*sigh* another ebay glitch...

[2ndisbest]

So June 20th I was finally upgraded to top rated seller. Oh boy here comes my 10% discount on final value fees.... Sold 14 items so far and no discounts. Someone on the ebay forums said the discounts don't kick in until your listing rolls over after 30 days. So I delist every item that has not rolled over and relist them last night. Sold two more items today. No discount.

I contact ebay and every canned ham message they sent me in chat I just send my original message back at them. After doing this about 6 times the nice lady looked into my problem. Turns out there is a "glitch" in the system. Good news is that since I complained she will prioritize my account for fixing.....

So if you are trying to get top rated seller for that discount make sure they are actually giving it to you.

As for being top rated seller, it seems my sales are upticking. That could just be random but I have sold a few items that have been up for months in the last week.

Anyway here is to hoping they "fix the glitch".

 

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[2ndisbest]

They fixed the "glitch"..... well sort of.

Today I sold two items and I check and saw I received my top rated seller discount. HOORAY FOR ME!!!

I then checked all the previous sales from June 20th when I became a top rated seller. No discount.....

I spend a good 30-45 minutes with ebay help chat explaining to the person who helped me how ebay works, she wasn't very knowledgeable.

In the end she said she would credit one of the 4 items I sold yesterday with a top rated seller discount. (it was the one item I linked her when I needed an example of an item with no discount)

The other item I linked her before that was a camera. When she asked if I was charged the standard 12.55% I screwed up and answered her honestly and told her no. It was only 8.7% because I have a store (that lowers fees) and the camera category charges a lower fee. She took this as "see look you got charged less and there is your discount."

I then had to link her a sale from today where I was charged the standard 11.7% and received a discount and a sale from yesterday when I was charged the standard 11.7% and received no discount.

After this mind shattering revelation she threw in the towel and said she could do a one time FVF credit for that one linked item and then said she will have three of her best guys look at the previous 37 items I sold since I became a top rated seller June 20th. She didn't give me a credit for the camera I linked because I think she still thought I was full of **** and she was right....

So the saga continues.....

 

[Indigo Knight]

I manage two accounts right now, and based on increased volume they are about to qualify for top rated status.

While it looks like it's worth it for the boost in search results and the resulting sales increase, the FVF discount and Priority Mail discounts are minimal unless you're doing incredible volume. I already have a store, which is a much bigger discount for many categories.

Don't you need to have free returns on the particular listing to get the benefits? I'm afraid that dealing with even the occasion free return will eliminate all of the savings.

I sympathize with your dealings with customer support. Most of the reps are clueless as to actual policy and procedure. It's the direct result of complex policies that are constantly changing, a high employee turnover rate, and outsourced customer service.

 

[Bassmaster96]

I manage two accounts right now, and based on increased volume they are about to qualify for top rated status.

While it looks like it's worth it for the boost in search results and the resulting sales increase, the FVF discount and Priority Mail discounts are minimal unless you're doing incredible volume. I already have a store, which is a much bigger discount for many categories.

Don't you need to have free returns on the particular listing to get the benefits? I'm afraid that dealing with even the occasion free return will eliminate all of the savings.

I sympathize with your dealings with customer support. Most of the reps are clueless as to actual policy and procedure. It's the direct result of complex policies that are constantly changing, a high employee turnover rate, and outsourced customer service.

I'm curious as well if you're talking about top rated plus and allowing the free returns or just regular top rated status. It seems like fees have gotten higher for me under managed payments. Used to of course it was 12.9%+0.30 for the paypal and ebay combo and and it started out right around 12%, but I've noticed a lot of my items I'm getting charged 14% on. It could just be since they charge the fee on tax as well, but it sure seems to me like they're slowly increasing it or something...

 

[2ndisbest]

Quick update. Talked to another rep in chat support, said I need to wait 24 hours and it should be cleared up....

Also if anyone knows how to get money from UPS for breaking your stuff let me know. Cant get a human at UPS and ebay sent me to some PIP website. Went to the website and the nice lady told me they only insure USPS items not UPS..... Thanks ebay support.

 

[Bassmaster96]

https://www.ups.com/us/en/help-center/claims-support.page

That should be where you go to file the claim with UPS

 

[Indigo Knight]

Quick update. Talked to another rep in chat support, said I need to wait 24 hours and it should be cleared up....

