Posted bybuyalot! on Mar 24, 2009 12:47 PM Follow Up Questions Griff,
I asked these questions and copied your answers from the February thread. Please clarify your responses.
[Is it possible for a seller to lose an INR claim for an item over $250 where the buyer is fraudulently claiming non-receipt? There is no signature information online because it went by international USPS only a DELIVERED scan, but the seller provides to PayPal a scan of a letter of insurance denial bearing the buyer's signature.]
Yes it is possible. Do you see no problem with this? There is no possible way to get an online viewable signature for international mail. If PayPal is provided with clear evidence that the buyer is committing fraud, why would PayPal let the buyer keep the money and the item??
I confess I am not clear about a phrase in your question. "...a scan of a letter of insurance denial bearing the buyer's signature..." I don't know what this means. Did you mean to say "denial of acceptance?" I can say this: A seller shipping an item of sufficient value (as determined by the seller) to an international location, might want to consider using a trackable service like UPS or FedEx instead of USPS. Currently USPS offers limited tracking for international parcels and what they do offer may be insufficient for protecting a seller in a claim of INR. [Is it possible for a seller to lose an INR claim for an item under $250 because the item shows DELIVERED to CANADA or similar, but does not show the city and postal code? Note that USPS international NEVER shows the city and postal code. Will it make a difference if the label was generated at PayPal and PayPal can see what address was entered on the label?]
Not sure. I am waiting for confirmation on this question. Any update?
Yes. Each case like this one would be considered on a case by case basis but as I said above, there is a risk that a seller could, under the above circumstances, loose an INR claim. Is it possible for a seller who does not have a tracking number with a delivery scan to lose an Item Not Received claim where, in the dispute, the buyer clearly stated they received the item and changed their mind/buyer's remorse?
Yes, it is possible. Do you see no problem with this?
In fact, I do. It isn't fair to the seller. I cannot provide details at the moment (Lorrie outlined this briefly at Analyst Day) but we (eBay and PayPal) are working making the entire process of INR and SNAD claims more equitable and less confusing for sellers. [WHEN is PayPal going to remove the arbitrary spending limit (not IF, but WHEN)?]
There are no plans to lift spending caps for all PayPal accounts where the caps are appropriate. Spending caps provide an important level of protection for you, the seller. When you say "NO OTHER MARKETPLACE ON THE INTERNET DOES THIS TO BUYERS" that is because no other marketplace has the unique transaction model that allows buyers to make purchases without immediate payment. Without spending caps, buyers could purchase many items on eBay and exceed their ability to pay for them all.
Buyers whose accounts are subject to spending caps can request that the cap on their account be raised. We review each one on a case-by-case basis You did not answer my question. I was not asking about the bidding/buying limits on eBay. I was talking about a maximum number of dollars that a buyer can spend on PayPal, forever.
That is exactly what I understood your question to ask and that is why I gave the answer I did. I will clarify it with a statement from PayPal:
"Every transaction sent or received via PayPal represents a level of risk to the service. As an ethical matter, PayPal has elected to collect the minimum amount of data required to manage our risk. Many of our valued customers will never spend more than their initial spending limit, and as such, do not need to provide further data. When the amount of payments sent exceeds the initial limit, PayPal has a greater need for information, and as such, requests additional confirmation in the form of a confirmed bank account."
Buyers whose PayPal accounts are subject to spending limits can request that the limit on their account be raised by contact PayPal. PayPay will review and consider each request for a spending limit raise on a case-by-case basis. I do not know what the amount is but let's say five thousand dollars. After the buyer spends five thousand dollars, PayPal tells the buyer to add a bank account or take a hike. This doesn't protect sellers from non-payment, quite the opposite - a buyer might not be able to pay with PayPal due to their spending limit. And they have no other option if the seller isn't registered with other approved payment methods - no money orders allowed. So PayPal forces eBay buyers to shop elsewhere if they are uncomfortable giving out their bank account number. Please don't dodge this question by answering a different question instead of the one I asked. Since I suspect your answer will be the same, let me ask a new question.
[[Please provide the rationale for prohibiting a buyer from spending as much money as she pleases on eBay, without the need to provide sensitive banking information.]]
See above.
Posted bylurch-deeann on Mar 24, 2009 2:34 PM Auto Invoice Issue and Others I keep missing when this thing is opened, because it doesn't seem to be for very long, so have some follow-ups, both recent and from back when you first addressed my inquiries. I deeply apologize for the length ñ if the thread had been open more, this would have come in separate posts over time.
You included this as the response to the issue of invoices: " There was a project which launched on March 5th that modified this content without approval from the Communications Team and unfortunately the content was incorrect. [We] filed a P1 bug earlier this week and you will see the fix very soon."
What does this mean? What content? What is a P1 bug? Were invoices being sent out by eBay automatically? This makes no sense...
See my update statement about this issue post 53 In addressing the query about Lorrie's statement, "The old Ebay was sitting in peopleís attics. The new Ebay is sitting in warehouses."
Unfortunately, your answer does not seem to be in accordance with her statement. If what you said is in fact, true, why do no statements from eBay (except via you) state this? In fact, she specifically mentioned that eBay will be the place for items from warehouses. OK, so small sellers won't be kicked out, but it sure doesn't sound like there will be any focus on them in any way whatsoever. Oh yeah - I know - there will be some announcements made in the future. Maybe April. Maybe it will be pushed out again and they won't come until October. Who knows at this point. You further state, " It would be lunacy to 'get rid' of the generator of that volume (small sellers)." Then why can't (and why hasn't, for quite some time now), any encouragement come from eBay to just those types of folks through public statements which are not contradicted later in other public statements made?
There is no plan or strategy to eliminate a segment of sellers from eBay (big, small, etc). I regret if you or anyone else disagrees with this statement. It is a fact. I was very disappointed in your response to the fun inquiry, so am trying to make clear here why.
You stated: " It's simple: We connect buyers and sellers. If we are succeeding in this goal, then "fun" will be a result (along with success selling and buying)."
