Does eBay Now Require All Items to Have Tracking?

Aerith-Waifu on 01/07/2021 - 17:31
Last edited 01/07/2021 - 19:01 by 1 other user

Just noticed something is different on eBay today, I sold a few low value items around $8 and I have already mark them posted and sent, on the order confirmation page I now have this:

Posted on 1 Jul

You successfully posted your order. Add tracking number for item (However I specially indicated on the eBay post methods that this item will be untracked and still add tracking comes up?)

Step 1: Buyer paid 30 Jun (Tick)
Step 2: Sent 1 Jul (Tick, I got the tick as I just sent it off, if I don't mark item sent there is no tick)

Now Step 3 worries me a bit:

Step 3: Delivery (No Tick due to low value items not using a tracking method)

Does that mean from today all items sold on eBay needs to have tracking regardless of the value of the item? I mean it cost $9.15 to send items with tracking with Parcel Post with Australia Post at the moment.

Anyone have any thoughts or news from eBay I missed?

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Comments

  • Muzeeb on 01/07/2021 - 17:39
    +2

    You still use eBay?

    • Aerith-Waifu on 01/07/2021 - 17:51
      +3

      give me an alternative and I be happy to move on

      • Quantumcat on 01/07/2021 - 18:52
        -1

        Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace, OzBargain

      • Chchnu on 01/07/2021 - 19:31

        Cash converters

        • TheOtherLeft on 02/07/2021 - 10:02
          +2

          I can't do this in the comfort of my home whilst naked at 2am.

      • WreckTangle on 01/07/2021 - 22:20
        -1

        Garage sale

        • TheOtherLeft on 02/07/2021 - 10:02
          +3

          I really can't do this in the comfort of my home whilst naked at 2am.

  • scrimshaw on 01/07/2021 - 17:42
    +2

    Having tracking re-assures buyers that the item has been sent, so they don't pre-emptively open a item not received dispute case.

    Also helps that if you ever need to deal with a dodgy buyer who claims item not received even though they may already have, the existence of tracking data should in theory provide evidence in a dispute that you actually posted the item (to the correct address).

    https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Selling/To-track-or-not-to-…

    Tracking is not mandatory but it is taken into account and eBay may build a profile around you based on how quickly you deliver and how often you attach tracking to your items.

    • Aerith-Waifu on 01/07/2021 - 17:52

      Thanks for the link, good reading.

    • Ocker on 01/07/2021 - 18:12

      eBay does not accept the fact as item has been delivered just because a tracking number has been supplied. A tracking number can be obtained when an item is never in fact actually sent.
      An interesting question is, does the provision of tracking numbers play any part in the algorithms eBay use to determine the ranking of items in search results?

      • Aerith-Waifu on 01/07/2021 - 22:05

        Yes interesting indeed, maybe someone who had inside experience can share a bit more

      • thereyougo on 02/07/2021 - 07:35

        When you get a tracking number, you can track the package at each delivery centre as it's scanned and passes through. Sometimes "things go missing', so you can see where it was scanned in last. Package is scanned also when delivered at last point. So getting a tracking number is more than just supplying a tracking number, it's a useful tool.

        • Aerith-Waifu on 03/07/2021 - 01:07

          I see, I sometimes just put them in the street box, which takes ages to track. now i know why. Thanks heaps

  • Ocker on 01/07/2021 - 17:53
    +3

    We have a eBay store and sell 4,000-5,000 items pa, mostly low value.
    Every few days eBay send us an email asking us to upload tracking details which we simply ignore.
    If all of our competitors were to add the extra cost of tracked postage then we would. In the meantime we just send by regular post

    • Aerith-Waifu on 01/07/2021 - 22:00

      Do you find people claim items not received been increased since the covid? I find we are up around 40% more compare to the pre-covid times

      • Ocker on 02/07/2021 - 12:39

        Our INR cases are almost non-existent. We may get 2-3 a month but there are normally AusPost related delays and invariably all get delivered after a couple of weeks.

    • WreckTangle on 01/07/2021 - 22:23

      Thats a lot of stuff! What u sellin?

