How to improve eBay.au for sellers

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

I wanted to start a thread where members could suggest things that would improve the selling experience for sellers.  I want this to be a constructive thread and not one that disintegrates into posters having a go at eachother or denigrating suggestions.

We have all seen the multitude of "negs for buyers" threads and I don't want this thread to get into a to-and-fro between those that are for and against negs for buyers and same old arguments repeated all over again.

Most of the suggestions that get posted have probably been posted before, but probably not on a single thread.  If really good proactive suggestions are made then next time eBay send any of us a survey asking "How can we improve?" then we can list the best ideas that are posted here.

I'll kick it off with the next two posts as I would like each post to contain a single concise suggestion without having to be explained too much. After all . . . . . if it has to be explained in detail then it isn't really a simple idea for improving eBay selling.

Readers can give Kudos to those suggestions that they agree with.

[padi*0409]

Any chance you can get eBay here without getting slammed as being a stooge slr?

Farking love it if you can.

[egglesdtp · Accepted solution]

Since the subject of combined postage has come up in several posts, make the RECALCULATE button on the invoice when combining postage cost actually recalculate, rather than default to the original.

[casbit33]

It would be impossible to work out the combined postage in advance on unknown items. How do you know what items someone will buy before they buy them?. I have to work it out after they have finished shopping. Sometimes it surprises me how heavy the box or packet will get with the extra items and packing. Making sellers put combined postage may be ok for sellers selling only 1 or 2 types of items, but for those of us selling hundreds of different things, it just wouldn't work.

[casbit33]

The problem begins when you sell items and combine the postage across different accounts. I had a lady by 91 items across 5 of my accounts. Individulally her postage would have been over $500 but I was able to drop it down to about $40.  How is ebay going to work out that postage?.

[chezzy · Accepted solution]

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@k1ooo-slr-sales wrote:

The expression "Free Postage" should be replaced with "No additional charges" or "Postage included" on listings.

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and I feel it should just be a very basic "Postage included" or "Postage paid"

[cq_tech]

Yes, anything except "Free Postage" as there is no such thing, and buyers know it.

[digital*ghost]

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@casbit33 wrote:

The problem begins when you sell items and combine the postage across different accounts. I had a lady by 91 items across 5 of my accounts. Individulally her postage would have been over $500 but I was able to drop it down to about $40.  How is ebay going to work out that postage?.

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There are hundreds, thousands, possibly millions of online stores using exactly the kind of postage system I have described. There are free cart systems out there for people to integrate into their webshops that can calculate postage in this way. That means it's not exactly a high-range, mega-expensive kind of tool to develop, and that sellers on eBay could use it, therefore I have suggested it as an additional postage option to make things easier for the sellers who could. Simple as that. 

[bigbrickshop · Accepted solution]

I agree with most of the suggestions above.

Business Policies should be made available to all users. They were announced in May 2012 but they have still not been rolled out to all sellers.

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

Thanks again to all that have posted.  Sorry that many of you have been bombarded with emails letting you know your posts have been accepted as a solution, but I wanted to highlight the ideas on this thread that others Kudo'd because they liked the idea.

Here is a summary of ideas to date that are worthy of consideration:

- The expression "Free Postage" should be replaced with "No additional charges" or "Postage included" on listings (this is a long standing idea, even though I posted it on this thread I am not claiming it as my idea)

- Provide sellers with a warning of perceived infringements, before restricting accounts and a genuine, effective means of appealing account restrictions (post #5, thanks chameleon54)

- Replace "best match" as the default search system with "time ending soonest" (post #6, thanks chameleon54)

- Have searches show items in Australia first where there is an abundance of choice for buyers (post #8, thanks thecatspjs)

- . . . . . a seller should be able to set a payment time-frame if immediate payment is not required, and if payment is not received or a longer time frame not negotiated, they should be able to cancel the transaction immediately due to non-payment (post #9, thanks digital*ghost)

- Cross-referencing between buyer accounts to restrict members who try to circumvent blocks by opening new accounts (post #11, thanks digital*ghost)

- Significantly improved account ID verification requirements (post #12, thanks thecatspjs)

- FVF credits if a seller can prove they refunded excess postage. FVF charged on the lowest domestic postage option  (post #15, thanks digital*ghost)

- a non-payment = non-buying option.  I don't think the current system is adequate as it only allows Paypal as the payment method. Not every buyer uses Paypal, and it should be simple enough to set the cart up so no-pay = no-buy (post #17, thanks davewil1964)

- First time buyers should have to complete a short online tutorial before they can buy their first item. Covering topics like :Feedback - pos, neut & neg explained (post #24, thanks am*3)

- . . . more threads . . . . where posters could just brainstorm high level concepts, ideas and opportunities without getting bogged down in details, they can be discussed in other threads if desired  (post #31, thanks thecatspjs)

- Feedback tally of non-payment shows on buyer feedback page, the same or similar to how bid retractions do now (post #37, thanks thecatspjs)

- Sellers with stores get an option to trade-in their free buy-it-nows for free auction listings - based on $$ value of same (post #38, thanks thecatspjs)

- eBay customer service staff are trained in basic eBay policy (post #39, thanks thecatspjs)

- Australian eBay staff participate in the discussion board by posting a discussion topic for a defined time ( an hour or so) on aspects of eBay on a regular basis as they do in the US (post #40, thanks thecatspjs)

- Australia Post and other key company courier/delivery reps are invited to host ongoing threads in buying and selling to post on changes, follow up issues etc (post #44, thanks thecatspjs)

- bidder/buyer block for non-payers with more than 1 UnPaid Item strike in last 12 months being a default setting on the Sell-an-Item page with sellers being able to opt-out of the setting if they wish (post #45, one of mine!)

- eBay renames the "defect" system and introduces ground breaking performance and seller loyality incentives, the likes that have never been seen before (post #47, thanks thecatspjs)

- A visual indication next to transactions if someone is a repeat buyer, and as a related feature, the ability to generate store and customer exclusive coupons (post #48, thanks digital*ghost) and a similar idea in post#54  (thanks glenbankloel)

- . . . . buyers to be made to contact a seller before grey or red dotting (post #56, thanks nevillesdaughter)

- Buyer restrictions on bidding and buying, when they have unpaid disputes currently open (post #59, thanks thecatspjs)

- Trust and safety reporting process is significantly improved (post #60, thanks thecatspjs)

- Bring back Hijack-Hunters thread (post #62, again, not an original of mine even though I posted it)

- The ability to deactivate an individual listing without ending it, so that it cannot be seen in search results or purchased from, but when reactivated, all sales history, rankings etc is not lost, plus an option to automatically put a listing in 'deactivate' mode if stock sells out, rather than ending it (post #64, thanks digital*ghost)

- eBay could give new members a discount on their first purchase if they complete the short online tutorial (post #65, one of mine)

- make the RECALCULATE button on the invoice when combining postage cost actually recalculate, rather than default to the original (post #72, thanks egglesdtp)

Quite a list in just two days of everyone working together to suggest worthwhile ideas.  Keep the ideas coming in, I'm sure there are plenty more simple tweaks that would help sellers and eBay.

Now, if anyone out there gets a "How can we improve" email from eBay just copy and post this post or put in the web page address for this thread.

Chris Mac

edit:Padi, in reply to your post# 71, I don't have any regular contact with eBay reps, but I did send a personal message to an eBay employee that has posted on these boards before and asked them to read this thread.

[nevillesdaughter]

Three cheers for Sir Sales       HIP_HIP........

Marina.