The first seller release of 2012 brings some fee changes (increases) to Tech categories and eBay Motors along with lower Top Rated Seller discounts across the board, Increased feedback protection for sellers, adverts on all sellers listings, the introduction of a new My Vehicles shopping experience, and some general housekeeping for all sellers.
eBay reminded sellers in the Seller Release that listing quality is becoming more important to ensure that products are firstly found in search and secondly when a buyer is viewing your item that they actually make the purchase.
On over 43% of search results pages buyers search and browse using the categories and items specifics listed in the left hand navigation. By adding item specifics to your listings you’ll help ensure that your items show up in all relevant searches. To further drive sales they’ll be making changes to Item Specifics and categories in Baby, Clothes, Shoes & Accessories, Computing, Consumer Electronics, Crafts, Health & Beauty, Home & Garden, Jewellery & Watches, Musical Instruments and Toys & Games.
eBay have also added additional categories where you’ll need to list against eBay’s product catalogue if there’s a match. The categories to check are DVD & Blu-Ray, TV Home receivers, Multimedia Projectors, Home Theatre systems and Home Theatre Speakers & Subwoofers. By matching your item against a catalogue entry you’ll ensure it appears and is visible whenever a buyer views the relevant product page.
Another change is the introduction of a manufacturer warranty option in Item Specifics for Electronics listings. Some sellers already show manufacturer warranty details in their item description but using the new item specific field will help make it easier for buyers to find it in search.
eBay are going to focus heavily on eBay Motors with the new “My Vehicles” feature to make it easy for buyers to find parts for their own car. They’ll be able to register the make and model of the vehicles they own and then search for parts that specifically fit their motor, but this is reliant on sellers correctly listing with fitment details completed. If you’re a motors seller it’s critical that you update your listings if you haven’t already done so.
Other changes are the way handling time is displayed to give a same day despatch option, eBay buyer protection expansion to include Custom made items, Airline flight tickets, Licences, Anything equivalent to cash and Gift certificates. eBay are also making it easier to sell internationally to foster cross border trade and announced trials of additional improvements already taking place with a small number of sellers. They plan to introduce new international selling features later in the year.
Finally eBay have tidied up business policies and from June you’ll be prompted to opt in to manage your own custom settings for postage, returns and payment information from one central location, rather than specifying the information separately on each of your listings.
You can check the full details of the and how it’ll affect you on the eBay UK Announcement Board.
15 Responses
A well thought out and considered set of changes. Lots of time saving features that will allow sellers to reduce admin and improve communication (especially for international markets), and focus on making more sales.
Mixed feelings on this one. My first thoughts:
I was hoping eBay would fix one ongoing bugbear, and make it easier for sellers to make buyers from special domestic areas aware BEFORE paying, that surcharges may apply. Postage Tables don’t work, they simply can’t be trusted IMHO. I believe eBay are aware of glitches in this area.
I’m not sure the changes cater for that, and it’s something that needs to be done (especially for large, ‘ugly’ items where carriage costs vary according to special domestic postcode/ per listing).
VERY disappointed about the lowering of eTRS discounts. Margins are tight enough as it is. I suspect this change may force one or two less profitable sellers off the site (and some might argue that’s not a wholly bad thing? I’d disagree, however).
The other changes are positive, however, including long-awaited increased protection, etc although they seem more suited to sellers selling smaller items despatched very quickly. So again, mixed feelings.
Mark
My main concern is the reduction of Top Rated sellers discount.For clothing,shoes and accesories categories the final value fees is 12% which is bad enough and now they are reducing the discount drastically.From 20% to a mere 10% in the band I usually fall on and from 25% to 15% in the gold gold discount which I qualify for when I meet my target sales.I’m already researching alternatives because the profit margin will be really negligible for many items.
Another attempt for eBay to become more like Amazon. I really don’t like being dictated that I HAVE TO OFFER A REFUND, or my hard-earned Top-Rated Seller 20% discount goes away. Many items on eBay are sold “AS-IS” with no refunds, or for parts or repair, and there are no such items on Amazon. I switched 65-75% of my listings over to Amazon three years ago, and it has worked very well for me. I also don’t get silly questions like “what color are those black shoes you have listed”. I’m sure Amazon is extremely flattered by eBay’s wanting to be like them, but face it- there are two different marketplaces here in regard to selling used items. Another price increase by eBay, and as veiled as the others in the past few years. WE SELLERS ARE NOT STUPID!!
Agree that the ebay system favours new production line BIN goods that can be paid for and packaged quickly and shipped quickly by Royal Mail or some other equally efficient carrier.
Sellers of products that do not fit this system are at a disadvantage.
What about the buyers who make payments and then say please hold on to the item as there are other things finishing shortly that I want to bid on and buy?
we quite like it ok we would be happier to keep our discount higher though we would much rather have 15% than nothing this goes at least some way to stoping any silly bugger effing up your discount because they have PMT
ebay should make buyers aware of these changes and announce this as “Important news for buyers”
In this context an entirely different spin could be put on the announcement!
All these seller announcements actually have far greater impact on buyers so should they have their own news flow about changes and how these impact buyers?
Lee – well put!
so if mobile is the way of the future why are uk selers being charged for pictures?
with the new smartphones on the way and there camera capabilites,
all these pillocks who bid then after winning ask for a cancelation are buggered now,
in the past we have just done a mutual cancelation as they were not going to pay anyhow,
with this new auto removal of a non paying bidders negative and dsrs, were just going to let things take there course
st georges dragon – have you read the small print? The so called DSR “protection” will, as I understand it, affect only a relatively small percentage of sellers, who jump through certain hoops
The more I read and learn about the changes, the more uninspired I am.
What happens if you do not reply to a message?
The removal of feedback condition for non payment only applies if you accept PayPal as the single form of payment. So simply tick the PayPal only box and state in your description that you accept other forms of payment. Easy work around.
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