Good advice for Ebay sellers (LONG)

If its like Amazon, signature confirmation only saves you if the person who signed for the package is the same person whose name is on the eBay account. Otherwise it's no different from delivery confirmation.

 

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You'd lose 2.9% to paypal when the buyer pays with PayPal. In addition to that, You'd lose about 10% to eBay's final value fee and final shipping value fee. This also doesn't take into account any listing or upgrade costs you may have incurred.

 

so I would lose 12.9%! :heated:

 

2.9 is just the paypal fee. ebay is even more

 

Exactly. I sell copper cents for $65.99 for 30 lbs + $11.30 shipping. I lose $2.24 to PayPal fees and $7.73 to eBay final fees. I make about $10 per sale after the cost of the cents is factored in.

 

that sucks. :heated:

 

I'm not attempting to debate whether or not the customer received the box, but delivery confirmation (tracking) only proves that the item was scanned by someone, somewhere at the destination post office. It in no way proves that the customer ever received the item.

 

Strictly Legal Understandings Of Service Options

Regardless of how the various intermediary agencies accept the confirmation options, I believe you'll find the legal differences to be quite exact and appreciably different.

"Delivery Confirmation" is a relatively meaningless virtually free option which basically assures upon initial scanning (reportedly optional by postmasters interviewed) that a commodity has been accepted by a Courier, who may never have relinquished control to a third designated recipient. I believe eBay/PayPal accept this product as delivery proof for items of "minimal value", but not for items of an arbitrary greater value. Probable adjudication would determine this Non Sequitur.

"Signature Confirmation" is an exacting extremely different option, theoretically requiring proof of identity and power of representation to receive a product for a named individual at a specific address.

This information was provided by postal directives/rules and authorities. :thumb:

 

I think it comes out to 10% now with an ebay store. 7% on coin sales plus 2.9% paypal. I don't think that's out of line with other auction sites and live auctions and there are discounts you can get. But on a $20 sale for an occasional seller would even 13% really break the bank?

This problem could have been easily avoided if the seller educated himself a little bit before selling. You can print out your USPS label right at home through ebay and the tracking information is automatically recorded for the buyer, seller, and ebay to see. And if you don't use the ebay postage application you can add the tracking info to sale thru ebay. If you didn't know Priority Mail includes tracking, well that information is readily available thru the USPS website as well as ebay.

Was ebay right to initially side with the buyer? Well, how would they know you shipped if you didn't upload tracking?

Why try to avoid paying 75c? Give your customers the full treatment.

The buyer might have seen you didn't upload tracking and thought he/she could scam you. Maybe.

 

This might be a good way to help FeeBay police scammers.

FeeBay has a dollar value limit for requiring signature confirmation in order to qualify for seller protection. I can't remember the amount, but let's say it's $100. Sell items for less than $100 and do not upload tracking information. Just mark the item shipped. Then wait for the scammers.

Me, personally, I don't have time for this nowdays, but there was a day when I loved scamming the scammer. I recently had a dispute on FeeBay as a buyer and it took me about 20 hours worth of phone calls, letter writing, policy reading, police report filing, faxing, etc. to prove I was in the right and get a refund. No thanks!

 

>

 

A Failure To Communicate, Again!!

I'm sorry, as I don't know who wrote your original post, but they apparently didn't read or explain it to you, because your current posting seemingly differs from that which was literally posted, thus: "So weeks go by and I never hear from the buyer until he opens a casewith Ebay. He tells Ebay, not me, that he never got the package andwants a refund. He never asks ME did I ship. He then goes on to tellEbay how he checked his mail box EVERY DAY and the package neverarrived. I'm steaming mad as this was only a $30.00 sale so did Ireally have to pay to insure it? I know darn well the P.O. shipped itto him.

So I ask the buyer to confirm his shipping address. He writes back withit (it matches mine) and expresses his hope that I got insurance as thepackage is LOST. While waiting to hear back from the buyer I called thepost office and they told me "Just look at your receipt. There is atracking number on your receipt that you can enter at the USPS.govwebsite" I tell them that there is no tracking label on the box as Idid not pay for that service. She assures me that this is NOT necessary.

