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EBAY has made a major change to its Simple Delivery, just days after the policy was introduced.
From April 15, private sellers on eBay were only able to list items on the platform using its “Simple Delivery” shipping method.
eBay has made a change to its Simple Delivery option for sellersAlamy
This meant that sellers could no longer arrange their own shipping and had to pay for the item to be delivered via eBay.
Customers complained that the change made it harder for sellers to choose which courier they wanted to deliver items to their buyer.
They also said they will need to travel further to drop items at courier points, which will make the process more complicated.
After the backlash it appears that eBay has now quietly u-turned on the policy.
The secondhand website will now allow items under £10 in some sub-categories to retain the custom postage option.
Previously there were fewer exemptions, including for Authenticity Guarantee, bulky objects and items £10 or under that weight 100g or less.
But the secondhand website has now introduced a longer list of exemptions.
The page on the website reads: “Simple Delivery will be optional for items priced £10 and under, letter-sized, and in certain sub-categories within the following areas.”
The list includes more than 30 categories including antiques, books, cameras, coins, furniture and stamps.
The policy may vary depending on the item you are listing so it is best to check if the opt out option is available when creating your listing.
An eBay spokesperson said: “Simple Delivery will be optional for letter-sized items that are £10 or under and listed under certain categories like Trading Cards, Coins, and Stamps.
“These changes reflect our commitment to continue to optimise the experience for our customers, aligned to how different types of products are traded on eBay.”
How does Simple Delivery work?
Simple Delivery was already an option on eBay, but the change that was introduced in April made it mandatory for sellers.
Ebay said Simple Delivery is an “all-in-one delivery solution” that is designed to make the process smoother and save customers money.
How to spot valuable items
COMMENTS by Consumer Editor, Alice Grahns:
It’s easy to check if items in your attic are valuable.
As a first step, go on eBay to check what other similar pieces, if not the same, have sold for recently.
Simply search for your item, filter by “sold listings” and toggle by the highest value.
This will give you an idea of how much others are willing to pay for it.
The method can be used for everything ranging from rare coins and notes to stamps, old toys, books and vinyl records – just to mention a few examples.
For coins, online tools from change experts like Coin Hunter are also helpful to see how much it could be worth.
Plus, you can refer to Change Checker’s latest scarcity index update to see which coins are topping the charts.
For especially valuable items, you may want to enlist the help of experts or auction houses.
Do your research first though and be aware of any fees for evaluating your stuff.
As a rule of thumb, rarity and condition are key factors in determining the value of any item.
You’re never guaranteed to make a mint, however.
It said sellers will save 20% on postage costs due to its competitive rates with couriers including Royal Mail and Evri.
Ebay also said it will speed up the payment process so sellers will receive their profit faster.
When listing an item via Simple Delivery, eBay recommends the size and weight of the item and the seller will need to confirm this information is correct before they can post it.
Once an item is sold, the seller will receive a printer-less QR code and prepaid printable label and can choose which one is easiest.
The seller then has to take the item to their nearest carrier location or can book a home collection.
But sellers have voiced concern that this could make it easier for items to go missing.
Meanwhile, even if you had a preference about which courier will deliver your parcel, eBay is not under any obligation to honour it.
It has said that in some situations sellers will be provided with a shipping label from a non-perferred carrier that they must use.
In its FAQs eBay has also warned that excluding certain carriers from your preferences may increase your delivery cost and your item may be available to fewer buyers.
Ebay has also said that if you want to have an item collected then you should exclude Evri from your preferences.
But Evri is one of the cheapest couriers.
Choosing to send items with Royal Mail instead of Evri would add 77p to the cost of sending a 1kg parcel.
Payment changes
Simple Delivery also changed when sellers receive their profit after they have posted an item.
For tracked deliveries, funds are released two days after the carrier confirms delivery.
If there is no successful delivery scan then the funds are available eight days after the order date as long as the item was shipped within three days.
If not, it defaults to 14 days.
Tracking updates
The secondhand platform has said that Simple Delivery will give buyers peace of mind if an item is lost or damaged in transit.
The labels come with automatic tracking so buyers always know where their items are.
Ebay has said it will handle claims with buyers so sellers do not have to.
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