Ebay Premium Services - Top Rated Seller

Hi Everyone,

 

I am sure this is a gripe thats probably been mentioned a few times here, but qualifying to have the Top-Rated Seller and/or Ebay Premium Service logo's in your listing would be nice if it was handed out equally.

 

The one sticking point for me is that I dont offer Free Shipping and I dont plan too, as I want to offer my customers the best value possible, and with Free Shipping, its a Rip Off for them, as we all know there is NO SUCH THING as free shipping, even though many custoimers cant see that.

 

I just wish ebay would offer these services to sellers that qualify in the other fields except for shipping.

 

Yes i know ebay is a pure commercial operation and they want make money, and they make a hell of alot more if an item is free shipping than if it isnt, especially if multiples are sold.

 

But many sellers here want to make a living and also offer value.

 

Anyway, thats just my little venting session for now.

 

Happy ebaying to all out there..

 

Mike.

 

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Ebay Premium Services - Top Rated Seller

I would not lose too much sleep over it. Most buyers dont pay attention to those things anyway. Jeez most buyers dont even read the listing or look at the pics so a little badge logo thing will be totally overlooked. 

 

🙂 

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Ebay Premium Services - Top Rated Seller


@omahkulo wrote:

Hi Everyone,

 

I am sure this is a gripe thats probably been mentioned a few times here, but qualifying to have the Top-Rated Seller and/or Ebay Premium Service logo's in your listing would be nice if it was handed out equally.

 

 

 


It could be argued that the premium badging is handed out equally (by which I mean there's no actual criteria for sellers, once TRS is acheived, just for the services or features the listings offer, i.e. the logo is indiscriminate in that regard).

 

I'll never get premium badging on my listings, as I keep my handling time at 2 days, won't offer 30 day returns (I don't feel it is appropriate for my items, so I offer 7 day returns), and also don't do 'free postage' - it just doesn't work for me, but if I sold items at a higher price point it might, then I could provide combined price discounts via promotions rather than postage discounts. 

 

Ultimately, though, when it comes down to it, I'd rather buyers purchased with realistic expectations, than be enticed by a badge that doesn't even give me the credit for what I offer 😉 (that is, the badge says 'eBay Premium Service', when eBay ain't offering nothin' Smiley Very Happy ). 

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Ebay Premium Services - Top Rated Seller

Free shipping is not a rip off in any way - not for the buyer or the seller. As you explained, we all know shipping is not free. What you do, is add the shipping cost into your item value's cost. If your shipping cost is $2.50 and item is $8, then you just make your item's price $10.50. That way, provided you meet the rest of the requirements, you can qualify for Premium Service and be entitled to the benefits of it.

 

One of the benefits is an improved Best Match ranking, which is helpful for Buy it Now items. Even for store sellers, I think it's good to run auctions every now and then, though.

 

Does the Premium Service badge make a big difference? Maybe... maybe not. For some of my listings, I've given it a go. For other listings, I've kept postage and handling time a bit longer. There are going to be people who think free postage is a great deal, even if it's just the same item but with postage cost added to the item cost. If you have a whole bunch of similar items, you may aswell try some with Free Postage/Premium Service.

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Ebay Premium Services - Top Rated Seller

Apart from the benefits you as a seller receive (someone mentioned improved best match results), I am not sure the label means that much to buyers.

In fact if i see it, I  think-this is most likely just a high volume seller, probably sells heaps of cheap junk from China. 

To me, all it means is a business seller of new stuff, not one of your occasional 'home' sellers.

 

What counts for me more is your feedback. If you've got a fair few negs for slow service, faulty products, then I probably won't buy from you, not matter what badges you have. Some of the top rated sellers often seem to have as many negs as anyone else.

As a buyer, I'm just as happy if you're just an ordinary seller with a very good record.Smiley Happy Doesn't have to be 100% by any means, as long as you come across as a reasonable seller.

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Ebay Premium Services - Top Rated Seller

I definitely agree with Mike. Free post is a total scam when the buyer wants to purchase more than one of the item. Then they pay postage over and over and the seller posts it in one package and pockets the difference!
The main reason I can't qualify is because I use flat mailing boxes and post everything as a large letter. They don't have tracking. I also live in a rural area so in order to meet Auspost's delivery time of 1 - 6 days I have to add extra days on to my handling time. EBay just doesn't believe that Auspost could ever stray from their estimated times! I'm lucky if they get anywhere close.

I keep getting messages from eBay telling me if I become a premium seller I would get a discount on final fees but I can't find any actual facts on what this discount could be. If anyone else knows please let me know. ☺
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Ebay Premium Services - Top Rated Seller

That is a US thing. And I believe it is a Powerseller thing.

 

Australian sellers definitely don't get any additional benefits from having 'Premier seller' or whatever it is attached to their listings.

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Ebay Premium Services - Top Rated Seller

Australian top rated sellers get zip, zilch, nada, nothing.

 

I see the USA TRS screaming because they are losing 10% of their 20% top rated seller discount soon.

Gee, welcome to our world...

 

TRS seems a total waste of time for Australians, no discounts whatsoever, when I was a top rated seller offering "free" postage, (about a year ago) my sales went way down.

 

"Free" post adds (sometimes quite substantially, depending on the weight of the item) to the listed price and makes many items uncompetitive to buyers wishing to buy multiple items and pay one lot of postage.

 

For me, it was a disaster.

 

Back to a reasonable handling time (3 days, although usually post next day) to try and cover myself from eBay's patently ridiculous estimated delivery times and I sell much more with a lower listed price and postage added to each item.

 

For me at least, I get many more sales that way, than with the mythical "free" postage and have little trouble with late delivery problems.

 

Does Top Rated seller get you a better search ranking? Probably.

 

Doesn't do much good when most eBay people, let's face it, shop according to price and "free" postage adds to the listed price and discourages multiple purchases.

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Ebay Premium Services - Top Rated Seller

I totally agree with you.

Power seller status is a disaster. I refuse to do same day or one day postage or free express postage. 

No one will cop the cost of express postage on a small cheap item.

I went back to above standard status about a week ago (with much relief I might add) and my sales have improved. Can,t afford to retire yet but at least  I am doing a bit better now.

My sales where dreadful during the power seller period.

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Ebay Premium Services - Top Rated Seller

It works both ways, if an item costs $8 to send and is only worth $2.50 no-one will even look at it if it has $10.50 next to it, free postage or not. Second hand VHS videos come to mind.

Then there's this:
Item A sells for $8.00 + $2.50 postage (two stamps plus 50c for priority sticker or the envelope/mailer).
Item A will most likely stay at $8 + $2.50 for ages, usually only increasing the postage in line with the stamp rate.

Item B is identical to Item A but the seller instead has it for $10.50 + "free" postage.
Within a year, Item B is now $10.50 + $2.50 postage.
Shortly after, Item B then ends up being changed to $13.00 with "free" postage!

Then, some idiot tries to sell an identical Item B called Item C in an $8.50 satchel despite it barely being 1cm thick, and gives away "free" postage while heavily advertising that the item comes with tracking. It's now up to $16.50. Better add another $8.50 to that when enough have sold!
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