Then you state that sellers don't come to sell on eBay because it's fun. Confusing... And I disagree. eBay had something special, and I will not detail this right now - but it *should* be known internally, and especially you - unless you've forgotten or just no longer got it in the first place. It was fun for buyers AND for sellers for a variety of reasons, not just because eBay "connected" people. And I don't mean just in the first year or two. This is known, right? Many people were already connecting with buyers/sellers both on and off-line prior to AuctionWeb. That was nothing new for many at the time. I mean, I do realize this is the new mantra from the top down (connecting) - I think I even saw it being used at the Analyst day, but still...
Furthermore, you said:
ìIf we succeed (and we will), this will provide exactly what our sellers want: buyers who are looking for deals. Sellers don't come to sell on eBay because it is "fun." They sell here because they have access to the biggest buyer traffic at the most affordable costs. In order to make eBay even more compelling to sellers, we need to keep bringing more buyer traffic, reduce inefficiency in listing and listing management and keep the cost of selling affordable."
I didn't quote it, but you mentioned that the fun was that the internet was new, etc. I think that's only partially true. First off, you had folks already using the internet to some extent to sell stuff (eg, usenet, listservs, etc) since well before AuctionWeb was born. Additionally, auctions have been around forever (in-person, phone, email, etc). There's reasons for that. One of them is, they are fun for many people. Which has nothing to do with the internet being newish (at least for some) at the birth of AW.
And - I mostly disagree - and I think this is where there is a partial disconnect. There were plenty of sellers who sold for fun. A part of that fun was getting money for stuff. Another part of that was getting stuff out of the house via methods besides a yard sale. But also and most importantly, auctions are fun and do engage the user. And browsing is fun. eBay has tried to minimize the browsing component for years now, which I've always been opposed to (I can't tell you how many things I used to find by browsing that I would have never thought to search for). And the auction component has been minimized. And the auction component is what helped make it fun.
I also want to add, and I am adding this right before posting, I ran into this American Public Radio interview with Meg from November 29, 2007. Itís an interesting read for a number of reasons, (and can be found here Link ) but specifically in it she stated, regarding the eBay marketplace: ìAnd you know what? It's really fun. The auction is fun. The community is fun. And, people tell us all the time it is the most fun place for people to shop. So, value, selection, and fun.î I think before 2007, a lot of that fun was gone ñ mostly due to eBay management, but she was closer to the concept than what you stated here.
Let me clarify. I buy a lot on eBay (check my user id uncle_griff). I am addicted to buying on eBay mostly because it is effective and yes, it is still fun to me. I also sell on eBay. Selling is also a form of "fun." But I don't sell on eBay when I do, because of the fun alone. I sell because I want to clean out some stuff, keep in touch with selling, raise some funds to support my eBay buying addiction, etc. Others sell to run a business. Some are selling to stay above water. (I remind everyone again: we are in the middle of what is now recognized as the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression). I didn't mean to infer that buying and selling on eBay isn't fun or that fun isn't a big part of the appeal. Just that it wasn't necessarily the only or even the top line reason for trading on eBay.
And thank you for allowing me the opportunity to restate something else: eBay is not only about auctions, or only about fixed price. We haven't been a single format marketplace for over ten years. We are absolutely and honestly format agnostic. We have, since 1997, provided a range of formats to suit the selling and buying needs of all eBayers in all categories. Some members are passionate about a particular format (like the auction format). Many buyers prefer the fun inherent to an auction format listing over a fixed price listing. But that doesn't mean that ALL buyers find auction format listings fun. In fact, we have known for years that there are many eBay buyers who loathe partaking in an auction (on or off line) and, due to this preference along with the type of merchandise they buy, prefer to buy outright (fixed price). So, even though I am myself a huge auction format user (and lover), I know that eBay is not about only auctions, and that it hasn't been since 1997.
In fact, what we have learned from past marketing of a particular format over another is that it actually drives buyers away. (Promote eBay as auctions, fixed price buyers leave and yes, vice versa). So although there will never be agreement over the endless debate ("eBay is about auctions! eBay is about Fixed Price!) the reality is this: eBay is about connecting buyers and sellers. That is the "what" of eBay. The "how" is secondary to the "what." If buyers are finding what they came to buy in the format that they prefer, they are happy and are having fun. If sellers are selling the items they took time to list, they are happy and having fun. If no one is successful, buyers or sellers, then there is no fun (and eBay suffers as well). Moving on (finally):
"Without revealing too many details, I can say that for the last two years, we have been aggressively going after buyers who have either slowed or stopped buying on the site. This happens behind the scenes of course. For those buyers who stopped because of a bad experience, we do what we can to make it right so they will come back. Still, there is a purpose that drives all that we do here: and thats provide buyers with great deals."
With all of the draconian measures implemented (and keep in mind, I've been a proponent of getting truly bad sellers off of the site for *years* - but still what's happened recently has really been over-reaching and over-reacting), I did expect a major, public PR and ad campaign to tout it. I guess that didn't happen. You'd think that a company would want to capitalize (publicly, not just behind the scenes) on these "improvements." I haven't seen it, and it sounds like it's not that I've just missed it.
"We have separate initiatives for certain categories where the auction format is most popular (Antiques, Art, Pottery and Glass, Collectibles) that are exploring different approaches to Search and Browsing. But that being said, I repeat that overall, eBay is format agnostic. It is not about only auctions or only fixed price: each has its purpose and place and belongs on eBay."
I have a few things here, with questions inside of it:
First off, what are these initiatives? They should have been planned, along with a larger general plan, when the last year's policies were implemented, correct? So why can't these be shared now, even if they aren't ready for implementation?
Details will be announced when they are ready and as planned, not sooner, not later. However, I can give you an overview. I have already previously mentioned on this thread that we are exploring different weighting of factors in Best Match for Antiques, Collectibles, Pottery and Glass and Art categories. We are also planning separate marketing initiatives for these categories. That is all I can share right now. If eBay is Format Agnostic, then you could give, as I stated, "equal push" to auctions AND fixed price, right? So will eBay begin to do so (and there a variety of ways to do this)? This was not answered.
Yes... and no. We won't promote one format over another. We will promote (push) and market more by category in the future. Additionally, does anyone realize these categories are far too limiting? This is NOT rhetorical. Vintage Toys are not within any of the three categories you referenced, yet they do apply. There are plenty of listings within Music/Records that also apply, but that is also not referenced. I'm not going to provide a full list, but given the recent free pictures deal in categories was also too limiting (Vintage Toys could have benefited from this equally as well as Antiques, ya know?), I assume what you have written is indeed, literal. And that would be unfortunate. And again, why when insertion fees were lowered for Music/Records were they not lowered in other record categories (eg, Collectibles/Disneyana has a Records Subcat - and also a Books one)? Was this from lack of project oversight, or was it intentional?
