Enforced free P&P on Ebay listings

RFW

chja wrote: »

But why ? What I have learnt is that everything sells eventually. Once it's listed it's no real skin of my nose whether it goes 1st time or 21st time.

If, as I think you are, you are talking about continually listing at 99p it seems totally crazy. If its listed repeatedly for 99p and doesn't get a bid then bin it, unless you're earning a lot on postage the most you're going to get back after fees is about 70p. We are business sellers and list mostly at 99p starts, its been a long time since an item didn't sell, even if our listing fees were free I couldn't imagine continually relisting items.

As a previous poster said Ebay don't want the same items that don't sell being relisted over and over, if the best match works correctly (which is doubtful!) then it will start getting harder to sell each time as it ends up lower down the searches.

Anyway here's some tips, if an item doesn't sell after two attempts for a 99p start consider either reducing postage if possible, then have a look at the listing;
Is it in the right category/ies?
Is the picture good?
Is the description detailed?
Are your terms and conditions ok?
Is the start/end time at a sensible hour (ie not in the middle of the night)?
Are there good keywords in the title? (eg if selling an Ipod, list "Apple Touch 1gb MP3 Ipod", rather than "L@@K Ipod Cool Bargain Rare"!, not that you wouldn't get a bid on an ipod at 99p!)
What are other sellers selling similar items for (use advanced search to check on completed listings).

If you still need more attempts to sell, put it on Freecycle or take it to a charity shop or your local tip.

RFW

kharyss wrote: »

Ok, so I was fairly annoyed before, but now I'm hopping up and down and biting the keyboard!

Have been trying to find out who to complain to about the policy changes. I'm not a professional complainer, just thought this time I'd bother to jot a few words down. Sent an email to customer services and got some standard blurb back about needing to respond to buyers needs. I asked who I could complain to..... and got the same answer. I asked what their formal complaints procedure was. No reply. In the end I felt like Paxman, asking the same question over and over. After 4 emails I got a bee in my bonnet and used the live chat facility.

I don't get stroppy or abusive so very nicely asked if they could tell me how to make a complaint about an ebay policy. I was told to email ebay. I explained I'd done this several times and part of my complaint was now about customer services not replying. I was told to email ebay. I asked if I could speak to a manager or a supervisor. I was told to email ebay. I asked if there was a postal address or a named person to contact. I was told to email ebay.

In other words, if you have a complaint about customer service, you email customer service. If they choose not to reply, your only option is to email the same people who haven't replied.

Fun huh!

What do you want/expect them to say? The policy change has been planned for 6 months at least, they're hardly likely to change it because you've emailed them.

cestlavie

DaveAshton wrote: »

Why not just pay the 15p to list your items? You know, like you'd have had to a year or so ago.

It's amazing how quickly people forget that, not that long ago, ebay didn't have a free sub-99p listing policy :rolleyes:

- i haven't forgotten that fact at all. that's my point. i wouldn't have bothered listing if it wasn't free. i have sold thousands of pounds of stuff this year on that free listing incentive.

- yes, i have relisted a fair amount of items over that time. was each item any old "tat" ? no, someone wanted it and did pay good money for it, but maybe they didn't log in that week i first listed it, but then did the second or third..

- the vast majority of my items have sold way above this 99p list price.

= ebay and paypal made a nice fat percentage out of the stuff i sold.

they won't now.

postie_bear

Ebay was built on the small seller selling stuff from cupboards, but now ebay only want proper sellers and wants to turn its back on the small sellers, hence why bulk sellers get bigger discounts.

Its a shame but ebay has forgotten what it was built on.

kharyss

RFW wrote: »

What do you want/expect them to say? The policy change has been planned for 6 months at least, they're hardly likely to change it because you've emailed them.

Well duh! I've already said repeatedly that I know nothing I do or say will change their policy.....

My point was that their complaints procedure doesn't actually exist and they have absolutely no idea of customer service. If they don't like a question they ignore it. And you cannot complain, except to the person the complaint is about. At which point I'm betting any record of your complaint disappears. To be honest, now I know that, I'm more convinced than ever that I'll never use them again.

Seriously, if that's how they operate then I have absolutely no faith that if something went wrong with a transaction they would help in any way.

RFW

postie_bear wrote: »

Ebay was built on the small seller selling stuff from cupboards, but now ebay only want proper sellers and wants to turn its back on the small sellers, hence why bulk sellers get bigger discounts.

Its a shame but ebay has forgotten what it was built on.

I think they are aware of what it was built on, to continue the metaphor, it wasn't very solid ground. That's why they've moved the business forward. The small sellers cause the majority of the problems and aren't cost effective, larger sellers take care of themselves and sell more. Ebay was never a public service.

RFW

kharyss wrote: »

Well duh! I've already said repeatedly that I know nothing I do or say will change their policy.....

So you expect them to have a department that answers pointless emails? Personally I'm glad its something they don't waste money on.

TomandBarbara

RFW wrote: »

If, as I think you are, you are talking about continually listing at 99p it seems totally crazy. If its listed repeatedly for 99p and doesn't get a bid then bin it, unless you're earning a lot on postage the most you're going to get back after fees is about 70p. We are business sellers and list mostly at 99p starts, its been a long time since an item didn't sell, even if our listing fees were free I couldn't imagine continually relisting items.

I completely disagree with this, I have had lots of 99p starting prices for the last few months and a lot of the items were DC Comics. I have sold the odd few at 99p but last week 2 of them sold for £12 each :j Well thats £25 for my savings account. I also have lots of sewing patterns one of which went for £6 so thats another fiver!

RFW

suzynick wrote: »

I completely disagree with this, I have had lots of 99p starting prices for the last few months and a lot of the items were DC Comics. I have sold the odd few at 99p but last week 2 of them sold for £12 each :j Well thats £25 for my savings account. I also have lots of sewing patterns one of which went for £6 so thats another fiver!

Not sure what you disagree with, but I was referring to someone repeatedly relisting a 99p item that didn't sell. If I list an item at 99p I never expect it to finish at 99p.

TomandBarbara

Sorry I probably didn't word that very well! The comics and the pattern which I sold for good prices had been relisted every week for about 3 months before they sold.