Poor sellers, what hope do you have?

soolin

theonlywayisup wrote: »

The holiday settings mode should work to accommodate the dates the seller inputs. If you want to keep your listings visible the setting should move the dispatch date. The problem is that it doesn't and furthermore, not all sellers realise this - infact there is a thread on the PS boards again today about it. Now if PS sellers don't realise what hope has anyone else?



What do you mean how would it work? When you put your settings on it asks for your return date. All that will happen is the return date is the first dispatch date. Quite simple.





It wouldn't require much input by Ebay at all. On the holiday settings mode the system knows the seller is away until xyz date. The listings should take that as the return date and adjust the dispatch times. There would not be any requirement to employ "several thousand people" nor would there need to be any manual input by Ebay.

It is true that there are a lot of sellers who don't have a clue how ebay works and seem uninterested in reading anything that they agree to (the holiday settings are clear when you read the explanation by the various tick boxes). being a power seller is easy , basically any business can achieve PS status within a couple of months of signing up with no real effort and with limited understanding of what they are doing.

Personally I would not trust ebay to count down and change my estimate delivery date by one day every day my holiday end comes closer, the state of their technology means they can't even manage the basics most of the time and I prefer to have as mush control over my listings as I can.

soolin

The tick box for holiday settings states

"Hide and block purchases for my fixed price Note: This doesn't affect your auction-style listings."

seller can tick that and hide listings or leave listings live.

Then above that is says "Message to display on your listings:
When you turn on your holiday settings, we display a message on your listings. The following selections will determine which message will be displayed. The message is informational only."

Do sellers really not understand that extra tick box which tells them they need to tick it to hide listings and that the holiday message is for information only?

campdave

theonlywayisup wrote: »

Now if PS sellers don't realise what hope has anyone else?

There is a message shown on screen when applying holiday settings that the message displayed by ebay is advisory only, and the seller must still stick to their obligations.

I find the threads on the PS complaining about this amusing given how many of the same sellers constantly moan about buyers not reading the item description.

theonlywayisup

campdave wrote: »

There is a message shown on screen when applying holiday settings that the message displayed by ebay is advisory only, and the seller must still stick to their obligations.

I find the threads on the PS complaining about this amusing given how many of the same sellers constantly moan about buyers not reading the item description.

I don't dispute Ebay show you a message, but the message makes no reference to the fact your "return date" is nothing more than for the purposes of the tiny message on the listing. And it certainly doesn't remind "the seller [he/she] must stick to their obligations" - unless you've got a different screen to me?

The message actually says -

This seller is currently away until <dd/mm/yyyy>, and is not processing orders at this time. You can add this item to your watch list to purchase later.

There is no ebay warning about sticking to your obligations.

Furthermore, it isn't unreasonable to interpret the "the seller is not processing orders at this time" to mean that there are no orders being dispatched. Therefore the estimated delivery times should not be shown at all, or should be reflecting the delay in processing. But that's just common sense to me.

When you turn on your holiday settings, we display a message on your listings. The following selections will determine which message will be displayed. The message is informational only.

campdave

theonlywayisup wrote: »

I don't dispute Ebay show you a message, but the message makes no reference to the fact your "return date" is nothing more than for the purposes of the tiny message on the listing. And it certainly doesn't remind "the seller [he/she] must stick to their obligations" - unless you've got a different screen to me?

Perhaps it has changed. I've hidden my listings for the last several years now, it's a long time since I used it. It certainly used to mention obligations - I remember it being an odd word to use. Soolin seems to have quoted the current terminology.

Anyway, I'm only trying to help, feel free to debate the rights and wrongs with other members with more time on their hands.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

eBay should either do away with the holiday settings where buyers can purchase or amend the ETA to coincide with the return date.

The current set up is an old system (holiday settings) which eBay never bothered to tie to a newer system (ETAs).

chancesare_2

soolin wrote: »

the holiday settings are clear when you read the explanation by the various tick boxes

It doesn't say anything about the return date in the settings explanation when you tick. If it said - this doesn't affect your dispatch time - that would be clearer.

I had my holiday settings on (still do) it says I return on 3rd, yet the message ebay are giving is telling my buyers I come back on the 4th. That aside, my delivery estimates are for 3rd. As I'm not back until then, it's clear the system isn't working and there is nothing in the tickbox explanation that gives me any idea it's this much of a farce.

soolin

chancesare wrote: »

It doesn't say anything about the return date in the settings explanation when you tick. If it said - this doesn't affect your dispatch time - that would be clearer.

I had my holiday settings on (still do) it says I return on 3rd, yet the message ebay are giving is telling my buyers I come back on the 4th. That aside, my delivery estimates are for 3rd. As I'm not back until then, it's clear the system isn't working and there is nothing in the tickbox explanation that gives me any idea it's this much of a farce.

It works if you reset your dispatch times, if you are away for say 4 days you need to add 4 days onto your dispatch.

As for what the message says, that is the message that you put, ebay have no input into that so if your message says you are back on the 4th then that's what you put in your holiday message. You may well have a different return date elsewhere, but the message is what you stated you wanted displayed on your listing.

I certainly don't consider myself brighter than average but I really don't see what is confusing about this. A message is a message that I can choose to display or not and is my own wording. My dispatch dates are again *my* dispatch dates and need to reflect my own circumstances.

mrcol1000

Ebay should really just hide listings when you turn on holiday settings and not give you the option of allowing them to show. Buyers do not always read listings properly or messages on listings. People are used to purchasing an item and it turning up a few days later, many of them aren't going to take notice of an extra 4 days for dispatch.

It also does not provide a good experience for the buyer. One seller going away and still allowing purchases could cost you a sale, as a disgruntled buyer often assumes all sellers on Ebay are the same.

chancesare_2

soolin wrote: »

It works if you reset your dispatch times, if you are away for say 4 days you need to add 4 days onto your dispatch.

As for what the message says, that is the message that you put, ebay have no input into that so if your message says you are back on the 4th then that's what you put in your holiday message. You may well have a different return date elsewhere, but the message is what you stated you wanted displayed on your listing.

I certainly don't consider myself brighter than average but I really don't see what is confusing about this. A message is a message that I can choose to display or not and is my own wording. My dispatch dates are again *my* dispatch dates and need to reflect my own circumstances.

I'm not sure if you are deliberately missing the point? You should not have to change your dispatch time.

The message is pre-set by Ebay -it's not something you choose. You can add another message but the eBay message is that as given above (and quoted below) and is identical regardless, other than dates.

This seller is currently away until <dd/mm/yyyy>, and is not processing orders at this time. You can add this item to your watch list to purchase later.