eBay holiday settings are not up to scratch
19/07/2010 at 14:12
It’s the holiday season again, and like every year since I started trading on eBay I’m hearing complaints about eBay Holiday settings. Holiday settings hid fixed price listings and should prevent buyers finding them and purchasing but they just don’t work as well as they should.
It should be simple, when you go on holiday you put your holiday settings on with a personal message to buyers to let them know that they will be a delay with their order but it doesn’t happen like that. My friend Shazina Wallington of Invite Designs has just called me along with a great suggestion for eBay.
Shazina has just come back from holiday and is in the middle of dealing with irate eBay customers who didn’t notice or chose to ignore her eBay holiday settings. On her website however she’s continued to accept sales without a single complaint over the delay to goods being delivered.
The big difference is when she turns on holiday settings on her website before completing their order the buyer has to tick a check box confirming they understand it will be a few days before their items are despatched. Rather than relying on the buyer to notice the holiday settings message they have to physically confirm that they’ve seen them.
If eBay added a confirmation box that buyers had to tick to confirm that they are aware the seller is on holiday it could save many sellers headaches when they return from their summer break. In the mean time the only safe advice is not to rely on holiday settings on eBay but to cancel your listings and relaunch them on your return.
Bill says
5:13 pm on 19/07/2010
That’s an excellent idea.
Unfortunately, excellent ideas and eBay just don’t seem to go together too well.
Sue Bailey says
5:48 pm on 19/07/2010
Excellent idea, Shaz!
Gerry007 says
7:22 pm on 19/07/2010
Good idea Shaz.
We set our Holiday setting on in late April & again in early May. NOT for a Holiday, But for aour very prolonged stock take section.
All emails out were remindered of the situation (a 3-4 day delay over 1 week, then the same again 1 1/2 weeks later).
Our 1-2s DSR for dispatch went through the roof.
Just not good enough…..
Linzi says
12:13 am on 20/07/2010
I sold over 50 items while my holiday settings were on and all my listings supposed to be hidden. It used to be that they had to be watching the item or have bought from it before to find it while holiday settings were on – but many of these were completely new buyers – lord knows how they found them. Fortunately I noticed and set up an automatic “thanks for your payment – you DID see the holiday message” email with a refund offer if they wished to just buy elsewhere. It did not make for a restful three weeks off as I felt I needed to keep my checking my email and messages ;-(
Compared to the river where you hit the button – wait and few hours later that’s it – Done and gone and off you go on your hols. Why can’t ebay, just for once fix something that actually needs fixing? Instead of sending my buyers feedback reminder emails!
Ric says
2:27 am on 20/07/2010
eBay will never implement a simple common sense process such as this.
In their drive to eliminate as many sellers as possible from qualifying for the highest discounts, eBay encourages buyers to give sellers negative feedback and low DSR scores.
Simple, intuitive and intelligent solutions to support sellers are simply not in eBay’s playbook by design.
BigPoppa says
8:08 am on 20/07/2010
I’ve never really understood why, as a business, you would want to put it on “holiday”.
Surely the whole point of ecommerce is 24/7.
If I visited a website and it said it was “on holiday” I would be hitting the back button never to return, very unprofessional IMO.
I’m not a big fan of these one man band type “businesses”…waits for abuse
Amfm says
8:35 am on July 20th, 2010
Hi i do want to abuse you though ebay is set up for what you call it one man ‘band operation’its where many people start.
and i do see your point.
For business’s to grow in this climate sometimes working in a family firm is the only option.
Regards
AMFM
Jimbo says
8:53 am on July 20th, 2010
More abuse:
When I buy I care more about quality and service rather than rampant ego of the owner (:
It’s still fairly common practice in many places for even large businesses to close down for a period of time for holidays.
Gerry007 says
1:04 pm on July 20th, 2010
BigPoppa
With Respect, this ia a bit arrogant.
As we said we were stocktaking & we have over 1900 items to check.
I might also add, this was the 1st & only time we have ever used the holiday settings on any account.
