after the fact even though we try our best to prevent these types of errors.

Jen, if this wasn't almost a "given" with most of what ebay does........it would be more understandable....... Remember the QR code that was launched but not ready? Right now we are all wondering what the deal is on Promoted listings credit for 2021......If chat wasn't supposed to close in a few minutes, I could come up with a doz of things........... Ebay HAS to get this kind of thing fixed in order to earn the respect of sellers......it's at a slow ebb.........

_____

Edit: A reply to your message can be found here

amy@shipping · ‎11-04-2020

@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:

I want to second dhbookds on the "Ship to giftee address" issue. This is something ebay should have resolved months ago, because buyers WILL want us to be able to ship to the giftee directly (especially THIS year, when many people will not be getting together for the holiday, and many people are worried about shipping delays). This should be a TOP priority for the Shipping team....I've mentioned it on Weekly Chat before. Either come up with a streamlined way for buyers to set up a giftee address destination, or cover us when we ship to a requested address without screwing around with cancelling the transaction and all the other stuff we need to do now, which wastes our time and the buyer's time 9and tries their patience). I am beyond disappointed that you guys haven't provided this already. (And by the way, another thing I've pushed: ebay should provide an easy way for sellers to indicate (per listing) whether we gift wrap, if its free or if there's a charge, and then have an easy way in the check out flow for buyers to choose gift wrap. This, too, is something we should already have going into the 202 Holiday Season.

@my-cottage-books-and-antiques We hear you. For several years we talked about buyers being able to 1) select/add a giftee address, and 2) add a free/paid gift wrap option (for holiday or everyday.) Neither of these initiatives are on the road map right now, but we will continue to bring these ideas to the right teams. Thanks for keeping this on our radar.