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Ebay annoyances


Butler Henderson
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Brand new stupid idea of the week from Ebay, they have started inserting some meaningless code into everyone's postal address which in turn mucks up the address format.

 

What it is for I have not a clue!!

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I've just checked...

 

In the email notification of the sale, the code does not appear, and that address says "confirmed"....

 

So, I think we may either leave the code off, or, just in case, put it in brackets after the buyers name?

 

Oh well.....

 

Now I know...

 

It's another eBay tracking thing...

 

It's only really revelant if you purchase shipping labels, as that system takes the code out of the address and converts it into a tracking bar code...

 

If you just use the post office normally, you should remove the code, as it does not do anything then..

 

Quote

Royal Mail tracking and delivery events on eBay from 1st Sep 2020

 

eBay is adding a unique eBay code to orders to improve buyers post-transaction experience by making it easier for them to see any available tracking and delivery confirmation* for the parcel’s journey.

 

This code doesn’t impact the delivery of your parcels. The code will only be added to items posted using eligible Royal Mail UK services and where there is sufficient room on the order address to do so.  In the future, this may extend to services provided by other carriers.

 

The unique eBay code will be included at the end of address line 2 in the eBay order and through a matching process, eBay will use this code to obtain available tracking numbers from Royal Mail.

 

The unique code will be in the format  ebay1234abc  ('ebay' + 7 alphanumeric characters) and for the majority of customers, when you generate your Royal Mail address label, it will automatically be transferred from the address into the 2D barcode on your postage label. The unique eBay code will not be printed as part of the address on the postage label.

 

*Only tracking and event data visible on the Royal Mail web site will be shared with eBay and only eligible services will have tracking and event data provided. For certain services, tracking and event data will only be made available after an item has been delivered.

 

 

 

 

 

Postage Stamps

 

If you use postage stamps and handwrite your label, there is no requirement for you to include the unique eBay code in the address as there is no 2D barcode and therefore, no means to provide tracking and event data. The unique eBay code should be removed from address line 2.

 

Click & Drop

 

Click & Drop linked to eBay account

 

If you use Click & Drop, the system will automatically remove the unique eBay code from address line 2, you don’t need to do anything.

 

Click & Drop CSV Upload

 

We recommend that you link your Royal Mail Click & Drop account to your eBay account so the unique eBay code is automatically moved.

Alternatively, if you import your orders via a CSV file, you will need to remove the unique eBay code from address line 2 and paste it into Order Reference Field before generating your labels.

 

Click & Drop manual entry of address

 

If you log into Click and Drop and manually enter your orders into the system, you will need to remove the unique eBay code from address line 2 and paste it into Order Reference Field before generating your labels.

 

 

 

Edited by Sarahagain
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On 15/09/2020 at 11:49, Sarahagain said:

I've just checked...

 

In the email notification of the sale, the code does not appear, and that address says "confirmed"....

 

So, I think we may either leave the code off, or, just in case, put it in brackets after the buyers name?

 

Oh well.....

 

Now I know...

 

It's another eBay tracking thing...

 

It's only really revelant if you purchase shipping labels, as that system takes the code out of the address and converts it into a tracking bar code...

 

If you just use the post office normally, you should remove the code, as it does not do anything then..

 

 

 

 

 

Postage Stamps

 

If you use postage stamps and handwrite your label, there is no requirement for you to include the unique eBay code in the address as there is no 2D barcode and therefore, no means to provide tracking and event data. The unique eBay code should be removed from address line 2.

 

Click & Drop

 

Click & Drop linked to eBay account

 

If you use Click & Drop, the system will automatically remove the unique eBay code from address line 2, you don’t need to do anything.

 

Click & Drop CSV Upload

 

We recommend that you link your Royal Mail Click & Drop account to your eBay account so the unique eBay code is automatically moved.

Alternatively, if you import your orders via a CSV file, you will need to remove the unique eBay code from address line 2 and paste it into Order Reference Field before generating your labels.

 

Click & Drop manual entry of address

 

If you log into Click and Drop and manually enter your orders into the system, you will need to remove the unique eBay code from address line 2 and paste it into Order Reference Field before generating your labels.

 

 

 

 

 

I dont know if this is the same, but it seems that eBay automatically inputs the ability of a buyer to select click and collect at Argos. These addresses are a bit difficult to copy, but if the customer has a reason for using it I am happy to oblige

 

I make my own postage labels via my Paypal account, and buy the postage at my local Post Office. However I am a bit confused at generating my own labels for click and collect at Argos, so print off the postage from eBay, rather be safe than sorry 

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It is possible to deselect the click and collect option.

 

But, though it has its problems, I usually leave it in.

 

It would be good if the address supplied by eBay for the Argos stores was correct. I look the address up on the internet to check!

 

There is a code, that is not always in a sensible place...

 

Therefore, I reformat the address from that supplied.

 

I put the name first, then the code.

Following this is the Argos store address, with any details missing from the address supplied, but found on the Royal Mail address list (Postcode finder) added in the right places.
 

Royal Mail tracking tells that the package arrives at the store, but you are reliant on the buyer to tell you when they actually pick the package up....

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I opted out of the click and collect as well as the GSP moments after they opted me into it.  I want nothing to do with either of those headache creators thank you very much!!

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As a very occasional buyer,  a matter that really boils the blood is sellers who show multiple items in their description image with the number of items corresponding to the number of items they have for sale as individual items.  I do not know if this is intentional deceit or inexperience.  Say the seller has two items for sale as individual items,  however in his description image he shows two items in the listing.  His written description does not state that the bid price is for one item only not the two items in the image.  As a long time seller I believe that if the listing image shows multiple items then those items are considered to be one lot.  Thus if the seller states that say he has two available then that should be double the number of items shown in the listing image.  Only by messaging the seller is the true number of items per listing known.  

