Shipping preferences

[david.edst]

Two hours+ just trying to find shipping preferences; there are no more tabs remaining to click, and the so-called "help" pages are nothing but articles explaining HOW to set the preferences - not even one with a link to WHERE to set them. Where are they?

[wastingtime101]

On the top left, where it says "Hi [Your Name]", click there and you'll see a link for Account Settings.

Shipping Preferences are found on the Account Settings page.

But here's a direct link if you want to bookmark it: https://www.ebay.com/ship/prf

Some of the help pages link to shipping preferences. Like this one:

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/shipping-rates/offering-combined-shipping?id=4169

Not sure what you were looking for specifically, but if there's a help page that talks about shipping preferences and is missing the link - post that help page here and we can ask eBay to update it.

[ebooksdiva]

To find shipping preferences you need to go to your account settings 

[david.edst]

Thanks for the replies, but none of them give you the option to set shipping preferences/policies; they just list them; edit does nothing. I have, however, just found where we set our shipping policies. Is it under shipping preferences or seller preferences? Nope and nope. Seller account or seller dashboard? Nope and nope. Ebay has decided to put them under a title that has absolutely nothing to do with shipping: "business policies", the tab above "shipping preferences" (from the link above), is where we set our shipping preferences, smh.

[wastingtime101]

Then you don't want shipping preferences.

You want business policies.

Two different things.

Business policies can be found on this page.

That link can also be found on the left side of your Seller Hub Active listings page.

[david.edst]

Shipping preferences/policies should be under the tab titled 'shipping preferences.' Why would it/they be anywhere else? eBay doesn't even guide us there when shipping preferences or policies are entered into the search bar.

At the time I was trying to get this arduous task accomplished, I didn't care about business policies as I hadn't even gotten that far setting up my store yet. Nice to know they hide it in a place that has nothing to do with shipping.

I've put off opening up a store for months as I knew it was going to be a pain in the neck... sometimes being right sucks.

[david.edst]

SMH Update:

Moments ago I clicked "shipping preferences", there is now a whole array of options that weren't there this morning when I clicked the exact same tab multiple times; it even has a link to "business policies" now.

So now I guess my new issue is ebay shipping. I thought that was a thing, but it's only showing the ebay shipping option for envelopes. Can we not use ebay shipping for medium, large, and special handling items?

[1786davycrockett]

@david.edst 

When you begin making your store listings, part of that set-up is establishing the shipping options for each of the items which you will be listing.

Until you actually have prepared a listing for something to sell, there is no need for you to have a shipping option.

[wastingtime101]

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@david.edst wrote:

there is now a whole array of options that weren't there this morning when I clicked the exact same tab multiple times

So now I guess my new issue is ebay shipping. I thought that was a thing, but it's only showing the ebay shipping option for envelopes. Can we not use ebay shipping for medium, large, and special handling items?

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You sound kinda overwhelmed by shipping.

1. Business / shipping policies: you are not required to use shipping policies. You can opt out of them and instead set up shipping separately on each listing.

2. There's really no such thing as "eBay Shipping." There are eBay shipping label services, which means buying USPS, UPS, FedEx labels through eBay's platform. It means access to online discounts.

eBay Standard Envelope is only for a select number of categories and it's metered/letter mail - ships with USPS. No such thing as eBay shipping, no eBay drop off point. Everything goes to an individual carrier.

Because you're new I'm going to warn you off using UPS/FedEx - they are more complicated and apply cost adjustments after the fact. The rates you see are estimates. Until learn all you need to know on that front, you're much better off sticking with USPS.

3. What kind of "special handling" items? That can get you into trouble if you don't know what you're doing and aren't experienced with shipping those items all the time.

[ebooksdiva]

Shipping preferences and shipping policies are two separate things. You'll find Business policies on the left hand side of the Active listings page. 

[david.edst]

I'm not overwhelmed by shipping, I simply wanted to make a template so I wouldn't have to go through the hassle for every single item I'm listing. Quick and easy, like Marketplace, is how I'm trying to set it up. The gazillions of mostly useless options, however, is frustrating and severely time consuming.

As to ebay shipping, you explained what I meant. And I will never use UPS/FedEx unless requested to do so. The price would be set high and collected beforehand and any overage would be returned if necessary - if that's even possible with ebay.

The special handling items are odd-shaped things like framed jersey's, heavy things like a sterling silverware set, etc... And I won't even send a $1 CD without confirmed payment.

