If you have any case studies/suggestions please email the team.

www.e2usolutions.co.uk

Is it me or are the eBay customer service team totally irrational !?

E2U have a host of clients who sell on eBay and we have in one instance a seller, who sells tea, been trying to contact and replying to some cancellation notices that eBay are sending them ! The two issues eBay have are totally irrelevant and if they had had the decency to contact us to discuss would have been able to resolve it satisfactorily. The issues in question are 1. Third party links were in our listings (if they had taken the time to view them would have realised that the mentioned link was a skype link !!) and 2. They are saying that as a business seller we need to show our business address and as they quote, it needs to be”- On a Shop’s custom page that is no more than one click from their main Shop page”. Well, it is actually on our main shop page and is one click away ! Se link Chadao – Contact Us

We have sent numerous and replied to the relevant emails but have not had one response !!

We are advising our clients to diversify their market places, mainly due to the lack of professionalism and communication on eBay’s part.

The E2U Solutions Team

Can you imagine if eBay had some kind of voting/feedback system whereby all sellers and buyers could leave comments and score their feelings and views on how eBay conduct business and communicate with their so called community ! one of our clients today received a listing violation notification that a couple of their items had been pulled due to them having ‘inappropriate links’ !! as far as we can see the links in question were either a ‘skype us’ button, which allows buyers to contact us direct and instantly, which eBay recommends (also owning skype you may think would be favourable to eBay!) and possibly the fact that we had ‘cross promotion’ links to our other items on the eBay platform !!

How dare they just cancel our listings without prior notification, warning and without advising us beforehand, which in turn has now decreased our normally impeccable DSR ratings to ‘fair’. All that hard work and determination just to be tilted by eBay’s lack of respect and communication!!

We will continue, for the time being, to list our products on the platform, but can promise that we will from now on look further into up and coming marketplaces that will be, in no time at all, offering our products to the same or if not more buyers than eBay !

And one more thing if you view chat rooms and discussion boards and listen to what buyers and sellers are saying about ALL selling platforms (Amazon, included) you’ll probably find most of the negatives are targeted at eBay !! I would be really worried !!

Shops have changed

We’re retiring Shop Inventory Format, which means that Buy It Now is the only format for sellers to use for fixed price listings. Your Shop subscription will be a way to get lower insertion fees, especially if you’re listing lots of items, and these listings will have full visibility in main search results.

Which shop is right for you?

You can choose from three different Shops: Basic, Featured and Anchor. Each gives you access to significant discounts on Buy It Now insertion fees, with your listings showing up in the main search results.

Signing up for even the Basic Shop means your insertion fees for Buy It Now listings will be 50% lower than if you don’t have a Shop. Anchor Shops will benefit from Buy It Now insertion fees of just 1p, meaning you can put your entire inventory on eBay at much lower cost. In addition, Anchor and Featured Shop subscriptions come with telephone support so you can get help easily and quickly when you need it.

Get the right tools

Signing up for a Shop also gives you access to sales and marketing tools. These will help you manage your sales more efficiently, and market your business effectively, with marketing emails, flyers, Shop-branded templates and even the ability to publish product data direct to customers and shopping comparison sites.

What do I need to do?

Choose the right shop

• If you’re not quite sure which Shop is best for your business, use our Fee Illustrator to find out how you can get the best fees for your business.
  

Register your interest

FAQ

• Why are you making changes to Shops and Buy It Now?
  
  • We’re making the changes to Shops and how Buy It Now listings work because visitors to eBay increasingly want the convenience of shopping for great value, often new, items at a fixed price alongside auctions.

    We want to give all our sellers the opportunity to meet that demand by choosing a business model that best suits their items, whether that is through fixed-price sales or auction-format sales.

• Why will the monthly subscription to my Shop be going up?
  
  • The new Shops offer much more than the old ones.

    An important improvement to Shops is that from 25th September, items selling through a Shop will be visible in main search results.

    Shops will also enable you to access lower insertion fees and in the case of Featured and Anchor shops , telephone support , as well as other marketing tools.

• I have a basic Shop. What benefits am I getting for my increased monthly fee?
  
  • We’re making major improvements to Shops that mean although prices have gone up, they’ll offer greater benefits than before.

    The change to visibility of Shop listings alone means that these are more likely to sell. Different Shop levels also give you reduced upfront costs in the insertion fees.

    We can’t say that every single current Shop owner will benefit from the changes we’ve made, but there are other things to bear in mind:
    

    • The monthly subscription is just one element of the cost of a Shop, and should be considered alongside the reduced insertion fees available, free Gallery, and other changes.
      
    • The monthly fee for Featured and Anchor shops gets you access to other great benefits, such as access to marketing tools, even further reduced insertion fees and telephone support.
      
    • The changes to visibility of Shop items means you’re more likely to sell from your listings.
      
