eBay simple delivery (merged)

soolin

kalsha said:

Postage questions re SD-
I have done a few listings this weekend, all SD.  They will need to sent rolled up in a tube.  Without SD,  circular rolls attracted a different postal rate.  How would it be with Simple Delivery?   I can't find specific mention of postal tubes.
Also, previously compensation was £20 for small parcels and if anything above, I used RM48.  I have listed a few items for £50.  What is current compensation under SD?

SD doesn’t seem to worry about tube shaped things, and if buyer chooses Evri then it doesn’t matter anyway and virtually all my sales go Evri with SD. Just find the weight band and size that fits your tube packaging and use that. 

As for compensation, that has completely changed, if you read the announcements it’s now something like £750 , and once it shows as sent you are covered anyway. Sellers using SD no longer have liability for loss or damage once item is sent. 

kalsha

soolin said:

kalsha said:

Postage questions re SD-
I have done a few listings this weekend, all SD.  They will need to sent rolled up in a tube.  Without SD,  circular rolls attracted a different postal rate.  How would it be with Simple Delivery?   I can't find specific mention of postal tubes.
Also, previously compensation was £20 for small parcels and if anything above, I used RM48.  I have listed a few items for £50.  What is current compensation under SD?

SD doesn’t seem to worry about tube shaped things, and if buyer chooses Evri then it doesn’t matter anyway and virtually all my sales go Evri with SD. Just find the weight band and size that fits your tube packaging and use that. 

As for compensation, that has completely changed, if you read the announcements it’s now something like £750 , and once it shows as sent you are covered anyway. Sellers using SD no longer have liability for loss or damage once item is sent. 

That's great!  Thanks Soolin.   I do like SD in many ways!

zackary71

Hope someone can answer re Simple Delivery dispatch. I've tried it and few times, printing the label at home then dropping off at local Post Office. Not ideal and a clunky process compared to the previous Rotal Mail collection process.

I've held off going 'all in' whilst Custom Postage option remains, as Simple Delivery evolves. I've instead found the Royal Mail Locker drop-off option is efficient - scan the QR code, attached the label the machine spits out and all done. However, under Simple Delivery, it's a bit vague if this process integrates with the RM Lockers ? The wording "you'll be provided with a link to the carrier's website with a list of drop-off locations" doesn't really clarify it. Can anyone advise ?

soolin

zackary71 said:

Hope someone can answer re Simple Delivery dispatch. I've tried it and few times, printing the label at home then dropping off at local Post Office. Not ideal and a clunky process compared to the previous Rotal Mail collection process.

I've held off going 'all in' whilst Custom Postage option remains, as Simple Delivery evolves. I've instead found the Royal Mail Locker drop-off option is efficient - scan the QR code, attached the label the machine spits out and all done. However, under Simple Delivery, it's a bit vague if this process integrates with the RM Lockers ? The wording "you'll be provided with a link to the carrier's website with a list of drop-off locations" doesn't really clarify it. Can anyone advise ?

With SD though you can still book a collection, it was still free for eBay SD but perhaps it has changed so it’s worth checking.

I’ve gone all in (apart from a couple of parcel size items that refuse to give me an SD option) but 99% of my SD goes Evri - and I have both a local drop off shop, and an Evri locker box that I can use 24/7. For the few that do go RM they also go via either the Yodel shop or Evri shop, both of which take RM parcels. I also use an RM locker but pre print my labels at home, but that’s time consuming as I have to type my email address in for every package. I can confirm though that the RM lockers work for SD but anecdotally have heard some of the  lockers can be flaky with printing labels.

As I’m running down my business - mainly the parcel size stuff to try and regain some room in my storage areas I do still have a quantity of RM to post. I spoke to both the Evri and Yodel shop earlier this week and Yodel will take any quantity of LLs but only a few smaller parcels depending on storage room, but Evri will take the lot . So I now never have to go to a PO or mail centre again !  This fits very well with my Vinted sales, as I can do Evri and Yodel shops on one walk, the only outlier for me is Inpost as that’s in slightly the wrong direction. 

zackary71

Many thanks for the reply soolin and for confirming SD is compatible with the RM Lockers. I think now the hysteria has died down a little on Seller Central, people are realising they just need to adapt to the changes to continue selling.

soolin

zackary71 said:

Many thanks for the reply soolin and for confirming SD is compatible with the RM Lockers. I think now the hysteria has died down a little on Seller Central, people are realising they just need to adapt to the changes to continue selling.

I read quite a few forums and groups- and it does seem a fairly high percentage of people who left in a huff have slowly returned 'to see how it goes'. The advantage of not being responsible for lost items seems to be popular.

MR1988

This is actually horrible and I'm considering trying other platforms now as they forced SD on any new listings.

I used to pay £3.45 for small parcels of up to 2KG with Tracked 48 postage and have my items collected. Now it's going to charge me £3.94 for parcels up to 1 KG or £4.48 for parcels up to 2 KG, and then I need to book collection separately for £0.30 on Royal Mail website - And this, if Royal Mail is all working as it should as I had it many times before when it wouldn't let me log in and book collections. What a poor change to completely remove the custom postage option.

soolin

MR1988 said:

This is actually horrible and I'm considering trying other platforms now as they forced SD on any new listings.

I used to pay £3.45 for small parcels of up to 2KG with Tracked 48 postage and have my items collected. Now it's going to charge me £3.94 for parcels up to 1 KG or £4.48 for parcels up to 2 KG, and then I need to book collection separately for £0.30 on Royal Mail website - And this, if Royal Mail is all working as it should as I had it many times before when it wouldn't let me log in and book collections. What a poor change to completely remove the custom postage option.

If you allow Evri as an option then the price for a parcel up to 2kg is currently less than £3. I rarely ever get a buyer use RM any more and since switching to SD I have sold a lot of stuff that I had previously had listed for years.

The 30p collection charge was free originally on SD, I don't get Rm sales to check if that is still the case- but whatever RM option you used, even custom postage, you would have had to pay the 30p anyway. 

The issue of finding another site does crop up quite a lot, but realistically for a good general national site there isn't anything to rival ebay. I'm find sales on Vinted very strong, especially now lots more categories have been opened, but that also runs the same SD system as ebay so you would gain nothing unfortunately. 

EDIT: I swear this computer listens to me!

I just made a sale and it's my first via RM using SD for a while - and no, it is just drop off only now and doesn't include the free option for collection..
 
Interestingly, this was bought this morning, SD allows a 3 day despatch and yet my sale shows (note date - I am convinced today is the 14th and the 3rd working day would therefore be the 18th) 

Total cost	Prepaid by buyer
Service	Express tracked delivery via Royal Mail | Drop-off
Ship by	Mon 16 Jun

soolin

I can't edit my last post anymore, but I Just printed the label and it's Tracked 24 so buyer has paid for an enhanced service- which I can do nothing to prevent. As I'm running down my business I don't necessarily post every single day (most of the time I do but very occasionally I'll miss a day) - so if I wasn't now able to post until Tuesday I was technically be late posting!

This could well be a disadvantage for many people who like me were told in the blurb that there is an automatic 3 day despatch.

kalsha

I don't think I understand Ebay's dispatch times at all.  I sold something on SD.  The email from ebay notifying me of the sale said dispatch by 18th June.  Last night I just opened the email to get the QR code - that told me to dispatch by 16th June!