topic Re: Spring Seller Update is here in Selling

Spring Seller Update is here

twyngwyn — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 00:48:48 GMT

https://sellercentre.ebay.com.au/SU19-2/Spring-2019-Seller-Update

Here's What's Coming This Spring

Re: Spring Seller Update is here

go-tazz — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 01:02:16 GMT

Under: New Labels Platform and Postage Options

Later this year, we’ll be bringing a new carrier onto the platform with competitive postage rates. We’ll also be enabling a multi-channel plug-in, so you can use the eBay Labels Platform to print labels for orders from other channels. Stay tuned for more information about these changes.

In other words trying to shaft AP as they may get a better deal from their "new" carrier (it's a wonder that they

haven't brought in a service yet where everything has to go through them).

Re: Spring Seller Update is here

twyngwyn — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 01:08:05 GMT

More Category Changes:

Key Dates

From 8 October 2019:

We’re updating our category & classification structure.
We’ll automatically move impacted listings to new categories on this date.

What’s Changing

We’re continuing to improve our on-site experience with enhancements to our category and classification structure. This includes adding new categories, and renaming and removing existing categories and classifications.

We’ll automatically move any impacted listings to the most relevant category. These are the categories where we’re making changes:

Books, Magazines
Cameras
Clothing, Shoes & Accessories
Computers/Tablets & Networking
Food & Drinks
Home & Garden

Home Appliances
Industrial
Music
Phones & Accessories
Sporting Goods
Video Games & Consoles

Re: Spring Seller Update is here

whoisbiggles — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 04:33:08 GMT

Hopefully the "new carrier" isn't Sendle - the google forum boards are filled with complaints about how **bleep** they are.

Re: Spring Seller Update is here

lyndal1838 — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 06:39:15 GMT

Sendle is not a carrier as such......they offer a broking service and farm the work out to different couriers. The seller would have no control over which courier delivers their items.

Re: Spring Seller Update is here

davewil1964 — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 07:08:31 GMT

Books again. They just changed books. Probably going to change them back to the way they were. Or fix the comics bit.

Re: Spring Seller Update is here

brerrabbit585 — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 07:52:15 GMT

@davewil1964 wrote:
Books again. They just changed books. Probably going to change them back to the way they were. Or fix the comics bit.

Are you wearing rose-coloured glasses today?? Or are you high on something? Using the word fix is being way too optimistic, surely!

Re: Spring Seller Update is here

davewil1964 — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 08:02:02 GMT

Re: Spring Seller Update is here

digital*ghost — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 10:31:04 GMT

The new seller protections are the most frustrating and disappointing thing in this round of updates, at least for me.

It's also very telling of what we already know is eBay's position on fraudulent behaviour:

"We already protect all sellers against abusive buying behaviour, and events outside of your control. From 1 October, we’ll provide additional protection for listings with an eBay Plus badge:

If you receive a false ‘Item not as described’ request

Let us know, using our new Report a Buyer tool.
If we determine the buyer made a false claim, we’ll credit your monthly invoice with a return postage label up to $9.
We’ll automatically remove any negative or neutral Feedback, defects, and open cases in your service metrics.
If a returned item is opened, used or damaged

Issue a refund - You can deduct up to 50% to cover lost value.
We’ll automatically remove any negative or neutral feedback, defects and open cases in your service metrics.
We’ll step in to take care of any issues with the buyer on your behalf."

I am thoroughly dismayed ebay has introduced this to reward sellers who have earned Plus on their listings (that's their choice of words, not mine), since sellers don't get to opt in / out of Plus on their listings, nor do they decide which ones Plus applies to.

If you let eBay know a buyer has opened a false INAD request, and they agree... why not protect sellers by denying the claim? Why is the "protection" to allow the return but cover the return postage? Sure, they wipe all negative traces of the issue from the seller's account, but that's not protection, that's blatant facilitation. Besides which, if their protections against false claims are so great already, this wouldn't even be needed.

I'm guessing the $9 limit on postage might indicate the maximum amount of shipping that can be on a listing before it no longer can qualify for Plus, it's a pretty token gesture as it is, but I'd hate to think a seller would be on the hook for a large postage difference in other circumstances.

Then there's the introduction of allowing sellers to retain up to 50% of the item price if it's returned damaged etc. That's a lot better than the other one (retain up to 20% in same circumstances, but only if you offered free return postage), but I'm disgusted this is only provided to sellers of items that eBay have deemed to be priced within whatever their acceptable risk band is and whaked the Plus logo on it - these are issues eBay created for all sellers with the introduction of the MBG, and now when they finally decide to step up to the plate with some flexibility in dealing with fraud, it will only be for a chosen few transactions?

