Weekly Community Chat, May 31st @ 1pm PT - General Topics

[alan@ebay]

Hi Community 👋

Please join the Community team at 1 pm Pacific today for our weekly chat. We do not have a set topic this week so feel free to ask us your buying or selling questions or share what's on your eBay mind. 

For the last couple of weeks, we've been sharing a link to a survey that we're currently conducting regarding the weekly chat format. If you haven't yet taken the survey, please do so via this link.

Talk to you at 1 pm!

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

Hello Community Team!

I have two questions today:

　

1.   When printing using eBay's bulk shipping tool, USPS Priority Mail Express labels cannot be printed with the bulk batch. I always have to remove USPS Express Mail shipments from the bulk batch and print the labels individually. Am I doing something wrong, or has there always been a technical issue preventing Express labels from being printed with a bulk batch?

2.   Last week my seller account was hit with a defect for a Paypal "case closed without seller resolution". This arose from a buyer who started a remorse retun in eBay (hassle-free, automated return) yet did not follow through with that return process and instead escalated the case by opening a Paypal dispute, which was then wrongly escalated before allowing the seller to respond. Paypal agreed to change the case decision to one of no-fault on the seller's part, and the defect has since been removed by eBay. My question is, does eBay have a policy in place to notify sellers as soon as a defect is recorded on the account?

The only reason I found out about the defect is because I happened to check my seller dashboard stats. I normally don't often check that section of my dashboard. I did not receive any email or notification from eBay or Paypal that a defect was recorded. It would be helpful to be notified, so I'm wondering if this should have been done. If not, please consider doing so.

Thank you!

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Hey @Anonymous, happy to address these concerns:

1. I can't think of anything you could be doing wrong with this info, but am happy to look into it with you. I'll email you to gather more details and test this out on my end. It may be a bug we can get reported to our tech teams.

2. While I don't know of any plans to send notifications for PayPal related defects, I can definitely pass this suggestion along to see what we can do about better informing our sellers of impacts to their account.

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Thank you, @Anonymous 

Today I had a USPS Priority Express shipment, but I didn't even attempt to print it with the bulk batch, knowing that usually it gets rejected.   I'll try again next time I get an Express.   I'll touch base via email to give you more details about the issue.

For the defect notification, an email from eBay plus an "orange bell" alert would be nice, IMO.  As defects have such an impact on sellers' accounts, notification seems proper.   But for sellers who DON'T want to be notified of such defects, perhaps the system can be set up to give each seller the choice of whether to opt-in / opt-out of such notifications.

[imagizeyourworld]

The eBay message "bots" see an eBay item number as "contact information"; so -- in an effort to stop potential off-eBay transactions -- sellers are not permitted to point a potential buyer to an item listing ON EBAY. This is counter-productive, to say the least.

Can we expect a fix? And if so, when?

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

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@dazzlecity wrote:
I proceed according to the ebay reps instructions - I asked for a feedback revision but held out little hope since the buyer never contacted me before leaving the negative. Had they taken the appropriate path which ebay tells them to do I would have taken the item back in a heartbeat but this buyer was bent on destroying my good reputation

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Hi @dazzlecity - Negative feedback is never fun to receive but especially so when you aren't given the chance to make things right. If the buyer hasn't gotten back to you, I suggest replying to the feedback with a professional comment explaining what you can do to resolve the issue. That way any potential buyers will be able to see how you handle a negative situation like this. More times than not, a reply like that can reassure future buyers and build confidence with them.

[alan@ebay]

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@mg152 wrote:

Here's the buyer post I referenced last week. Everyone should read it.
http://community.ebay.com/t5/My-Account/gratitude/qaq-p/27002731/jump-to/first-unread-message

Hopefuly the link works now.

Just in case here's the post

"Many appreciations to all sellers over several recent months , both the nicely saged , and the newly started ! All purchases and processing and packaging and posts have been quality , excellent , fast , 5* , and I just want everyone to know I notice the effort and attention taken Woman Happy -hoping somehow an admin can pass along a thank you note to those taking the time to take care of us shoppers! Happy , safe , 2o17 Memorial Day , and God bless us one and all ~ `.sheila ♥ "

I barely made it today. MIL is at the end of her fight for life so I just popped in. I'll see you all soon. Thank you for all your support & prayers! ❤️❤️❤️

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Thank you for sharing, @mg152

Sorry to hear about your MIL, thinking of you and your family at this difficult time. 

[lugnutguys]

I sell auto parts on eBay and have noticed the iPad app does not show the option to check vehicle compatibility to the item when it is an option on the iPhone and regular browser. example item # 261204972074

[Anonymous]

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@fern*wood wrote:

I am wondering if the mobile friendly checker tool is supposed to be available to everyone?  I have been using it for some time on my store ID.  My other ID just recently got switched to the new advanced listing tool, but  I wonder why the mobile friendly tool is not on it?

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This tool is only available in the Quick Listing Tool, so would not be presented in the Advanced Tool you are using. You can always check your listings by visiting: http://www.ebay.com/tools/sell/mobile-friendly-test and inputting the item number for review.

