topic Re: eBay Guaranteed Delivery in Selling

eBay Guaranteed Delivery

retrogamestoreau — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 04:31:07 GMT

What are everyones thoughts on eBay's new Guarenteed Delivery program? For those that don't know about it information is available here:

https://sellercentre.ebay.com.au/content/ebay-guaranteed-delivery

I have mixed feelings about it at the moment. I think this might be a way of combatting overseas sellers that lie about the items locations in their listings as it would be very unlikely that they could meet the postage time requirements.

However, if I'm understanding this correctly it seems like genuine Australian sellers with premium listings may need to offer Express postage as the default method of postage on all their listings in order to comply, (for example if someone from a remote/rural location purchased one of your items.) This would obviously mean you would need to increase all your prices which would result in higher eBay fees and less competitive pricing.

I'm interested to hear other opinions, so let me know what you think.

Re: eBay Guaranteed Delivery

Anonymous — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 04:37:17 GMT

I personally think it is just another way for ebay to screw sellers

Re: eBay Guaranteed Delivery

go-tazz — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 04:43:25 GMT

I'm not in an Express postage area so it doesn't apply to me.

Which is great as it means I couldn't get "done" when parcels don't arrive in time due to an outside agency

failing to deliver items.

IMHO it's just another step in buyers getting free items and the sellers getting hammered again,

Re: eBay Guaranteed Delivery

*sparklz* — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 04:49:37 GMT

Offer express to meet the ranking criteria and charge it as $1,000.00

If the buyer pays for it then YAY to the seller LOL

Re: eBay Guaranteed Delivery

jellybirddesigns — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 06:44:23 GMT

I'm definitely NOT opting in.

If Australia Post can't guarantee their delivery times, neither can I.

Re: eBay Guaranteed Delivery

imastawka — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 07:13:01 GMT

Keep an eye on it though.

You might have to opt out instead.

Re: eBay Guaranteed Delivery

retrogamestoreau — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 08:21:26 GMT

For those that are choosing not to opt-in, are you concerned that this might effect your best match ranking and sales as you'd most likely be competing against people that do offer the guarentee?

Re: eBay Guaranteed Delivery

davewil1964 — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 08:32:32 GMT

No.

Best match is a con. My prices are around market rates, and my items aren't particularly time-sensitive. Why would I, or anybody, open themselves up to punishment by eBay by guaranteeing something I/we have no control over?

Why does eBay expect us to? Because they want to be Amazon without the risks of stocking, selling and guaranteeing their own stock.

Re: eBay Guaranteed Delivery

go-tazz — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 09:28:46 GMT

@imastawka wrote:
Keep an eye on it though.

You might have to opt out instead.

A bit like the GSP,(if they opt me in then they can explain to the buyer that I don't live in the Express network

so it can't work the way eBay wants).

The Express Post delivery network is the network within which we guarantee next business day delivery for

Express Post items.

Outside of this network, Express Post items will be delivered as fast as possible using existing transport links.

https://auspost.com.au/sending/send-within-australia/delivery-speeds-and-coverage

If your item is for an address outside the Express Post network, we'll use the fastest possible transport links,

but it won't be covered by our Next Day Guarantee.

Re: eBay Guaranteed Delivery

digital*ghost — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 09:43:19 GMT

@retrogamestoreau wrote:

However, if I'm understanding this correctly it seems like genuine Australian sellers with premium listings may need to offer Express postage as the default method of postage on all their listings in order to comply, (for example if someone from a remote/rural location purchased one of your items.)

"Who sets up my Guaranteed Delivery timeframe?

Once the program is launched and once you are opted-in, you will be able to override eBay’s Estimated Delivery Dates with your own timeframes, provided by your carriers. For example, if you know that you can deliver an item in 3 days and are able to provide tracking, you will be able to update this in your Rate Tables, which we have updated to make this possible."

(^that's from eBay's FAQs)

Rate tables provide the option to set up delivery costs by region, and I suspect given the above, they may also provide the option to set up expected delivery times by region.

That being said, I am unlikely to participate, for I have no interest in providing guarantees on behalf of Australia Post, based on either my experience or AP's stated timeframes, and them compensating buyers out of my pocket if it gets there the day after. I will continue to offer express for those who want faster deliveries, and will fix problems to the best of my ability if they arise, but I won't go out of my way to create problems where currently none exist.

