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 Replies: 16 / Views: 3,288 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1291 Posts |
For probably the first time in my ebay life I decided to look at my seller dashboard today. I've always been a TRS but it showed that if the current rating period were to end today I would only be "above standard", which is a notch down from TRS...and carries higher selling fees. So I tried to figure out what had changed and it turned out to be the "Tracking Uploaded and Validated" requirement, where I was only 72 out of 76...or 94.74% (You have to be at 95% or higher to be TRS) 2 of the 4 wayward transactions were more than 60 days in the past, so either I can't look them up or it would be sort of a struggle, but the 2 more recent ones I was able to find easily. In both instances the ebay explanation was that that I uploaded them on time but that there was no "carrier scan". "Sayyy whaaaaattt...?" So I looked them up, and found scans on both of them! One was plain and simply an ebay error, and their customer service person whom I eventually spoke with admitted as much and said she'd get it changed. The other one however, went like this: A buyer bought a coin from me using "Buy It Now" and immediately paid me. 45 minutes later, he bought another coin from me and immediately paid for that one, too. I prepared two separate shipments and made out two separate shipping labels using the eBay/paypal system....and then finally realized the two packages were going to the same person. So, I cancelled one shipping memo (and filed for a refund) and then shipped both coins under one tracking number...using the handy-dandy tool ebay provides that allows you to apply one tracking number to additional ebay item numbers. So --- what ebay was looking at when they dinged my score was the tracking number I cancelled...they failed to note the other tracking number that was (PROPERLY!!) applied to the item...until I pointed it out to them. Then the customer service representative said: "Well I can't help you with that one so take it as a learning experience and remember to always combine multiple items on one invoice to your customers so that all the items on the invoice are covered by one tracking number". To which I said: "Learning Experience...?!?! The buyer paid for each item SEPARATELY before I had a chance to send him a combined invoice! How is that my fault? How am I supposed to manage buyer behavior?" So - she went and talked to a supervisor and came back and told me that because I was TRS "forever" (her word, not mine) that they would put me into some sort of "grace" category so that if the rating wasn't quite above 95% the next time I was evaluated I wouldn't get penalized because of it. To which I said: "Why do I NEED your "grace"? Tell me what I did wrong that you're doing me this big "favor"! Why don't you just change me to 74 out of 76 (96 point something %) like I deserve to be graded?" We went round and round after that about how "she completely understands my concerns" but can't change that one and why I shouldn't really have to worry about it as long as I keep these sort of occurrences to a minimum.... Ohhh....Great googly-moogly. I just wanna scream.... |
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Rest in Peace
United States
17900 Posts |
Isn't it amazing how anyone you talk to at ebay makes it sound like they are doing you a great favor correcting something they messed up? Sorry to hear you've had the same problem we all hit eventually. Even with combined invoices.  Edited by moxking
08/20/2017 12:22 am
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12477 Posts |
Sorry to hear that and hopefully, your TRS status isn't revoked.  Fortunately, I guess, I'm still hand-writing labels and going to the PO for postage. The only issue I've had to deal with is refunding duplicate shipping payments.  Edit: regarding the "grace period", this is what ebay's site says: Quote:
Grace period
If you fall below the sales and tracking requirements for Top Rated Seller status, you may qualify for the Top Rated Seller grace period. During the Top Rated Seller grace period you retain your Top Rated Seller status and benefits. You have 2 evaluation cycles to get your transaction count, sales amount, or tracking requirements back to minimum program requirements.
You're eligible for the grace period if you fall below Top Rated Seller standards due to any of the following:
You have fewer than 100 transactions with US buyers over the most recent 12-month period.
You have less than $1,000 in sales with US buyers over the most recent 12-month period.
You've uploaded shipment tracking within your promised handling time for less than 95% (but not less than 90%) of transactions with US buyers in the last 3 months.
You're only eligible for the Top Rated Seller grace period when:
You've been a Top Rated Seller for the last 3 (or more) consecutive months immediately preceding evaluation; and
You meet all of the performance standards of the Top Rated program for defect rate and cases closed without seller resolution.