Intentional.
First, the free photos for Collectibles, let me posit this as a question: Could it be that this new feature might be incrementally expanded to more categories in the future based on a how it works in one category?
Second, pricing. The Media categories are priced for media, not collectibles. The vintage Disney record's primary value is as a collectible, not as a Media item. It belongs in Collectibles and is subject to the same selling fees as other Collectibles.
Posted bysojo2004 on Mar 24, 2009 4:21 PM The Auto Invoicing Issue Griff, you mentioned that the automatic invoices being sent by ebay were a glitch and were in the process of being fixed. But today, they still were happening.
I have a market niche (currently) with lots of regular buyers who buy many items and maintain a sort of shopping cart with me. They tell me, "I'm still bidding, please don't invoice yet" and I say, "THANK YOU -- I appreciate your cont'd biz" and we all just hang in. I have 7 people with pseudo-shopping carts currently.
Ebay's auto invoices is making me look bad. I had to go in and email a whole bunch of folks today to apologize for the ebay invoices -- and that's all well and good for the English speakers, but I'm not sure my Slovak, German or French friends entirely understood. They like to think we are intimate friends and I'm totally on top of what I've promised and what we've discussed.
Please let the techs know how important it is to get this glitch fixed!
Thank you!
Please see post #53 above
Posted bygrandmabaseball on Mar 24, 2009 5:55 PM My eBay White Space First off I am thrilled that eBay has finally been able to add the total of bids in the Selling Summary. It's a function that I use and I really missed it. But please tell me why the programers at eBay insist on so much wasted white space? Instead of having the three columns next to each other in a font large enough to be able to read and in a dark color, they choose instead to put them one after another with a large amount of empty space to the right, in a small grey font!
Also is there any way it could be changed so that when I click on the link for people who have ask for invoices I could be taken straight to just the ones that have, indeed, asked? Right now it just takes me to those who have not paid and I have to go hunting. I am one of those small sellers who let people build up a few wins before they ask for an invoice so sometimes the list is rather lengthy.
Thanks for creating this board, I have greatly enjoyed readying most of the Q & A and have learned a great deal.
Thanks for the two suggestions! I am not sure what the thinking was behind the actual layout of the pages in My eBay. Some believe that the white space might be used for other purposes in the future. Could be. I will forward both your comment about the white space and your suggestion for the invoice feature to the appropriate teams for their attention and consideration.
Posted bybscheffl2 on Mar 24, 2009 7:12 PM Non Paying Buyers and Fees Hello:
I can not understand why or how a buyer can leave feedback without having to pay for an item. I recently had a NPB and when I filed, they responded and said they would pay. Now, I waited weeks and, of course, no payment. I filed for my fees to be credited but does that mean I now am exposed to an irritated buyer, who can try to ruin a reputation for an item they never paid for?
You do not have to wait weeks for payment. If the buyer has not yet paid, you should state as much in the dispute console and then close the dispute. If the buyer leaves you a negative, you can ask to have it removed. If you run into an issue with the request, feel free to email the details to me. Why should the risk of a negative influence whether a seller bother to initiate a NPB with eBay?
I posted a response to a similar question above (post #53 Response: Feedback for UPI Buyers and DSR for Shipping Time) How does their ability to leave feedback differ from all the other bidders?
It doesn't, not at least until the dispute has closed at which point, if the buyer doesn't respond to the dispute, their ability to leave feedback is blocked. If they do respond and the responses proves to either be inaccurate ("I will pay" and then they never pay or the provide an illegitimate or insufficient reason) and then leave feedback, the seller can ask eBay to remove it About veracity of feedback. I understand what you responded to earlier about the vast amounts of feedback making it a daunting and nearly impossible task. However, what if there was a process for a seller to initiate a claim about feedback being untrue and was able to present documentation about its veracity? If one buyer buys many items from a seller and leaves feedback, other buyers simply see a lot of red comments... not necessarily the feedback percentage. If the comments are untrue, why allow a buyer this uncensored option with no real recourse other than "one person's word against another." To leave false feedback constitutes slander... and libel if the sellers loses any money from false comments. Why would eBay allow there to be no other recourse for the seller outside of getting a court order for the feedback to be removed? Why wouldn't eBay want to have a process for this? If a slandered seller's sales drop, so does eBay's FVFs. Why not offer sellers more protection from unscrupulous buyers?
When it comes to feedback, if we were to judge and rule on the veracity of one comment, we would become responsible for the veracity of all comments left. With millions of feedback comments left a day, this would be impossible. If a seller receives a negative feedback that they believe is unfair, they can leave a response to the comment directly below the negative comment. And there is a process: If a seller believes that a feedback comment is slanderous, libelous, untrue, etc, they can obtain a court order and we will remove the comment. Why a court order? Removing a negative feedback by court order does not place eBay in the position of having to rule itself on the comment which, as I pointed out above, would make us liable for all comments left. Also, why does the seller absorb the shipping costs associated when a buyer changes their mind about a purchase. I have purchased many things on-line and never get shipping back for buyer's remorse. Sellers seem very exposed at this point with regard to feedback, why allow dishonesty to be a part of the process?
eBay (PayPal) doesn't require a seller to refund a buyer's money for a return until the buyer has returned the item to the seller (at the buyer's cost: sellers are not required to pay for shipping back although many do as a matter of good customer service). So the buyer would be paying for shipping both ways. By refunding the entire payment amount (including any shipping), in effect, the seller and the buyer are both out the shipping cost. Why does the seller lose their listing fees when a buyer does not pay?
Insertion fees and Listing fees non refundable for all listed items regardless of the circumstances or outcome of the sale (exceptions: if an unsold item is relisted and it sells on the second try, the insertion fee for that attempt is refunded. If a listing is removed for a first time policy violation, all fees are credited. There are limited ways to protect a seller. If a buyer does not pay... yes they get a strike, but the seller still loses money and eBay keeps their listing fee. Shouldn't it only be fair that eBay lose the listing fee and credit it back? It might be a way to help soften the NPB issue for the seller if they got all associated fees back.
