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Google has been talking about this for quite some time. If you look up at the address bar on this page you will will probably see the URL begins with https — that is a “secure” page. It used to be that https was found mostly on log in pages, bank sites, etc. Ordinary pages have a URL that begins with http (without the “s”).
Google’s browser, Chrome, wants the web to be more secure. So as of a certain date, pages with http only will be labelled insecure by Google. The fact is, the page might be fine, no danger at all, but if it isn’t https, it is going to worry people because they’ll see Google’s message. So, many, many sites are making sure all their pages meet the requirements for https, not just http.
That’s what ebay is doing. I think ebay has already done it for ebay’s own pages. But for a seller’s listing page, well, depending on what the seller has in his description, the page may or may not be https compliant. So ebay is trying to ensure that all pages (including our listing pages) are compliant with https protocols. Which makes sense. I don’t want a buyer opening my listing page to see a note from Google that the page is insecure.
So, I’m going to make whatever changes I need to make to comply.
Others will probably disagree, but I’d probably do a buyer cancel, refund his money, and send him a note saying you have no replacements available. And just let him keep the glasses.
This has been suggested to ebay on numerous occasions. The last ebay response I saw (before the last seller release) was of the “there are no plans to do so” variety. Why? I don’t know. But don’t get your hopes up that ebay will suddenly reverse course. It’s possible, but not likely.
About tending listings….can’t remember where I saw this, I think one of the videos from ebay open…but as I remember, ebay said something like 90% of all purchases are made from a listing on the first page of search results. So, it might not be imperative to be at the very top of the page, but it obviously is important to be on the first page. Thing is, for a lot of what we sell, if the buyer has been specific enough with his search, there often is only one page of search results…
So I’m mostly a list it and forget it type, but willing to make changes, run promotions etc…If I sold mostly new commodity type stuff, then yes, I’d tend my listings more carefully.
you might want to look at this site: https://title-builder.com/
Jay, Yes, that’s pretty much the whole point actually. There will be a filter so a buyer can see which items will arrive within four, three, two or one day (depending on the time frame the buyer cares about). Of course, if a seller hasn’t opted into the program, his items won’t show up in the filter. My guess is, filter usage will increase the closer we get to holidays like Halloween and Christmas, and sellers who aren’t in the filter will likely be at a competitive disadvantage. Which is why I’ll opt in as soon as they move me from the waiting list.
You are correct about the Watch Lists. Some sellers actually try to game the system by having multiple IDs and watching their own items. So an item with no interest may have five watchers—all of them the seller himself. But the more watchers, the better the search placement, and the more likely someone else will watch, because many people assume if a listing has a bunch of watchers, it must be good LOL
This tactic may help with search placement, but whether that translates into conversions probably still depends on how desirable the item is.
A few more things about the GD program.
Although it will not effect search placement in regular Search Results, there WILL be a notation in the result entry for a GD item that will say something like “Guaranteed Delivery by Mar 2nd” (Of course, each buyer will see only those items with a guarantee to his location). So, where there are very few search results, a buyer could just eyeball the regular search list to see which listings have GD. If there are a lot of search results, it will probably be easier to use the GD filter.
When a sale is made that is covered by GD, that information will show up in the Orders list…so the seller will be able to tell which of his orders have GD and which don’t.
Once this launches, there will be some advertising promoting it, although just how much and what type I don’t know. But it won’t be confined to onsite promotions.
T Salt,
But remember that ebay is not guaranteeing just a time frame (say, three days from payment), but an actual DATE (say, Aug 13th). If the buyer waits a day or two or longer to pay, there is no way for the package to get there by the specified date. Same goes for the sellers who use the door to door option: they are promising a certain date, and a late paying buyer means there’s no way to meet their promise.
As a seller, I kind of prefer this. If the buyer really does need the item to arrive quickly, he probably is willing to pay full price to get it, rather than muck around with Make an Offer (especially since the seller might not accept his offer, or someone else might grab the item while the seller is considering his offer, etc. This way, even if he’s tempted to make an offer, he may pay full price rather than take a risk.
Jay, The program is being rolled out in phases. The first buyers won’t be able to see anything until about mid Sept, and all buyers should be seeing everything by Oct sometime.
When you were “opted in”, were you asked to choose between door to door and handling time? That would be the first question you’d see if you were opted in. Otherwise, you got a message that told you you were put on the waiting list.
T-Satt, Jay—To add to that, that is correct: A listing is not disqualified from the GD program because you have a restocking fee. However, if the return reason is “late delivery” the restocking fee can not be applied. But if the reason is buyer remorse, then you could apply it as usual.
Similarly, you can have Make Offer on a listing and it still qualifies, but if the buyer buys through make offer, the purchase is not covered by the GD program. This will be communicated to the buyer by ebay.
Jay, There’s no requirement that the buyer return a late arrival item. But it’s not hard to imagine a scenario where the item’s late arrival renders it useless to the buyer, so the buyer has the option to return the item simply because it was late. I’d guess in most cases, buyers will keep the item (assuming it is satisfactory in all other respects). So, for a seller who opts into the handling time version of the GD program, there are a couple possibilities, as ebay describes here:
When a seller chooses the handling time option and an item arrives late, who pays for the buyer recompense – eBay or the seller?
Sellers who choose the handling time option are required to guarantee same-day or one-day handling time, and eBay determines the delivery date. If an item arrives late even though the seller met their handling time and the package was scanned on time at the post office, eBay will refund the buyer’s shipping cost or pay for their return label. If the buyer wants to keep the item and shipping was free, eBay will provide a voucher to be used toward a future eBay purchase. In all scenarios, eBay will handle customer service.My source for the above quoted statement:
http://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/shipping/guaranteed-delivery.html
go to very bottom of the page and click on the “Terms and Conditions”, look under “returns”
The rest of my post above is just my interpretation. I could be wrong. Maybe it does mean seller can’t qualify if he has a restocking fee. If I get a chance I will ask about that at the webine on Wednesday. For more on the webinar:
Join us Wednesday, August 9, 2017, at 11:00 AM PT for an exclusive walk-through of eBay Guaranteed Delivery, hosted by eBay experts.
Register here:
This is from the details: “By choosing to use this feature, you are agreeing to accept the return of any order arriving after the guaranteed delivery date regardless of the cause of the delay or the party responsible. Restocking fees are not permitted for items returned due to a late delivery. Your buyer will be provided with a return label through the eBay labels platform. Where eBay is not able to provide a return label to the buyer, you may provide a return label and if eBay is financially responsible for return shipping costs, eBay will reimburse you for such amount.”
The way I read that, to be part of the GD program, your listing’s return policy CAN include a restocking fee, but you would not be able to APPLY the restocking fee IF the REASON for the return was “arrived late” But if the reason for return was just basic buyer’s remorse, you’d still be able to apply it.
I know this is counter-intuitive, and I don’t sell that stuff, but my policy is 30 day returns, I pay return shipping. I get very few returns, and have not had to deal with buyers claiming INAD to get free return shipping, since they are getting it without the need to BS.
I don’t know, maybe your return rate would go up if you tried this, but maybe not…it seems pretty low as it is, and as you say, with the low FVFs I’m guessing you could afford to pay the occasional return shipping?
To me, the fact that I don’t need to deal with buyers trying to weasel me out of free return shipping is worth the possibility that I might have to pay it once in a rare while.
