topic Re: Ebay Plus $4 express upgrade problems in Selling

Ebay Plus $4 express upgrade problems

the_corps_shop — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 10:56:34 GMT

I am experiencing a problem with the Ebay Plus Express Parcel upgrade.

Low value items that are small and normally ship as an un-tracked large letter class item.

Cost Seller $2.20 to post.

Same day handling time

Retail price of item is $9.90

Buyer has 3 x domestic shipping options on the listing:

Free Postage: Standard Postage (Australia Post Domestic Regular Letter)

$6.95: Standard Postage (Australia Post Domestic Regular Letter With Tracking)

$11.95: Express delivery

Buyer selects free standard shipping and is upgraded by Ebay Plus to Express Shipping at no cost to buyer.

Ebay only compensates seller $4 towards the Express upgrade when the upgrade actually costs $9.30 (difference between the letter price and the Express Parcel price).

Shipping by express parcel service will cost $11.50 + packaging materials and time to process order.

Seller now has to make up the $5.30 out of their own pocket to upgrade a "free" letter class item to a tracked express service. Impossible not to lose money on an iten priced <$15

Ebay chat support only suggestions is to modify the handling time to 2 days so these listings will be exempted, but naturally increase the deliver time estimate (and potentially lose sales)

Any Suggestions other than opting out of Ebay Plus all together or removing the free shipping option?

Re: Ebay Plus $4 express upgrade problems

jfmgray — Sat, 13 Jun 2020 02:38:04 GMT

I also send large letters but use the c4 express envellope if express option is selected by the buyer - cost of $7.50. These are meant to be used for documents only but my local post office accepts them over the counter and I have never had a problem with these arriving at the destination. But my items are flat and uniform so might be hard for AP to know they are not documents.

Re: Ebay Plus $4 express upgrade problems

the_corps_shop — Sat, 20 Jun 2020 01:23:50 GMT

Hello.

Thanks for your reply. We had considered this option, but like you say, the item needs to be a flat/uniform type item that could be assumed as documents.

We can do this with some items, but mostly this is not an option.

I just don't understand why there is not an opt in/out option on each listing, or linked to your postage policies that allows you to enable the ebay Plus Express upgrade or not.

Sellers can choose if the item should be included in the program or not.

@jfmgray wrote:
I also send large letters but use the c4 express envellope if express option is selected by the buyer - cost of $7.50. These are meant to be used for documents only but my local post office accepts them over the counter and I have never had a problem with these arriving at the destination. But my items are flat and uniform so might be hard for AP to know they are not documents.

Re: Ebay Plus $4 express upgrade problems

little.ripple — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 00:37:57 GMT

Yes, I have complained as well. I have to pay much more if they choose Free Express. I'll just have to opt out of Ebay Plus.

A really bad program. And actually not many people use this feature which is good news for me!

Re: Ebay Plus $4 express upgrade problems

andrew0123 — Sun, 13 Sep 2020 06:06:57 GMT

Hey i've recently started using ebay plus. First, keep in mind this is only a promotion and from experience will only last 1-3 months going by other offers ebay put forward in the past.

Secondly, I haven't sold anything yet through ebay plus + express. You have to add the cost of the express postage SEPERATELY therefore the buyer will pay for the additional postage costs.

Also, try sending these $2:20 items in an express post envelope as merchandise which costs around $8 (C5). So you are out of pocket under $6 - and you can charge $6 for this - and ebay you will give you $4 back - and you profit $4 until the promotion ends.

Re: Ebay Plus $4 express upgrade problems

andrew0123 — Sun, 13 Sep 2020 06:10:56 GMT

I have sold a couple of things on ebay plus and nobody payed the extra $6 for express. My understanding is that you shouldn't offer express as the only postage option. Maybe bulk change your listings to add express as the second option.

Re: Ebay Plus $4 express upgrade problems

*tippy*toes* — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 06:55:21 GMT

Plus buyers get free express. They don't pay for the upgrade. Ebay pays a portion of it and the seller foots the bill for the rest. I made sure none of my items qualified.

Re: Ebay Plus $4 express upgrade problems

silver-fox-bullion — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 07:51:33 GMT

@the_corps_shop wrote:
I am experiencing a problem with the Ebay Plus Express Parcel upgrade.

Low value items that are small and normally ship as an un-tracked large letter class item.
Cost Seller $2.20 to post.
Same day handling time
Retail price of item is $9.90

Buyer has 3 x domestic shipping options on the listing:

Free Postage: Standard Postage (Australia Post Domestic Regular Letter)
$6.95: Standard Postage (Australia Post Domestic Regular Letter With Tracking)
$11.95: Express delivery

Buyer selects free standard shipping and is upgraded by Ebay Plus to Express Shipping at no cost to buyer.

Ebay only compensates seller $4 towards the Express upgrade when the upgrade actually costs $9.30 (difference between the letter price and the Express Parcel price).

Shipping by express parcel service will cost $11.50 + packaging materials and time to process order.