I have forwarded your comment on listing fees to the appropriate persons for their attention.
Posted byjd9912 on Mar 24, 2009 7:44 PM The Automatic Invoices Griff,
The "Automatic Invoices" that eBay sends following each auction need to be made seller optional. I often combine shipping and the multiple invoices that eBay sends is causing buyer confusion. I do not need more buyer confusion! I know eBay has good intentions but "good intentions can be the road to hades".
Can you help get this unwanted feature made "optional"?
Thanks for your time.
Automatic invoices are not sent out and there are no plans to do so. The issue itself was a mistake. See post #53 above.
Posted byfrom-my-grannys-base.. on Mar 24, 2009 9:50 PM Sales Tax Will there be a tool available to allow the automatic refresh of new Sales Tax Rates to be reflected through a sellers listings?
At the moment it requires you to go into a listing and remove the sales tax tick box, save the change and then re-enter the listing and re-tick the tick box to put sales tax back onto your listing for it to reflect the change other you have to wait for the listing to end.
You may say "Use Turbolister" but turbolister Crashes during the Synchronization process especially if you are synchronizing a great number of listings. We get told it works perfectly but it crashes on Windows Vista. Isn't it about time the systems software people started making Turbolister work perfectly on Vista. At the rate they are going at it will still be crashing on Windows Vista when Windows 7 comes out!
It's very frustrating when you are working and you lose your work because it makes calls to parts of Windows XP that are not there in the later Windows Vista.
It took me 6 hours to change 2000 listings using turbolister and eventually I had to dust off my old XP system and update turbolister to be able to get the changes done.
I know there are a great number of California sellers that have to change their listings and don't have access to Windows XP based machines to do the work and an online tool would be very helpful for those people.
I asked Mike Maffeo about this issue since most California based sellers have to change their sales tax rate on April 1st. He told me there is a tool in the works but unfortunately, the CA legislature's schedule is not aligned with ours (the hike was made law quickly during the budget negotiations two months ago). The tool will not be in place till this summer.
As for the TurboLister issue and Windows Vista. I met with Mike yesterday and he explained to me that the issues sellers with Vista are experiencing with TL can be eliminated if the seller is signed into Vista with an administrator account (or an account that has administrative rights). It seems that Vista's built in security settings can block TL or features of TL if the user does not have admin rights on their machine. It was an on-the-cuff meeting and I have asked to meet with Mike next week to work out a more comprehensive "white paper" for Vista users with TL.
Posted bystuff-4-me on Mar 25, 2009 1:13 AM Accepted Payments Policy Enforcement Grif,
I am very upset at the uneven enforcement of several policies. Specifically and most detrimental to me is the lack of enforcement regarding the paper payments policy. Now, I completely disagree with the self-serving paper payments policy... but if you are going to implement it, then implement it for all.
I spent many hours and many dollars (had to cancel and relist over 1000 store items) to comply with eBay's dictate. Meanwhile my competitors continue to advertise checks and money orders. Some are totally open about it, some are more sly stating it in more veiled ways - but nonetheless the message is the same - checks and money orders are accepted.
I am losing sales to my policy-ignoring competitors - and it is eBay's fault.
I do not usually bother to report listings, but this one has me steamed and I have reported NUMEROUS listings... and I only report the most egregious ones and QUOTE the offending language. NOT ONE SINGLE listing has been pulled by T&S. Not ONE.
I used to get 10% of my business from checks/money orders... now nothing. My policy-ignoring competitors are getting the business. 10% may not seem like much - but every little bit is important and in this economy and with the current state of bids on eBay - I can not take a 10% pay cut because eBay refuses to follow its own policies or act when those policy violations are brought to light.
How about 1) eBay enforces the policy THEY set, 2) WHY is the policy not being enforced and 3) WHY are my reports being ignored.
Thank you,
Tim
I spoke to John McDonald about the status of enforcement efforts for the Accepted Payments Policy. He informed me that there at two active initiatives: blocking and reports. We are now 100% blocking use of "personal checks", "cashiers checks" and "money orders" in additional checkout instructions. Additionally, we are blocking an increasing number of listings with these phrases in item descriptions. We had to ramp this one up slowly to be sure we weren't blocking the wrong listings. We should be up to 100% within two weeks.
As far as member reports, as you know, we don't use "bots" to search the site for policy violations. We do rely on member reports. I apologize if your reports were not acted upon quickly enough to pull listings before they ended on their own but I encourage everyone who finds a violation to report it to Trust and Safety using the Report This Listing link on the item page.
John assured me that we should be at 100% compliance in 3 to 4 weeks.
Two questions on the same topic: Shipping Calculator
Posted byabrestaurantsupply on Mar 25, 2009 5:15 AM Shipping Calculator Shortcomings With the way eBay's Shipping Calculator works the automatic Invoices have been a nightmare for me. I have many items that weigh about 8 oz. I put First Class Mail and Priority Mail as options for the customer. If a customer buys more than one, eBay's shipping shipping calculator takes the rate for First Class Mail and multiplies by the number of items purchased.
That is bad enough, but during the Checkout process they don't even show the other shipping options, just a tiny little link called "More Options".
So a customer bought 8 - 8oz items and the shipping calculator told them that shipping would be $26.88 First Class Mail. It didn't show the Priority Mail option ($10.35) during Checkout. After sending the corrected Invoice, a payment reminder and a final payment reminder all with the corrected shipping and handling, I filed a UID.
Well they answered the dispute calling me a crook and a F@*%king Ripoff. Then threatened a Negative because of my outrageous shipping.
Numerous emails later I finally convinced them that it was a glitch with eBay's shipping calculator and Checkout process, they paid and everything is okay.
If it wasn't for eBay's broken (enhanced) Shipping Calculator, enhanced Checkout process and enhanced automatic Invoices, this problem wouldn't have occured.
Unfortunately I am having this happen more and more lately, most of them I can nip in the bud, but I don't see how this is enhancing the buyer expierence on eBay.
Since eBay can't fix the shipping calculator (broken since NOV 2007). Can they at least fix the Checkout Process so that the other shipping options are shown and not hidden behind a tiny little link?