By the way….didn’t you start small at sometime or were you just BIG to start off with.
For the small 1 man bands (that probably hurt your business)…. sell 1 couple of items now & let it grow, that’s where most of us started!!..
BigPoppa says
3:00 pm on July 20th, 2010
It wasn’t a dig at you. Stocktake is a different matter all together of course.
We started small but grew and continue to grow because we didn’t take holidays etc.
But as you say, these one man bands hurt our business by taking a very small % of market share, but all those small percentages add up.
And, generally paying tax/vat etc is very hit and miss so they end up wrecking the prices for all.
Gerry007 says
10:11 pm on July 20th, 2010
Last Holiday (more than 3 days) was 4 1/2 years ago for me.
VAT threshold is about £70k, thats alot of % spread over several sellers!!!
New start up’s are a way of life……
Mind you, If you’re a non Ltd Co, start up 1 & trade as non reg VAT.
If you are a Ltd Co, Start several more & do the same….that’s what seems to happen…
We know 3 business (some on ebay) that sell virtually the same items over several different ID’s & trade with several Co’s.
All Legally…….
Sue Bailey says
10:13 pm on July 20th, 2010
sell virtually the same items over several different ID’s & trade with several Co’s. All Legally…….
If they’re doing that to avoid the VAT threshold, it’s not legally.
Glenn says
8:19 am on July 21st, 2010
You are right Sue, the VAT threshold relates to all business income, ebay, Amazon or whatever. Hiding income across different ID’s is illegal and if the VAT Man finds out you’re in a world of hurt.
There are also sellers out there (selling at stupid low prices) who are clearly over the VAT threshold, but are probably making less profit than others selling at realistic prices. High turnover doesn’t necessarily mean high profit, in fact if your high turnover takes you over the VAT threshold it could be counter productive.
My accountant advised me that if I ever get near the VAT threshold consider can if I can burst past it by £20,000 or more and if I can’t consider stopping selling until I am clearly below the threshold.
As a small seller I’m happy to keep below the threshold, but it is frustrating when I see sellers making (high volume – low profit) sales which might appeal to buyers in the short term, but make the market unstable.
Gerry007 says
12:31 pm on July 21st, 2010
Sue,
A Ltd Co,is a legal entity within itself.
If a person is a director of, say 3 Ltd Co’s each is seperate & fully entitled to trade as a seperate business. Hence each has the ability to trade non VAT registered hp to the VAT threashold.
As far a seperate ID’s, each Ltd Co’, is seperate to the other.
Ir is legal, but obviously there are reasons why a person, would do this, instead of 1 Ltd Co doing the lot!..
Glen.
Firstly, please what is said above. I do agree if a single person or a Ltd Co, trades across several ID’s to avoid VAT registration, then that is illegal.
Sue has quoted several times, that there is always someone who will race you to the bottom (hope that quote is right, Sue).
Glem, bit confused what you are saying in Para’ 3?.
Obviously any seller that in non VAT registered, has the advantage over the registered seller. They only pay VAT on the purchase price, whereas the Registered seller pays VAT on the whole selling Price.
Sellers, selling large quantities of items in a BIN format are the only that get me most, they don’t have any returns problems, etc.
Sue Bailey says
1:52 pm on July 21st, 2010
Gerry: someone I used to work for set up three companies selling the same thing, precisely to avoid the VAT threshold. The VAT man told them they couldn’t do this. So I stand by what I said.
Brian Mitchinson says
8:29 am on 20/07/2010
Hi
Yes, I cancel and relist too, but of course you lose all your sales history for the item and have to start from scratch again!
Brian
Amfm says
8:31 am on 20/07/2010
Brilliant idea and so darn sensible no wonder ebay havnt thought of it.
