Aust Post Investigation Outcome as Proof of Delivery ??

[thecatspjs]

mmm .... still mulling over eBays new proof of delivery requirement.......

What will be accepted as proof of delivery? 

If a buyer opens a request about an item they haven't received, you can resolve the request by providing proof of delivery. We ask you to provide tracking information that shows:

• The delivery status of the item as delivered.
• The date of delivery (which shows you sent the item within your stated handling time).
• The buyer's address, displaying at least the town/city or postal code of the address shown on either the Order Details page or PayPal's Transaction Details page.
• For items valued at $750 or more, proof of the recipient's signature.

Oz Post has certainly increased its scans of tracking, however it is not something that is a given or low risk enough for me to leave to the postal gods and goddesses.

So what I think I will do each and every time a parcel does not track as delivered and a buyer opens a eBay money back guarantee case is open an Australia Post investigation, and request their written confirmation that item was delivered

Not sure what happens in the meantime as eBay seem to want to race these cases through a quick timeline, and Australia Post investigations are pretty slow in comparison .... and AP just might be getting a whole lot busier during November and December.

If eBay don't let Oz Posts due process take its course that will be interesting too

[thecatspjs]

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@jensmanchester-australia wrote:

Cats - from a buyers perspective it probably is a positive but not so from a sellers.

At the end of the day the majority of buyers have purchased an item as that is what they want so unless there is a genuine reason for returning the item then I really can't see the majority of buyers going to the trouble of sending an item back just for the sake of it.

There will always be a very small minority who will abuse the system but they do that already.

I work on the principle that 99% of people are honest and as long as I continue to do the right thing by my buyers I don't really envisage much changing with the new system.

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Thats great for you, I am glad you can absorb the 1% in your defect rate and/or profit margin, I cannot.

I am an amazing seller with pretty close to impeccable record (that includes a history of a couple of negatives, many delighted buyers and standing my ground to scammers, due to having a level of confidence in paypal process to consider evidence of proof of post OR listing details)

However only 3 not as described in or not received losses to eBay MONEY BACK GURANTEE in one year (FOR PREWORN CLOTHING) will put me out of this IDs business.   Given the high level of promotion of this, I am not feeling so confident in the market I am in.

Not liking the odds, it is a different playing field that will be in operation.

Thanks for your support though.

and BTW this thread was not meant to be a "the skys falling in" it was to share a strategy I had come up with AND to seek advice/ideas on strategies that other sellers are putting into place in the light of the changes being made.

[digital*ghost]

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@phorum_junkie* wrote:

How is this any more onerous than the Paypal seller protection? It just adds the address as shown in the order details as the ebay protection covers Paymate and direct credit card payments as well as Paypal.

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There is actually a bigger difference between PayPal's dispute process / requirements for a seller and eBay's, particularly for sellers like me who send the vast majority of items via large letters. I may register the odd one here or there if the value is high enough or the buyer requests it, but by an large I have no proof of postage let alone delivery, I see this as an acceptable risk for all the reasons that can be presumed.

Except that now, every single time a customer tells me that they haven't received an item, I get an auto-defect. eBay haven't even seen fit to not allow an INR query until after their own stupid ETA (that would be too logical and help prevent unwarranted defects), and they won't remove a defect when it's clearly far too early for a customer to start wondering about an item, tracking number uploaded or not. AFAIK The only way an INR query defect is removed is if the seller doesn't resolve the problem for the buyer, it gets escalated to a case, and the seller has proof of delivery. eBay have knowingly decided to hold sellers responsible for the postage services they use (unless it's the GSP, of course). This is an issue with the defect system, granted, but it also flows on to this...

Currently, PayPal require proof of postage for the item, or for a replacement of the item. That right there is a huge difference in requirements, meaning a seller such as myself can take the often much more workable strategy of low-cost postage for all, and in the event of an issue, the better and more cost effective option of posting a replacement with full POP - customer gets the order, seller loses an item, but it doesn't cost as much as losing the case or just issuing a refund, no ones defected, and everything's hunky dory.

I have no strategy to mitigate eBay buyer protection (sorry for posting and not contributing, especially give the verbosity of the post ). Mostly, at first I just felt like jumping into a big clunking doom machine and screaming "push some buttons, pull those levers, twist those knobs" at a bunch of minions like a tyrannical maniac, but I'm only good at being my own boss, so I haven't managed to accrue any minions. 😞

Which means I'll do what I always do, not let all the little buttons, levers and knobs at eBay distract me, and get on with why I'm here, meanwhile finding or creating other places to be. 

