topic Re: Standard Post items now showing FREE Express Post in Selling

Standard Post items now showing FREE Express Post

parts_lunacy — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 09:04:53 GMT

Anyone else having the issue, I have hundreds of listings with both FREE standard post and PAID Express Post options all under the same business policy.

All of a sudden, some, not all and by no means any reasoning behind which ones, now show as FREE Express Post with the option of FREE standard post.

Even very similar items are different with some performing nomally and others showing this FREE Express Post, most items are less than $20 so can not afford to pay $12 for express post.

Any help would be appreciated as I have at least 100 that I have found so far....

p.s. yes I have contacted eBay and "their technical team will get back to me", not that they EVER have in the past!

Re: Standard Post items now showing FREE Express Post

twyngwyn — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 09:15:24 GMT

A.P. are no longer express posting??

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/coronavirus/australia-post-suspends-its-express-next-day-delivery-guarantee-as-part-of-cutbacks-forced-by-the-coronavirus-pandemic/ar-BB137X0y

Re: Standard Post items now showing FREE Express Post

digital*ghost — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 09:33:29 GMT

Have you signed up for eBay Plus, and is that an eBay Plus listing?

Buyers who are in major metro areas, and who are eBay Plus members, now get free upgrades to express post on Plus listings (eBay will fund up to $4 of the price difference - so if the upgrade costs $2, the seller gets $2 from eBay, but if the upgrade costs $8, the seller only gets $4).

I'm not a plus member, so I can take a look at one of the affected listings to see if it's showing as free express for me as well if you like (if eBay are showing free express to non-qualifying buyers, that's going to be a problem).

Re: Standard Post items now showing FREE Express Post

parts_lunacy — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 02:29:40 GMT

HI digital*ghost, thank you, I think you are onto something there as I just checked and they all appear to be "eBay Plus" above the shipping note "Free Express Post"

Now I'm even more confused as only some listings are and not others and I don't believe we ever signed up as a seller to do so, I even believe we asked to be removed as sellers ourselves, so will be re-checking again.

$20 item

-$4 ebay refund

-$2.20 normal postage

-$1.00 Postage Padded Satchel

+$2.00 For Box able to be used for Express Post

+$12.00 Express Post fee

Still means we have to come up with an extra $6.80 on an item we are usually pushing at making $2.00 on after fees etc.. makes no sense.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/172008898976

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/172147325808

Thank you again, you just saved us a fortune!!!!

Re: Standard Post items now showing FREE Express Post

parts_lunacy — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 02:32:56 GMT

I believe they are still doing Express Post, just not guaranteeing next day delivery.

Still classed as a priority service... something to do with less flights etc.

Re: Standard Post items now showing FREE Express Post

parts_lunacy — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 03:17:27 GMT

Thanks digital*ghost, just changed everything to 2 days handling and all is back to being as it should be.

Appreciate the help. LEGEND!!

Re: Standard Post items now showing FREE Express Post

digital*ghost — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 03:28:11 GMT

Glad I could help 🙂

There is actually a way to opt out of Plus, but it has to be done manually by emailing the right department (I don't have the address on hand, but if anyone wants it, let me know), and once opted out, if you ever want to opt back in, it also has to be done by manual request.

The system is fine for things that are sent in small or medium satchels, as the price difference between regular / express is around the $3-$4 mark from memory, but if you're sending small items at letter rates (almost all my items go this way), the difference is over $8 in a lot of cases, so you could really take a hit if you get a lot of Plus buyers. 😞

Re: Standard Post items now showing FREE Express Post

gec2002 — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 05:47:02 GMT

I wish ebay would stop trying to be a Mini-Me Amazon. This is just a copy of Prime. That works for Amazon because they have their own Stock, Distribution and Courier setup.

Also part of the New eBayPlus is that you are have to upload Tracking for each Plus sale. Bit of a problem if you mostly send by Letter Post. Apparently if you don't upload Tracking a sufficient number of times you will be removed from the eBayPlus program. Suits me never wanted to be part of it in the first place.

Re: Standard Post items now showing FREE Express Post

needsome12vbasics — Sat, 02 May 2020 22:45:29 GMT

After a 1 hour typing chat with 3 eBay help people (they kept passing me on to 'experts in that area'), that provided no acceptable solutions, have just discovered a way to get around the eBay Plus tag on my sales sent in a 2 and 3 stamp letter box, without opting out of eBay Plus (which by the way they tried to tell me it is not possible to opt-out, that once a listing became eligible it would be included regardless). Changing them to large and bulky, 50kg, 2mtrs long did NOT work, and eBay's only offered solution was to remove the express option, or charge postage separately, both of which would lose the 'eBay Premium Service' tag on listings. I just discovered, if you change the express post charge to over $15 (I put $15.20/$15.25 on mine) it removes the eBay Plus badge (Sigh of relief). As the express parcels are only $11.95, so only $10 and $9 more than the 2/3 stamps, will just give buyers extra product to compensate if they do pay for the express. Now I just have to keep checking my listings every day what other listings they include in the Plus program, as they have only included select categories to date, but if they include all, there will be some parcel sales that I would make no profit on if I have to pay the difference for express. I just hope they change the seller hub to show which listings have the eBay Plus badge on them, as it is a pain having to manually search them every day.