And... Posted byaustiners on Mar 25, 2009 6:06 PM With the way eBay's Shipping Calculator works the automatic Invoices have been a nightmare for me. I have many items that weigh about 8 oz. I put First Class Mail and Priority Mail as options for the customer. If a customer buys more than one, eBay's shipping shipping calculator takes the rate for First Class Mail and multiplies by the number of items purchased. >
I also sell primarily items that weigh between 6 to 11 ounces, which can each ship individually at First Class Rates. However, over 60% of my sales are of multiple items and require Priority Rates. All of my listings have both First Class and Priority as shipping options. It is maddening and very difficult to explain to my customers why eBay has essentailly constructed it own totally inaccurate First Class shipping rates for packages weighing two pounds and up.
It seems clear that the weights should be added and Priority rates applied. Why can't this be fixed?
This is definitely a shortcoming of the Shipping Calculator and Combined Shipping Discounts features and perhaps, one that can be addressed in the future. I have copied your post and sent it off to Rich Matsuura. He heads up anything and everything related to shipping on eBay. (A solution would be to have Checkout roll back to the least expensive option or to provide all options and costs clearly in the checkout flow). I cannot promise any changes to Checkout in the near term so for now, you might consider placing instructions in your listings for multiple quantity items alerting buyers of more than one item to click the link for Other Shipping Options in the Checkout process to view all shipping options, including the least expensive for the quantity purchased (and I will ask about making the link for other options more prominent.)
Posted bytracyar on Mar 25, 2009 7:09 AM Negative Comments in a Positive Feedback Hi Griff, I read in a previous post that if a (buyer) feels that comments left with positive feedback was a negative comment that the buyer could report it and possibly have it removed.
The person that posted was referring to a (seller) receiving negative comments when a buyer left positive feedback.
My question is: If a (buyer) leaves negative comments with positive feedback, can a (seller) also seek to have the negative comments removed?
No. Feedback Revision will only work for negative-to-positive situations, not positive-to-negative and eBay doesn't remove positive feedback containing negative comments for sellers unless the actual comments themselves fit any of the current criteria for feedback removal under the existing Feedback Removal policy.
Posted bytaniah on Mar 25, 2009 7:19 AM Invoice Issue Griff -- in reference to the automated Ebay invoicing... TODAY was the FIRST time that I tried to invoice a customer and was met with a message that Ebay had already sent an invoice in my behalf. WHAT GOES?? Per your earlier responses, this was supposed to have been fixed. Luckily this was not a problem transaction, but I cannot have invoices arbitrarily issued if I have special arrangements with a potential customer.
Could you please let us all know why this has not been fixed yet, and exactly when we can see it fixed finally?
See the top of post #53 for an update.
Posted bychristmascruise on Mar 25, 2009 8:08 AM Griff, on the "New DSR Reports in the Seller Dashboard" it states:
"Taking any actions, including the use of tools, to determine the Detailed Seller Ratings a buyer left for a specific transaction may also be considered Feedback Manipulation. DSRs are meant to be anonymous".
How is finding out what ratings a buyers left for their seller "manipulation"? Doesn't manipulate mean to change something? Knowing the particulars of DSRs individuals have left for their sellers does not mean that anything was changed.
Correct. No one is actually able to stop a seller from trying to determine who left what ratings. However, if a seller then acts upon that information by contacting the buyer, and the buyer complains to eBay about the contact, that would be actionable. What does ebay considered "tools"? Would a calculator, pencil and paper be considered tools? How will ebay prove whether or not a seller used "tools" or their brains and common sense to figure out which DSRs individuals left?
No one can actually determine if a seller has used a specific tool (a brain is a tool I suppose) but if a buyer complains that a seller has contacted them in reference to left DSRs, eBay may (important word: every case is judged on its own merits) consider it Feedback Manipulation. Will the sellers be allowed to defend themselves against such allegations?
If a buyer complains that a seller has contacted them in reference to left ratings, and an action is taken against the seller, that seller can appeal to Trust and Safety. What punishment will ebay impose on sellers who used "tools" to figure out what DSRs their individual buyers left for them?
I don't know what actions or sanctions might be employed. Depends on the individual case. My advice: Don't contact individual buyers asking if they left a specific DSR or why they left a specific DSR.
Posted bysko74517 on Mar 25, 2009 8:48 AM TurboLister and Payment Options Griff:
I use Turbo lister. Under the Buyer Communications Option, when you click on "customize" a number of boxes pop up, including one for Payment methods. When you select Payment methods, you are given the Paypal option, but there are "Other Methods", which include the following:
"Display money order/cashier's check option"
"Display personal check option"
"Display merchant account"
You can check the box behind these and turbo lister accepts them.
If in fact we can now offer our buyers the option of paying with personal check or money order, that's great!
The policy has not changed. If not.....it may account for why so many sellers still show it, even though you have a policy against it.
If I select those options, using eBay's Turbo Lister, can I offer my buyers the option to send a check or money order? If I can't, why does turbo lister offer it?
It would probably be a good thing if every seller took the time to read through the actual Accepted Payments Policy (the reason for the inclusion of the checks, money orders options in TL might be clearer.)
