Ebay DSRs System Has Lost The Plot

[arb_games]

So Ebay completely closes down my 12 year old Ebay business because my performance is below standard.

My last evaluation on 20th September for the period 1st June to 31st August was below standard.

Below are my figures:

Item As Described - Required 1.20% My Rating 0.46%

Communication - Required 2.40% My Rating 0.57%

Postage Time - Required 2.40% My Rating 2.64%

Postage & Handling Charges - Required 2.40% My Rating 0.57%

So for the miniscule amount of 0.24% over the requirement for Postage Time, regardless of the fact that everything else is well above what is required, they decide to restrict my selling from 15,000 items to 0.

This is despite the fact that for the period 1st July to 30th September, my figures are 0.59%, 0.79%, 1.98% and 0.69% as you read down, which is well within the requirements.

So without even a warning, Ebay closes down my total ability to sell anything.  I realise that Ebay has requirements, but having met them for the past 3 months and continuing to do so, it apparently means nothing to Ebay.

[phorum_junkie*]

So if I only have one item left in stock, I should not be allowed to list it on two seperate advertising formats?

You can list it in as many places as you want as long as one of them isn;t ebay (or incidentaly QS, they have the same policy). You cannot pick and choose which polcies you choose to abide by and which you wish to ignore and I doubt if ebay would have restricted your selling for just one policy breach.

As for being pro ebay I am neither for or against ebay, they are a tool I use to sell items and as I choose to abide by the rules I don't have a problem with ebay doing something about those who don't although as noted their policy does appear to be slightly selective, perhaps the number of times a seller complains has something to do with it!

[cq_tech]

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@phorum_junkie* wrote:

As for being pro ebay I am neither for or against ebay, they are a tool... [del]

 

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Well said, PJ. I doubt I could have put it any better myself.

[arb_games]

OK, to answer some of the questions that have been asked.

If a buyer contacts me and advises that they have made an error in purchasing the product, I am more than happy to agree to a sale cancellation.  However, if a buyer simply states that they just don't want it anymore, particularly with my auction items when they have outbid somebody else, they get reported as a non-paying buyer.

Phorum Junkie, Ebay confirmed in my discussion with my account representatives, that the ONLY reason that my selling account has been restricted is because of the slow postage DSRs, that is the only breach that has occurred with my account - 2.64% when the maximum allowed is 2.40% at the time of the evaluation on 20th September.

This is regardless of the fact that all the other DSRs are well within limits and that since the date of that evaluation, even the slow postage DSRs are well within the limits.  Ebay even admitted to seeing that I was well witin the performance standard now, but the restriction applies to the evaluation carried out on 20th September. 

I am the first to admit that I have made some errors, and when you trying to manage around 5,000 listings, mistakes can and do occur.  I try to avoid mistakes, but like everyone else on Ebay, I am only human, I am an honest sole trader just trying to run a business and pay my bills.

Ebay have treated me harshly in this regard, I would have accepted a restricted trading account even of say 5,000 items instead of my usual 15,000 items, to at least give me a chance to further improve my DSRs etc. 

And to think that there are some really shonky traders on Ebay who seem to manage to keep their trading account active.

[davewil1964]

If your DSRs now comply, presumably you will be able to list again after the October evaluation?

[arb_games]

I would presume that they will lift my restriction, but I also do not trust them to restore my full selling limits.  I reckon they might be "generous" and offer me only 500 items which is not much considering I was on 15000 items per month.

Maybe it's time to put the $20000 in fees that I pay Ebay each year to better use and concentrate on my website and go back to doing Sunday markets.

[*crikey*mate*]

Could I please clarify that you paid/pay Twenty THOUSAND dollars in FEES each year to eBay?

[arb_games]

The last 18 months or so during the retail downturn, I have been paying between around $800 to $1200 per month in fees, which includes my store subscription of $500 per month.  November and December last year, I paid around $1500 per month.

Add to this Paypal fees of about $200-$300 per month.

[pinktoedannie]

Ebay fees really add up - even on my slow ID I would estimate I pay about $400 a month.  Yet I only have maybe ten listings at any one time.  When you get up into the huge stock numbers it can rise dramatically - mostly due to FVF's, especially if you have high price items.

[*crikey*mate*]

20 thousand in fees a year is a turnover of about 200 thousand dollars a year!

CRIKEY! On eBay???? Seriously?

All I can think about is packing that much stuff!

and the amount of bubblewrap!

5 or 6 hundred a month is within my realms of comprehension, but nearly 2K?

That's not much lower than a lease on a B&M store!

[pinktoedannie]

The big difference is the fees are that high primarily because you HAVE actually sold something.  In a B & M store you can be paying that much and the stock might just sit there getting dusty.