Also if anyone knows how to get money from UPS for breaking your stuff let me know. Cant get a human at UPS and ebay sent me to some PIP website. Went to the website and the nice lady told me they only insure USPS items not UPS..... Thanks ebay support.

It's notoriously difficult to get UPS to pay out insurance claims on anything. I've had better luck with USPS claims.

In general, paying insurance on any package is a waste of money. The best practice with shipping is to always self insure, and not to ship anything that you can't afford losing. The only time I insure an eBay package is when a buyer requests it. For me this happened once in the past two or three years.

 

[Bassmaster96]

It's notoriously difficult to get UPS to pay out insurance claims on anything. I've had better luck with USPS claims.

In general, paying insurance on any package is a waste of money. The best practice with shipping is to always self insure, and not to ship anything that you can't afford losing. The only time I insure an eBay package is when a buyer requests it. For me this happened once in the past two or three years.

Oh yeah, it is always a severe pain. There are buyers that handle the claims themselves, which is the way I think it is supposed to be really. Seems to work out better that way.

 

[2ndisbest]

I had to file one claim with Fedex ever, and it was a simple easy process. The post office three times, twice for damage, which when I was new to ebay. I learned how to pack and ship properly. The last case was when they flat out lost my package. Again claims easy and quick. UPS broke two of my packages in the matter of days. Now the odd thing was I was dropping my UPS packages off at a UPS store near me, but later found out there was a UPS customer center right across the street from the PO. They only would accept prepaid labeled packages which was perfect for me, that is the only way I ship. There was never a line because nobody ships from there, the only people in there are customers with beefs with UPS and missed deliveries. UPS doesn't even list it as a drop off location for packages on their website. So my theory is somebody in that location is unhappy they have to do work and decided to play kickball with my packages. I had only used that location for about two weeks, ten total packages, and two broke after never having one break before. The one package was a chopped down box so I folded 4 layers of cardboard on top, so when the buyer told me UPS broke it I was like no way. After he sent me the pics the entire side of the box was caved in, the box was at most 4 inches tall. I also tape the sides of my packages for added strength. The side was caved in and the item cracked inside, IE a steel toe boot to the side of the package.

7 days after filing a claim I emailed UPS asking for an update, the next day I got a response saying my PDF file was too small and they can't read it, send it again. I "politely" explained to the rocket scientist who responded to me how to make things larger in a pdf file by hitting the large + sign at the top of the screen. I know I am getting screwed. I know I am getting screwed again when the other buyer eventually sends me pictures of the damage to the second package and I have to file a claim for that also. But I will get my money's worth with hate and bile directed at UPS in the process.

I already paid $5 extra to send a package via Fedex instead of UPS. Unless it is an "unbreakable" item, it is only fedex or USPS. At least the pay out when they destroy my stuff.

 

[Bassmaster96]

I never minded Fedex's handling, I just hate their backbilling. UPS has been way more accurate and fair in pricing in my opinion. Personally, I think all the labels should be like USPS and just be complete as soon as you purchase the label.

Another note, FYI in case you didn't know, USPS says it has $100 insurance on priority, but they will only honor $50 of it if you buy the label online. So if your item is priced between 50 and $100, then you are screwed unless you buy shipcover insurance, which I have never dealt with a claim on...

 

[2ndisbest]

I never minded Fedex's handling, I just hate their backbilling. UPS has been way more accurate and fair in pricing in my opinion. Personally, I think all the labels should be like USPS and just be complete as soon as you purchase the label.

Another note, FYI in case you didn't know, USPS says it has $100 insurance on priority, but they will only honor $50 of it if you buy the label online. So if your item is priced between 50 and $100, then you are screwed unless you buy shipcover insurance, which I have never dealt with a claim on...

Ya, strange thing about USPS, I thought they had a $50 limit too. But this last package that they lost I had sold for $59.99 free shipping and for some reason they cut me a check for $61.50. I think that was the total price with tax? No idea but I thought I was only getting $50 so was surprised when I got the check.

 

[Bassmaster96]

Ya, strange thing about USPS, I thought they had a $50 limit too. But this last package that they lost I had sold for $59.99 free shipping and for some reason they cut me a check for $61.50. I think that was the total price with tax? No idea but I thought I was only getting $50 so was surprised when I got the check.

Dang that's always nice