[mam98031]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

Here's another one for you.  It is also from an article on Eccomercebytes.  Some sellers are reporting to see a $$ value stated in the Request for return form in the resolution center for a Handling Fee!!  What the heck is that?  How does Ebay know what the seller's handling fee is?  There were at least 2 or 3 different posters stating they are seeing this during the Request for return process.

http://www.ecommercebytes.com/C/blog/blog.pl?/comments/2017/5/1495764858.html/3/40#comments

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Hi @mam98031 - As far as I'm aware, refunds always include the full amount paid by the buyer unless a restocking fee is charged. That said, I'm not sure the way this is being displayed has changed or if the refund process itself has changed. Regardless, I'll reach out to the teams who work on this process and update the thread once I know more. 

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Yes, more info please.  FYI, full refunds are not the only thing a seller can do during a Request for Return process.  While Ebay does encourage it, during the REQUEST stage, Ebay is NOT involved and sellers can work with their customers to reach an agreed upon resolution which doesn't always mean a full refund will be issued by the seller.  Now if it gets escalated to a claim, that is different.  But it is always in the best interest of both the buyer and seller to fix things during the Request stage.

[alan@ebay]

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@imagizeyourworld wrote:

The eBay message "bots" see an eBay item number as "contact information"; so -- in an effort to stop potential off-eBay transactions -- sellers are not permitted to point a potential buyer to an item listing ON EBAY. This is counter-productive, to say the least.

Can we expect a fix? And if so, when?

Thank you.

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Hi @imagizeyourworld.

That doesn't sound good. Was it on this account that you received this message? I cannot say when a "fix" will happen as you've just brought this to our attention, but we'll alert the appropriate team. 

Thanks. 

[Anonymous]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

Hello Community Team!

I have two questions today:

　

1.   When printing using eBay's bulk shipping tool, USPS Priority Mail Express labels cannot be printed with the bulk batch. I always have to remove USPS Express Mail shipments from the bulk batch and print the labels individually. Am I doing something wrong, or has there always been a technical issue preventing Express labels from being printed with a bulk batch?

2.   Last week my seller account was hit with a defect for a Paypal "case closed without seller resolution". This arose from a buyer who started a remorse retun in eBay (hassle-free, automated return) yet did not follow through with that return process and instead escalated the case by opening a Paypal dispute, which was then wrongly escalated before allowing the seller to respond. Paypal agreed to change the case decision to one of no-fault on the seller's part, and the defect has since been removed by eBay. My question is, does eBay have a policy in place to notify sellers as soon as a defect is recorded on the account?

The only reason I found out about the defect is because I happened to check my seller dashboard stats. I normally don't often check that section of my dashboard. I did not receive any email or notification from eBay or Paypal that a defect was recorded. It would be helpful to be notified, so I'm wondering if this should have been done. If not, please consider doing so.

Thank you!

---

Hey @Anonymous, happy to address these concerns:

1. I can't think of anything you could be doing wrong with this info, but am happy to look into it with you. I'll email you to gather more details and test this out on my end. It may be a bug we can get reported to our tech teams.

2. While I don't know of any plans to send notifications for PayPal related defects, I can definitely pass this suggestion along to see what we can do about better informing our sellers of impacts to their account.

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I have another question regarding Violet's issue.  This buyer should be sanction for breaking what most sellers would see as a significant breach of Ebay rules.  Buyer's violate policy if they open a claim in Ebay and in PP for the same item.  Or has this changed?

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Thank you for adding on with that good question, @mam98031.   I'm still wondering why on earth this particular buyer did not simply follow through with the eBay automated return process and opened a Paypal dispute and if she really did call and convinced the rep to escalate, resulting in that unfair defect (which fortunately was removed).  I'm almost tempted to contact the buyer to ask why she went down that route.  

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Hello Community Team!

I have two questions today:

　

1.   When printing using eBay's bulk shipping tool, USPS Priority Mail Express labels cannot be printed with the bulk batch. I always have to remove USPS Express Mail shipments from the bulk batch and print the labels individually. Am I doing something wrong, or has there always been a technical issue preventing Express labels from being printed with a bulk batch?

2.   Last week my seller account was hit with a defect for a Paypal "case closed without seller resolution". This arose from a buyer who started a remorse retun in eBay (hassle-free, automated return) yet did not follow through with that return process and instead escalated the case by opening a Paypal dispute, which was then wrongly escalated before allowing the seller to respond. Paypal agreed to change the case decision to one of no-fault on the seller's part, and the defect has since been removed by eBay. My question is, does eBay have a policy in place to notify sellers as soon as a defect is recorded on the account?

The only reason I found out about the defect is because I happened to check my seller dashboard stats. I normally don't often check that section of my dashboard. I did not receive any email or notification from eBay or Paypal that a defect was recorded. It would be helpful to be notified, so I'm wondering if this should have been done. If not, please consider doing so.

Thank you!