Just back from holiday myself and found myself emailing buyers to make sure they noticed ‘we are away message’ which is frustrating as we only take a week off a year.We really value our week away and buyers told me they didnt see it grrrrr
amfm
kiteman says
10:06 am on 21/07/2010
we always have a problem with this why is the holiday notice so small i can see why the customers dont see it,it must be deliberate unless they do employ some very stupid people
Gerry007 says
12:36 pm on 21/07/2010
Re; Sellers, selling large quantities of items in a BIN format are the only that get me most, they don’t have any returns problems, etc.
SHOULD HAVE SAID: Private sellers…
Glenn says
1:58 pm on July 21st, 2010
Gerry007
The point I was making that if you need to register for VAT then a whole of lot of thing come into play. Not sure of exact figures but a turnover between £70,000 to £80,000 will not give higher profits that a turnover below £70,000 if you are not VAT registered.
Basically you need to be confident that you business can go passed the £80,000
We are a small Ltd company and hadn’t appreciated that we could run a separate Ltd company side by side – so thanks for the info (You never know)- although it seems that each company must have its own separate product lines ie DVD company 1, clothing company 2
Gerry007 says
2:50 pm on July 21st, 2010
Sue has said above @ 6.3.1.1.4 that she beleives this is not llegal…
However I would ring your accountant & clatify the situation.
I have run in the past (perfectly legally) 4 ltd companies together at the same time. Each was seprately registered & at the same Registered office.
Each sold slightly different goods, but there was an overlap. Each did NOT share stock.
None were VAT registered & anuual accounts were finalized by certified accountants.
This was NOT done for VAT non registration reasons, but for sake of % of partnerships & owners etc’.
We traded All 4 companies for several years in this manner & ALL 4 were sold (3 are still trading with new owners/directors).
The 4th went belly up about 18 months’ ago, because the then new owner could not/did not run it properly.
I & the other directors have had no interest in either business after their sale, as going concerns.
As I have said, telephone your accountants & see what they says.
Jimbo says
3:44 pm on July 21st, 2010
If the mode of operation is similar and resources are shared (even if product lines are distinct) I don’t think HMRC would look very kindly upon this.
northumbrian says
5:06 pm on July 21st, 2010
its one thing not looking kindly, and another actually having the resources to prosecute or penalise
90% of so called private sellers on ebay
are on the fiddle by the time they get round to the ltd companies we will all be dead
Sue Bailey says
6:33 pm on July 21st, 2010
Source of that statistic?
Sue Bailey says
6:31 pm on July 21st, 2010
Each did NOT share stock.
Ah. That may be the difference then. I think if you even shared premises/staff/etc., you’d be pushed to get away with it though. The advice to ring your accountant is very, very good.
Steve Antony Williams says
6:58 pm on July 21st, 2010
A friend of mine has traded(the same products) as 2 seperate companies under the VAT threshold at one point as well. However, one was limited, one was sole trader ….
northumbrian says
7:38 pm on 21/07/2010
Source of that statistic?
Human Nature! I was being kind at 90% it will be closer to 99.9% you cant tell me that the private seller or any seller on ebay pay all the tax they should ,in fact I doubt there is any one on the planet that pays all the tax they should, if they think they can get away with it
Gerry007 says
7:59 pm on July 21st, 2010
We pay the Tax our Accountants say we have to pay!!..
Most People actually do declare their income & pay their Taxes in Full.
Online trading is mainly paid by CARD, so it’s difficult to argue against that..
northumbrian says
8:15 pm on July 21st, 2010
gerrout of it no one pays the tax they really should, or the accountants being lazy
it like saying no one nicks the firms pens and paper or no one speeds
jp says
12:34 pm on 22/07/2010
A friend of mine has traded(the same products) as 2 seperate companies under the VAT threshold at one point as well. However, one was limited, one was sole trader ….
very very risky!!cause how can you seperate it!!this belongs to me this to the company! what happens when the company goes bust…the liquidator will be knocking on your door all of sudden its not limited anymore you will be knee deep in the brown stuff..yeahh but this is personal no the company had the same product are you lying and so it goes on and on on…better be honest and declare the tax – saving is probably minute and not worth the agro..but its up to your friend I guess lol