eBay

calicocatboutique · ‎03-03-2023

I've been selling here since 1998. A few years ago I got tired of all the shenanigans, downgraded my store and all but closed up shop except for a few listings once in awhile. Recently decided to ramp it up a bit to get rid of inventory, estate things and of course my own downsizing. Sales were slow but existing, so kept listing on both eBay and another venue. When something sold on one, I would just delete the listing on the other. It was working.

Well...I opened eBay a few days ago and saw my rating was "below standard". What?? Started actually looking around the website and noticed a lot has changed. My store was a wreck with no logo, communities were different, what are promotions, had a rough time finding a way to contact a live person at eBay to ask why I was rated this. Apparently, when I delete a listing I choose "out of stock" which creates a defect...hence my now "below standard". I've called twice, spoke to 2 different people. After being on hold numerous times while the rep checks with someone else...they won't change anything. Okay...my fault. I should have kept up with all the changes. I'll have to deal with the below standard rating for now. However, I got different answers on what to choose instead.

After this long explanation, my question is... If not "out of stock", what do you choose for the reason to delete the listing so that it doesn't count as a defect and affect your rating and ability to sell??

rosszonebricks · ‎03-03-2023

If you are deleting a listing that has NOT sold or has NO bids, you aren't even given a reason as to why you are ending (deleting) a listing.

However, it sounds like you are cancelling items that have bids or have actually sold. So you should choose the CORRECT reason for doing so. Do you no longer have the item to ship to the customer that has bought and paid for it? OUT OF STOCK is correct.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎03-03-2023

As noted in the other post, "Out of stock" is one of the choices when a seller cancels a transaction. eBay penalizes this severely because they do not like to have disappointed buyers.

There is no penalty if you end a listing early; the only exception is that if you end an auction early after it has bids, you will be charged a penalty fee equal to what the final value fee would have been. But no defect points that could put you below standard. Here's the page on seller performance which will help explain.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/selling-policies/seller-performance-policy?id=4347

monica-sells · ‎03-03-2023

In reviewing your "Completed Listings" they are all green (indicating sold)

none are black text (which would be ended without being sold)

So, when you deleted those listings they were actually sold?

That is why you are having to choose a reason when you "delete" or "end" them.

Of course you are getting defects for that.

calicocatboutique · ‎03-03-2023

No, I stated...I'm not cancelling items that have bids or have actually sold. Nobody bought and paid for the item on Ebay. It was purchased on another venue and I was deleting the item on eBay.

However, you are correct that it does not give that option/reason. I just now went to delete one of my listings to check. I'm now going to assume that I was mistaken in that the 3 items were purchased on Ebay and cancelled by me after they sold on another venue. So, "out of stock" was the correct choice.

I don't forget to delete listings when sold on either venue. I guess what has not changed is the issue of duplicate listings on eBay. I will have to be more vigilant. This clears up the confusion on my part.

lonebuck-books · ‎03-03-2023

You seem to be mixing up "closing a listing" with "cancelling a sale". If you are just closing out a listing that hasn't sold or doesn't have any bids on it because it sold elsewhere there is no penalty. If however it sells elsewhere and then it sells here, you are going to get penalized if you cancel the sale for being out of stock. eBay hates that and gives a heavy penalty for out of stock cancellations.

If you get a list of options why you are closing out a listing without bids or a sale (you do sometimes get a list of reasons on the website) you can chose "this item is no longer available" without any penalty. I sell on multiple sites and use this option all the time and have never been penalized for it. I think if eBay decided to penalize sellers for selling an item on another site before it sold here, they would lose sellers by the truckload.

calicocatboutique · ‎03-03-2023

Thank you for your reply. I think I know what happened and will be taking steps in the future to ensure it doesn't happen again. Now....to get rid of the "below standard".

calicocatboutique · ‎03-03-2023

You seem to be mixing up "closing a listing" with "cancelling a sale".

Thank you!! I thought there were times I was getting a list of options from which to choose. If it comes up again, I will definitely choose "no longer available".

nobody*s_perfect · ‎03-03-2023

@monica-sells wrote:
In reviewing your "Completed Listings" they are all green (indicating sold)
none are black text (which would be ended without being sold) ....

eBay's display of Completed listings doesn't show listings that were ended by the seller. This started a few months ago, IIRC.