One way or another, I will have the store opened before Thanksgiving.

[david.edst]

I was trying to set up a template so I wouldn't have to go through shipping options for every single item. I won't be wasting my time with templates anymore.

[wastingtime101 · Accepted solution]

OK so in that case you do want to use business policies. My suggestion is to list your first item.

After that go in and create your shipping policy, name it how you want, etc. Do that before creating any additional new listings, and you'll be able to apply the shipping policy to all of your listings.

If you need help with biz policies come back here and @ mention me.

You're going to have new seller listing limits, so you're not going to want to pay for a store subscription until your number of listings makes it worth it. It'll be a while until you get to that point. A lot of new sellers are restricted to 10 items per month (combination of active and sold).

Oh wait, I see you jumped the gun and started a store subscription. Did you go with monthly or annual? And what level?

-------------------

Some general new seller info:

New sellers are targets for scammers that will make fake offers and try to get you to text or email them outside of eBay. Using fixed price listings with immediate payment required will cut down (but not eliminate) the number of those scam attempts. Keep messaging on eBay and don't fall for attempts to get you to change the shipping address, or claims the buyer cannot pay saying you need to click some kind of link or contact them off eBay to make payment work. If you have any more questions come back and ask.

Getting started:
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/getting-started-selling

Selling limits:
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/selling-limits?id=4107

Selling fees:
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/fees-credits-invoices/selling-fees?id=4822

Payment holds for new sellers:
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/getting-paid/getting-paid-items-youve-sold/payments-hold?id=4816

General payments info:
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/getting-paid/getting-paid-items-youve-sold?id=4814

Shipping basics:

https://www.ebay.com/sellercenter/shipping

Optimizing listings:

https://www.ebay.com/sellercenter/listings/listing-best-practices

If it's an expensive item, I suggest using "local pickup only" and not offering a shipping method. Until you build up a selling history it's best to sell low priced items.

Using local pickup:
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/setting-shipping-options/local-pickup?id=4181

[david.edst]

I purchased a month by month as I don't really have that many things to sell. I probably won't even have the store open for more than a few months as I have travel plans next year that won't allow me to do any selling/shipping.

I actually had 6 listings that I ended because it wouldn't let me put them in my store: edit - put in store - submit... how hard is that ebay? They make this process waaay harder and more time consuming than it needs to be. So, after over an hour with an ebay rep, and as I still had the listed items in the "ended" folder, I finally got them moved to the store - probably 2 hours total to get 6 items moved into the store. But even with a rep it was crazy difficult (and still not exactly as I want it with the ridiculous "categories" taking forever to update). That's when I was informed of the potential 'up to 48 hours' wait times, even to see your very own edits, smh.

As to 'in person pickup'... for some of my items the only place I'd meet someone in person is in a police precinct parking lot during K9 training. I'm certainly not going to bring a $1,000+ item without payment already confirmed in my bank. If that's how it's arranged, I would possibly do that instead of shipping, but who would do that in hopes I showed up? I wouldn't send someone money and then expect them to be at a meeting point to give me the item. Maybe people are more trusting than me, who knows, I just think it's asking for trouble.

And I will never speak or discuss anything with anyone outside of the ebay system. If they even ask me for my phone number, address, etc... they're blocked.

Thanks for you help, I'll surely be back here again.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@david.edst wrote:

I purchased a month by month as I don't really have that many things to sell. ....

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If you have fewer than 250 listings, then a Store subscription is probably not needed at all.

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@david.edst wrote:...

I actually had 6 listings that I ended because it wouldn't let me put them in my store: edit - put in store - submit... how hard is that ebay? ... as I still had the listed items in the "ended" folder, I finally got them moved to the store - probably 2 hours total to get 6 items moved into the store. But even with a rep it was crazy difficult ...

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Why couldn't you just hit "relist"?  When a seller has a store subscription, all of their active listings are automatically in their store.

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@david.edst wrote:...As to 'in person pickup'... for some of my items the only place I'd meet someone in person is in a police precinct parking lot during K9 training. I'm certainly not going to bring a $1,000+ item without payment already confirmed in my bank. ....

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If you are not comfortable conducting a cash transaction in a police station parking lot, then "Local pickup" is not for you.  But that process is so common, many police stations have specific areas set up for such transactions, with cameras monitoring.