 

Another peeve is a UK hobby shop who may still list on eBay who photographed their listings on a highly reflective glass counter top.  The reflection in the glass made it appear that there were two items in a listing whereas close examination of the item image showed that the lower item was actually a reversed mirror image of the item on the counter top.  If one was not observant then one could have believed that he was buying two items not just the one item shown in the listing.

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A new annoyance.   The "loss leader" item.     Yesterday I was in two minds about whether to make a purchase which was not open to best offer, then I noticed the same seller also had a Hornby-Dublo Hyfit for £0.99 or best offer, plus £3 postage.    I could hardly offer less than £0.99 but thought it would be a good bargain at 99p if I was buying the other item and so I committed to buy  both and requested an invoice for total with combined postage.   Received the invoice this morning and the seller has doubled the postage on the main item from £3 to £6 via Hermes tracked with free postage on the Dublo wagon.   Nothing for it but to pay up, and it is only an extra three quid, but if I had known the seller was going to rip me off for combined postage I would not have committed an extra £4 for a very common Dublo wagon of which I have several already, and I might not have bought the main item either.   The items had better come very quickly and in good quality packaging otherwise my feedback on postage costs is going to be less than five star.

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1 hour ago, cessna152towser said:

A new annoyance.   The "loss leader" item.     Yesterday I was in two minds about whether to make a purchase which was not open to best offer, then I noticed the same seller also had a Hornby-Dublo Hyfit for £0.99 or best offer, plus £3 postage.    I could hardly offer less than £0.99 but thought it would be a good bargain at 99p if I was buying the other item and so I committed to buy  both and requested an invoice for total with combined postage.   Received the invoice this morning and the seller has doubled the postage on the main item from £3 to £6 via Hermes tracked with free postage on the Dublo wagon.   Nothing for it but to pay up, and it is only an extra three quid, but if I had known the seller was going to rip me off for combined postage I would not have committed an extra £4 for a very common Dublo wagon of which I have several already, and I might not have bought the main item either.   The items had better come very quickly and in good quality packaging otherwise my feedback on postage costs is going to be less than five star.

 

When that's happened to me I get each item sent to a different address.

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6 hours ago, cessna152towser said:

A new annoyance.   The "loss leader" item.     Yesterday I was in two minds about whether to make a purchase which was not open to best offer, then I noticed the same seller also had a Hornby-Dublo Hyfit for £0.99 or best offer, plus £3 postage.    I could hardly offer less than £0.99 but thought it would be a good bargain at 99p if I was buying the other item and so I committed to buy  both and requested an invoice for total with combined postage.   Received the invoice this morning and the seller has doubled the postage on the main item from £3 to £6 via Hermes tracked with free postage on the Dublo wagon.   Nothing for it but to pay up, and it is only an extra three quid, but if I had known the seller was going to rip me off for combined postage I would not have committed an extra £4 for a very common Dublo wagon of which I have several already, and I might not have bought the main item either.   The items had better come very quickly and in good quality packaging otherwise my feedback on postage costs is going to be less than five star.

 

I thought postage was stated in the listings ? how come the seller increased it?

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2 hours ago, hayfield said:

I thought postage was stated in the listings ? how come the seller increased it?

That's what I thought as well.    The listings showed two separate items each with postage of £3.  Yesterday I requested  a total, expecting a rebate on the postage of the Dublo wagon as it was a small item which could easily be packed with the other purchase (job lot).   The invoice arrived this morning with the Hornby-Dublo wagon showing as post free, but then I noticed that for the job lot item above it on the invoice the postage now showed £6 whereas it had been shown as £3 in the listing.    I would not have bought the Dublo wagon if I had anticipated the seller would make no reduction for combined postage, but once you request a total you commit to buy.     Before paying I went onto an eBay forum and found a similar case where the seller reported the buyer as a non-paying bidder when the buyer had sought to renege from buying the smaller item due to being refused postage discount, so I thought it best just to pay up, after all there was only £3 at stake.   I know you can vary the postage charge downward when sending an invoice as I have done this myself but I did not know it was possible to increase the postage against one item.

Edited by cessna152towser
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There is another problem related to combining postage and packing charges.

 

In some cases, if you go through the “Request Total” thing on eBay, you get a message along the lines of “the seller has disallowed combined postage”.

 

I have found that in most cases, the seller is totally unaware that this is a default eBay setting...and that it seems that you have to actually activate combined postage as an option!

 

Once again...as eBay and PayPal take their cut of the postage and packing charge, it would be in their interest for the p&p to be as high as possible! 
 

The work around is to message the seller about combined invoices...but in some cases this doesn’t work out, especially with buy it now items...

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All came good.   Each of the inidvidual items had been listed with delivery at £3 Hermes Tracked.  The seller has used the £6 to send the items by ParcelForce 24 and all the items have already arrived this morning, within 24 hours of paying, and packed in a stout cardboard box with plenty of bubble wrap.  So I have left good feedback and five stars for postage costs and delivery times.

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I often sell several items at once, such as several issues of a comic, where combining postage can make quite a difference to the buyer.  I usually work it out and invoice them but some buyers pay too quickly.  Out of goodwill I will refund the excess if it's over £1.00.  Sellers can get caught out as well.  I recently sold a large book cheaply, due to condition, with P&P at £3.00 without weighing it first.  When packed it was over 2 kilos and I would have been out of pocket sending it by post.  I sent it cheaper by Hermes and ended up with less than £1 after fees.

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