
Ebay makes ANOTHER change to postage policy following seller backlash
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.
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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The Sun
12 hours ago
- The Sun
I've made thousands selling on eBay as a side hustle – it takes no time but you must follow my 10 rules
SUPER eBay seller Danielle Raine has made thousands selling items on eBay. Over the last 21 years, the 37-year-old, from Preston, has sold everything from Lipsy dresses to food processors and even cardboard boxes. 4 4 She works full-time as a buyer but her eBay selling nets her about £2,000 a year on the side. The 37-year-old says she has a 'one in, one out' policy for her clothes so she'll often try to declutter by selling on eBay before buying new items. Whether you're looking to make a profit or you're just wanting to declutter like Danielle, these are her tips on making more as an eBay seller … Don't upload everything all at once If you're doing a big clear-out you might be tempted to blitz everything all in one go. But Danielle says it actually pays to spread out when you're uploading items on your profile. That's because the eBay algorithm rewards frequent uploads. So if you have 10 items to sell, it might be best to upload two items a day over five days rather than all 10 in one day. If you're a frequent uploader then eBay will push what you're selling to more buyers, Danielle says. Know when the best times to upload are It's not just about how often you upload items - it's also about when you do it. Danielle says she always uploads items in the evening because her listings get more attention. CHANGES AT EBAY 'You get more people looking because they've come home from work and they might be chilling in the evening,' she says. If you're selling your items using eBay's auction feature then you should also set the auction to end in the evening so people will be available to place bids. Danielle reckons that about 7pm is the sweet spot for posting. She also tries to upload more items at the end of the month near pay day as people are likely to have more money to spend. On a typical week she sells about two items but near pay day it increases to about 10. Use the Buy It Now feature If you've used eBay you'll know that some items are listed as auction-only while others can be bought instantly through Buy It Now. The auction-style feature means items can increase in price dramatically as bidders fight against each other for them. But Danielle says she always lists items as Buy It Now because shoppers have got used to fast delivery services like Amazon Prime and 'want things now'. Research how much similar items have sold for If you're not sure what price to set your items at, it's worth looking at what other items have sold for. Danielle says she always does this before selling an item. When you go to search for an item, you can filter it by sold and completed listings only. 'Usually if it's selling for about £10 then I'll put mine up for £7 or £8 because then I think it might sell a little bit quicker,' Danielle says. Make your listing more attractive One of the best ways to catch buyers' attention is to take good photos of what you're selling. Danielle says she takes pictures on a white background, such as against a doorframe, and makes sure there isn't any clutter visible. 'As a buyer myself, I wouldn't like it if there's clutter in the background, if it's on dirty carpet, or if there's feet in there,' she says. She tries to take as many pictures as possible to show off the item - and she'll make sure the description has plenty of detail too. For example if she's selling clothes she'll often put the exact measurements in rather than just the size. She also makes use of eBay's AI description writer. 'I don't use that as the only description, I use it to add to mine, but I think that helps with keywords,' she says. Don't skimp out on the packaging Danielle says you should take extra care with packaging anything you've sold. 'I send quite a few things out in a box because you don't know how things are going to happen in transit and then at least you're covered if anything goes wrong,' she says. She also buys mail bags which she says look nicer than sending an order in a carrier bag, and can mean you might get better feedback from buyers. The 37-year-old says she buys packs of 100 mail bags for £5. You can also get cardboard boxes for free if you pop to a local shop, or you can keep hold of any boxes your own online purchases are sent in. Post promplty Shoppers expect their buys to arrive quickly, so Danielle says you should post as soon as you can to get good feedback. She always aims to post by the next day. You should look out for Royal Mail lockers near you as these are open 24/7 so you won't need to wait for your local Post Office to open or have to join a queue. Protect yourself against dodgy buyers Danielle takes several steps to make sure she's covered if a buyer makes a false claim. She says some buyers will 'try their luck' and try to claim an item hasn't arrived so she always chooses to track the postage. Recently a buyer said their parcel hadn't arrived but when Danielle phoned up eBay's customer service they told her not to worry as she had got tracking on the item. Some sellers also film or take photos of themselves packaging up any expensive items they're selling as proof they've been packaged securely, in case someone claims their purchase was damaged in the post. Danielle also avoids negative feedback from buyers by being upfront about any imperfections on the item and including pictures in the listing. 'So if anybody disputed anything, I can say, well, it was already in the listing,' she says. Challenge any unfair feedback Danielle says it helps to have good feedback from buyers as it will make you look more reliable and trustworthy. But sometimes buyers can leave unfair feedback that damages your overall rating. You don't have to put up with this though - you can have negative feedback removed if eBay decides to side with you that it's unfair. Danielle says she recently had neutral feedback removed after a buyer complained that their item wasn't the exact dimensions they wanted. But when Danielle contacted eBay's customer service team, they agreed to remove the feedback as she had been clear in the item's description that she had given 'approximate' dimensions. 'eBay's customer services are very fair. So they will look at it. It's not a bot looking at it - it's a real person who will evaluate it,' she says. You can either contact customer services by phone or by web chat. Invest in a label printer If you're going to be selling frequently, Danielle recommends getting a label printer to print out your postage labels. She says this has made the process much easier and saved her money in ink and paper. Although there was an upfront cost of £75, she says she's made her money back because of how much she was spending on ink and paper for her printer previously.