The answer? Categories. Specifically, there are certain categories where sellers are allowed to provide paper payment options:
Payment method exceptions
These payment methods may be used only in the listing categories described below:
* Bank-to-bank transfers (also known as bank wire transfers and bank cash transfers)
* Checks
* Money orders
* Online payment services: Allpay.net, cash2india, CertaPay, Checkfree.com, hyperwallet.com, Nochex.com, Ozpay.biz, XOOM
* Payment upon pickup
Listing categories:
o Motors > Boats
o Motors > Cars & Trucks
o Motors > Motorcycles
o Motors > Powersports
o Motors > Other Vehicles & Trailers
o Motors > Parts & Accessories > Automotive Tools > Shop Equipment > Air Compressors
o Motors > Parts & Accessories > Automotive Tools > Shop Equipment > Brake Lathes
o Motors > Parts & Accessories > Automotive Tools > Shop Equipment > Frame Machines
o Motors > Parts & Accessories > Automotive Tools > Shop Equipment > Lifts / Hoists / Jacks
o Motors > Parts & Accessories > Automotive Tools > Shop Equipment > Paint Booths
o Motors > Parts & Accessories > Automotive Tools > Shop Equipment > Tire Changers / Wheel Balancers
o Motors > Parts & Accessories > Aviation Parts > Engines
o Motors > Parts & Accessories > Car & Truck Parts > Engines & Components
o Motors > Parts & Accessories > Motorcycle Parts > American > Engines & Components
o Motors > Parts & Accessories > Racing Parts > Auto Racing Parts > Engine & Components
o Motors > Parts & Accessories > Salvage Parts Cars
o Motors > Parts & Accessories > Vintage Car & Truck Parts > Engines & Components
o Business & Industrial > Agriculture & Forestry > Tractors & Farm Machinery
o Business & Industrial > Construction > Heavy Equipment, Trailers
o Business & Industrial > Healthcare, Lab & Life Science > Imaging & Aesthetics Equipment
o Business & Industrial > Industrial Supply, MRO > Fork Lifts & Other Lifts
o Business & Industrial > Manufacturing & Metalworking > Manufacturing Equipment
o Business & Industrial > Manufacturing & Metalworking > Metalworking Equipment
o Business & Industrial > Printing & Graphic Arts > Commercial Printing Presses
o Business & Industrial > Restaurant & Catering > Concession Trailers & Carts > Concession Trailers
o Real Estate
o Everything Else > Adults Only
A more elegant solution in the future for TL would be to only display those payment options when a seller has selected one of the exception categories. But for now, sellers should not confuse the provision of the paper payment options (which are only allowed in the above categories) as a roll back from the Accepted Payments policy.
Posted bytracyar on Mar 25, 2009 8:49 AM Hi Griff, I am not sure if you can answer this but you may be able to direct us to who can.
I had a SNAD filed against me on the 45th day for a electornic item they had used. It will happen but my concern is that after responding to the claim in a message to paypal it was decided in the buyers favor, which I expected, I contacted paypal by phone. During my conversation I asked for the information obtained during their investigation. This was not provided. I asked to talk to a manager and asked given the information I supplied why they found in favor of this buyer. He agreed that this buyer probably should not have been granted the claim. The manager also told me they don't read the seller responses and because they are so automated a seller will need to call them to get heard.
Why is there a dipute process that is automated to the point of a SNAD being filed and found automatically in favor of the buyer?
I am not sure what the person told you on the phone but I don't believe that the statement was factual. SNAD claims are not automatically decided without a human being reviewing the case. Still, feel free to email me the details of this case and I will ask for it to be examined on your behalf. Does eBay use the same automated system to handle disputes?
No. Again, feel free to send me the details to griff@ebay.com using your regular email (not My Messages, that is, don't click my User ID above and choose, ask member a question.)
Posted byhoneville1 on Mar 25, 2009 9:00 AM Keyword Search Issue Griff...
I did a search using the Keywords of "Fishing T-shirt" and another search using the words "Hunting T-shirt". I'm amazed at the number of results that come up that DO NOT have the keywords "fishing" or "hunting" in them. Over the past 3 days I have done these searches numerous times and stand amazed at the number of irrelvant returns. As I type this the results I got for "Fishing T-shirt" include these cut and pasted listings in the top ten results:
Oakley Silicone Heavy Stretch T-Shirt - Men's XL - NEW!
(3) NEW XXXL DRI-FIT Tagless Long Sleeve Tee Shirts 3XL
NEWPORT YELLOWFIN TUNA & SPIDER CRAB TEE SHIRTS
UNDER ARMOUR ARMOR HEATGEAR TACTICAL T SHIRT WHITE L
So 4 0ut of the first 10 returns don't even have the keyword "Fishing" in the title. I'm amazed at the number of the 1,527 returns that are totally irrelvent.
Now instead of asking some dumb question like "how's come search is so broke and ebay does nothing about it?" or "Now that best match continues to be a utter failure is ebay considering scrapping it?" Instead I'll just say that search is the cornerstone of this business and if ebay is so willing to screw up it's cornerstone it ought not be to surprised when the rest of it's foundation crumbles too.
How about at least telling me why the keywords of "fishing T-shirt" return this item: Oakley Silicone Heavy Stretch T-Shirt - Men's XL - NEW! or this one: (3) NEW XXXL DRI-FIT Tagless Long Sleeve Tee Shirts 3XL or this one: Under Armour HEAT GEAR 0039 Tshirt GRAY LARGE or this one: G. Loomis White Long Sleeve FLAG T-SHIRT XLarge or this one: NWT BODYPOST Mens Fitness Sports Long Tee Shirt Top M ... These are just the tip of the iceburg.. do the search yourself. Explain this one for me please... Thanks! Danny
On several occasions since your post, I have attempted to duplicate what you observed by searching eBay on "fishing t-shirt" and "hunting t-shirt" and could not duplicate the same results (items without both words in the title). It could have been a momentary glitch. However, I did send your post to Jeff King for his attention just in case and if you notice it again, screen shot it and email them to me.
Posted bylindaspostcardsandmo.. on Mar 25, 2009 10:25 Abuse of Media Mail Option Is ebay working on any way to stop the seller abuse of media mail?
This puts those of us who follow the rules to a distinct disadvantage.
I find everything from barbie items to postcards to toys that show very low shipping and then show they will be shipped MEDIA mail.
Seems like ebay could put a restriction into the listing by category that would prevent this.
I sent your query to Rich Matsuura and although there isn't a plan for an actual restriction by category, we are planning to launch messaging similar to your suggestion. We will give messages to sellers letting them know the rules around media mail when they list in categories outside of media categories. We plan to launch this in April. When a seller prints a label using media mail, we’ll also provide messaging letting them know the rules around media mail. We plan to launch this in June (we already do this on PayPal labels).
Posted bymarsull_inla on Mar 25, 2009 11:47 AM Analyst Day Comments Hi Griff,
Can you clarify the statement recently made by Lorrie Norrington about "Trusted Sellers" at the Analyst day. Is she infering that sellers with 4.8 DSR and above will get more visibility/discounts/preferetial treatment?
I don't know the details at this point but one could infer that sellers with the highest ratings could be given greater visibility, fee discounts, etc. My advice would be to stay abreast of announcements over the coming months for more information. Also how about the A Day comment -
"Shooting for 40 percent listings with free shipping by holiday 2009."
