Another Ebay rule change!

[cubsguy1969]

Starting in June, Top-rated sellers will need to have tracking information uploaded to eBay within their stated handling time on 90% or more of their transactions with US buyers. As of June 1, the 20% final value fee discount and greatest on average boost in Best Match will go to those listings from Top-rated sellers that include 1-day handling and a minimum 14-day return policy with a money-back refund option. Listings without these two services will still have the Top-rated seller badge and some boost in Best Match but will not earn the discounts or the highest average boost in Best Match.

Based on a February 20 evaluation, you'll need to take a few steps to keep your Top-rated benefits in June:


Start now to upload tracking information to meet the 90% mark. The easiest way to upload tracking information is to use eBay Labels. It's fast and easy, and tracking information is uploaded automatically. And USPS® now offers FREE Delivery Confirmation ™ with eBay Labels for many services, including First-Class Package service for parcels!



I'm confused. Does this mean I HAVE to buy tracking now on every package to maintain the 20 percent? I sell hundreds and hundreds of books a year, along with records, magazine, lots of media stuff, and I already regularly lose money on shipping because of ebay's $4 limit on media mail. (think about how heavy some books are, even with media rates they often exceed $4 with packaging costs included.) If I have to add tracking, too, at my cost, it's really going to hit me hard. I notice they don't mention media mail in their "many services." I'm guessing it doesn't qualify for free tracking, which basically screws me. God, they're a-holes. Every time I get one of these messages about new seller "protections," I know it's going to cost me money. Idiots.

[t206hound]

Originally Posted by cubsguy1969

I'm confused. Does this mean I HAVE to buy tracking now on every package to maintain the 20 percent? I sell hundreds and hundreds of books a year, along with records, magazine, lots of media stuff, and I already regularly lose money on shipping because of ebay's $4 limit on media mail. (think about how heavy some books are, even with media rates they often exceed $4 with packaging costs included.) If I have to add tracking, too, at my cost, it's really going to hit me hard. I notice they don't mention media mail in their "many services." I'm guessing it doesn't qualify for free tracking, which basically screws me. God, they're a-holes. Every time I get one of these messages about new seller "protections," I know it's going to cost me money. Idiots.

I'm pretty sure that when you get purchase postage via paypal, tracking is an extra nineteen cents ($0.19).

[edited to add] I track every package sent from eBay sales. If the item doesn't have tracking info, the purchaser can easily state that they never received the package and eBay will side with the purchaser every time.

[cubsguy1969]

Can you purchase media mail postage through paypal? I've never tried buying postage in any capacity through paypal or ebay.
I know that the automated machines at the post office won't work with media mail. You have to take them up to the counter and have a real live human do it for you.

Edited to add:
I usually insure pricier items and eat the cost, just for the peace of mind. But I sell lots of books and such for $6 to $10. Seems silly to me to pay for tracking on every one of those. I'd rather risk the occasional package getting lost or a buyer "claiming" he never got the item and have to refund the 10 bucks. I think I come out ahead. I've found that most book buyers seem to be fairly reasonable people. Maybe not as many crooks as on the card/memorabilia side of things. But maybe I've just been lucky.

[t206hound]

Originally Posted by cubsguy1969

Can you purchase media mail postage through paypal? I've never tried buying postage in any capacity through paypal or ebay.
I know that the automated machines at the post office won't work with media mail. You have to take them up to the counter and have a real live human do it for you.

Sure can... I did a few times in the last month for DVD movies and books that I sold.

[cubsguy1969]

OK. I'll look into that. If it's only 19 cents, that wouldn't be too bad. It's 70 cents for tracking when bought at the post office, isn't it? Or somewhere in that neighborhood. As I stated, it seemed silly to me to add 70 cents in tracking costs to every $10 book I ship out. That adds up to real money fairly quickly when you ship a lot of packages. (I've done nearly 60 in the past week -- selling a big book collection).

[chaddurbin]

i just discovered last week you save like 50% shipping from ebay's website. what used to cost $3.29 at the po is now like $1.69...joy!

and free confirmation

[slidekellyslide]

Originally Posted by chaddurbin

i just discovered last week you save like 50% shipping from ebay's website. what used to cost $3.29 at the po is now like $1.69...joy!

and free confirmation

Yep...I used to lug 50+ packages to the post office twice a week...I'd pick and choose which item I wanted to spend 75 cents on for delivery confirmation...Usually I would get groans from the people behind me in line..especially if only one person was working the front counter. Since I went automated I haven't spent more than a few minutes at a post office in the last 8 months.

[CW]

Listings with lots of great quality photos sell more, so start loading up now.

This is ironic because the images uploaded and hosted on eBay's service typically suck. I see they revised the way the pop-up window and zoom features work for photos, but I did not see an improvement in the quality. Sellers who host their own scans off-site typically have the best images.


And speaking of the star ratings on ebay, someone posted this on the CU forums, and I thought it was pretty funny. For those who may have missed it....

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by CW

This is ironic because the images uploaded and hosted on eBay's service typically suck. I see they revised the way the pop-up window and zoom features work for photos, but I did not see an improvement in the quality. Sellers who host their own scans off-site typically have the best images.

Yeah, I've almost always paid a 3rd Party lister an additional fee to create and upload my Ebay listings.

Their picture uploads and listing pages were always so much better and and more streamlined then Ebay's own increasingly complicated system.