eBay

albany_sellers · ‎05-27-2022

I have been getting my metrics dinged for reasons that should not be affecting them, and I am wondering if eBay is now punishing sellers over carrier delays.

In every case, my orders have shipped with valid tracking well within my stated handling time, yet whenever a package is later than the ESTIMATED delivery time, be it due to weather delays or just the postal service being slow, it's causing my metrics to take a hit, as though it's me personally driving the mail truck and delivering the mail.

Right in the seller dashboard it states that "If you ship on time and upload validated tracking or your buyers tell us the shipment was on time when they leave feedback, you're all set.", yet I am not finding that to be the case for the last 2 months. This was never a problem previously, so it has me wondering what the game here is now.

I still have quite a ways to go before hitting that 3% threshold and losing top rated status, but find it very discouraging that I am getting dinged at all when I should not be. Imagine being on the border of that 3% and getting pushed over when you should not have been, and then your fees going up...maybe that is the whole point here, I don't know.

If there is an eBay moderator who can look into this, and let me know what is going on with it, it would be nice. I push very hard to get orders out on time, and to see the effort wasted when I am getting punished anyhow is not very motivating.

itscalledapostingid · ‎05-27-2022

Have you tried using the Automated Seller Help Tool in Seller Hub to remove those defects?

That would be a good place to start if they were shipped on time.

duncanvr · ‎05-27-2022

The biggest pain in my side is slow postage. Whilst I think ebay can measure if sellers shipped the item on time. I don't think its fair to ding sellers for late delivery due to postal issues. Who on Earth can control the speed of the post these days? Sadly I don't see them changing the metrics. One thing I do warn my buyers there will be postal delays so at least they know. Though I do get the odd INR case. We just have to deal with these postal issues and focus on the main thing which is selling items.

justafemster · ‎05-27-2022

Here's the issue. YOU choose the shipping provider, so YOU are responsible.

I get it, I really do. We want to be fair with our shipping prices and shipping times, still have a life and still provide the best we can to our buyers and a mishap (or 5) happens and messes up what we've worked for.

But ultimately, it's on the seller.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎05-27-2022

@justafemster wrote:
Here's the issue. YOU choose the shipping provider, so YOU are responsible.

I get it, I really do. We want to be fair with our shipping prices and shipping times, still have a life and still provide the best we can to our buyers and a mishap (or 5) happens and messes up what we've worked for.

But ultimately, it's on the seller.

Quite often the buyer makes their decision on the collection of seller(s) & whatever shipping options/price that are attached. Majority of those same buyers expect cheap AND fast. Sorry!!! Impossible to have both especially when a seller is relying on a postal system(s) with more variables than a seller can count. Variables that eBay refuses to admit are part of the equation. I am totally willing to delivery personally, if a customer is willing to include the plane ticket. Have yet to have buyer take me up on that offer!! Hey, a seller can dream!!!

-Lotz

itscalledapostingid · ‎05-28-2022

This link to the help tool only works correctly if you're already a Seller Hub user:

request to remove defect

itscalledapostingid · ‎05-28-2022

@justafemster wrote:
Here's the issue. YOU choose the shipping provider, so YOU are responsible.

I get it, I really do. We want to be fair with our shipping prices and shipping times, still have a life and still provide the best we can to our buyers and a mishap (or 5) happens and messes up what we've worked for.

But ultimately, it's on the seller.

The policy allows for late defects to be removed when a seller ships on time with tracking.

kritrou-0 · ‎05-28-2022

Oh they definately are ding the metrics. I had a whole slew of packages sent out around the time they started this STUPID UPDATE sent via eBay standard envelope shipping n i had over 30 that didnt have their tracking uploaded and that REALLY hurt my metrics until i FREAKED OUT on ebay says i still have 8 n i dont know of buyers fet the packages until they leave feedback or send me messages.

albany_sellers · ‎05-28-2022

Weird how eBay claims that if you ship on time, then it will not count against you.

Weird how eBay also promises delivery dates when not even the carriers promise dates, unless they are express services. We chose the carries, but eBay chooses to make promises that they have no business promising, and eBay choses to tell buyers things that eBay can not guarantee.

I don't think putting it all on the seller is the correct thing to do, we can only do what we can do. The only way we can promise exact dates and be responsible is by driving the mail trucks ourselves. eBay shares the blame, and more of it than we as sellers do.

albany_sellers · ‎05-28-2022

I tried the tool and eBay said no. Then they told me how to prevent it from happening, which consisted of everything I already did. I qualified in multiple ways for these defects to be removed, and they still refused to remove them.

I am starting to think this is purposefully to make sellers dip below standard so that they can extract more fees from them. There is no reason they should not have been removed. I did everything I was supposed to do to be protected, to the letter. This feels like deliberate sabotage.

albany_sellers · ‎05-28-2022

You would think so, yet they still refuse to remove them. I qualify in every way to have them removed, some in multiple ways, yet they still will not remove them. This is nothing short of sabotage.

justafemster · ‎05-28-2022

You do know that discount is 1/10 of 1 percent right? It takes selling fees from 12.9% to 12.8%. It's not worth it to me to sweat that kind of small discount.

Your most expensive item is $400. That's a $0.40 discount. Is it worth getting this worked up over that? The only thing it counts against is trusted seller metrics.

According to ebay, it's all on the seller, them's the rules you agreed to when you agreed to sell. You have 2 options, sell on ebay or don't sell on ebay. If you think ebay is bad, try amzn, you won't like that even more!

dhbookds · ‎05-28-2022

@justafemster wrote:
You do know that discount is 1/10 of 1 percent right? It takes selling fees from 12.9% to 12.8%. It's not worth it to me to sweat that kind of small discount.

Your most expensive item is $400. That's a $0.40 discount. Is it worth getting this worked up over that? The only thing it counts against is trusted seller metrics.

According to ebay, it's all on the seller, them's the rules you agreed to when you agreed to sell. You have 2 options, sell on ebay or don't sell on ebay. If you think ebay is bad, try amzn, you won't like that even more!

Math is a bit wrong:

Rate for $0.00 - $2,500.00

$43.13

×

12.0% =

-$5.18

Top Rated Seller discount

$5.18

×

10.0% =

$0.52

So selling 100 items a year at somewhere near $43 (including shipping) = $52 savings a year.......I sell about 400= $208........ worth it to me............

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎05-28-2022

@albany_sellers wrote:
Weird how eBay claims that if you ship on time, then it will not count against you.

Weird how eBay also promises delivery dates when not even the carriers promise dates, unless they are express services. We chose the carries, but eBay chooses to make promises that they have no business promising, and eBay choses to tell buyers things that eBay can not guarantee.

I don't think putting it all on the seller is the correct thing to do, we can only do what we can do. The only way we can promise exact dates and be responsible is by driving the mail trucks ourselves. eBay shares the blame, and more of it than we as sellers do.

Also weird that when you send a multi-item order in eBay's system it is counted as 1 transaction with 1 feedback but if there is a problem with that order those items get combined and counted against seller as multiple dings.

-Lotz

yuzuha · ‎05-28-2022

@albany_sellers wrote:
Weird how eBay claims that if you ship on time, then it will not count against you.

It won't IF you have a scan proving that your item was mailed within your stated handling time. As long as you get that Acceptance scan, you are good to go.