Scottish Sun
12 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
I've made thousands selling on eBay as a side hustle – it takes no time but you must follow my 10 rules
SUPER SELLER I've made thousands selling on eBay as a side hustle – it takes no time but you must follow my 10 rules SUPER eBay seller Danielle Raine has made thousands selling items on eBay. Over the last 21 years, the 37-year-old, from Preston, has sold everything from Lipsy dresses to food processors and even cardboard boxes. Advertisement 4 Danielle Raine, 37, from Preston, has made thousands of pounds selling on eBay Credit: Danielle Raine 4 The super seller has been uploading on eBay for more than 20 years Credit: Danielle Raine 4 Danielle says she uses a label printer to save her money on paper and ink Credit: Danielle Raine 4 The 37-year-old sells on eBay to declutter her home but makes about £2,000 a year through it Credit: Danielle Raine She works full-time as a buyer but her eBay selling nets her about £2,000 a year on the side. The 37-year-old says she has a 'one in, one out' policy for her clothes so she'll often try to declutter by selling on eBay before buying new items. Whether you're looking to make a profit or you're just wanting to declutter like Danielle, these are her tips on making more as an eBay seller… Don't upload everything all at once If you're doing a big clear-out you might be tempted to blitz everything all in one go. Advertisement But Danielle says it actually pays to spread out when you're uploading items on your profile. That's because the eBay algorithm rewards frequent uploads. So if you have 10 items to sell, it might be best to upload two items a day over five days rather than all 10 in one day. If you're a frequent uploader then eBay will push what you're selling to more buyers, Danielle says. Advertisement Know when the best times to upload are It's not just about how often you upload items - it's also about when you do it. Danielle says she always uploads items in the evening because her listings get more attention. CHANGES AT EBAY 'You get more people looking because they've come home from work and they might be chilling in the evening,' she says. If you're selling your items using eBay's auction feature then you should also set the auction to end in the evening so people will be available to place bids. Advertisement Danielle reckons that about 7pm is the sweet spot for posting. She also tries to upload more items at the end of the month near pay day as people are likely to have more money to spend. On a typical week she sells about two items but near pay day it increases to about 10. Use the Buy It Now feature If you've used eBay you'll know that some items are listed as auction-only while others can be bought instantly through Buy It Now. Advertisement The auction-style feature means items can increase in price dramatically as bidders fight against each other for them. But Danielle says she always lists items as Buy It Now because shoppers have got used to fast delivery services like Amazon Prime and 'want things now'. Research how much similar items have sold for If you're not sure what price to set your items at, it's worth looking at what other items have sold for. Danielle says she always does this before selling an item. Advertisement When you go to search for an item, you can filter it by sold and completed listings only. 'Usually if it's selling for about £10 then I'll put mine up for £7 or £8 because then I think it might sell a little bit quicker,' Danielle says. Make your listing more attractive One of the best ways to catch buyers' attention is to take good photos of what you're selling. Danielle says she takes pictures on a white background, such as against a doorframe, and makes sure there isn't any clutter visible. Advertisement 'As a buyer myself, I wouldn't like it if there's clutter in the background, if it's on dirty carpet, or if there's feet in there,' she says. She tries to take as many pictures as possible to show off the item - and she'll make sure the description has plenty of detail too. For example if she's selling clothes she'll often put the exact measurements in rather than just the size. She also makes use of eBay's AI description writer. Advertisement 'I don't use that as the only description, I use it to add to mine, but I think that helps with keywords,' she says. Don't skimp out on the packaging Danielle says you should take extra care with packaging anything you've sold. 'I send quite a few things out in a box because you don't know how things are going to happen in transit and then at least you're covered if anything goes wrong,' she says. She also buys mail bags which she says look nicer than sending an order in a carrier bag, and can mean you might get better feedback from buyers. Advertisement The 37-year-old says she buys packs of 100 mail bags for £5. You can also get cardboard boxes for free if you pop to a local shop, or you can keep hold of any boxes your own online purchases are sent in. Post promplty Shoppers expect their buys to arrive quickly, so Danielle says you should post as soon as you can to get good feedback. She always aims to post by the next day. Advertisement You should look out for Royal Mail lockers near you as these are open 24/7 so you won't need to wait for your local Post Office to open or have to join a queue. Protect yourself against dodgy buyers Danielle takes several steps to make sure she's covered if a buyer makes a false claim. She says some buyers will 'try their luck' and try to claim an item hasn't arrived so she always chooses to track the postage. Recently a buyer said their parcel hadn't arrived but when Danielle phoned up eBay's customer service they told her not to worry as she had got tracking on the item. Advertisement Some sellers also film or take photos of themselves packaging up any expensive items they're selling as proof they've been packaged securely, in case someone claims their purchase was damaged in the post. Danielle also avoids negative feedback from buyers by being upfront about any imperfections on the item and including pictures in the listing. 'So if anybody disputed anything, I can say, well, it was already in the listing,' she says. Challenge any unfair feedback Danielle says it helps to have good feedback from buyers as it will make you look more reliable and trustworthy. Advertisement But sometimes buyers can leave unfair feedback that damages your overall rating. You don't have to put up with this though - you can have negative feedback removed if eBay decides to side with you that it's unfair. Danielle says she recently had neutral feedback removed after a buyer complained that their item wasn't the exact dimensions they wanted. But when Danielle contacted eBay's customer service team, they agreed to remove the feedback as she had been clear in the item's description that she had given 'approximate' dimensions. Advertisement 'eBay's customer services are very fair. So they will look at it. It's not a bot looking at it - it's a real person who will evaluate it,' she says. You can either contact customer services by phone or by web chat. Invest in a label printer If you're going to be selling frequently, Danielle recommends getting a label printer to print out your postage labels. She says this has made the process much easier and saved her money in ink and paper. Advertisement Although there was an upfront cost of £75, she says she's made her money back because of how much she was spending on ink and paper for her printer previously.