Has ebay considered how this going to impact unique item sellers?
I'm talking about heavy items with shipping that cannot be absorbed into the opening bid.
Will there be added incentives to encourage free shipping/offset the cost of absorbing shipping?
I don't know at this point. Sorry. As for the comment itself, eBay does not and will not be forcing any seller to offer free shipping. The incentives provided to date (ranking being the primary incentive of course) are directly responsible for the increase in items with free shipping that we saw during 2008 and into 2009. The strategy worked. No reason not to continue it. and also this from S Tilenius (shorthand version)
Wrap up by taking you into the future. Today's search is clunky, a lot of work. In our vision, the buyer doesn't need to navigate multiple sites. Shopper comes searches for an iPod - various formats and advertising that shows what's available across the web. my emphasis
Does this mean more competitive advertising on auction pages?
No. It does mean that sponsored links and advertising will continue to display on search pages however. How does sending people off ebay help the selling community?
If a buyer comes to eBay and cannot find what they are seeking on eBay, showing them alternatives off eBay is better than showing them nothing. And, if they are ultimately successful, research shows they will return to the initial site (eBay in this case) when the shop in the future. So although it may not directly help a seller on eBay, if it satisfies a buyer and gets them to come back to eBay, it is a good thing for the selling community.
Posted bydevildog683 on Mar 25, 2009 12:12 PM Suggestion for Feedback hi there Griff, long time reader, I must confess I do not envy your job but I feel you are doing a pretty good job at it.
Thank you. My question is more of a suggestion looking for your feedback (no pun intended) on the negative feedback policy. Now that eBay has removed a sellers ability to leave negative, or even neutral, feedback for buyers, there are some (buyers) out there who are taking advantage of this. They are using it as a means to extort sellers or not even bothering to contact a seller on a easily resolvable issue before leaving negative/dinging their DSRs.
I would propose a system similar to the Unpaid Item Dispute. A seller cannot instantly give a buyer a strike for not paying, regardless of sale terms or length of time without payment. They must go through a dispute resolution process and wait at least 8 days before doing so. During this time, they buyer can make contact and the issue is usually resolved within a few days (in my experience).
Why not make it so that a buyer opens a negative feedback dispute? I know they have to put a check in the box stating that they contacted the seller, but in my experience, the 3 negatives I received were not preceded or even followed by any communication from the buyer. There are no steps in place to ensure a buyer is being truthful when they state that they have contacted the seller (by checking the box), which is kind of a shady way to go about things.
Buyers should open a "Intent to Leave Other Than Positive" case and give the seller ample time to respond. If no response after 7 days, they can close it and post the negative. If they work it out, there never was a negative and the selling/buying experience is improved for both parties. Some buyers leave negative because they feel they have no other course of action, whether it be a seller who will not accept a return, or a seller who will not respond to emails.
A system like this would hold both parties accountable; buyers would have to make contact (legit contact, not just a check in the box) and sellers would be more inclined to respond to a buyer's issue.
Just a suggestion, I know it was kind of long-winded, but I think I have some valid points/ideas.
Thank you for your time, and I am looking forward to your response.
Thanks for your suggestion. It is too early for me to comment in detail on your suggestion however, it is no secret that our Feedback team is in the process of designing, from the ground up, an entirely new "reputation" system with the goal of a launch sometime in early 2010. Again I cannot give details (I like my job... a lot!) but what I have seen so far would please most sellers and buyers. I mention this not to whet anyone's appetite. I have to set the right expectations here and I would be remiss if I led anyone to believe that suggestions like your above will be considered in light of the fact that we are already in the process of building something.
Posted bydi25535 on Mar 25, 2009 1:30 PM Turbo Listing Improvement Suggestions Turbo Lister Shipping problems:
It would be very helpful if the shipping method selections were easier to read and select. The layout is hard to read, and it's easy to accidently select the wrong shipping method.
Also, having the irregular and unsual button and the free shipping button so close has caused me problems - both get selected in error when Turbo lister screen jumps. This has cost me money.
Please arrange the buttons in this critical area so that they are easy to read and use - not crammed in like the afterthought they obviously are.
I have forwarded your suggestions for improvements to the Seller Tools team (Mike Maffeo and company) for their consideration.
Posted byblossomtop43 on Mar 25, 2009 3:04 PM Feedback Message on Community Page This is the first thing I see when I click the Community tab.
Feedback Forum
Learn about your trading partners, view their reputations, and express your opinions by leaving feedback on your transactions.
Shouldn't it say "SELLERS",not partners?? Partners would be both buyer and seller,right????
I don’t think it should be "sellers." Buyers can still receive feedback even if it is only positive, and sellers can use their selling account to buy. So a seller can evaluate their buyer (learn about their trading partner) by viewing the comments. The can learn about the type of items the buyer has purchased recently, how long they have been on the site, if they receive comments as a buyer and a seller and what comments they have left for others.
Posted bymedia-stop11 on Mar 25, 2009 3:05 PM SNAD Question Hi Griff, here is a question for you.
Buyer wins item.
Seller Ships.
Buyer files a SNAD claim with Paypal stating "Item Perfect, Intentionally ripping off this seller"
Does Payment get reversed?
No.
Posted bycareer-closet-fashio.. on Mar 25, 2009 4:19 PM Automatic Invoice Issue Griff, we have a problem! and to most sellers who actually run a "business", it is a big problem that makes sellers look very unprofessional in my opinion.
Why is eBay now sending out an "Invoice" for me? It used to be a "Congrats, you won email" which was bad enough but it has recently changed and is now called an "invoice". Sellers were given no notice of this change what so ever, so most are doing as they have always done and send an invoice when a listing ends with a buyer.
Buyers are wondering why they are receiving multiple "invoices" for a single purchase, some are even complaining that they are being pushed &/or pressed for payment simply because they a receiving multiple invoices. A logical thought I might add!
