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Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
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Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
Feb 28, 2012 09:04 AM
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I am not very familiar with how other stamp dealers do their shipping, but we ship most of our items in #10 envelopes and 99.999% of them get there. With no tracking number. Cost about 50c when you include envelope and packaging. (and we give most US buyers free shipping) With this change the cost will be $1.65 +$1 for large envelopes and packaging.
This new policy is really going to effect my business and I believe the "stamp" catagory as a whole. Many if not most of our customers prefer to receive stamps on their covers, not labels. So now eBay wants us to not use stamps, use their labels and add a huge cost to shipping. EBay's response is add it into the item.... I start almost all my auctions at a penny, so now what, start them all at $.99 .
If we do not provide tracking we will loose our top rated seller status. Doesn't matter that we excel in all the other requirements and have spent years maintaining excellent standards.
Is this going to effect any other stamp dealers out there?
I think we need to band together and try to have our catagory excluded from the tracking requirement based on the special mailing circumstances we have.
Please send emails / call and get on the Spring update discussion boards. Hopefully we will be able to get the "stamp" catagory excluded from this change.
Thanks for reading.
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(120 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
May 3, 2012 05:21 AM
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We who sell a lot of less expensive sportscards are in the same boat with you. I've seen quite a few stamp collectors post in the general forums so wanted to stop by and check things here. What are we going to do? The sad reality is that ebay has the largest number of worldwide buyers and has no real competition - maybe one day someone with big bucks will realize the opportunity. The bean counters have the luxury of doing their calculations given those facts and I'm afraid sellers who ship things in envelopes aren't even on their radar, especially considering that more sellers will inflate their prices to include shipping or outright move away from free shipping = more fees for feebay. It sucks but at the end of the day but I guess you just hope that people shop a little bit rationally and not buy everything by best match, but rather lowest prices and feedback received. I personally don't care about seeing the TRS badge when shopping. I've seen some out of touch pricing when looking at the top item in best match so their algorithm is flawed anyway. And the 20% discount is really just a 1% discount when you compare it to total revenue not just the fee discount. So the calculation for us is really, do we want to quadruple our shipping costs or lose 1% and fall lower in best match? I'm taking the latter and hoping most buyers aren't dumb enough to buy anything on best match. But I guess time will tell and if it ends up being a disaster I'll have to gouge the customers 2.64 for cards worth .20 (.99 + 1.65 postage on cheapest cards instead of a .45 stamp just to get the tracking that none of my buyers really care about on sub $5 purchases). I'm not sure about stamps, but the customer base at the next largest site for sportscards is like .05% of what it is on ebay. It's not even worth the time to post on them. C'est La Vie. ryan
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(121 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
May 3, 2012 08:36 AM
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Just like a lot of eBay Stamp dealers, I am selling most of my items between $1 and $2. There is no way for me to increase the price to cover the additional mailing cost. I would rather not to keep TSR.
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(122 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
May 9, 2012 02:41 PM
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Just another update.
I heard Griff & Lee on ebay radio with a seller (sports cards) that was complaining about the tracking and Griff basically said there will be no exclusions. They realize what this has done but are not changing it. Not for card dealers or stamps. Guess I was fed a line earlier when I called in.
Anyway, I did some research and contacted the VP of Domestic Products at the USPS and asked about the 1st class tracers. He answered within 10 mins and asked one of his staff to give me a list of available offices. We picked some up today and put a few on envelope to try out. Pretty easy. stick on envelope below postage. enter in the tracking # to ebay. (of course they make it really difficult for multiple item invoices. You have to enter the number in for each item. Stupid.. but again their way of trying to get you to use their system) SO sent out 9 today. Will see how it goes. They were $2.99 for 10.
Good News:
What I was told by the person that gave me the list is that they would be available for online purchase through the postal store sometime in July.
Anyone living in the DC MD VA area wanting to find them, feel free to email me and I will forward you the list.
Just thought I would pass on the info.
Lisa
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(123 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
May 10, 2012 04:30 AM
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Lisa, thanks for the info.
