End of POWER SELLER PROGRAM

[my_boston_baked_beans]

Received that message today. Looks like eBay wants all Power sellers to fall in line forcing returns and other requirements like TOP RATED.

Well, not for me as I small seller with little inventory I CAN NOT afford returns free or other wise.

Sad, to have provided great service for years only to be taken down and handed my marching papers!

FALL IN LINE!

[fern*wood]

You are already a top rated seller.   You don't have to offer returns to qualify as one.

[trustblue127]

As far as free returns go, If you have a good item you have little to worry about.  I have very few returns.  Only 2 in about the last 8 months.  You can add about .15 cents to each of your items and that will cover the cost of a few returns easily.  I consider my self a small seller with a low volume.  I've been selling for almost 15 years.  The benefits of TRS are worth it.  You do need to be able to ship within 24 hours of payment received.  I don't find that to be hard to do.  Good luck, stay on-board.

[my_boston_baked_beans]

Thank you for your reply

 ebay consistently sends  me messages about my offering returns, but that must be for the discount which I do not get. I use ebay instead of doing a yard sale or going to the Salvation Army other than that when my downsizing is complete I am gone. Started eBay in 1999 other ID.

[my_boston_baked_beans]

Thank you

My item quality has not been challenged, but I have had buyers  not like the color or the item does not fit  correctly. I am not Macy's so state sales are final.

[Anonymous]

I have lots of quality items and great descriptions, but that does not stop the buyers who say, they changed their mind, or it's really not their style after all.  I can't afford to spend $12 to ship an item and another $12 to ship it back..........Don't know how you get adding 15 cents makes a difference!

[tdumonde2014]

What do you believe that you are losing by no longer being a PowerSeller? 

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

As others have noted, you are already a Top Rated Seller, so the one single benefit of being a Power Seller----the 7 day "grace" period for neutral/neg feedback, will transfer over to you as a TRS. Free return shipping is required for a listing to be designated a Top Rated Plus listing, but that is on a per listing basis. It is NOT required for TRS status.

However, it is the TRS Plus listing status that gets you a 10% discount on your FVF for that listing. For me, it is well worth it for my listings to be TRS Plus, but every seller is different. 

But taking away the Power Seller program has basically zero impact on you.

[doug_5857]

I am a small seller as well. I got this message as well this morning. I didnt even know I was a power seller. I know I am called a TRS Plus.  This shows up in my postings. I dont have very many returns either. .20% defect rate. I am Greatful my listings are not affected yet.  Altho my sales are way down by 89%. from last month.  I will weather thru.

[fashionsbypast_n_present]

I think most people replying to this blog are thinking of the Top Rated Plus rating.   If you are a power seller you have already exceeded requirements for Top Rated Seller.   It was a Star badge that goes next to your Top Rated Seller badge in different colors mainly to show your sales volume level.

Top Rated Plus requires the addition of 1 day shipping and free returns to receive the  discount in final value fees.  

[bangordiscount]

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@tdumonde2014 wrote:

What do you believe that you are losing by no longer being a PowerSeller? 

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Great eBay mentality.

How about I ask you this: What are we gaining? How does it benefit sellers to remove the program?

It's a lot more distinguishing to be a Power Seller AND Top-Rated Seller than just one or the other. It means more to provide good customer service and to be able to handle significant volume. At one point I was a platinum power seller ($300,000+ volume/year) while being TRS. 

You can be a hobbyist and do the minimum to qualify for TRS status. 

[my_boston_baked_beans]

I personally am not losing anything that I care about, but eBay keep changing the rules and the game. I am tired of it. If eBay felt that Power seller title is/was redundant why create that in the first place!

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

Power Seller was created years ago. It wasn't redundant at the time. But TRS has effectively replaced it, and it is no longer a useful distinction. In fact, it hasn't been for a long time. This doesn't really "change the rules of the game"...it's basically a minor change that will have zero impact on the huge majority of sellers and buyers. 

But if ebay had not announced it, sellers would be asking "what happened to my Power Seller badge??????" LOL

[craigsfinds]

Last time I checked, being a "Top Rated Seller" does not mean much unless I offer free returns. I don't get the TRS discounts and my TRS badge is not shown in my listings. Please correct me if I'm missing something. 

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

Being a Powerseller had one benefit, as mentioned in the letter ebay sent out, and if you are a TRS seller that benefit transfers to your TRS status. TRS status alone does not get you the 10% FVF discount, nor does it get you a badge on your listing...that is a perk of having a TRS Plus listing....Two different things: A seller can be TRS, a listing can be TRS Plus.