Post Office Refuses to Accept EBAY STANDARD ENVELOPES

[osionline]

Ebay specifically advertises the shipping service of EBAY STANDARD ENVELOPE to people who sell coins and sealed booster packs of up to 15 cards.

It is also pushed to any many single card sellers and advises them to load loose cards in rigid Top loaders. USPS is saying they cannot accept these items and they are NON-MACHINEABLE. Top loaders, Sealed Booster Packs and COINS of any type should not be sent ESE!

Specifically when it comes to Sealed booster packs of 15 cards EVERY post office says these items are not flexible enough and has no idea why Ebay is advising people to mail rigid items through this service because they cannot bend to meet USPS requirements. I showed 3 USPS Local Postmasters the Ebay Guidelines and Advertisement page for ESE and they were shocked that it was being advised this way!!!!

In addition the ESE Tracking system is an absolute SCAM! for every 100 packages sent ESE, 50+% will not have updated delivery details showing the item reached its destination. Many despite positive feedback being given proving buyer had received the item will show non delivered.

30%+ will HAVE Buyers filing "did not receive" claims, & 20%+ will be returned to either you as Additional Postage Due!

SOOO Why is E-bay pushing this service specifically to sellers like myself who sell these products if it is apparent that it is in violation of USPS guidelines for non machinable mail and what are they going to do about the poorly managed tracking system that is leaving sellers open to extreme buyer fraud?

[yotman19]

The eBay standard light cradboard envelopes that they offer and sell DO meet the requirements, They are NOT rigid. My local post master checked that specifis envelope that had a Post Card in a top loader - he flexed it both directions and told the counter poepl it is NOT too rigid and qualifies!  They are no more rigid than MANY holiday, graduation day, birthday cards etc.  

[yotman19]

They are not allowed based on category the item is listed in.  They have to be carefully listed in the correct category

[gimletgrove]

2 different ladies at the counter in my post office, different days, told me that it was non machinable. After I argued a bit, she proceeded to bend it up and ask what was in it. She let it through but asked if I was getting charged extra or customers complaining... I said I've had no issues after it passes through her. I get the dirty looks of 'you should've known this' every time I go in. How am I supposed to grow my business with confidence in this program? If I pay for non machinable, what's the point of the program if I have no tracking? eBay needs to get this fixed. 

[davidm724]

I have been selling cards in top loaders in 6x8 standard ebay paperboard envelopes .Ebay says 1 card is 81 cents PO says it 87 cents..So they add 44 cents worth of Xtra stamps to cover the Xtra cost an to make it non machinable then they hand stamp,,,No problems

[heirloomseedguy]

I have been doing basically what you do for over 12 years with my seeds. If you give any one single person, the chance to make their own "judgment call" then you are open to problems as every person's judgment about everything in life is different. Make sure they will in fact go through the machines and then drop them at a mailbox that only has a truck driver collecting them who is not allowed to riffle through them and make any judgment call about what they are, and I pretty much never get any returned that way. Unfortunately, I can't use the eBay Standard Service as it is not supported for my selling category. I just absorb the liars who say they do not get them as another cost of doing business like we all must here on eBay. My items are cheaper than collectable cards and money though, but if I was selling those items of any real value the proper shipping costs would not be such a big deal to begin with. Focus on selling more items rather than any one single item cost and you will be fine. Online sales are becoming more and more about very high volume/low margin so we must all do more for less per item honestly! I do not see that ever changing or improving moving forward but rather becoming even worse over time as it already has after 22 years selling here! I used to net about 60% now my net is below 40% and shrinking so the only way to earn that money back is with more volume, great for eBay's fees terrible for us sellers! I now personally take about 2/3 less sales than I used to simply because I am older, do not want to work that hard any longer and do not need as much money in my life as a younger person might. KEEP DOING MORE FOR LESS AND YOU WILL BE FINE ON THESE PLATFORMS! lol! 😞 Otherwise start your own website and promote it yourself! 😉

[kh-gary]

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread HERE if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.