Do you, or does anyone, know if these first class tracers be used on First Class Letter rate shipments? Or would it still be necessary to use First Class Package rate?
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(124 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
May 10, 2012 05:27 AM
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mdes162nj wrote:
Lisa, thanks for the info.
Do you, or does anyone, know if these first class tracers be used on First Class Letter rate shipments? Or would it still be necessary to use First Class Package rate?
They are specifically for use on first class letters. First class packages still have Delivery Confirmation ( which cannot be used with letters ).
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(125 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
May 10, 2012 04:53 PM
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it is the worst dicision ever been made by ebay I contacted and screemd but no life for who you are calling. I made my calculatin and it seems that top rated seller cost lots of money even with their 20% discount it is too expencive. I desided to give away this lable and keep my customers happy
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(126 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
May 10, 2012 04:57 PM
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please send it to me Bossf22
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(127 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
May 14, 2012 08:25 AM
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A few thoughts from a buyer.
Postage costs are a real issue and the new plans are a very bad idea. Frequently, I pass over lower priced items because of postage costs and/or look for several lots being offered so that postage can be combined.
Some have complained that its not worth selling on other sites because there are no buyers. That's the wrong way around, buyers actively look for material to buy and we will be wherever there are sellers.
Ebay management need to understand that there are now serious alternatives like Delcamp.
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(128 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
May 14, 2012 02:27 PM
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I have been selling stamps on Ebay now for just two years. While Ebay is dificult to deal with if there is a problem I have been able to work things out with them. My customers seem happy and I have a 100% rating to prove it. I thought that I would eventually get to power seller status and have been working hard to achieve that. Now come these new requirements. A 14 day return policy. If a customer wants to return a stamp why in the world would he want to wait 14 days. Any way that was simple. I managed to get someone in Ebay to help me put that on my listings.I am now complying. Now lets talk about tracking. I find that someone buys a stamp for $1.00. It will cost him or her $1.64 in this country to mail the stamp. Can anyone explain to me why someone would spend $2.64 for a stamp with postage that will cost $1.45? I do not want anyone to know that I am a stamp dealer. So I take precautions to simplify my mailings by puting as little postage on it as possible. This is true particularly for shipments outside of this country. What protection is this labeling system giving me against pifering and loss? Tracking? How will anyone be able to prove that the customer did not receive the stamp. All this does is proves that the seller sent it. I want to do the best I can on Ebay, but Ebay itself is stopping me. What a shame.
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(129 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
May 14, 2012 02:39 PM
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As long as you take Paypal a 14 day return is meaningless anyway. WIth Paypal protection buyers have up to 45 days to return anything they want. Forturnately 99.99% of stamp buyers do not use this to their advantage and most will return anything within a day or two of receiving it and finding fault with it.
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(130 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
May 16, 2012 07:42 PM
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I see nobody else has replied here in some time, but guess what? I sell baseball cards and coins, and I have the same issues as stamp sellers on ebay!! Single items shipped USPS 1st class without delivery conf can go for $0.45 to $0.65, but Ebay wants us to do more. So ... SCREW EM! For low value items (under $5) I am still shipping in PWE and I have buyers. Get some balls, guys!
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(131 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
May 18, 2012 10:07 AM
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need your email.
mine is on my me page.
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(132 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
May 18, 2012 10:09 AM
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bossf22 wrote:
please send it to me Bossf22
Need your email to send attachment.
My email is on my about me page.
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(133 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
May 19, 2012 02:06 AM
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does those show a scan in ebay?
if not,no point using them.
at 30 cents it's not worth it anyway.
you auction somthing for $10 @ 7.5% fees.TRS discount will be just 15¢.
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(134 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
May 19, 2012 05:46 AM
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martoutlet wrote:
does those show a scan in ebay?
if not,no point using them.
at 30 cents it's not worth it anyway.
you auction somthing for $10 @ 7.5% fees.TRS discount will be just 15¢.
15c x 30 per day = $4.50 x 5 days per week = $22.50 per week x 4 weeks = $90 per month x 12 = $1080 per year. Not worth it ?