[dylan11235813]

With the current system a defect is recorded if a case is opened through paypal, even if the buyer closes it without escalating, and can be opened before the ETA ebay quote. Posting letters don't have proof of posting so it doesn;t seem to me to make much difference if there is no proof of actual delivery as there is no proof at all anyway.

Unless I am missing something the only real difference is that there will be trigger happy buyers that will open cases directly through ebay on a whim, the same thing happens through paypal also but I think buyers will just think it is the normal course of action if something doesn;t arrive in 2 days.

What is the highest handling time a seller can set? If a seller can set it to 14 days or something it would be plently of time to repost an item with tracking to get defects removed. That would also make for a great buying experience,

[donnashuggy]

That is a huge problem to receive a defect even when you resolve the problem by either replacing or refunding the item.

http://www.ebay.com.au/gds/Understanding-Defects-/10000000178831454/g.html

[digital*ghost]

Agreed - basically, if a seller practices eBay's money back guarantee policies (get the item one way or another, or get a refund), they're defective. But eBay will surely give themselves a bunch of glory for doing it on behalf of a seller. "If a seller makes sure you get your item or gives you your money back, they suck, if we do it, we looked after you and we're awesome for doing that. " 

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@dylan11235813 wrote:

Unless I am missing something the only real difference is that there will be trigger happy buyers that will open cases directly through ebay on a whim, the same thing happens through paypal also but I think buyers will just think it is the normal course of action if something doesn;t arrive in 2 days.

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None of my buyers have ever had the need to open a PayPal case, only inform me about the situation, which previously only ever resulted in happy customers, and I suppose you could consider it one of my businesses' mission statements that they will never need to involve a third party to resolve an issue - I consider that a worst case scenario as a buyer and as a seller. But in order for that to to be acheivable, buyers have to let me know about issues so that I can help them, and if they do, under the new system I'll be defected, and the opportunity to resolve issues according to my own business policies and strategies is removed. 

[donnashuggy]

Australians are pretty good at not opening cases although I had one yesterday (had no idea that did not receive their parcel)

It seems international buyers rarely message first to allow you to resolve, they generally go immediately to paypal, it must be the way eBay trains them and will probably happen here.

[curraone]

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But in order for that to to be acheivable, buyers have to let me know about issues so that I can help them, and if they do, under the new system I'll be defected, and the opportunity to resolve issues according to my own business policies and strategies is removed. 

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not if the buyer uses the right option:

For example, we're adding a new option to the Contact Seller form, allowing buyers to ask you a question about an item they've purchased or send you a message after the sale. This option won't be considered a request or case and won't impact your seller performance.

[digital*ghost]

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@curraone wrote:

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But in order for that to to be acheivable, buyers have to let me know about issues so that I can help them, and if they do, under the new system I'll be defected, and the opportunity to resolve issues according to my own business policies and strategies is removed. 

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not if the buyer uses the right option:

For example, we're adding a new option to the Contact Seller form, allowing buyers to ask you a question about an item they've purchased or send you a message after the sale. This option won't be considered a request or case and won't impact your seller performance.

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Totally missed that, thank you.

Now I'm trying to find out the difference between sending a request and contacting a seller - i.e. something similar to "Contact Seller" vs "Resolve a problem" in the dropdown menu? Does anyone know? 

[Anonymous]

PJ...unless C & S have recently changed their requirements SOD is compulsory for items over $300.00 ( not $750.00 ).

I once had to prove delivery and it cost me a lot of mucking around and having to pay $2.50 over the counter of my local po. 

The new ebay regime is bordering on creepy but, unfortunately, has become necessary for them to maintain market share.

We are living in sorry times of diminished disposable income and whereas the majors are not openly begging for buyers the

changes in ground rules are tantamount to the same thing.

One thing I noticed that is against our local retail laws is one of the reasons for returning an item,

viz '3. I found a better price elsewhere'. This does not constitute legal grounds for a return.

As far as sales of new clothing are concerned, this new ebay way will be a welcome mat for 'wardrobers'.

This group is basically made up of congealed sleeze.

[donnashuggy]

Resolve a problem takes you immediately to paypal which means defect as far as I can tell if you sent without tracking.