Re: eBay Guaranteed Delivery

brerrabbit585 — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 11:37:46 GMT

@retrogamestoreau wrote:
For those that are choosing not to opt-in, are you concerned that this might effect your best match ranking and sales as you'd most likely be competing against people that do offer the guarentee?

Apart from the fact I doubt I'm high in best match anyway, there's absolutely no point in trying to compete with others if it means I end up selling at a loss.

Re: eBay Guaranteed Delivery

whoisbiggles — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 22:03:44 GMT

I believe this eBay's way to compete with Amazon Australia.

Sellers who accept this "offer" will bear a high cost when Auspost doesn't deliver on time. I like many others will have horror stories of parcels travelling Brisbane to Sydney via Adelaide and Melbourne.

Easy pass

Re: eBay Guaranteed Delivery

davewil1964 — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 06:01:41 GMT

Amazon won't have a fulfillment centre for many months yet. Even then it will only work for Amazon's own stock and thrid party sellers who are mug enough to give their stock to Amazon.

Doesn't Amazon charge buyers extra to access their Prime offering? I can't imagine eBay doing that, so once again they are tilting the playing field and claiming they are levelling it.

Re: eBay Guaranteed Delivery

melbourneclearance — Sun, 10 Dec 2017 06:40:57 GMT

It is an easy pass until we see our competitors' stuff ranking better and raking in the sales. Then the devil called ebay has won again.

This surely is another way for ebay to screw sellers, but I will be sitting on my hands for the moment. What can sellers do when ebay tells them to bend over? It's a tough world out there.

Re: eBay Guaranteed Delivery

zanadoo_56 — Sun, 10 Dec 2017 07:26:27 GMT

I filled out the survey on that one (mine is solely from a buyer's viewpoint)....and I thought it was hilarious.

Unless eBay is delivering stuff themselves, there is no way to 'guarantee delivery ' as long a Aust Post is ultimately in charge.

Even in my area where AP is pretty good, as long as a parcel goes through Sunshine West, Chullora and all the other Black Holes of Parcel Death, delivery guarantees are hit and miss at best.

Re: eBay Guaranteed Delivery

rosenzweig456 — Sat, 30 Dec 2017 01:24:55 GMT

Yes, I am worried about this. I also sell to international buyers, so that wouldn’t work either. Just another way of eBay trying to control everything.

Re: eBay Guaranteed Delivery

brobogan — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 23:18:07 GMT

Amazon is going to eat ebay alive. Watch and see. Ebay wont last long.

Re: eBay Guaranteed Delivery

*tippy*toes* — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 02:55:32 GMT

@broboganwrote:
Amazon is going to eat ebay alive. Watch and see. Ebay wont last long.

Really? What makes you think that? They certainly haven't eaten eBay alive in other countries, what makes you think they will here? The items I buy aren't available on Amazon. Same for lots of other people. EBay is still doing well in the other countries that Amazon has been existing for years, so I don't think they have anything to worry about.

Re: eBay Guaranteed Delivery

countessalmirena — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 06:34:46 GMT

brobogan, as *tippy*toes* says, I am not sure that that's going to happen.

Amazon AU doesn't list the items that I wanted to see listed, and which I still end up purchasing from Am.com, Am.co.uk. Am.de, Am.fr, Am.it, and Am.es. At first they had not a single Emile Henry item on there; now some are listed, but at frankly ridiculous prices! The large tajine (grand cru/burgundy) is priced at an amount that makes one's eyes water. Equally baffling is the price for the chicken roaster, whereas direct from Emile Henry in the US or from France I'd be paying about 2/3 of the AM AU price. Even less expensive are those shown on Amara, but I don't like the red (which is actually brick red rather than the richly luscious burgundy red that pleases me right down to the nerves of my fingertips).

eBay even has a seller in Italy listing that item in my desired colour (for a good price, too, although admittedly he/she hasn't specified the postage to Australia).

Basically, eBay's goose isn't being cooked by Amazon AU (not at this stage, at any rate), but my chickens will be - and in grand cru style!

Re: eBay Guaranteed Delivery

davewil1964 — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 07:21:41 GMT

I stir fry mine.