eBay Doing a HORRIBLE Job with this USPS Ground Advantage Transition

[voguevintage]

This is one of the most ham fisted and confusing things eBay has ever done in my view and that says a lot. 

For one, I don't understand why they can't make this change for us. The way etsy is doing it is they're just going to keep calling it First Class but change it so the rates are Ground Advantage rates. Sellers don't have to do anything. That's smart and it makes sense.

Second, the web page where they explain it is terribly confusing. At one point it says that Ground Advantage will replace First Class mail services, which is how I've understood it all along, and we'll have to update all those listings ourselves. But then later, on the same page, it says USPS will continue to offer First Class as a stand alone service. Huh!?

Third, as is often the case, they haven't properly trained or even informed their Reps yet about this change. On Thursday I called the Anchor Store number with some questions. Now keep in mind, this is the A team we're talking about here. The lady I talked to was very nice, as they always are, but she told me -- I'm not kidding -- "we don't know a lot about it yet and just were really informed about it a couple of days ago".

WHAT!?

After that she literally read the same page I read to try and answer my questions and came away as confused as I was saying things like "it sounds like..." and "I guess..."

So, yeah, par the course for eBay but Jesus this one has been bad.

I am WORRIED right now because every time there's a major change like this eBay always seems to glitch out and sales take a nose dive.

[agemelee]

This is why I just put all my listings as priority mail. 

until its fully figured out

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@voguevintage wrote: .... The way etsy is doing it is they're just going to keep calling it First Class but change it so the rates are Ground Advantage rates. Sellers don't have to do anything.....

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The rates for weights up to 15.999 ounces didn't change, which is why Etsy can get away with not changing anything -- for now.

USPS has 3 categories of First Class mail -- letters, flats (AKA Large envelopes), and packages. The change to Ground Advantage affects packages but not letters or flats.  eBay explained this awkwardly.

[martin2001]

The point is that as of right now one can't edit the listings to change 1st class to GA because GA is not an option. Etsy is not getting away with anything, it's actually ebay who is getting away with failing to adopt the change in a timely and professional manner.

[andisell2]

I am able to change First Class Shipping to Ground Advantage on my listings, but in doing so, the price to ship at the same weight is HIGHER on Ground Advantage!  What???  I thought that changing from First Class to Ground Advantage was not going to effect the shipping cost, that it was to stay the same.  I am furious!  

[remote_controls_and_more]

Prices are the same for first class package and ground advantage. When making a listing or editing a listing the estimated prices it shows you are incorrect for under 1 pound, but on the actual live listings its correct and when you buy a label its correct.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@andisell2 wrote:

I am able to change First Class Shipping to Ground Advantage on my listings, but in doing so, the price to ship at the same weight is HIGHER on Ground Advantage!  What???  I thought that changing from First Class to Ground Advantage was not going to effect the shipping cost, that it was to stay the same.  I am furious!  

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eBay is still showing the old rates for Parcel Select Ground, not the rates that went into effect today, on the listing form so if you change from FC to PS/GA now, the listing form will show prices that are the old Parcel Select rates for 1 pound.  Good news: Listings themselves seem to have the updated rates.  

eBay says that sellers have 30 days to update from FC to GA, so there's nothing to do but wait until eBay gets their stuff together.  USPS Click N Ship is a mess, too. 

[1863gettysburgpa]

Tried it you are 100% correct. TY

[kalyoth]

First Class Letter Service remains. First Class Parcel Service is what is going away. Might it not just be easier to close the listings & relist with new changes if you bulk list? I do not have the thousands of listings others do. But it only took me 20 minutes & I was able to dump priority mail completely. It's not the headache people are inflating it to be.

[synikl1]

I am at a complete loss as to what to do with my listings. I am a small time seller - 175 active listings - almost all 1st class pkgs. I will go a week or 2 w/o selling an item. 

I saw a reference to bulk editing the  shipping but can't find that option. Am I correct that Ground Advantage will be the only option (other than priority)? There was also a statement that USPS continues to offer 1st class shipping, so it's very confusing.

I started to manually revise my auctions to update the shipping and the rates suggested for Ground Advantage are exorbitant! But the  USPS pricing chart seems to state $5.25 up to 4 oz, 5.85 for 8 oz., 6.65 for 12 oz and 8.55 up to 16oz !which IS a big increase to prior 1st class rates).

This may finally be the change that forces me off of eBay. No one is going to pay $7 or $9 to ship a t-shirt or other piece of clothing. If anyone has any suggestions/information or I'd love to hear them!

[downrightspecialkids]

I've tried editing this morning and GA was not an option. I tried creating  a new business policy to bulk edit, and again, GA was NOT an option!

Ebay has known about this and couldn't even be prepared on the day tens of thousands of us want to revise the listings? Don't even get me started on why THEY can't change the shipping services and we have to make mass revisions. 

I too am afraid this is just going cause overall site glitches, as their changes always do. 

[silverhand]

I looked at my shipping policies this morning to see if I can edit them to Ground Advantage. There is no option. However if you look very closely you will see an option for USPS Parcel Select / Ground Advantage. This was not an option last night. I do not understand why ebay would leave the term Parcel Select. Just make it Ground Advantage because that is what EVERYone is looking for.

[atlasesattic]

I went to business policies and anything I had under parcel select in bulk I went to change over to Ground Advantage and it already says parcel select/ground Advantage,  there was nothing to change.

[silverhand]

I just noticed this on a typewriter I have listed with parcel select shipping. It is in fact changed over. It may be they are updating all parcel select? I can't check any further as I rarely used parcel select.

[bw14850]

I'm also seeing this huge rate increase from first class (packages under 1 lb) to ground advantage! Why is everyone saying the rates are the same? I'm thinking maybe it's a glitch in eBay. I'm going to do more research and maybe wait a couple of weeks until the dust settles down.