Seller update on fleabay

You probably have gotten this in your email (from eBay) but here's the part that jumped out at me.

They start off by saying it is now "...all about YOU" and they have "you" in italics to make it stand out.
They then tell about 3 things that might actually help sellers.

THEN they have the following:

New Top Rated Plus seal highlights top services. The percentage of all eBay purchases that are from Top Rated sellers with tracking uploaded on at least 90% of their US transactions—and include 1-day handling and a 14-day or longer money-back return policy—is growing rapidly.


To help these listings stand out even more, starting in September, they will be highlighted with a new Top Rated Plus seal.


The current Top Rated seller badge will be retired.

Note the last line. This says that unless you do the 1 day shipping and 14 day return policy you will no longer be a top rated seller.

I have always liked having that distiction and the little ribbon that goes with it in each of my listings, but now it will be no more because I will not do one-day shipping and especially 14 day return. You can't do just one..have to do both to get the 20% discount on final value fees. They eliminated the 5% discount and now they essentially are blackmailing people into going 1 and 14 or they are no longer considered top rated.

Just a couple of weeks ago they were beating up on me because I was one item short of having what I needed in a 12 month period to be top rated. My annual dollar sales figures were 10 times what was required but I was one item short.

Now it doesn't matter that I ship quickly and have good star ratings...I won't be a top rated seller anymore.

*****

If there was anywhere else to go, I would, but there isn't and they know it.

How do you like THIS eBay?

Come on MovieMan.....you don't need no stinkin' badges~

I read all their requirements to be a top rated seller about 4 months ago and realized I have no desire to become one.  Just too much pressure for me, but it's funny........I usually do one day shipping and have a 14 day money back guarantee.

They definitely cater to the buyer, but as you said...........there really isn't another option~

Come on MovieMan.....you don't need no stinkin' badges~

Treasure of the Sierra Madre (with H. Bogart)

Good movie and YES, I do WANT a  stinking badge so I'll just put them on my sales pages myself.  Forget them !

You probably have gotten this in your email (from eBay) but here's the part that jumped out at me.

They start off by saying it is now "...all about YOU" and they have "you" in italics to make it stand out.
They then tell about 3 things that might actually help sellers.

THEN they have the following:

New Top Rated Plus seal highlights top services. The percentage of all eBay purchases that are from Top Rated sellers with tracking uploaded on at least 90% of their US transactions—and include 1-day handling and a 14-day or longer money-back return policy—is growing rapidly.


To help these listings stand out even more, starting in September, they will be highlighted with a new Top Rated Plus seal.


The current Top Rated seller badge will be retired.

Note the last line. This says that unless you do the 1 day shipping and 14 day return policy you will no longer be a top rated seller.

I have always liked having that distiction and the little ribbon that goes with it in each of my listings, but now it will be no more because I will not do one-day shipping and especially 14 day return. You can't do just one..have to do both to get the 20% discount on final value fees. They eliminated the 5% discount and now they essentially are blackmailing people into going 1 and 14 or they are no longer considered top rated.

Just a couple of weeks ago they were beating up on me because I was one item short of having what I needed in a 12 month period to be top rated. My annual dollar sales figures were 10 times what was required but I was one item short.

Now it doesn't matter that I ship quickly and have good star ratings...I won't be a top rated seller anymore.

*****

If there was anywhere else to go, I would, but there isn't and they know it.

How do you like THIS eBay?

I've started implementing all the requirements for top rated seller, 14 day money back guarantee, 1 day tracking/shipping and for me it's been working out better. Bidding has gone up on my auction listings and my Buy-it-nows are actually selling or getting pretty decent offers. My Buy-it-Nows use to just sit with no action.

One caveat about Ebays lister. I had an item sell 15 minutes after I listed it and I was like OMG!! that has never happened! It was a Buy-it-Now, & when I looked at the order it said Free Shipping. Now I know I set it for calculated shipping, but the Ebay lister must have defaulted me to Free Shipping. Luckily the item didn't cost that much to ship, and considering how quick the sale was I may consider offering free shipping on my own on future products, but just be careful when your listing & make sure Ebay doesn't default you to free shipping. It's not a requirement now, but I got a feeling thats gonna be the next requirement for Top Rated Seller.

i dont know if anyone else saw it , but if your item has bids and you cancel the auction before it ends (made a mistake , sold it elsewhere etc) your going to get hit with final value fees

I'm a top rated seller and a power seller and have been keeping up with these requirements for a while now. I move anywhere from 300-500 items a month usually on the lower side.

I have not had a single return. Also, you just have to print the lable the first day it doesn't have to go out the first day in terms of handling time. Obviosly you dont want to make a practice of printing labels and shipping later however there are some days when I can't make it to a post office by 5 and as long as I pritn out the lable and ship the next day i'm in line with the requirements.

The big thing about being a top rated seller is not the discount though every little bit helps, especially when your moving volume. The biggest thing is you show up better in searches. As a top rated seller I will show up above someone who isn't a top rated seller, plus the confidence it gives buyers probably helps too.

I can see how people selling storage locker items may not like these new policies though. The nature of the product I sell makes it easy. My product people know what they are getting, there's no surprises. There's really no possibility of somene saying its not as described or broken so for that reason I don't worry about returns and have never had one.

With storage auction wares however whethre its used toys, clothes, etc you run the risk of having a picky or unrealistic person who will find something to complain about and want a return. Overall I think its probably worth it though.

I don't mind the one day shipping so much, but the idea that someone can use the item for two weeks and the send it back bothers me a lot.

I believe the opportunity will be used a lot by some buyers, and there will be no recourse. eBay will side with them no matter what.

Who needs two weeks to decide if they like something enough to keep it?

What about a $400 tool someone only needs for one project?  Buy it, use it, send it back.

Need to convert 500 old 35mm slides to digital format? Buy it, use it, send it back.

Like that little black cocktail dress? Party coming up?  Buy it, use it, send it back.

Anyway, that's my take.

The biggest thing is you show up better in searches. As a top rated seller I will show up above someone who isn't a top rated seller,

That actually depends on how the buyer chose to search. If the buyer sorts by price+shipping and a seller isn't top rated but his identical item costs less than your's, well then he is listed first. Same thing holds true if sorting by time ending soonest. The only time that I can see the top rated label making a difference is when the search is by relevancy.

That actually depends on how the buyer chose to search. If the buyer sorts by price+shipping and a seller isn't top rated but his identical item costs less than your's, well then he is listed first. Same thing holds true if sorting by time ending soonest. The only time that I can see the top rated label making a difference is when the search is by relevancy.

This is true but the default search is relevancy unless someone changes it to item ending soonest or lowest priced. Also, I'm not positive about this but when searching by lowest priced I imagine the powerseller/toprated seller gets top placement over non powerseller if they are tied on price. also because powerseller gets a price break in an ebay world where everyone seems to be getting the same junk from the same suppliers that couple percent they save may allow them to sell at a lower price

i agree with moviemans sentiment though it may not be worth the potential headaches if your product categories are something someone will use and return.