• Will my monthly fees go up or down if I list and sell the same as today?
  
  • Please use our online fee illustrator to compare your fees.
    
• Are there criteria for owning a Shop from 25th September?
  
  • Yes. The qualification criteria are:
    Basic Shop: minimum positive Feedback of 10 and/or PayPal verified
    Featured Shop: minimum DSR scores of 4.4, based on a 12-month average
    Anchor Shop: minimum DSR scores of 4.6, based on a 12-month average

• If I do nothing to my Shop subscription, what happens on 25th September?
  
  • To move to the new equivalent tier Shop (shop tier names remain the same), you do not have to do anything. You will be automatically moved onto the new equivalent Shop on 25th September. From this time, the new Shop subscription fees, insertion fees and final value fees will apply.

    We’re also changing the qualification criteria for Shops. These will apply to new Shops from 25th September. As a current Shop owner, these will apply to you from October.

    The qualification criteria are:

    Basic Shop: minimum positive Feedback of 10 and/or PayPal verified
    Featured Shop: minimum DSR scores of 4.4, based on a 12-month average
    Anchor Shop: minimum DSR scores of 4.6, based on a 12-month average

• If I upgrade my Shop mid-billing cycle, what do I pay?
  
  • When upgrading your Shop to a higher tier, the new subscription level is effective immediately and the higher subscription fee will apply from the day you sign up.

    For example:
    - 1st October: you are a Basic Shop subscriber.
    - 1st October invoice: you are billed for the full month ahead (October) at basic level.
    - 24th October: you upgrade to a Featured Shop.
    - 1st November invoice: you will be billed for the full month ahead (November) at Featured level, credited back Basic Shop fees and charged at Featured level for the period 24th-30th October.

    Please note that if you are within the 30-day minimum subscription period for a shop, you will not receive a credit for the unused period.

• If I downgrade my Shop mid billing-cycle, what do I pay?
  
  • Shops subscriptions are for a minimum 30-day period. If you downgrade within this period, you will be billed for the entire 30 days. If you downgrade after 30 days, the subscription that you pay in respect of the post-30 day period will be pro-rated, and any overpayment will be reflected in a later invoice.

    For example:
    - 1st September: you are a Featured Shop subscriber.
    - 1st September invoice: you are billed for the full month ahead (September) at Featured level.
    - 25th September: you change down to a Basic Shop.
    - 1st October invoice: you are billed for the full month ahead (October) at Basic level, and credited back the fees charged at Featured level for the period 25th-30th September. (You would not be credited back the fees charged at Featured level for the period 24th-30th September if you that time period fell within the minimum 30-day period for subscriptions)

• Can I list now and schedule the listings to start on 25th September to take advantage of the new Shop Insertion Fees?
  
  • Yes, but you will see today’s price in SYI. You will be billed the new fees when the listings starts on 25th September.
    
• If my DSRs drop below the required 4.4 for a Featured shop, will I be moved to a Basic Shop immediately?
  
  • We’ll be checking Shops’ DSR performance regularly and taking action if they’re not meeting requirements. We’ll give you a period of time to make improvements before taking action.
    

Why not contact us to discuss eBay business templates and our fully managed services available ? e2u – helping the retail world sell On-line.

If you would like to know how you can improve your eBay and internet sales please see the form attached. Alternatively contact us direct for an application/enquiry form.

A study conducted by Verdict Research showed that online shopping is growing faster than at any time in the last six years and is hitting record levels.

While the High Street is suffering the effects of the credit crunch and economic slowdown, no such brakes are being applied online.

Verdict reported that e-retail purchases climbed by 35 per cent to £14.7 billion last year, a rate of growth that is nearly ten times greater than that of the overall UK retail market.

With faster broadband speeds coming on stream, the rate of expansion looks all set to continue. Online shoppers are expected to splash out £44.9 billion by 2014, a figure that will represent 13.8 per cent of all retail purchases.

As well as spending more (up 7.8 per cent), there are ever greater numbers of online consumers. In 2007, some 22.6 million went online to shop electronically, a rise of 24.7 per cent.

Those shoppers are buying more frequently too, averaging 16.9 transactions, 2.7 times up on the previous year.

In the survey of over 4,000 people, the majority pointed to the convenience of the internet as the main reason for shopping at the click of a mouse.

It is not all bad news for the High Street though, said Verdict, with bricks and mortar outlets still likely to play a big part in people’s shopping habits.

Malcolm Pinkerton, senior retail analyst at Verdict, commented: “In many cases, online and in-store sales channels will blur into one, becoming fully integrated. There is still a need for physical locations but the number of stores required will vary according to sector. Having an internet presence is now vital and the combination of an in-store and online presence, with strong links between the two, is essential.”