So I check online and the USPS employee is right! There is my proof ofdelivery. So I immediately call Ebay and tell them over the phone thetracking number. Ebay confirms it. I ask can they PLEASE leave thebuyer negative feedback for being a THIEF as I am not allowed to do so.Ebay refuses and only says "If the buyer continues with this practicetheir account will be suspended" I tell Ebay their site is protectingthe corrupt. Ebay does not care. Ebay either sides with the buyer or ifPROVEN wrong, they just ignore the buyer's infraction.

So I write back to the buyer and tell him he is a thief as I have proof (that he was not aware of). Never heard back from him. "

Like your buyer, if the seller doesn't provide tracking information, and I've not received my purchase after 10 business days, I try to avoid conflict and initiate a claim. I've given the seller adequate time/consideration as I would have expected being a Silver level Preferred Power Seller for many years on eBay before they changed level requirements. I normally just call a number with a personalized PIN provided Power Buyers, and explain the circumstances, requesting they notify the seller of a pending claim. Generally I'm told that I must contact/notify the seller, and the seller is allowed an extended period before a claim is allowed. I can count on my fingers the number of times that an amicable understanding wasn't resolved. If the Seller contacted me with a defamatory exclamation, and did not provide tracking information as you've initially claimed "So I write back to the buyer and tell him he is a thief as I have proof (that he was not aware of).", we would have a problem.

He would soon be involved in a hopefully voluntary interrogatory process, subject to further action. I believe objective arbitration/adjudication by eBay would affirm my "obnoxious/unreasonable/vindictive" claim supported by: "I ask can they PLEASE leave thebuyer negative feedback for being a THIEF", and previous statements. I would expect the buyers protection payment, as I've realized in the past. Normal eBay process would supply the "realistically expecting penalization to a hostile seller" by a recording of adverse seller to buyer conditions, which resulted in an eBay buyer protection payment which displeases them. I personally don't believe in negative feedback which normally is less productive than an objective "presentation", which hopefully provides incentive for change or Karma.

I'm sorry but whoever wrote the original post did not explain that they had received anything other than what they did not even know of: "I tell them that there is no tracking label on the box as I did not pay for that service." They didn't explain receiving anything other than the 19 cent "Delivery? Confirmation?".

I've only remembered receiving maximumly notification of delivery to the final destination postal station without purchasing "Signature Confirmation". I've occasionally only received notification that it had left the previous sorting facility, being told by a Postmaster that final facility scanning was not necessary because "it had to be received at the final station"?

Regardless, I'm glad that you're pleased with the outcome, and have resolved? the claim. :thumb:

 

Don't know if this has been commented on but if you Pay for postage and print shipping labels on eBay tracking is not charged. This saved me several times when the buyer hasn't received their item when they thought they should.

http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/shipping/ebaylabels.html

 

ebay sucks for sellers unless you are selling hundreds of items a week they don't trust you. My account has been open since the 90s but I rarely sell just buy. When I went to sell a couple of books I had to get a little extra cash they said they were holding my money for weeks until the customer had the chance to get the item and have a chance to decide if they wanted to return it, again, been a customer for over a decade with zero bad or even neutral feedback, then they said they would continue to hold my money on future sales until my score went up. I told them I wasn't shipping until I got money in my hands and cancelled all my sales and let the buyers know why. They didn't wait at all to take their cut out of my paypal money. Also, sending it requiring signatures won't necessarily protect you, buddy of mine sent some silver out with signature required but no insurance as the buyer didn't pay for it. He got a delivery confirmation that it was delivered but the buyer said he never got it, no signature was taken, he took it on himself to call the post office there and found out a new mailman threw it on his porch with no one there. So even though the buyer didn't pay for insurance ebay said it was the seller's fault because he didn't force insurance on the package as ebay rules require for over a certain amount. The buyer opened a claim and ebay charged his bank account for the amount, so he gave the stuff away for free and ended up with a lot of hassles and extra fees. I think it should be criminal that they can access your account without notifying you and get your approval. I told him to file theft charges which is what I would have done. Ebay can kiss it before they see me sell anything there again. If you read in the ebay forums there are HORRIBLE stories in there from sellers, one was a couple in Japan after the tsunami that sold thousands in their extra inventory since their store was destroyed they had good feedback and were sellers for some time. They were very desperate in their pleadings to ebay because they had to sell the inventory for a loss just so they could get some money to survive, but ebay had a hold on their money for weeks. They are a shameful organization.

