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@jellybirddesigns wrote:

@gec2002 - the tracking requirement has become a universal expectation on all the major platforms.

 

Amazon - 95% valid tracking requirement - no matter whether small or high volume seller

Etsy - 95% valid tracking requirement - no matter whether small or high volume seller

Ebay - same expectation from Feb '22

 

As usual, Ebay is one of the last to implement these changes, but some sellers act as though the bottom has fallen out of their world. Why is it unfair on small sellers? Shouldn't everyone be diligent about their selling, regardless of their sales volume?

 

In fact, if you're a small seller, you're going to be even more aware of all the moving parts of a sale. The quality of the packaging, the method of packing, and providing a tracking number for peace of mind, for example.

Smaller sellers actually have more time to be meticulous compared to a high volume seller who quickly chucks 10 items into a box and hopes for the best.

 

Also, you mention the pickup of tracking as a concern, but it has never been my experience that tracking does not upload or update. I've had 5000+ transactions and this has never been an issue.

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As with all things on ebay, I suspect the importance of this issue is very much related to what you sell and the demographic of customers you sell too. Ebay being a global internet behemoth cant make one rule for one group of sellers and another rule for others. It simply comes up with generic positions that suit the widest segment of the market.

TRACKING - on three of my selling accounts I dont upload tracking unless asked by the customer. I,m running a micro, single person business that relies on turning over the maximum amount of stock per hour to actually produce a reliable income comparable to a semi professional career. I make around $45 per hour profit for every hour I spend on ebay. This includes the time spent sourcing stock including garage sales, browsing op shops etc thats billed at $45 per hour, time spent browsing the internet to find its value, listing storing, answering questions and pricing.

Everything I do is converted to dollars per hour. I run a super simple system, stripped out of all unnecessary fluff. The time it takes to upload tracking numbers, just the same as it takes time to fill in item specifics and all of the other guff ebay require of us dilutes dollars per hour and pushes sellers closer to subsistance wages, rather than a real income that pays the bills.

My customers are predominantly busy, older, self made men who are not usually worried about stuffing around with useless time consuming fluff. So I dont upload tracking numbers and they dont seem to care. Likewise, they virtually never leave feedback ( more fluff ) and I dont care. My smallest selling account ( specifically targeting busy older men ) is lucky to receive one feedback score for THIRTY transactions.

Some customer demographics who have time on their hands and are buying discretionary items such as homewares and craft supplies want their item as soon as possible and want to see where it is in the transport / postal system. Fair enough, what ever floats your boat. They are probably in the vast majority on ebay, but as with all things one generic rule does not always cover every seller.

Me I,ll be copping the money hold and wont be uploading tracking unless requested by the buyer. Once you get past the first couple of weeks delay, the money will still come in as normal every week.