Mr Pinkerton added: “The internet is widely perceived as a cheaper and easier way of finding lower prices and bargains in most sectors. As the cost of broadband falls, consumers become accustomed to internet shopping and retailers continue to enhance their online propositions, the channel will find itself well-placed to capitalise on the falling consumer confidence and lower levels of disposable income impacting the retail market.”

• Detailed seller ratings (DSRs) – See your average ratings from buyers. We’ll use our members’ scores to set key performance standards and rewards. To help you manage your sales, you’ll find:
  
  • your DSR average over the last 30 days, as well as your scores over the past year. (If you’ve received less than ten DSRs in a 30-day period, you’ll just see your scores for the last twelve months.)
    
  • your exact DSR scores – right down to the nearest 0.01. For example, your profile would show 4.83 rather than 4.8.
    
  • how your DSRs compare with the average eBay seller.
    
• Search standing – See whether your listings are at risk of being lowered in the Best Match sort based on your DSRs.
  
• PowerSeller status – Find out where you stand now and how you can reach the next level. If you’re not a PowerSeller, you’ll see how close you are to qualifying.
  
• Seller discounts – Business sellers and PowerSellers can now see the discount on their last invoice, and monitor their progress to their next discount.
  
• Account status – View your account’s billing information, including your balance and payment status.
  
• Policy compliance – We’ll alert you if you break the rules, and update you about any limits we’ve placed on your account. We’ll also include links to messages in your My Messages area if they include more information to help.
  

If you’ve gained at least 10 DSRs in the last twelve months, you can start using your new seller dashboard today. You’ll find links to this in the My Account section of My eBay, and also on the Selling Manager summary page.

We hope you’ll enjoy making the most of your new seller dashboard.

Regards,

The eBay Team

Blog me see me

Following on from our announcement back in January, we’d now like to confirm that changes to the Feedback system will come into effect on eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie from 15 May.

Before feedback is left

1. We’ll remind all buyers about to leave negative or neutral feedback for a seller to get in touch with the seller first, and to allow plenty of time for their item to arrive (we’ll also include a specific reminder for cross-border purchases).
   
2. Sellers will have more control over who they allow to bid on and buy their items thanks to an enhanced Buyer Requirements tool. For the first time, they’ll be able to block bidders who have been reported for policy breaches and non-payment. We’ll launch these enhancements at the end of May.
   
3. Buyers will be able to leave feedback for 60 days after a transaction (down from 90 days).
   
4. If a seller is a PowerSeller and has been on the site for at least a year, buyers will not be able to leave negative or neutral feedback for 7 days after their transaction.
   

After feedback is left

1. We’ll remove negative or neutral ratings if a seller opens an Unpaid Item claim and the buyer either doesn’t respond or doesn’t specifically say the seller is at fault.
   
2. We’ll remove negative or neutral ratings left by a buyer if they’re subsequently permanently suspended from the site.
   
3. We’ll base Feedback percentage scores on the last 12 months’ activity (rather than on lifetime activity) so that negative feedback doesn’t permanently affect a seller’s reputation.
   
4. We’ll be launching a dedicated hub for sellers to report malicious or unfair feedback from buyers.
   

I think the above represents a life line to sellers who have been bitten by the “very very slightly discerned eBay buyer” that, without having the decency of contacting the seller to discuss their (usually trivial) concerns, throws in a negative feedback that has the potential to damage what is normally a respectable and hard working retailers business! A note to all buyers, please please please contact the seller with any disputes before leaving a negative feedback. Most of the time most matters can be dealt with smoothly and satisfactorily and sometimes the outcome sees the buyer receiving a little extra c:

eBay also mention-

Shopping with peace of mind
As we announced before, all listings on eBay.co.uk will soon need to offer PayPal as a Safe Payment method. This is so that buyers have the choice of purchase protection on every item they buy.

Over 95% of listings on eBay.co.uk now offer PayPal. If you don’t already offer it on yours, we’d strongly recommend you sign up now. We’ll update you soon on the final deadline for the requirement to offer PayPal on your listings.

We hope you’ll support these changes. They’ll create a safer marketplace where buyers are more confident and which rewards sellers giving good service.

Regards,

The eBay team

The above is fine if….

The sellers get something in return! As eBay/PayPal will be generating a huge increase in income upon their demands it is only fair that they reduce the commission charged! Currently at around 3.4%, for the smaller eBay seller, this represents a large chunk extracted from their margins. E2u as a business has seen a lot of potential new sellers turn their backs at sending their inventory to the eBay market place primarily due to the cost of receiving PayPal payments. I think that if PayPal charges were reduced to around 2% – 2.5% (which is still 1% higher than bank charges!), they would see a massive influx of new business sellers!! In turn there would be more sellers on eBay generating more sales for eBay and PayPal more successful entrepreneurs in the UK!

Let me know what you think? MCe2u