---

Hey @Anonymous, happy to address these concerns:

1. I can't think of anything you could be doing wrong with this info, but am happy to look into it with you. I'll email you to gather more details and test this out on my end. It may be a bug we can get reported to our tech teams.

2. While I don't know of any plans to send notifications for PayPal related defects, I can definitely pass this suggestion along to see what we can do about better informing our sellers of impacts to their account.

---

Thank you, @Anonymous 

Today I had a USPS Priority Express shipment, but I didn't even attempt to print it with the bulk batch, knowing that usually it gets rejected.   I'll try again next time I get an Express.   I'll touch base via email to give you more details about the issue.

For the defect notification, an email from eBay plus an "orange bell" alert would be nice, IMO.  As defects have such an impact on sellers' accounts, notification seems proper.   But for sellers who DON'T want to be notified of such defects, perhaps the system can be set up to give each seller the choice of whether to opt-in / opt-out of such notifications.

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Looking forward to getting your email with more details so we can dig into this. I also like your suggestion for the notification bell and an opt-in / opt-out process. I'll be sure to pass this along!

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

ebay has been rmoving "stale" listings., and advising us to make changes to the listings before re-listing them (if, indeed, we choose to relist) A few questions:

1. Are only GTC listings effected by this?

2. Does ebay uderstand that many experienced sellers of long tail items can point to example after example of listings that have sold after years on the site, without any changes? Some things are so far out in the long tail that they take a long time before the right buyer comes along.  Requiring changes in such cases is just more busywork for sellers.

3. I do understand that for multi-item listings, the lack of a sale within a year indicates a need to modify the listing. But that is simply not the case for many single item long tail items. Why doesn't ebay try meeting with experienced long tail sellers to get some input on this? Long tail selling is a different business model, and one ebay should encourage, not discourage by treating it as the same as multi-item commodity selling.

[mr_lincoln]

@Anonymous  @vrykalak  Trinton replied to vrykalak's comment and wrote:

vrykalak wrote: This is really important.

Buyers choose FedEx because it SEEMS to be cheaper than other other shipping modes...but then FedEx charges more, and the seller loses.

You say "concern about dimensional weight" is the issue. Why? eBay knows the dimensions and weight of the package when it computes the expected shipping cost. Why isn't that taken into consideration?

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Typically when I hear that FedEx has increased the charges from what was initially presented, it is due to a dimensional weight issue. This would not be on eBay's end, but would be determined by FedEx after they had decided the dimensions provided were not accurate. These kinds of concerns would need to be addressed by FedEx, but eBay can reach out if corrections are not made to help ensure the appropriate shipping charge is applied.

__________________________________________________

I think one issue is when we Sellers load in the dimensions on the listing, and I am generous in making sure extra size is included, the FedEx rates do NOT kick in to Dimensional Weight until a sale is made ... THEN they charge more.  Buyers may get charged the lower NON Dim Weight rate they see on the listing but Sellers may be getting the higher rate to pay.  I have articles on Dim Weight from both USPS and FedEx, so I know what they are,  I just don't think the handshake between FedEx and eBay is firm for lack of a better term ...

[Anonymous]

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@lugnutguys wrote:

I sell auto parts on eBay and have noticed the iPad app does not show the option to check vehicle compatibility to the item when it is an option on the iPhone and regular browser. example item # 261204972074

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Hi @lugnutguys! Thanks for bringing this up! I'll send it over to our mobile team to review and take into consideration. 

[upscale_shop]

@Anonymous

One last question from me: Has the viewcounter causing items to not be searchable issue been fully fixed? I was impacted starting about mid April, as far as I can tell. Usually, listings have several views within the first 48 hours, but I have been noticing some that sit at 1 view even after 24 hours (AFAIK there should be 2 indexing views within the first 24 hours regardless).

Thanks, Heidi!

[Anonymous]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

Here's another one for you.  It is also from an article on Eccomercebytes.  Some sellers are reporting to see a $$ value stated in the Request for return form in the resolution center for a Handling Fee!!  What the heck is that?  How does Ebay know what the seller's handling fee is?  There were at least 2 or 3 different posters stating they are seeing this during the Request for return process.

http://www.ecommercebytes.com/C/blog/blog.pl?/comments/2017/5/1495764858.html/3/40#comments

---

Hi @mam98031 - As far as I'm aware, refunds always include the full amount paid by the buyer unless a restocking fee is charged. That said, I'm not sure the way this is being displayed has changed or if the refund process itself has changed. Regardless, I'll reach out to the teams who work on this process and update the thread once I know more. 

---

Yes, more info please.  FYI, full refunds are not the only thing a seller can do during a Request for Return process.  While Ebay does encourage it, during the REQUEST stage, Ebay is NOT involved and sellers can work with their customers to reach an agreed upon resolution which doesn't always mean a full refund will be issued by the seller.  Now if it gets escalated to a claim, that is different.  But it is always in the best interest of both the buyer and seller to fix things during the Request stage.

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Definitely understandable, @mam98031. It seems we may have updated the wording within the return which is causing the frustration here but I want to make sure. I'll be in touch with you via email here shortly to see if I can get an example to send on. Thank you!