Many buyers purchase multiple items from sellers to take advantage of shipping/handling discounts. As they do so, they are receiving an invoice for each and every "single" purchase then they automatically think the seller won't or isn't giving them their discounts they advertised etc. That is not a good way to start off with a buyer in my opinion. Can you imagine how irritating for a buyer who purchases 10 or more items? Or for those who have emailed ahead to give the seller a heads up that they will be buying multiple items and to please hold the invoice until they have finsihed shopping? Good grief!
eBay is spamming them in my opinion and it looks like the seller is doing it. I don't need eBay to send my invoices, I am perfectly capable of doing so myself and I think it should be something that we should be able to turn off in "My eBay". I, myself have gone in and put my own personal touch on that "end of auction/invoice" email from eBay and I am no longer even sending my own personal invoice unless they purchase multiple items and should receive a discount but what about all those poor sellers who have no idea what eBay has done or is doing? What about all those International buyers that I have yet to insert an exact shipping amount on? What are those International buyers seeing as the shipping amount?
This could be detrimental to our communication stars. I don't like receiving multiple emails myself about the same purchase over and over so I can certainly understand my buyers point of view.
This needs to be addressed ASAP not months down the road. It is a problem NOW that can't wait like so many other eBay glitches have in the past. Please get someone on this. Live Help is giving sellers bad info when they are contacted regarding this, some don't even know what the seller is talking about. No one is really addressing the problem as far as we can tell because there is no info on the annoucements and no way to get any real info from anyone actually in the know at eBay.
WHY? Why does eBay make changes like this with no communication with it's sellers? Things like this is what is so irratating to your sellers.....it wasn't need, isn't needed and no one at eBay even felt we as sellers even needed to be enlightened with the info...so "we" in turn look like bungling idiots who are desperate for payments! Almost to a harrassing point. I don't want to look like that from my buyers.
Who was the highly paid individual who decided this change was necessary? Are they just looking for things to change so they can justify their jobs? If so, Why not work on things that actually need to be addressed? I'm sure sellers right here on this board could keep them busy with things that need to be addressed instead of doing things like this.
What was the actual point of the change? There had to be one, eBay doesn't do anything unless eBay will benefit from it. Is eBay just setting us up for the future which will in all likelyhood be "no communication allowed between buyer and seller at all?"
Please read the top of post #53 for both an outline of the issue, and what has been done to address it. And note that at no time was eBay actually sending out invoices automatically.
Posted bycareer-closet-fashio.. on Mar 25, 2009 4:34 PM Restocking Fee If eBay and Paypal are going to force every seller to accept returns will they allow a restocking fee for returns?
There are no plans to do so at this time. Clothing buyers buy, try it on and don't like how it looks, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it other than they just don't like how it looks on them, it's not quite the right shade of blue so they want to return it. Will I be able to recoup some of my expense by charging this buyer a restocking fee.
Not if the transaction results in a claim through PayPal (a dispute). When a claim is awarded in favor of a buyer, the amount refunded is the entire amount of the initial payment. If that is not going to be allowed I fear you will lose much of your clothing business on eBay. We simply can't afford to accept returns for no real reason and fully reimburse. Quite frankly I won't spend my time buying inventory, cleaning inventory, photographing from every possible angle, typing, measuring, paying all those fees, selling and paying even more in fees, time to properly package and ship to have someone turn around and send it back cause it wasn't blue enough or they wore to their function and no longer have need for it.
I want a clear answer to this before I waste my time, energy and money purchasing more inventory that I will not need if it's not allowed.
In filed disputes where a buyer is awarded the claim, the amount refunded back to the buyer is the entire amount of the initial payment. There are no plans to allow for "restocking fees."
Posted byted_200 on Mar 25, 2009 5:12 PM Invoice Issue and Opting Out of Search Hi Griff,
Two things...
I see you have several questions about this already, but feel compelled to add my 2¢ worth... I do not want my buyers receiving ANY demands for payment until I SEND THEM THE INVOICE. I have many multi-item buyers, and do not want them paying until the shipping discount is added in manually by me. And I certainly do not want them paying for items individually! Further, I discount shipping sometimes for repeat customers even if they only buy one item, and I frequently add messages to the invoice that are IMPORTANT FOR ADEQUATE CUSTOMER SERVICE.
Do you know how to stop these unwanted eBay communications from going out? Last week's answer to this issue was very unclear, and unsatisfactory.
Please read the top of post #53 for both an outline of the issue, and what has been done to address it. And note that at no time was eBay actually sending out invoices automatically. Second, can you provide any "granularity" about when the opt-out will be removed from New Search? "April" is a little vague. If the activity here is anything like it was the week New MyeBay was rolled out, I cannot afford to virtually give away an entire week's worth of items. An actual DATE would be most appreciated.
At this time, we do not have a solid date for removal of the opt-out for New Search.
Posted bymariasbooksteesandmu.. on Mar 25, 2009 5:54 PM Unpaid Item Dispute and Negative Feedback hi griff..i am wondering,can a buyer who has not paid for an item,and after a week recived a reminder ,,,and the after another week with no reply,recived a non payer,and i as the seller recives my final value...can the buyer still leave unfavorable feedback,if he can ,then why ??...thanks in advance,MARIA
If the buyer didn't respond to the dispute in the Dispute Console and the dispute was subsequently closed, the buyer will not be able to leave you negative feedback.
Posted bykatemckurrick on Mar 25, 2009 6:22 PM TurboLister & Offering International Shipping Hi Griff ...
I use Turbo Lister. Everytime I upload auctions to Ebay I have to go back into the auction after I've listed it to use the "Offer Additional Service" link that Ebay offers under International Shipping. I use this option to create a special shipping charge to Canada.
Do you know if Turbo Lister offers this option? And if so - where is it. I don't see it.
Thank you!
TBK
The option is in TurboLister. You might have to add it as an option manually.
Open TurboLister and click the New button on the menu bar. Select Create New Item.
In the New Item window, go to the Shipping Options section
Click the Customize link on the top of the Shipping Options section
Check the box for 'International Shipping' (and any other options you would like to add)
Click the OK button.
You should now see three separate international shipping options on the Shipping Options section. When you select one of the options, a list of countries will appear with check boxes next to each one. Check the ones countries or areas to which you will ship the item using the selected shipping option. You can set up three separate options for different countries.
Posted bytimewas1 on Mar 26, 2009 8:16 AM Hello Griff,
Big problem : Featured auctions that arenít featured. A little something I found out about . I paid for 2 featured auctions. Found out that with the n
Must use Buy It Now and PayPal.
)