Thanks, I hate it.

Re: Spring Seller Update is here

brerrabbit585 — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 10:52:40 GMT

digi, there's a lot of if's and may's in there so I wouldn't take it as gospel that Plus sellers will actually get any extra protection. Personally, I don't think it's worth the paper it's written on. Does it mean that Plus sellers don't have to offer any proof that things were returned in a different condition and that ebay will believe anything they say. I just can't see that happening! If it does happen, it kind of smacks of discrimination (more than 'kind of').

Re: Spring Seller Update is here

digital*ghost — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 11:16:37 GMT

I definitely can see loopholes in there for eBay not to have to make good on the policy, and I see it largely as lip service / a token gesture, but I am still thoroughly bemused that ebay thinks protection against fraud is a "reward" for getting Plus badging, and not a basic seller need / right.

Re: Spring Seller Update is here

go-tazz — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 11:40:30 GMT

@digital*ghost wrote:
The new seller protections are the most frustrating and disappointing thing in this round of updates, at least for me.

I was going to mention about the so called "protection" and why there wasn't a simple claim denied if it was a

fraudulent return case but decided that others have a more "eloquent" way of putting it.

eBay just doesn't want anyone to think that there is a type of fraud committed on this site so their easy way out

is to pretend that it doesn't exist and allow all buyers the benefit of the doubt (even if found guilty).

Re: Spring Seller Update is here

countessalmirena — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 13:00:04 GMT

@digital*ghost wrote:
I definitely can see loopholes in there for eBay not to have to make good on the policy, and I see it largely as lip service / a token gesture, but I am still thoroughly bemused that ebay thinks protection against fraud is a "reward" for getting Plus badging, and not a basic seller need / right.

That is precisely what ran through my head like little mice smelling the camembert.

❝If you receive a false ‘Item not as described’ request❞ yada yada... ❝We’ll automatically remove any negative or neutral Feedback, defects, and open cases in your service metrics.❞ - Shouldn't eBay be doing that already?

❝If a returned item is opened, used or damaged❞ ... yada yada ... ❝Issue a refund - You can deduct up to 50% to cover lost value❞ which should compensate a seller for receiving a completely unusable destroyed item HOW exactly...? ❝We’ll automatically remove any negative or neutral feedback, defects and open cases in your service metrics❞ (which should happen with any such negative or defect from a buyer returning an item they've used and damaged) and ❝We’ll step in to take care of any issues with the buyer on your behalf❞ - which means what, exactly? eBay is surely not saying they'll send two blokes around, armed with lit cigarettes and cudgels, saying menacingly "So you've returned a damaged item, luv? That's too bad, too bad... Tell you what, luv, it'd be a shame if someone were to drop a lit cigarette here in your house. Your smoke alarms working? And what if my arm was to slip, with this heavy cudgel in it... Could happen, could happen. You don't know just how heavy this cudgel is. If my arm slipped and you were nearby, could be an 'orrible accident, luv - break your ribs, this cudgel could. You know, what say you just sign this 'ere release to indemnify the seller from any further action on your part, 'ey? Keep it all nice and friendly-like, wouldn't it?" ...?

(In essence, if the buyer's given negative feedback and that feedback has been removed, or a defect was issued and the defect's now been removed, or a case was opened by the buyer and it's been closed, what other issues does eBay think could happen with the buyer?)

My eyes did a sort-of round-the-world trip on reading that page.

Re: Spring Seller Update is here

snowbunnies2016 — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 17:59:13 GMT

Enforcing new returns options......

So the minimum is now going to be 30 days.....that gives me plenty of time to buy a dress, wear it a couple of times, damage it unintentionally or deliberately if I no longer like or want it, and then open a return for not as described! Great for buyers, CARP for sellers 😡

it should be up to the seller to decide what their return policy is!

Re: Spring Seller Update is here

curraone — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 20:45:25 GMT

@davewil1964 wrote:
Books again. They just changed books. Probably going to change them back to the way they were. Or fix the comics bit.

Looks like only a small change to Books - and yes, it's comics - new category 63 - delete 259102

Re: Spring Seller Update is here

davewil1964 — Sat, 07 Sep 2019 00:46:43 GMT

The minimum is as it is now. No returns.

As far as I'm aware, 30 days if you accept returns has been in for a while.

Re: Spring Seller Update is here

imastawka — Sat, 07 Sep 2019 01:37:08 GMT

It strikes me that the Countess has been imbibing in too many English skit shows

whilst incapacitated.