Re: Standard Post items now showing FREE Express Post

digital*ghost — Sun, 03 May 2020 02:52:01 GMT

@needsome12vbasics wrote:
I just hope they change the seller hub to show which listings have the eBay Plus badge on them, as it is a pain having to manually search them every day.

If you're not sure which of your listings meet the criteria for plus, just view your own listings outside of your store home, and then use the menu refinement on the left to show only Plus listings.

eg click "View Listings" underneath your username in one of your posts, then click this (it's showing me 27 individual listings) :

Re: Standard Post items now showing FREE Express Post

needsome12vbasics — Sun, 03 May 2020 03:05:10 GMT

Yes digital*ghost, that is the only way I knew I had eBay Plus listings, by searching as you just said, and I have to keep searching like that every day to see what they add to it, as the seller hub doesn't tell you which listings are 'Plus' listings. I had never joined, I didn't even know my listings had the badge until I looked at my listings using the filter from a buyer point of view. And by the way, almost all of my listings meet their 'criteria', so I am guessing it is only a matter of time until they get included too. I recommend everyone check their listings this way.

Re: Standard Post items now showing FREE Express Post

digital*ghost — Sun, 03 May 2020 03:22:10 GMT

None of my listings are Plus, as I charge postage separately and have a longer handling time than is required.

This is the criteria for Plus:

Seller is above standard or top rated, item is in Aus (and return address as well), not heavy / bulky, listing has a 0-1 day handling time, accepts returns, free regular post (domestic), offers an express post option, and doesn't charge extra postage for additional items.

I'd probably charge something like 5c per additional item, if wanting to remove my listings from plus.

Re: Standard Post items now showing FREE Express Post

needsome12vbasics — Sun, 03 May 2020 03:31:17 GMT

I only had 1 listing that wasn't eligible for 'Plus' before I changed the express post bit on my letter box listings, but adding 5c for additional is a good idea, only problem for me is I give extra product for multiple purchases if the postage works out cheaper to send together, and it usually is cheaper, would look strange asking for extra 5c? I get a lot of multiple buys. That being said, if they do make all my listings 'plus', I will have to seriously consider doing just that for the low profit listings, if they don't supply an option for sellers to de-select listings. Thanks for the idea.

Re: Standard Post items now showing FREE Express Post

digital*ghost — Sun, 03 May 2020 03:48:12 GMT

You could try putting in an extra amount for additional postage on the individual listings, and then using a flat rate postage rule to counteract it.

On my listings, I do charge $0 extra for additional items, but I use a postage rule so that when people buy two different items, it's also $0 extra, as otherwise eBay would add the two P&H costs together. The postage rule should override the listing rule, but having that cost there to start with might disqualify the listing from being Plus... If that all makes sense

Re: Standard Post items now showing FREE Express Post

needsome12vbasics — Sun, 03 May 2020 05:01:22 GMT

Just thought I would test the theory, and discovered even the first suggestion of having free post, but 0.05c for additional items is not allowed.... You can't add an additional cost with the free postage box ticked, and when you do add an amount, this warning pops up.

Postage cost for additional items shouldn't be greater than base postage cost

Re: Standard Post items now showing FREE Express Post

digital*ghost — Sun, 03 May 2020 05:11:19 GMT

Of course, I keep thinking about my own items (which have a postage cost).

Hmm, seems like a weird stipulation to have, though, if free post applies regardless - I wonder if they meant it for the express post option instead, since that can have a cost? At least that way, you can charge your regular rate of express and have a minimal cost for extra items.

I doubt you'd have anyone query such a small additional cost, if they even notice. It might look a little bit weird having no extra cost for the free post option and a small charge for express, but it's not like postage to AP is the only cost you have for shipping and most people wouldn't bother querying an extra 5c. You could even try it with 1c.

Re: Standard Post items now showing FREE Express Post

needsome12vbasics — Sun, 03 May 2020 05:16:03 GMT

Am experimenting, will let you know the outcome.

Re: Standard Post items now showing FREE Express Post

needsome12vbasics — Sun, 03 May 2020 06:24:27 GMT

Not getting too excited yet, BUT I have added 0.01c to additional purchased on the Express Post option only, and put the express post costs back down to what they should be, that was an hour ago, and the listings have not come back on the 'plus' listings list. Finger's cross that is the solution! Thank you Digital*ghost.

Re: Standard Post items now showing FREE Express Post

Anonymous — Sun, 03 May 2020 07:40:53 GMT

There's a filter in seller hub to show all your Plus listings.

Go to your active listings page and it's on the dropdown menu that shows Title as the default (in the Search section near the top of the page).

Re: Standard Post items now showing FREE Express Post

needsome12vbasics — Sun, 03 May 2020 08:03:03 GMT

Fancy that! Found it. Thank you tangledstitches.