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.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@natoman777 wrote:

I did shipping on July 9 and all my first class labels all were set for USPS Ground Advantage.  I could still choose First class, but I didn't.  No worries on my end as it was automatic.  My listings of course were set for First Class, so nothing needed to be done to the listings

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Members have reported choosing First Class when purchasing labels, and the labels themselves said Ground Advantage, so that aspect of updating has happened.  As eBay has explained, you have to update your listings that offer First Class shipping within 30 days after July 9; after that they will indicate no shipping service available.

[tproffitt]

I printed labels this morning and my listings showed first class but the labels printed as Ground Advantage.  I went in and checked what I was charged on a couple and it seems that I was charged first class package rates but label is Ground Advantage.  I could possibly be hit with an additional charge for each label later but who knows.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@tproffitt wrote: ... it seems that I was charged first class package rates but label is Ground Advantage.  I could possibly be hit with an additional charge for each label later but who knows.

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Why would  you be hit with an additional charge? The prices for Ground Advantage up to 15.999 ounces are identical to last week's online prices for First Class packages.   

http://pe.usps.com/cpim/ftp/manuals/dmm300/notice123.pdf

[oldschool718]

No issues here , sold something yesterday, I did not have to do anything  switched over ground advantage from first class by itself !

[fern*wood]

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@oldschool718 wrote:

No issues here , sold something yesterday, I did not have to do anything  switched over ground advantage from first class by itself !

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No worries now, but as an ebey rep posted last week, the train wreck will be on August 9th if we don't update our listings.  They are giving us 30 days to fix our listings. 

Has anyone seen any posts or updates from ebay since the switch?  Fires are erupting everywhere, and obviously, many sellers are confused by ebay's last announcement so it seems some type of follow up might help.  Of course such an announcement might even make things worse.   So far, only helpful posters like wastingtime, nobody's perfect & shipscript are trying to clear things up.

[norskmediashop]

Lets hope something prevails and gets over turned to what ebay originally said. Right now its like they have jumped ship and no one is working there anymore, its all such a mess. Otherwise were out. Stores and big sellers just cant do this.

[postcardcountry]

I printed my label, Ground Advantage.

I printed my packing slip from seller hub / shipping / packing slip.

Guess what printed?  "Buyer selected shipping service:  USPS First Class

Wonder how long it will take eBay to fix this.....

[nobody*s_perfect]

eBay is not going to fix that.  They are giving sellers until August 8 to remove references to First Class packages.  If you give your buyer the choice of First Class, then that's what the packing slip will say they chose.  When the 30 day extension is done, and First Class disappears, your listing will show that there is no shipping service specified.

[elksmile]

Are your Priority Mail amounts correct?  I give my buyers the option of 1st (now ground advantage) and Priority.  Advantage price looks okay in my listings but Priority is UNDER charging.  For locations out to about zone 7 or 8 eBay is showing the buyer a fee less than the USPS site is showing. Example: Discounted local is showing $7 on the listing but USPS says it should be $7.64!  

[nobody*s_perfect]

The published USPS price for 1 pound via Priority Mail at the Commercial rate is $7.64.  

But eBay gives an extra discount for Priority Mail, for many weight/Zone combinations.  As you can see in the eBay shipping calculator linked below, the price for an eBay label to ship 1 pound via Priority Mail to Zone 1 is indeed exactly $7.00.

http://www.ebay.com/shp/Calculator

[trustblue127]

I don't think we should be blaming this shipping change on ebay.  It is the USPS that is making the change.

And, a lot of people are confusing First Class mail, which is not going away, with First Class Packages, which is going away.  

Today I tried to edit one Listing as a test for USPS Ground Advantage, and that product is not on the drop down list.  So as I see it, you  can't choose Ground Advantage unless you set up Business Policies first.

[fern*wood]

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@trustblue127 wrote:

I don't think we should be blaming this shipping change on ebay.  It is the USPS that is making the change.

And, a lot of people are confusing First Class mail, which is not going away, with First Class Packages, which is going away.  

Today I tried to edit one Listing as a test for USPS Ground Advantage, and that product is not on the drop down list.  So as I see it, you  can't choose Ground Advantage unless you set up Business Policies first.

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It's there--ebay just decided to pair it with one of the now obsolete services.  I've worked two days updating my listings.  It is called Parcel Select/Ground Advantage.  If you use biz policies, the updates are possible too.

[natoman777]

@nobody*s_perfect 

So now I see what the issue is.  My existing listings are still first class.  When you go to ship, no prob, but in 30 days it will be an issue.  What is totally off is that if you go to list today you can still choose First Class as an option.  Why???? As I check thru the threads about this I don't see a clear answer from eBay on what is going to happen.  Some seem to say they will be changed when purchasing labels, so no prob, and others saying you have to change them yourself or there will be a problem in 30 days.

elizabeth@ebay 

please explain.  do we have to change all of our first class listings or will they be ok as is??

[fern*wood]

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/USPS-introduces-the-new-consolidated-ground-shipping-ser...

[norskmediashop]

and its impossible to do, there is just no way that many can be changed over, ebay is going to have to do something or many are going to be in trouble and have to pull out. other platforms are doing this automatically, there is an issue at ebay. the geeks in charge dont get it.