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Scotsman
a day ago
- Scotsman
Davanti vs Bridgestone tyres review
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The car's nearly 10 years old, it doesn't get heavy use, and it never gets driven hard, officer. But I am a bit fussy about tyres. As a motoring writer I've sat through plenty of demonstrations pitting premium tyres against budget tyres, and the results can be an eye-opener, to say the least. Then a company called Davanti asked me to try out a set of their performance tyres, to compare them with my old Bridgestone Potenzas, which were pretty much ready for retirement anyway. Importantly, Davanti is not a budget brand. Far from it. But their prices are sensible, given the amount of work and technology that goes into producing their tyres. The cheapest ways to find new tyres for your car Davanti Tyres are available from a selection of local depots - but you can save money buying online One of our preferred online shops for Davanti is An alternative might be eBay - which has a special tyre sourcing service Enter your tyre size into the eBay Tyres page, and you can find out what's available They can then be delivered to one of 3,000 fitting locations - and the depot will arrange a time with you I've actually got a set of Davanti all-season tyres on my Fiat Panda, but for some reason swapping Bridgestone Potenzas for Davanti's finest tyres still felt like a leap of faith in what is, as my insurance company keeps telling me, a "high-performance car." But Davanti insists its Protoura Sport tyres are every bit as good as the Bridgestones, and I've seen owners suggesting they're actually better. For reference, a Bridgestone tyre would cost me at least £180, and Davanti's Protoura Sport would cost around £115. Time for Davanti to put its money where its mouth is, then. Let's give it a go. So I booked a fitting slot at my favourite local tyre depot, Steve's Tyres and Wheels in Buxton, and the Davantis were fitted. Steve's Tyres and Wheels in Buxton had the new tyres on in minutes - and it was time to test them The depot's owner Steve is a fan of Davanti, and he has a set on his 500bhp Toyota Supra, he told me. This washed away any lingering doubt I had, as I watched the Bridgestones being removed. On the drive back, through the twisty A-roads of the Peak District, I'd be lying if I said I noticed a staggering difference. I could tell I was on new rubber, but the Bridgestones still had a fair bit of meat left on them, so it wasn't like swapping from worn tyres to new ones, but grip levels seemed similar, and the car tucked into corners every bit as deftly as it did before. It felt like there was a slight reduction in road noise, but that might have been psychological, and there were absolutely no detrimental effects to be noticed. Which, if you think about it, is pretty remarkable. If I was to buy four Bridgestone Potenza tyres for the Bimmer I'd be £720 deep. And this is a car that eats rear tyres, so that'd be a fairly regular bill. There's little noticeable difference between the Davantis and the Bridgestones - which is impressive in itself Whereas with the Davantis, a full set would be less than £500. And that's a saving not to be sniffed at. Having now tried the Davantis on wet roads as well as dry, I can notice a slightly better performance from the Bridgestones, but there's honestly not much in it. And I do seem to be getting slightly better fuel economy - although there are lots of factors that could be skewing that, least of all the cooler weather after such a sunny spring. But I feel I need to raise a glass to Davanti, for producing a remarkably good product at a significantly lower price point than the Bridgestones. Don't get me wrong, if I took the car out on regular track duty, or if I drove like a proper helmsman through the Peak District on a regular basis, I'd probably consider the premium for the Bridgestones to be worth it, but the Davantis are genuinely good enough for a "performance car" on twisty roads. They're very impressive. And at a time when everything's getting more expensive, spending a few hundred quid less on tyres without the concerns that come with budget rubber, I'll take that as an easy win. 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