I have done the same... Increased my free shipping requirement to $30 combined and sent a mass mailing to about 1600 people.  We are all adapting which from our business standpoint is good.  But ultimately, feebay gets a big boost in profits.  Not only from us loosing our 20% discounts, but also from the increase postage we are charging.  GRRRR.

On a side note.  Delcampe is going really well for us.  We have about 1100 items listed and we have had over 1000 sales since mid Feb.  We are going to start trying auctions in the next couple of weeks.  It definitely takes some work getting that many items listed, but it is paying off.  The more you have listed the more exposure you have.

Our website also came online about 2 weeks ago. oquiststamps dot com.   It has pages that go directly to Delcampe and eBay.  Slowly getting our customers to take a look at the new place.

"The USPS is testing First-Class Mail tracking stickers in 50 po's in the metro Washington DC area. I think they cost $0.29 ea. If they decided to adopt them all over the US that might really help out."

If you go back a page or 2 you will see discussion on these tracers.  I live in Maryland and have tested them.  They would probably work, but for the volume we do just inputting the numbers into eBay is a time consumming job.  They do not make it easy. Especially for mulitple item winners.  You have to put the number in for every item.  And on top of that, if you check the status a couple days later, eBay system changes the ship date to when you checked the status.  Happened to me on everyone I checked. So I have decided not worth it....  Though I will use them on higher valued items for peace of mind / insurance tracking.

Cobbie,

Yes, it did occur on a few of the labels that I had printed through eBay.  I tested a couple of those when I noticed it was changing on the tracers.

I noticed this issue when I was getting packages ready for shipping.  I sort by ship date.  So when I went to that page and saw a couple of them on top that I knew I had shipped 3 days earlier I was curious.  I had not checked them. (the buyer must have)  So I tested a couple others that I had entered, and sure enough, as soon as I checked them the shipping date changed.  And it seems that occassionally one will show up on the top of the list again with shipping date changed.  So I can only assume it is the buyer checking the tracking.  I usually do check at the USPS.  And was doing so, so that I could see how they were tracking. 

But this is part of the reason I am done trying.  If eBay has this many clitches and even if you enter the tracking the ship date can be changed by someone checking the tracking it will then screw up your numbers.  To many variables to keep up with. Just cant see it worth the extra time that has to be devoted to it.  Too many people are complaining that the system is not tracking their numbers correctly.  So ultimately ebay's Top rated seller badge will be disappearing for many sellers.  Which will make them lots of money.  Maybe time to invest in eBay stock to recoup the lost discount.  lol.

I 100% agree... Matter of fact if a dealer sends me stamps that I have bought using a lable and not stamps I will NO LONGER BUY FROM THAT PERSON. I'm a collector and I collect STAMPS not lables.

Thank-You

invest wrote:

I 100% agree... Matter of fact if a dealer sends me stamps that I have bought using a lable and not stamps I will NO LONGER BUY FROM THAT PERSON. I'm a collector and I collect STAMPS not lables.

 

Thank-You

So how will you be keeping your TRS status in tact ? Will you be going to the post office for every single shipment and adding DC, shipping each item by Parcel post at the increased shipping cost , or will you forfeit your TRS and carry on shipping as you do now ?

Or do you actually go against what you preach and print your labels on line, receiving your postage discount for each shipment ?

You may not care one way or the other whether you get labels or stamps.  Most of my customers do.  I even have some that ask for specific topics for the stamps on the envelope.

But this is not only what this is about.  It is also about the fact that eBay is creating a "1 size fits all " policy that is not the case.  They are telling me to be considered "top" I have to conform to a policy that goes against what most my customers want.  Personally, I rather remain "Top" in the eyes of my customers than in"ebays"  as my customers are the ones that contribute to my business. 

There are a few arguments regarding this change, not just the stamp issue.

1- many of our customers want stamps on their envelopes not labels.  But eBay tells me I am not a top seller if I give my customer what they want (stamps)  As another person stated earlier, he will not buy from a seller again if they use labels to ship. 

2 - I can purchase Mint US pastage at a discount.  Therefore, my shipping cost can actually be reduced by using stamps.

3 - the cost involved going from stamps on an envelope to labels on a 1st class package is huge.  (50c stamp / envelope to $2+ for label, delivery confirmation and bubble envelope).That is a 400% increase, that buyers don't want to pay for and sellers cannot just absorb it.   You cannot just put a Delivery Conf. on a #10 envelope. YOu must make it a 1st class pkge which involves large envelopes at least 1/4 in thick.

3 - the green aspect.... lets take a small 1inch square piece of paper and instead of mailing in a smail envelope, put it into an envelope that is 50times the size of the item and then print lables to ship.

Ultimately done so eBay can thin out their Top Rated Sellers and take more money from the sellers.  Sure they say they have lowered the monetary requirements to acheive TRS, but they have made the policies so difficult, that more will fall from it then be added to it.

So from my standpoint... not childish.  Using stamps is a good business model for me.  I get discounted shipping and my customers get what they want. (which means they will return and purchase more.)

Sayasan & Cobbie,

it also doesn't bother me that sellers use labels instead of stamps,

One of the aspects is one day posting, All Ebay sellers should have had that years ago and to make it mandatory or lose status then all the better.

David B.

Cobbie,

it is not 1 day shipping, it is next business day shipping.

Friday sales can be posted Monday,

I get annoyed when I see some sellers stating 7-14 days or they only post on Wednesdays or Fridays. Big sellers who deserve discounts should have some sort of routine when items are packed and posted,

David B.

I agree 100% with the comments re stamp shipment tracking numbers.  I've used eBay exclusively for over 10 years.   The preponderance of my shipments are in envelopes with first class postage and the average value of my lots is below $20.   When I have a lot of value approaching $50 or over $50, I typically insure for $50, which gives me a tracking  number.   At an insurance cost of $1.65, that is not an effective option to get tracking numbers on most of my shipments.   This eBay policy will drive stamp sellers to other sites, where they are not treated as second class citizens.   This policy will undoubtedly also penalize trading card and post card shippers.  eBay needs to change this policy to accomodate U.S, mail shipments of relatively low value. 

Numerous stamp sellers are fighting this by uploading a tracking number that is not actually used, just sending first class mail for 45c.

Takes little effort, hurts no one and may help maintain status and discounts.

Good plan guys!

Any Post Office will give you a bunch of delivery confirmation slips  so you can fill them out in advance. They have valid tracking numbers on them.

If they are not actually used, doesn't matter.

Yanstan,

don't worry, non US sellers are exempt from the new rules,

David B.