eBay standard envelope for trading cards

[theclemsonkidcards]

Here after I’ve just had to refund my third eBay standard envelope delivery in the last two weeks, that hasn’t arrived after a month. I’m two seconds away from looking at a class action. Why you ask? Here’s why…

This has been going on for over two years for me. I’ve got an undelivered rate of close to 2%. I have had two separate phone calls with eBay. During the second call, I mentioned how I spoke with the postmaster at my local post office and he said he’s surprised the undelivered rate isn’t higher. When I asked why, he said the letter class than an eBay standard envelope falls under means it never gets touched by a person. Just the sorting machines. When he asked to see one of mine; I let him open one. Inside was one card between two toploaders. He said “there’s the issue”. He said any letter will be bent, moved around corners, and sorted mechanically. He said having a toploader makes it too rigid, and that can’t get safely through a sorter.  The ones that are getting “lost” are ones that the sorter is getting jammed up on, and flings it to who knows where. 

I explained all that to the eBay rep. He acted like he listened and cared. He also reiterated that their policy is that:

Trading cards

• No more than 15 raw cards per package per envelope
• No more than 2 trading cards with top loaders
• No graded trading cards

Ok. So CLEARLY the USPS and eBay are not on the same page here. And haven’t been. For years. Considering on the same page it says this:

Packing your items

Things to consider

Flexibility. Shipped envelopes are processed at sorting centers that use machinery with rollers, so envelopes need to be flexible enough to bend accordingly.

Umm, do you folks at eBay know ANYTHING about trading cards or top loaders? For one, having two toploaders (which your page says is acceptable) makes it impossible to be bent through a roller. Secondly, you can’t expect people to ship/buy trading cards expecting them to be BENT THROUGH A ROLLER?!? 

I explained this to the eBay phone rep. Again, he acted like her cared; and even agreed that there seemed to be some conflicting information. He was gonna pass it up the ladder. 

This was over two years ago. Since then, nothing has been done. I guarantee you that hundreds if not thousands of others who sell cards on eBay have had this same issue. The fact that eBay has been made aware MULTIPLE TIMES about conflicting information from not just myself; but I’m sure others; makes this a problem that I think could be brought to a lawfirm for punitive damages to those of us who have lost money, business and time to eBay and their bad info. 

[wastingtime101]

eBay Standard Envelope (ESE) is a metered letter mail shipment so it does not receive traditional tracking scans. The clerk at the PO counter cannot scan it and you can't track it on the USPS website. The envelopes are scanned by sorting machinery at distribution centers along the way and tracking will appear on eBay.

Common reasons ESE labels don't get scanned include:
- Overpacking. Envelopes are too stiff. It's not recommended to use trading card top loaders or cardboard mailers (even if the eBay page says otherwise).
- Using ineligible packing material such as a bubble envelope.
- Placement of label. Label should be placed in the upper right corner with approx 1/8"-1/4" clearance from edges. If it's placed too far from the corner (like in the middle of a long envelope) the machinery may not scan it.
- Placing items like coins in the center of the envelope. The center of the envelope needs to be the most flexible part.
- Printer ink is not dark enough, or label color is too bright (stick to white labels if you can).
- Regional issues with sorting machines, volume processing, picky USPS employees, etc.

With ESE, a 'delivered' scan generally occurs at the last sort facility before it gets to the buyer, so typically the buyer will receive their order a few days after the delivered scan.

If a buyer files a not received claim, you do have insurance coverage and the claims process is outlined on this page: https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/setting-shipping-options/ebay-standard-envelope?id=...

[bdmh-enterprises]

I can't believe I've never noticed it saying 2 top loaders okay on the help page. That definitely needs to be removed. Even a single top loader is questionable to it's flexibility. I too am surprised your undelivered rate is only 2% TBH. I switched to semi rigid sleeves before ESE was a thing. I think top loaders used to be okay, but the machines now are faster and less tolerant.

"Secondly, you can’t expect people to ship/buy trading cards expecting them to be BENT THROUGH A ROLLER?!?"

I've sent thousands of cards both in semi rigids and and raw in penny sleeves or stacks. I have NEVER had a complaint about damage in transit. Same goes for sticker sheets my wife regularly gets, sent raw in an envelope. I have however, a couple times in the past, gotten a USPS RTS baggie with my shredded envelope, some shards of top loader, shredded card and a nice note saying "sorry we couldn't deliver your mail".

The info eBay provides for ESE absolutely needs to be updated and more detailed in regards to requirements. But compared to using a stamped envelope, ESE has been an absolute GAME CHANGER when it comes to INRs.

[fm2000]

The information about top loaders is wrong, and eBay should absolutely fix that. 80%+ of the problems people report with ESEs are related to top loaders.  (eBay should also remove the picture of padded envelopes at the bottom of the page, padded envelopes do not qualify for first class (machineable) letter mail, and therefore don't qualify for ESE either.)

Never, ever use top loaders in ESE. ESEs must be bendable, and top loaders are not. This is a requirement for all machineable letter mail, and not unique to ESE.

ESE also helps preserve TRS status, versus untrackable shipping in a regular letter envelope with a stamp, which I think is worth the cost alone.