Seller now has to make up the $5.30 out of their own pocket to upgrade a "free" letter class item to a tracked express service. Impossible not to lose money on an iten priced <$15

Ebay chat support only suggestions is to modify the handling time to 2 days so these listings will be exempted, but naturally increase the deliver time estimate (and potentially lose sales)

Any Suggestions other than opting out of Ebay Plus all together or removing the free shipping option?

Yep drop option 1 add option 2 to ya item price so that becomes ya free postage plus an extra say 25 cent , then option 3 drop back 4.00.

so if ya item is say 10 change it to $17.25 what this does is cover option 2 postage and for every 4 items sold ya covering the 1 dollar you will be out of pocket for the plus buyers on the express cost.....

Also with the change coming in from the start of OCT ya mad to NOT send everything by tracking as ebay are going to cover lost items so the seller will not be left out of pocket. where NON tracked you got no leg to stand on

Re: Ebay Plus $4 express upgrade problems

andrew0123 — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 19:12:24 GMT

I'm confused by this. So even if i don't list the item as express (you don't have to list express as main option - i haven't) I still have to send express to all members who are signed up to ebay plus?

Re: Ebay Plus $4 express upgrade problems

andrew0123 — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 19:12:46 GMT

Re: Ebay Plus $4 express upgrade problems

andrew0123 — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 19:21:21 GMT

A buyer has just purchased a book that i didn't list as an ebay plus item. Although it says free express post which is either an ebay mistake or I made an error when listing item (It would cost me more to send express than what i sold item for).

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/James-Follett-Torus-fiction-novel-paperback-book-science-fiction-suspense-HTF/324018878543?hash=item4b7107b84f:g:k2cAAOSwyuVd~RzQ

Where do I see ebay's rebate for the $4 express post charge on ebay plus items?

Re: Ebay Plus $4 express upgrade problems

andrew0123 — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 19:28:54 GMT

Also, is there a way to tell if a buyer is ebay plus?

Re: Ebay Plus $4 express upgrade problems

gec2002 — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 02:03:10 GMT

Items are automatically included in eBay Plus if you and the item meet eBays criteria, ie You're Above Std or higher, and Postage and Returns are: Free domestic postage, A reasonably price express postage option, 0-1 day handling, No additional postage charge for multiple items and Accept 30-day+ returns.

If you don't meet those criteria your item won't be part of the program. eBay regard "reasonably price express postage" as being less than $15.00. Make an item Express Post $15.10 and it won't be included in the program. Other items with less than $15 Express will still be included (assuming they meet the other criteria.

Also this is not an promotion it is on going.

Re: Ebay Plus $4 express upgrade problems

ozheatwave — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 04:41:12 GMT

i always make your express postage higher

i have all my standard postage packaging ready for next day dispatch, doing express postage for same day dispatch + express postage is extra work for me therefore means need extra money

also, don't forget your ebay fee is the "percentage of the total sale of the item" not "sale of item excluding postage", you will be making a loss if you put your express postage same as what auspost or other carriers charges you

Re: Ebay Plus $4 express upgrade problems

andrew0123 — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 15:16:58 GMT

The only reason Ebay have the whole free postage fiasco (to my knowledge) is to compete with amazon prime which is a completely different system which actually benefits the sellers because amazon also store, send and do the packaging for the items (at a monthly cost). This is typical business practice to compete; the AFL do it by adding extra teams in New South Wales and Queensland to compete with the NRL but both teams do not draw any audiences. If the sellers are not happy with the system they simply will not use it; if ebay plus was effective everyone would use it.

As for your problem with postage, my ebay plus items are only those above $50 and prices are marked up to cover for the loss in postage and I offer free express on all these items. I justify this by using tracking and getting the extra security that comes with tracking for all otherwise untracked letters. For otherwise tracked parcels (mine weigh 400 grams sent with stamps and a tracking sticker) it costs me just $3 to upgrade to express ($9 to $12).

Hope this helps.

Re: Ebay Plus $4 express upgrade problems

andrew0123 — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 15:35:50 GMT

Also you might want to try sendle or another cheap courier service. With sendle for example, if you are a bulk seller you can send state to state for as little as $5 and nationally for $6.50 on the top level subscription. I have sent with Sendle and parcels always arrive within 3-5 days, sometimes next day and haven't had any issues and I think sendle are considered express.

Re: Ebay Plus $4 express upgrade problems

parties_balloons — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 05:43:32 GMT

This programme is costing me a fortune. Is the answer to fill the order and then, block people, who are actually costing you money, when you deal with them?

Re: Ebay Plus $4 express upgrade problems

imastawka — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 06:12:09 GMT

Make yourself ineligible for the programme.

Extend your handling time (but still post within 1 day)

Or don't have free delivery.

Re: Ebay Plus $4 express upgrade problems

parties_balloons — Sat, 11 Sep 2021 01:36:07 GMT

Thank you. Best advice ever. It only took a few minutes to bulk edit all my items to "2 days handling". I will also put in my profile that items will always be posted within 24 hours. This idea also means that customers will often receive their orders before the time estimated by eBay, which can't be a bad thing........win / win.

Thanks, again.

Re: Ebay Plus $4 express upgrade problems

imastawka — Sat, 11 Sep 2021 02:05:35 GMT

Yay, I had a good idea