eBay Germany have launched two new logistics services for business sellers – eBay Fulfilment and eBay Shipping.
Both of these services will qualify sellers for eBay Plus – a subscription service for buyers offering fast and free premium shipping, simple free returns and premium customer service. Sellers benefit from better visibility and eBay-paid returns and when processing all eBay Plus orders on the same working day, sellers receive an additional 20% discount on the sales commission.
We’ve been pretty outspoken about eBay’s lack of retail standards when it comes to shipping and eBay Fulfilment and eBay Shipping is a clear step by eBay Germany to address these issues. eBay sellers are largely unable to compete with Amazon’s service due to eBay’s archaic platform and with sellers facing the inability to offer flexible cut off times and eBay failing to provide search options for products offering next day shipping. With eBay Fulfilment and eBay Shipping many of these issues are addressed – all that’s needed is to highlight qualifying listings to buyers.
One question sellers will want to carefully consider is whether they would prefer to place stock with eBay’s fulfilment partner and benefit from their shipping expertise in a similar manner to Amazon FBA, or if they would prefer to keep control of their own stock and avail themselves of eBay Shipping. The third option of course is to ignore both programs and continue to self fulfil and ship orders.
Questions sellers will want answered are:
- What does it cost? (German site Wortfilter reports prices are lower than Amazon FBA)
- Can I combine eBay Fulfilment for some products and self fulfil other orders?
- What about fulfilment for other platforms?
- What about returns?
- What about international orders?
- Can non-German sellers use eBay Fulfilment to sell to Germany and qualify for eBay Plus?
- And perhaps most important of all, when will eBay Fulfilment and eBay shipping come to the UK?
Here at Tamebay we applaud eBay Germany for putting programs in place that will assist sellers to compete on service and convenience with Amazon and indeed head on with Amazon Prime for buyers willing to pay a subscription.
eBay Fulfilment
eBay Fulfilment is a multi-channel fulfilment service that allows next-day delivery for customer orders before 6pm.
eBay’s logistics Partner FIEGE handles storage, picking and packing of products for the participating eBay dealers with the delivery experience for the end customer is guaranteed by Hermes. The connection to eBay Fulfilment is currently only available through plentymarkets multichannel software. Support for further multichannel tools as well as the dispatch by alternative service providers are planned for 2019.
For more information on eBay Fulfilment and the opportunity to apply for the beta phase, email [email protected].
eBay Shipping
With eBay shipping, eBay offers fast delivery at an attractive price to all smaller channels. During the beta phase, the eBay shipping solution is implemented in partnership with DPD.
eBay sellers taking part in the beta stage agree a suitable daily collection window with eBay, which must be later than 2:30 pm, so that as many orders can be processed the same day. As a rule, these shipments are delivered by DPD the very next day. End customers benefit from online services provided by the DPD, such as live tracking or the 60-minute delivery window notification.
Merchants can purchase the eBay and multichannel parcel labels via the new eBay shipping platform. The beta phase initially applies to dealers in the Bremen area. Other regions and shipping services will be successively released in 2019. More information about the eBay shipping solution as well as the opportunity to apply for the beta phase is available at verkaeuferportal.ebay.de/shutl-versandservice.
Als ein führendes globales Handelsunternehmen sind wir überzeugt, dass die Logistik von strategischer Wichtigkeit ist, um die Käufer- und Verkäufer-Erfahrung auf unserer Plattform zu verbessern. Mit unseren neuen Logistik-Services unterstützen wir unsere Händler dabei, die stetig wachsenden Anforderungen ihrer Kunden nach einer schnellen und zuverlässigen Lieferung zu erfüllen. Gleichzeitig profitieren Verkäufer durch die Teilnahme an eBay Plus von Zusatzumsatz und der Übernahme der Retourenkosten für alle eBay Plus-Artikel durch eBay”
(Translation) “As a leading global trading company, we believe that logistics is of strategic importance to improve the buyer and seller experience on our platform. With our new logistics services, we help our dealers to meet the ever-increasing demands of their customers for fast, reliable delivery. At the same time, by participating in eBay Plus, sellers will benefit from additional sales and take over the return costs for all eBay Plus items through eBay.”
– Michael Pasch, Senior Director of Loyalty & Logistics, eBay Germany
7 Responses
The cost will be expensive, but at least its a step in the right direction. Ebay mirroring Amazon has never been higher
Why don they just sell up to Amazon they are acting like a puppy dog following its master. No new ideas no groundbreaking ideas.
When i next call customer support will i get.
“Thank you for calling Amazon oops sorry eBay!!!!
Never have i seen such a large company with no idea on how to offer a USP.
Do they not think that when the only difference between them is that Amazon allow you to run your own business in your own way and do not force a 30 day returns policy on you and many other things that eBay do the sellers will just move to Amazon Hence saving lots of money on Inventory control software and logistics and of course the headaches associated with ebay always tinkering.
Ironic considering this page:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/deals/electronics
States they don’t do memberships, they do deals (might need to refresh a few times to get that banner).
An obvious dig at memberships and Amazon, meanwhile Ebay Germany… lol.
Here we go again, ebay aping Amazon.
I can just imagine, maybe even next year, when this programme is rolled out everywhere, and existing power sellers being made to feel 2nd rate if they don’t upgrade to ebay plus.
I don’t want to send my stock to ebay for them to ship thank you. I want to continue processing my own orders. I am a seller and supplier. That’s what we do.
To be honest, I doubt that ebay plus will really take off if members have to pay a subscription. For what exactly? Just next-day delivery on all their orders? And “premium customer service”?
Big deal.
Don’t they realise many Prime members on Amazon only have it for the TV and not just for delivery.
Stig stigson is absolutely right we are sellers and suppliers but this is just the 2nd phase of changing us I mean you are actually a 30 day lending library now with the new 30 day returns policy being forced on sellers.
hopefully it will not be flooded with chinese vat free stock as amazon has been dominated with over the past 5 years , this will mean chinese sellers will have a extra boost in ranking as there stock is ebay shipped like amazon prime