Ebay Premium Service

[splashesonline]

Anyone get the following message from Ebay for sellers to change listings to comply with Ebay new Premium Service.

Top-rated sellers qualify for the greatest average boost in Best Match and are eligible to receive benefits on listings that offer same-day or one-day handling time, a minimum 30-day return policy with money back option, a free domestic postage option and an express postage option.

[the4masters2013]

I received that message about a week ago.
Needless to say, I am ignoring it.
I am not going to offer same day or 1 day handling times... mine is a 3 day handling time to give myself a bit of wriggle room.
Quite a few of my items are already free domestic postage.
I will only do express posting if the buyer requests and pays for it.
Tell them they are dreaming!!!

[brerrabbit585]

In the last announcement they made it pretty obvious they're trying to force sellers into offering free postage, express postage, same day postage, returns, etc etc, and if we don't we won't get the exposure we were getting before.

They're too stupid to see that if buyers can't find what they want they'll go elsewhere. If sellers can't sell, a lot of them will go elsewhere too. In some categories (including mine), items may have similar titles but look completely different, so burying half the listings won't help buyers find what they want.

[shoppingbag*]

I've had these offers in the past. My thoughts are....if I had an unexpected delay in posting e.g. car wouldn't start, or I had to go to hospital, then I would be in strife with eBay for not getting my parcels out in time. Free postage? Are they kidding? I would have to add the cost of postage to my items which can make it look more expensive than showing the amount and postage as two separate amounts. Everyone has to make up their own minds on this, but personally, I wouldn't touch it with a forty foot barge pole!  If buyers want my item, they will find it regardless, without some dubious offer of more exposure, with possibly disastrous consequences for me if I cannot comply each and every time. There are NO excuses for not compying according to eBay. A good way to start on the road of having your account terminated by eBay.

[wide-world-of-stamps]

A bit silly us offering express post when we're not in an express post area, like quite a few sellers.

Also, as we sell smaller items, many of our buyers like to get a postage discount when they buy multiple items, so we're definitely not offering "free" post.

And we're not going into town every day, just to post a couple of cheap items - we'd use more in fuel than we'd receive from our buyers!

So, we just glanced at the email, then ignored it.

[collect247]

But what do we think if we're forced into it, to comply?

What if we don't have a choice in the matter?

Are ebay going to force it and if you don't comply then your listings will be down a rabbit hole.

[springyzone]

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@collect247 wrote:

But what do we think if we're forced into it, to comply?

What if we don't have a choice in the matter?

Are ebay going to force it and if you don't comply then your listings will be down a rabbit hole.

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I heard a rumour (or maybe it was just a nebulous idea being churned around by ebay) that maybe at some time in the near future -within about 5 years, they were musing- that it might come to something like that.

Same day free postage for most items but with ebay in charge of the storing, postage component. This would presumably almost entirely eliminate item not received/item not as described claims, except for the odd occasions where something was damaged in the post.

I think it could also cut out vast numbers of sellers who only had one off items or only a few of this and a few of that. It might also help to cut out items advertised as in Australia but coming from China.

Or maybe they would allow the 2 different types of sellers to operate in tandem, I have no idea.

[brerrabbit585]

I doubt they could ever enforce it. They'd risk losing way too many sellers. If they push too much another site will eventually start up. I think enough buyers are frustrated with the search system that they'd happily try a site where it actually works.

Ebay gets discussed quite a bit in some fb craft groups and a lot of buyers have just given up on it because they can't find things, so I think in some categories a new Australian site would do really well. A lot of people have got money to spend but can't find what they want.

[eol-products]

A product I sell is normally first in best match but noticed today it has been pushed out by one with ebayplus and is also sponsered. They sold 4 in january I sold 14 so using the premium service must help.

[shoppingbag*]

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@collect247 wrote:

But what do we think if we're forced into it, to comply?

What if we don't have a choice in the matter?

Are ebay going to force it and if you don't comply then your listings will be down a rabbit hole.

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Well, I suspect Sellers would leave in droves, and as for many others eBay would cancel their accounts for not complying.