So I went to list something on ebay today only to find that ebay's simple delivery is no longer optional, you have to use them to buy postage and can only choose between Royal Mail, Evri (why would anyone use them!) or DHL
So the item I want to sell is a bulky item, bulky items can only be sent via DHL
I can no longer choose other courier as an option, normally id use Paisley freight for bulky items as they are cheaper than DHL, plus I've heard from our DHL driver at work that they have merged with Evri!
So after 21 years of selling on ebay this could be the final reason why I stop using them
On the upside, if you buy through eBay and the courier screws up it is eBay who have to sort it once you have a proof of dispatch.
That's an up side as a seller as well.
I've found the rates on offer are preferable to booking postage elsewhere. Especially as they cover the item.
Yes simple delivery seems good, on paper. They also take larger items than they would going direct iirc.
Ive yet to test the resolution process if there is a problem, but then I have yet to test that when going direct to any courier either.
I tend to think ot shouldn't be compulsory though!
Cheers for the replies
If using simple delivery and you select Royal mail can you then select what service you want to use? i.e. next day by 1pm, 48h tracked and signed for etc....
Also if selling a bike then DHL's max size of 120cm x 80cm x 80cm is no good and as other couriers like Paisley Freight cant be used means I cant sell a bike with postage anymore?
Don't know if it's still the case, but last time I listed something (bulky) you got more postage options if you went via the website (rather than the app).
It's been pretty good at detecting when I'm selling a bike and defaults to ParcelForce for that, with dimensions plenty big enough for a bike. And it's only £17, way cheaper (and way less awful) than Paisley Freight.
I sold something a few days ago, and I was able to buy postage elsewhere, and update the order with the external tracking number (DPD).
It did annoy me a bit that they updated all my postage amounts automatically, and the cheapest postage I could purchase through eBay was double the price that they'd updated it to.
Hopefully this will push more sellers toward Royal Mail.
I think when it rolled out it was a bit of a disaster but I've just sold some bits there this week and it was all fairly easy to work out. I've got it set up so that it defaults to Royal Mail and Evri can't be selected so I can just drop bits off at the post office round the corner.
Got caught by this myself in the last few weeks and found it pretty unclear as it recommends services that are not suitable for the size of item you choose. When I checked the dimensions for the forks I was sending and even though I'd upped the limit it still showed the option payed for was under what was required. I assumed I'd get a bill for the extra but have not so far so it seems eBay prices are cheaper than you can buy yourself. I'm happy with that tbf.
I listed a bike but didn't include postage as the prices quoted seemed ridiculously low. If this isn't the case then it's a great option for selling bikes.
Hold on - I've just listed something and it gave me a choice between "Simple Delivery" and "Custom Postage". The latter option allowed me to set up Royal Mail with the services and prices I specified instead of the system.
Are you sure you didn't skip the option, OP? Or does it only apply to certain categories...?
Tracking went AWOL on something I bought recently, was delivered to me okay but aside from letting the seller know there was no way I could update on eBay & as a result seller says they won't get payout till 20th Dec!
Most of the time its really”simple” and works well. But if the item is bigger than the dimensions allowed its a pain, and in my experience you cant get a refund for the prepaid postage.
DHL wont deliver to NI but the package size is just too big for RM who do, which is a pain as someone wanted to buy all my salvaged monitors.DHL were meant to collect one on Friday, no show. Emailed DHL and no reply. DHL come on Monday when nobody is home. Today I’m WFH and they are booked to collect another. Mentioned to the driver someone came yesterday and not Friday, “yeah that was me” Still no reply from Ebay or DHL.
The smaller items do work well, local shop takes RM label free and has a label sticker machine for Evri.
works well for most things I find, and as said it's a little bit cheaper than selecting your own courier plus insurance.
However, where it fails is for oversized light things. I sold a set of bars and was charged £14 postage. I know I can send them myself for around £6-7, but because they are over 62cm long, they go in the high rate cost items.
That seems to be one of the only downsides to me so far.
It's stopped me selling bike kit through eBay now. Books and CDs work well with the new system though.
I sold a fork recently on Ebay and it recommended simple delivery with DHL. I thought DHL had a decent reputation (certainly better than Evri) but they were a shambles
No courier turned up to collect the parcel multiple times. Eventually I gave up on that and searched for a newsagents to drop it off at, but it turns out DHL eCommerce is a different operation than DHL, supported by a different set of newsagents. I found a newsagents that works with DHL eCommerce, less common than the ones working with DHL.
A few weeks later the buyer opened a complaint that they'd not received the item. DHL eCommerce had failed both to collect and deliver the parcel.
The saving grace, as @Harry_The_Spider wrote, is I didn't have to do anything more and Ebay ate the loss since there was proof I had sent the item.
From a sellers point of view, so far it has worked well for me and local post office is only just down the road.
Hold on - I've just listed something and it gave me a choice between "Simple Delivery" and "Custom Postage".
Same here.
Got to say that "simple delivery" has definitely made things easier for me - I like it.
I believe they're going to be adding In-Post as another option too.