Ebay 2014 Fall Update! Note The Gsp Changes.

Cant find Shipping preferences to turn off Global shipping program.I am on ebay uk

I just found another nugget in the fall update


So to keep your Top Rated Seller status, you have to offer your customers up to a 90 ! day refund policy.

Probably great for shopping for a sweater for Aunt Tillie on November 1, giving it to her on December 25 and then letting her decide until January 31, 2015 if she wants to keep it or not, but for sellers of collectibles? And of course combined with "hassle-free returns", ebay will raid your Paypal account of the money you've probably already spent for your own Christmas gifts just because Aunt Tillie didn't like a sweater that was purchased 3 months prior.

Is there any good reason (with the exception of submitting a stamp for certification) that a buyer would need 3 months to decide if he/she wants to keep a stamp lot?

http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinforma...returns.html

In doing a bit more research, it appears that once again ebay is cloning Amazon which allowed returns up to 90 days during the last holiday season (and more than likely will offer it again this year).


I wonder if ebay ever thought for one second how this would affect sellers of non-consumer goods, which Amazon mostly does not offer.

And the hits just keep on coming!

Buried down deep in the update:

"We're also streamlining the cancellation process to make it easier for buyers and sellers to cancel a transaction directly from My ebay. Buyers can request a cancellation if they change their mind within an hour after the sale (as long as you haven't already shipped the item)."

(emphasis added)

Confirmed on the ebay discussion boards by ebay personnel that this one-hour cancellation window *WILL* also apply to auctions as well as fixed price listings.

It signals the death knell of the auction format at ebay.

1. A seller could conceivably go through and bid up everyone elses competing-widget out of price range, leaving only theirs at a reasonable price. When theirs sells, send in a cancellation for all the rest.

2. From a buyer's perspective: I know who the other party is bidding on this so I'm going to put a $50,000 snipe just to make sure he doesn't get it. I can just cancel and then wait for it to be listed again; lather-rinse-repeat.

3. I'm curious what the ceiling is on this item, but I don't want to necessarily buy it OR risk not getting it, so I'll put in a $50,000 snipe just to see where it goes. After all, I can just cancel.

4. I just like messing with certain sellers, so I am going to jack all their auctions.

5. I see a seller auctioning several similar items ending Sunay night. I like many of them but I can't afford all of them, so I'll just nuclear snipe all of them and then once the bidding is over, I'll decide which, if any, I want to buy.


We have known for a while now that ebay wants to do away with auctions and push everything to fixed price. This is their hidden-between-the-lines way of cinching it.

I really like nos. 3 and 5 - no more worries about how much to set in my nuclear snipes

And I honestly thought it couldn't get any worse for sellers ...

I did read further into the buyer requested cancellation. While the buyer does have an hour to do so unless marked shipped, the seller still has to approve of a cancellation. Of course if a seller doesn't comply the buyer can retaliate in many different ways - negative feedback, return it, etc. which will result in a defect for the seller.

If ebay was smart and that's a HUGE if, ebay would track the number of times a buyer cancels a sale just like the number of times a buyer doesn't pay for an item. Also it would be nice if sellers could block buyers who have an excess history of cancelling sales as well. I know it won't happen, but it's the only safeguard I can think of at the moment.

" ebay is really forcing tracking down everyone's throats as well. That will make shipping even more expensive especially international sales are eventually included.

Also be aware of the upcoming configurable automation rules for returns or you might be giving away your $10 and less items away for free if the buyer files an item not as described. No return will be needed apparently."

They really are clueless.

An example of the above: since it is 100% certain that the buyer will give an excuse to return an item that obliges the seller to pay the return shipping, ebay will give the seller the option to decide if to let the buyer keep the item and just refund the payment instead of paying shipment costs to have the item returned.

Clueless doesn't even begin to explain it ...

For those who didn't get this email, here's what ebay emailed out to me this morning regarding upcoming changes to the user agreement:

Returns. We updated this section to clarify that if ebay hassle-free returns are applied to your listings, you authorize ebay to remove the refund amount from your PayPal account, place the amount on your invoice, and/or charge your payment method on file. By the 2015 holiday season, all eligible domestic returns on ebay will be ebay hassle-free returns and sellers may not remove hassle-free return settings from their listings. We updated this section also to reflect this future change.

Global Shipping Program. We updated this section to underscore that for eligible listings for which you have not previously specified an international shipping option, buyers from select countries will be shown an International Priority Shipping option with end-to-end international tracking plus an estimate of associated import charges which will be confirmed for and paid by your buyer at checkout. If a buyer from one of the select countries purchases your eligible item, you simply ship the item to a US shipping center. Once accepted at the US shipping center, a global shipping provider handles the international shipping, customs clearance, and delivery of the item to your international buyer. Sellers are not responsible for any loss or damage during the international leg of the shipment; buyers take on compliance responsibility for the export and import shipment.

Money Back Guarantee. We updated this section to reflect changes in the Money Back Guarantee, specifically that sellers are responsible for return shipping costs if an item is not as described and that, if an eBay-generated return shipping label is used for return shipping on items not as described, we place the return shipping label cost on the seller's invoice.

Key updates to the ebay Money Back Guarantee:

Consistent After-Sale Experience. We updated the policy to reflect that we're simplifying the after-sale experience for buyers and sellers with a new improved return process that gives buyers a more convenient and consistent way to return items—right from My ebay. Many of our sellers who use ebay hassle-free returns are paying for return shipping on faulty or not-as-described items. Starting September 15, an initial group of sellers, (and after a transition period, all remaining sellers) will be responsible for return shipping on items which are faulty or not-as-described. Many sellers are facilitating returns for faulty or not as described items, but for those sellers who choose not to facilitate a return or provide a return shipping label for a faulty or not as described item, we may refund their buyers without requiring the buyers to return the item, and in turn seek reimbursement from sellers.

Timelines. We updated the policy to clarify timelines for buyers and sellers when an item isn't received or isn't as described in the listing. For items that offer hassle-free returns, ebay will automatically issue a refund after the refund deadline has passed. When sellers offer extended return timeframes that are longer than the standard ebay Money Back Guarantee protection window, eligibility will be extended to protect these returns when sellers don't refund buyers in accordance with their return policy.

Local Pick-up or Freighted Items. We updated the policy to clarify that items damaged during pick-up or shipping, or not delivered when the buyer has arranged pick-up or freight, are not covered under the ebay Money Back Guarantee. We refer buyers to work with the freight company in such instances.

Appeals. We shortened the window for appeals from 45 days to 30 days after we make a decision about a transaction issue.


- - - - - - -

"The updated User Agreement is effective September 15, 2014, or upon acceptance for users who accept it via electronic click-through prior to September 15, 2014. The User Privacy Notice and Money Back Guarantee are effective immediately for new users and on September 15, 2014, for current users."

Why does ebay keep sending me an e-mail titled :" complete your registration-last step"? I have been registered with ebay for years.

STAMPOCD, are you sure it's not a spoof? (my guess is 99% likely it is. That would be a great way to steal account info.) Post the full message header here if you want confirmation.

STAMPOCD - also check the name the text of the email is addressed to (Dear ...). If it's not your full name and ebay ID (in parenthesis), the email is not from ebay.

You are right guys , it is a spoof. I'm always very careful about this sort of thing, but this one looked real. Fortunately I didn't fall for it. Thanks