Starting Sunday, July 9th sellers have 30 days to update their listings, replacing USPS First Class Package and Retail Ground shipping services with the new Ground Advantage. Parcel Select service will be updated automatically. (eBay Announcement)
Unless a seller uses business policies, there is no direct way through eBay to sort listings by shipping services offered. If you have more than a few hundred listings, you may want to consider using business policies and can learn more about that here:
Setting up Business Policies / Update to USPS Ground Advantage
Having said that, there are ways you can sort listings, before pulling them into the bulk edit tool, to make the process more efficient.
SORTING AND FILTERING GROUPS OF LISTINGS:
1. Sellers offering calculated shipping are probably going to see the best results when filtering their active listings by category (store or eBay - whichever applies). Filtering by similar items is often the best way to pull listings into quick-revision groups.
From your seller hub active listings page https://www.ebay.com/sh/lst/active , expand the search section at the top and use the category filters.
2. Sellers offering flat shipping can sort active listings in seller hub by lowest shipping cost. That will generally bring their First Class listings to the top. Sort by clicking on the shipping column header. If you don't see a shipping column, click the customize link on the top right and add it.
3. The ever helpful @shipscript has been working on a tool that generates a spreadsheet of an individual seller's listings and their current shipping services. There are some technical challenges involved with the API and number of requests that can be processed daily, so the tool might not be shared publicly. If a seller is really struggling with these updates and needs more assistance than this discussion offers, they can ask ShipScript about that tool.
HOW TO EDIT USING THE BULK TOOL:
1. Go to your active listings page in seller hub. Use methods above to sort and filter your listings. Check off listings you want to edit in a single batch and pull into the bulk editor using the "Edit" navigation menu at the top of the page.
2. Once the bulk edit tool is open, check all the listings, then pull open the bulk edit menu and select "domestic shipping". A pop up will appear.
3. This part is key: Info you apply through the pop-up will overwrite whatever's currently in your listings. If you currently offer buyers a choice of First Class and Priority, entering Ground Advantage exclusively will replace both shipping options.
If you want to maintain the choice of those 2 shipping services, first select flat or calculated, then enter Ground Advantage as a shipping service. After that click the "additional domestic service" link (easy to miss - it's the light gray text above the Local Pickup field) and fill in Priority. Apply changes in the popup, then on the bulk edit window save the listing edits by clicking the button on the bottom right.
Repeat this process as needed until your listings are up to date.
Don't forget to update drafts and templates. Remember if you relist or sell similar from a listing created before Ground Advantage, you will have to manually update the shipping section to remove old shipping services.
eBay's bulk edit tool help page can be found here:
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/listing-tips/bulk-listings?id=4160
FREQUENT QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS:
How many listings can you update at one time with the bulk edit tool?
2,000 although I recommend batches of 500 or less for quicker processing and lesser chance of human error.
What if you have too many listings and are overwhelmed by the amount you have to update and you don't want to use business policies?
The simplest advice I can offer in this situation is to not worry about what service is currently offered. Instead look at your listings fresh and apply bulk edits as if you were creating those listings and setting up shipping methods from scratch. Overwrite existing shipping. Filtering listings by category is a good way to move forward with that method.
What if you are not up to date with eBay listing mandates (category, item specifics, variation changes, etc) so you can't update shipping without fixing the other listing issues?
If you don't have that many listings, get those updates done. If you're in the tens of thousands of listings and can't reasonably manage everything within the next 30 days, start by prioritizing anything with calculated shipping. Listings offering calculated shipping are much more likely to start kicking out errors over time than listings with flat shipping costs. Make a plan to complete those necessary listing updates to avoid tech issues as time passes.
What happens if your listings with First Class Package and Retail Ground are not updated within 30 days?
If you offer flat shipping costs you'll probably be able to skate by for a while. If you offer calculated shipping, eventually the system will start to kick out errors. It can lead to issues with buyer checkout when they don't see a valid shipping cost/service. To avoid running into those issues and losing sales, do your best to get listings updated within the 30 days and before peak holiday selling season begins.
Will Ground Advantage be considered "Standard" or "Economy" under eBay's generic shipping time frames?
Ground Advantage with its average 2-5 business day transit time is under the "Standard" section, however if you currently offer a generic "Economy" with no service specified, "Standard" is considered an upgrade in service so you don't need to make changes in that area unless you want to. Check your rates to ensure the flat costs you're offering line up with the new rates.
What are the new rates?
Packages 15.999 oz and under will match the current First Class Package Rates. Packages 1 lb (16 oz) and over will see a mix of increases and decreases in rates compared to current Parcel Select rates.
For a full price chart, check the USPS DMM here*: http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm
Or use eBay's shipping calculator here*: https://www.ebay.com/shp/Calculator
*Accurate Ground Advantage rates will be reflected on these links beginning tomorrow, Sunday, July 9th.