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(135 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
May 19, 2012 11:04 AM
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cobbie10 wrote:
martoutlet wrote:
does those show a scan in ebay?
if not,no point using them.
at 30 cents it's not worth it anyway.
you auction somthing for $10 @ 7.5% fees.TRS discount will be just 15¢.
15c x 30 per day = $4.50 x 5 days per week = $22.50 per week x 4 weeks = $90 per month x 12 = $1080 per year. Not worth it ?
30 per day x .9 = 27 x 30¢ = $8.10 x 5 days a week = $40.50 per week x 4 weeks = $162 per month x 12 = $1944 per year.
spending $1944 to save $1080 worth it to you?
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(136 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
May 21, 2012 08:27 AM
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yes they do show up on ebay with the little USPS box.
As for the math.....
If I buy 100 that is $30 , so About $30-45 a week = 120-180 / month
My 20% discount ranges from $200-300/ month.
So instead of free shipping I now charge $1 shipping and use the labels. I directly encourage my customers to make fewer payments and combine more items. Offer free shipping over $30. I save the PayPal fee (.30c for each payment) by getting them to combine and pay once a week. One offsets the other.
Do I think it is worth it.
Yup
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(137 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
May 29, 2012 10:48 PM
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Stamp catagory should be excempt for the new rules. It is not cost effect to put tracking on a low priced item. Ebay should stick to being a auction company and not a shipping company.
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(138 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
May 30, 2012 06:52 AM
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Hunting -
You are looking at this issue logically; from a stamp collector/seller viewpoint.
However, if eBay has to spend millions of dollars each year on personnel to handle complaints/lawsuits/inquiries on items gone missing in the mails, then to require rigid rules may work to their financial benefit.
So the loss of a revenue stream from small, inexpensive items like stamps & covers, postcards, sports cards and paper memorabilia may be small compared to what they must spend handling claims.
We hear of eBay being sued for mail fraud from State AG's and even if the legal issues are dropped, they still have to be processed by attorneys.
How many Seller and Buyers complaint calls or emails does eBay handle each day? And how could those costs be minimized via required tracking? Especially positive (for eBay) since the requirement puts the financial burden on the Seller, who may pass it on to the winning bidders.
Time will tell if their business strategy works; either through higher share values or higher profits.
But the days of millions of cheap auctions and buyer-seller negotiations and payment options are gone.
Matt
hunting-for-fish wrote:
Stamp catagory should be excempt for the new rules. It is not cost effect to put tracking on a low priced item. Ebay should stick to being a auction company and not a shipping company.
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(139 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
May 31, 2012 05:57 AM
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It will definitely affect my selling. I have been busting my rear to meet the top seller criteria and now the tracking requirement - there is no way I can absorb that additional cost and clearly cannot pass it along to my buyers, as my shipping costs are already considered a bit high.
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(140 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
May 31, 2012 07:25 PM
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Well, I think it but a tempest in a teapot. I sticking with my normal first class shipping, am simply adding 50c to shipping for each first item, no worries about making communication with buyers, and can ship when convenient to me...no DSR penalties.
Go to Covers!!
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(141 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
May 31, 2012 07:26 PM
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I mean to say DSR dings, or penalties, are now meaningless.
Go to Covers!!
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(142 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
Jun 1, 2012 04:33 AM
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postalhysteria wrote:
Well, I think it but a tempest in a teapot. I sticking with my normal first class shipping, am simply adding 50c to shipping for each first item, no worries about making communication with buyers, and can ship when convenient to me...no DSR penalties.
Exactly the same as I've done. Added a little to my shipping and handling. After all I'm going to be losing my TSR status so a few dings on my S/H isn't going to be making any difference. Anyone running a business adapts when changes such as this are introduced and learns to run their business accordingly to make it work.
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(143 of 189)
Re: Required Tracking for 90% of US Shipments to keep Top Rated Status
Jun 2, 2012 09:50 AM
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I'm not in the US, but Cobbie's right. As a buyer, do I even think twice about top rated seller status? No I don't. Good feedback and reasonable shipping rates are enough to reassure me.
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