I'm at a loss to know how to deal with this issue in a way that satisfies eBay and doesn't penalise myself.
By way of brief explanation, I sell mostly CDs, DVDs, magazines, books and other small itemswhich all go at large letter rate.
Last week I received a message titled
Action: Upload Valid Tracking for Your eBay Orders
Stating in part
"We noticed that not all of the tracking you upload is valid (based on the postage services you’re selecting).
- If you are inputting tracking numbers manually, we encourage you to copy and paste the tracking number to avoid errors;
- If you are choosing to send some of your orders in an untracked letter, ensure these items are classified under the correct postage service (ie. Australia Post Domestic Regular Letter Untracked) in your postage policies;"
In the same message they stated:
"If you have a low rate of valid tracking on trackable postage services, your listings may be placed lower in search results."
Perhaps wrongly, I took this to mean that I should change my large letter items (virtually everything I sell) from 'standard parcel' to 'untracked letter' in the postage description, in order not to be penalised in search results. I can see now that the message doesn't actually promise that doing so will make any difference. However I was anxious to try. eBay said this new system began on October 1st last year, and that was when my sales suddenly fell off a cliff.
ANYWAY
I went and changed all my items to 'Australia Post Untracked Letter'. I wasn't comfortable with this for a number of reasons I'll get to below,. Today I received this from eBay:
"If you use an untracked postage service (e.g. Australia Post Domestic Regular Letter Untracked):
- Your listings may show longer Estimated Delivery Dates to manage buyer expectations
- Your listings may be placed lower in search results
- If a buyer opens an ‘Item Not Received’ request, we will close any unresolved requests and refund the buyer 3 business days after the request is opened and you will be required to reimburse us for the amount
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So, now I'm being placed lower in search results because I followed their request to change my postage category?
There are several reasons I'd rather go back to listing these items as 'standard parcel'. Whether it's strictly accurate or not, it's the description I've always used, and it seems more intuitively correct, because although my items do go at 'large letter rate', they are sent in padded bags, or with stiffening sheets, and basically look like parcels not letters. I don't want potential buyers to get the impression a CD is going to arrive in a paper envelope like a letter.
Second, under the 'letter' option, my items announce 'untracked' in their description, which seems a needless red rag to any unscrupulous buyers who now know for certain that I have no means of contradicting them if they claim an item hasn't arrived.
Finally, I get penalised in the expected delivery date by now having an estimated delivery time of 6-8 days. In my experience there is no basis for expecting a large letter to be slower than a tracked parcel. If anything I'd say the reverse is true.
(Before anyone asks why I don't just use tracking as an option: would you buy a $6 CD if the postage was $8-9 rather than $2-3?)
I just feel like changing everything back to where it was. It seems I'm going to be penalised in search results either way, but with 'untracked letter' I get additional penalties as well.
Apologies if this was a dog's breakfast to read, or if someone started a thread about it which I didn't notice.