 

Ok I read most of the previous posts so if i say something redundant please forgive me.

If you know that a small flat rate box is $5.80 including tracking number, you can still pay about another $2.00 for a Signature Comfirmation on it, so just charge $7.50 on the shipping, if you don't want to put out the money yourself. If you have a signature confirming reciept, Ebay will side with you every time and refund you all your money lost. I went through it once. Ebay actually banned charging extra for insurance a few years ago with their "Buyer Protection Program", but if you just charge for shipping up front there is no complaining. I try to ship for free unless it's a low dollar item, then the buyer can't even leave a feedback rating for shipping.

On the other hand, dishonesty is what has ruined this country, well that and Rapp music!!!

 

"I got 99 problems but shipping ain't one." - Jay Z

 

Hey... you're entitled to your opinion, but my experience (and I've been a member since '98) tells me different. I've never had PayPal hold my funds, not for a single minute; I've never had a package go missing (lucky? or maybe the norm)... I use eBay shipping (printing my labels at a discount from the standard USPS with free tracking/delivery confirmation) which automatically uploads tracking info for the buyer; singnature confirmation is required for items over $250, and eBay will stand behind that every single time. I get a discount on final value fees and always offer free shipping. The problem some people have with eBay is failing to understand "how to sell" and how to take advantage of the various tools that are offered. 99% of the "horrible" stories are from those who fail to do things properly.

 

For my part, I've been buying and selling on eBay since 1999 and troubles were few and far between until the past couple of years. I've sold several items in the $20K range too. The worst that would happen was non-paying bozos who were playing with their parents' computers.

Nowadays it's well-known that (as another member observed) eBay is really a sale-on-approval venue and I've had buyers of big-ticket items return them for no reason except that they changed their minds or misread the listing, weeks after the sale, and sellers have to refund the purchase price (which often includes shipping) no questions asked. This is separate from scammers who practice feedback extortion and without any way of rating buyers you are at the mercy of the worst of the worst. EBay lets you filter out only those who [TABLE="width: 100%"]

"Have received 2 Unpaid Item strike(s) within 1 Month (or more) "


or

"Have a feedback score of -1 or lower "

[/TABLE]

which is an extremely low bar, set to enable scammers and eBay fees for repeat listings. Negative One or Lower??? Who are they kidding?

I'm not willing to risk my 14-year 100% feedback rating on these bozos, so I created a second account which I use for most things now. But with the 'no-questions-asked 45-day return' policy, endless scamming on high-dollar items, and pointlessness of selling small-ticket items which cost more in fees and time than they're worth, I'm just giving more things away instead of selling them. Not worth the hassle.

It would be a different game if we had some way of rating buyers and weeding out scammers.

 

no, even if you have it sent signature confirmation on it ebay will not side with you every time, case in point what I mentioned before, the new letter carrier didn't get the signature, threw the box on the porch and since there was no insurance ebay sided with the buyer and forced a refund.

 

absolutely 0% of my problems come from not understanding how to sell. What I stated are verifiable facts. If you don't think that qualifies them as a shameful organization that is your opinion. If you don't think ebay holds funds for sellers that haven't sold a high volume of merchandise then you haven't read the how to sell info. My problem was that even though I had several sales with positive feed back (100%) they were before they did their detailed seller ratings so until I had several detailed seller ratings they would hold my funds until several days or even weeks after the package was confirmed to have arrived. Anyone that has been with ebay as long as you say you have has to have noticed all of the changes they made changes that have alienated their early customers like me.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/pay/payment_unavailable.html

When you sell an item and the buyer pays through PayPal, the funds may be pending in your PayPal account for a period of time before the funds become available. This may be as little as 3 days after the buyer receives the item, but can be up to 21 days. This is to help encourage fast shipping and ensure customer satisfaction.

There are several reasons you might not have immediate access to funds. Some of the most common reasons are:


You have a limited selling history.



You have a Below Standard rating in your Seller Dashboard.



Your account has been reinstated following an account restriction or suspension. Find out more about access to your funds.