Re: Spring Seller Update is here

digital*ghost — Sat, 07 Sep 2019 04:53:26 GMT

@snowbunnies2016 wrote:
Enforcing new returns options......

So the minimum is now going to be 30 days.....that gives me plenty of time to buy a dress, wear it a couple of times, damage it unintentionally or deliberately if I no longer like or want it, and then open a return for not as described! Great for buyers, CARP for sellers 😡

it should be up to the seller to decide what their return policy is!

That situation would be covered by the MBG, not a seller's return policy, and the MBG is an option for 30 days after the latest ETA (180 days for PayPal).

Having a 30 day return policy means the buyer can change their mind within that timeframe, and provides them with less incentive to deliberately damage something just to get a return on something they don't want (just to note, though, less incentive doesn't mean no incentive).

I probably wouldn't be inclined to provide 30-day returns on clothing, but I do currently offer it on my items (jewellery and craft supplies). I can't remember exactly when I switched it over, but it was back when they originally announced the changes, so it was some months ago. I think I've had one COM return since I offered it, and that was within my original timeframe of 7 days, other categories are likely to have very different experiences and return rates, though.

Re: Spring Seller Update is here

purplemon18 — Sat, 07 Sep 2019 12:28:28 GMT

Maybe I'm being nieve, or overly optimistic, but I think that things have improved a bit over the last 6 months. Probably someone new in management has come along or something. The communication coming out of ebay has shown a significant improvement, check out the announcements. Nothing for exactly a year, and then at least one per month since: https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/eBay-Announcements/bg-p/eBayAnnouncements

Also, the fact that they have a new report tool shows that they are at least paying lip service to supporting the sellers better. Lip service is better than no service. Report tool: https://www.ebay.com.au/help/selling/resolving-buyer-issues/report-issue-buyer?id=4084&st=12&pos=3&query=Report%20an%20issue%20with%20a%20buyer&intent=report&context=9048_BUYER

Anyway, as a result I have slightly changed my processes now. As an example, I had someone open a item not delivered case last weekend. I'm in Brisbane, buyer is in Perth. Item was low value so had no tracking. In the past I would have just refunded the item for fear of getting a defect. Now I send a message in the case with clearly defined terms and explanations:

Reason why it might be late; "Shipping accross country can take longer than expected" etc
let me know by specific date if it has still not arrived; in this case Friday
Let them know that I am willing to refund on Friday if it still hasn't arrived

On Friday morning I sent another message in the case to the effect of "Just checking in, has your item arrived?"

In this example, the customer closed the case on Friday night, so I guess that they got their item. Best case scenario, yay!

mid case scenario, I have to process the refund on Friday because the customer is still saying the item didn't arrive.

Worst case scenario the customer escilates and I have to go to the trouble of pointing out to ebay (using the reporting tool) that I tried to be accommodating, but the buyer didn't even communicate and just escilated the case. I expect that I will still have to refund the item, but I shouldn't* have to wear a defect, and the customer has a note on their account that they could be less than honest. Maybe my effort will help another seller down the road.

*I know this is a bit of a big assumption, but I have a much more complicated example from the recent past where I did use the reporting tool after the customer escilated and I did not get a defect.

Re: Spring Seller Update is here

digital*ghost — Sat, 07 Sep 2019 13:44:44 GMT

@purplemon18 wrote:

Also, the fact that they have a new report tool shows that they are at least paying lip service to supporting the sellers better. Lip service is better than no service. Report tool: https://www.ebay.com.au/help/selling/resolving-buyer-issues/report-issue-buyer?id=4084&st=12&pos=3&query=Report%20an%20issue%20with%20a%20buyer&intent=report&context=9048_BUYER

I'm inclined to disagree on that - I think lip service is very counter-productive and ultimately damaging. If reporting a buyer doesn't actually do anything, then a seller has the potential to believe they've been pro-active about a situation and that something will be done, in which case they might neglect to take other actions that actually stand a chance of being productive.

Lip service is what gets buyers to delay opening cases past the time they are able to, and suddenly they can't open one anymore, and it's what pacifies sellers into inaction as well.

My main issue, though, is eBay providing extra protections against a claim system and its inherent flaws - which they created - but only for sellers whose items fit the "eBay Plus" pricing format / range. How is that even remotely fair? I know what they are trying to do, and I know what their reasoning is, but as far as I'm concerned they can shove it with this "aren't we great, rewarding sellers who jump through all our hoops with some basic protections all sellers should have?"