If you don't meet sales and tracking requirements and performance standards after the grace period ends, you lose your Top Rated Seller status and benefits. In Memory of Crazyb0 12-26-1951 to 7-27-2020
In Memory of Tootallious 3-31-1964 to 4-15-2020
In Memory of T-BOP 10-12-1949 to 1-19-2024
Edited by spru
08/20/2017 12:47 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2023 Posts |
Sorry to hear about your experience, and thank you for the story. I just bought a couple of medals the other day and paid for them separately. Only when I went back to revisit the shipping terms did I notice that they offered combined shipping, so I may have inadvertently messed up their rating. I was going to ping them on Monday (as they haven't confirmed shipment yet) so now I'll know better what to say.
Still a shame they ding you for it though. It can't be an uncommon thing to happen, and not your fault.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1346 Posts |
So, how much money difference is it?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1606 Posts |
Too many things that affect sellers are software based on the Bay these days. However, because of sheer volume, I understand it can't be otherwise. You can do everything perfectly for years and then one day something like your situ happens. You practically need a mil-spec checklist to be right every single time. Even then, the list is only as good as full anticipation of every contingency. Then there are the eleven-time buyers who won't give full stars because "there's no such thing as perfection". But that's another story.  Thank you on behalf of all sellers who may avoid getting dinged. As the idiom goes, praemonitus praemunitus. |
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CCF Advertiser
United States
1533 Posts |
I offer 1 day handling, but if someone buys something on a Saturday evening, it won't go out until Monday. Without a single complaint, I get dinged on being late relative to my promise time. I am now in the process of changing all my listings to 2 day handling to avoid the defects.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10284 Posts |
Make a complaint to the BBB. You may be surprised what strings get pulled to fix your unfair situation.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7375 Posts |
Yeah, if I sell something in the morning, ebay is telling me to ship the same day. |
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
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So, how much money difference is it? Almost nothing nothing now unless you do huge volume. They lowered the discount percentage from 20 percent to 10 percent on the final value fees. It's really not worth jumping through all there hoops worrying about it anymore especially since they make you offer 30 day returns to get the discount which is just insane for coins. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12477 Posts |
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they make you offer 30 day returns to get the discount Can you elaborate on that? I am apparently a TRS+ but never offer 30-day returns, only 14-day and seldom not at all. In Memory of Crazyb0 12-26-1951 to 7-27-2020
In Memory of Tootallious 3-31-1964 to 4-15-2020
In Memory of T-BOP 10-12-1949 to 1-19-2024
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1964 Posts |
 30 days?! |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12477 Posts |
Nevermind, I see on my Seller Dashboard that for the 10% FVF discount I must offer same-day or 1-day handling time and 30-day returns. Also, it seems only my CCF ebay Gallery calls me TRS+ when I actually don't have the "+". I guess I need to change those preferences because it really makes no difference to me. I have a 2-day handling time set but ship next business day 99.9% of the time. In Memory of Crazyb0 12-26-1951 to 7-27-2020
In Memory of Tootallious 3-31-1964 to 4-15-2020
In Memory of T-BOP 10-12-1949 to 1-19-2024
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
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30 days?! Unfortunately yes. Basically you have to let people shop your coins around and then take them back if they decide to file a return within 30 days. It was one of the changes they made a while back and given how small the discount is now most sellers just decided it wasn't worth it. There's actually a thread on another forum where a seller was just forced to accept a return a month later when someone else was selling the coin on ebay and returned it when they couldn't make a profit on it after initially trying to run a scam saying they never got it. It's just not worth it to have returns that long for coins |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1291 Posts |
I didn't answer the question about the difference in fees because that really wasn't the point. The point was that they make errors with regard to how they calculate your scores, and then they either won't fix it or make it sound like it's your fault and not theirs or they feign magnanimosity and offer you their amazing grace...instead of admitting and fixing their own ineptitude.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1949 Posts |
Quote:
I didn't answer the question about the difference in fees because that really wasn't the point. The point was that they make errors with regard to how they calculate your scores, and then they either won't fix it or make it sound like it's your fault and not theirs or they feign magnanimosity and offer you their amazing grace...instead of admitting and fixing their own ineptitude. You have to take the good with the bad with ebay. No system is ever going to be perfect, and anytime you operate a business, there will always be things outside of your control that are not fun to deal with. Unfortunately, no matter what type of business you are running, you are eventually going to run into situations that make your life difficult, even if it is due to no fault of your own... |
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Replies: 16 / Views: 3,288 |
Posted 08/20/2017 12:40 am
