Delay to removal of eBay UK free shipping policy

If you’ve been waiting for eBay UK to remove free shipping requirements, you may have to wait a little longer. Listing tools and the API are currently still requiring free P&P for those categories, which were due to change to capped postage yesterday. eBay says it is aware of the problem and is working on a fix: expect a new announcement when the situation changes.

In the meantime, the SYI form is working correctly, so that’s one option for sellers anxious to get on with listing.

Update as of Friday night: Changes have now finally gone live.

10 Responses on "Delay to removal of eBay UK free shipping policy"

1. 1
   Savvy Paul says:

   February 9, 2010 at 1:23 pm

   What we really need is an answer to justify how the P&P caps have been set.

   It costs around £7 (a bit less if you have an account) to send an average weight overcoat by 1st class recorded post, yet the clothing p&p cap is set at £4. If you put the ‘missing’ £3 into the start price you end up paying higher fees.

   Cynical? Yes, it certainly appears so
   • 1.1
     Steve Antony Williams says:

     February 9, 2010 at 1:55 pm

     Still better than compulsory free P&P though
     • 1.1.1
       Savvy Paul says:

       February 9, 2010 at 2:21 pm

       We would offer free P&P if a compensatory FVF discount were given. We’ve see this offer on accessories but w’ve been told ‘no plans to extend to clothing’.

       We should be grateful for ebay’s intransigence – a couple of years ago wehen they removed US visibility overnight we set up our own website and that now accounts for 70% of our business.

       This latest half-baked ebay change will just about decide whether we bother at all with ebay in future – maybe just the odd auction here and there.
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       • 1.1.1.1
         Bigpoppa says:

         February 9, 2010 at 4:21 pm

         Unless that overcoat is VERY heavy then I would seriously look at the prices you’re paying. I would expect to pay around £2.50 1st recorded maximum.

         Even at that price it would be cheaper still to post via RM Tracked.
2. 2
   Richard says:

   February 9, 2010 at 4:04 pm

   eBay screwing things up…. and people are surprised by that.
3. 3
   ricroe says:

   February 9, 2010 at 5:06 pm

   Anytime eBay adjusts, changes, or imposes limits, caps or restrictions on postage it is designed to enable eBay to earn greater profit on the transaction.

   eBay claims buyers want free shipping, the fact is that eBay engineers their surveys to steer participants to responding that way.

   eBay’s fee structure is such that when sellers are forced to include all or part of shipping cost into the selling price eBay stands to take higher final value fees on the transaction.

   eBay will not be satisfied until they are able to collect Final Value fees on the entire transaction just as they do with PayPal.

   The day is coming where the combined fees taken by eBay/PayPal will exceed 25% of a transaction.

   Serious sellers need to research their past eBay buyer emails, start their own website, and sell their items from there.

   With eBay’s unstoppable greed, it will soon be the only way a seller will earn decent profits on items they sell.
   • 3.1
     Sue Bailey says:

     February 9, 2010 at 6:04 pm

     There have been several non-eBay surveys showing that buyers like free shipping.
     (Though what they don’t tend to survey for is whether what buyers are liking is the free/inclusive shipping, or the price transparency. I’d love to see someone properly test those two against each other.)
     • 3.1.1
       Steve Antony Williams says:

       February 9, 2010 at 8:49 pm

       Who cares what the buyers like ? Or rather SAY THEY LIKE. What is important is perception, and free P&P puts the item price up and they no longer “like” free P&P. What matters ultimately is getting as much money out of the buyer as possible
       • 3.1.1.1
         Bigpoppa says:

         February 9, 2010 at 9:01 pm

         What matters is customer retention, if that means squeezing the margins then that’s what you have to do.
         • 3.1.1.1.1
           Debs says:

           February 10, 2010 at 1:42 am

           Forget that! I ain’t working for peanuts!

           Plus it’s impossible to offer any type of decent customer service when you’ve not got a decent profit margin.