      • Ocker on 02/07/2021 - 12:37

        It is all craft related

  • Presence on 01/07/2021 - 19:33

    eBay has been doing this to me for every sale (100+) for as long as i can remember. Just ignore it.

    • Aerith-Waifu on 01/07/2021 - 22:04

      Thanks, I only just recently noticed it.

  • foxmulder on 01/07/2021 - 19:37

    Do you set the postage type to be untracked letter? (Not the exact word)

    • Aerith-Waifu on 01/07/2021 - 22:01

      Most are, some items like custom made prints we have to put a value as it just becomes to expensive to lose, imagine losing $50 just because we have not provided a tracking for it.

  • [Deactivated] on 01/07/2021 - 20:35

    Tracking works well for both parties buyer and seller. On a low value items I'd be less concerned with no tracking whilst higher value I would expect it. With the items I sell which are predominately over $100 I get very few buyer questions asking where their parcel is, similarly speaking I also get very good feedback as they know exactly how quick their parcel was posted.

    • Aerith-Waifu on 01/07/2021 - 22:01

      I send anything over $30 with tracking, had more than a share of the claim so what i do now is just refund and block them

      • Love a bargain on 02/07/2021 - 13:18

        So you're assuming every buyer who tells you the item never arrives is a liar when we all know that AP has a habit of losing items/ delivering to wrong address/ etc? That hardly seems fair.

        • Aerith-Waifu on 02/07/2021 - 16:53

          Oh no, just a few. 99% are good

        • [Deactivated] on 02/07/2021 - 22:05

          AP is pretty good from my experience I've probably posted over 1500 packages using them in the past 12 months and I believe only 1 has gone missing in all that time. Most of my issues come from people returning for change of mind, but claiming product not as described, which is almost impossible to fight on ebay as a seller, best to accept the return & block the seller, other returns are proper warranty issues which I am fine with.

          • Aerith-Waifu on 03/07/2021 - 01:05

            @[Deactivated]: 1500 is a lot. Thats a very good strike rate to be honest. I send around 30 items a month, i normally get 2-3 loses.

  • jason101 on 01/07/2021 - 20:47
    +1

    No - tracking is not required. But as soon as the buyer clicks "not received" your funds will be placed on hold, a case will be opened which you will automatically lose if THE BUYER doesn't log in to ebay and manually close it before eBay automatically determines it in their favour. Its now a very robotic system that doesn't encourage quality sellers to try and resolve issues with buyers (ie send them a replacement if their original is legitimately lost).

    eBay will also send out warnings at the end of each month that the % of items sold with valid tracking is X - if it falls too low eBay may re-rank your listings. Even if your listings as marked as being sent by "Australia Post standard untrackable letter" - these listings pull your percentage down.

    There are few mischievous eBay buyers out there that will now seek out items sent without tracking. When they receive the item, they open a "not received" dispute, nieve sellers will then send a replacement item (2 items sent) the buyer then simply goes quiet and doesn't respond again to the dispute BOOM eBay also refunds them. They receive 2x their item PLUS a full refund.

    TLDR: I blame my stress related baldness on eBay

    • Aerith-Waifu on 01/07/2021 - 22:03

      Yes this one I can relate for sure. However you look at it a seller can not really win if no tracking is provide.

  • lordezekiel on 01/07/2021 - 21:58

    eBay itself doesn't REQUIRE that you use tracking, but if you don't use it, any dishonest buyer can claim they did not receive an item and you WILL lose your money if there is no tracking.

    I used to send lower value stuff untracked until a lot of them started going "missing" according to buyers. Now that i only send tracked, interestingly almost no more missing parcels…

    I also receive those system generated emails they send out saying there are issues with tracking numbers, but every time i check them, they are valid, but i think eBay's system only gets updates from Australia post every day or two, so the tracking number may say delivered on aus post website, but may show as in transit still on ebay (same tracking number).

    • Aerith-Waifu on 01/07/2021 - 22:04

      The transit time is indeed a worry, I been sending stuffs to VIC and NSW, it took 3 and half weeks to get them delivered at the moment. Which is a concern as the issue is with Austpost

  • popsiee on 01/07/2021 - 22:12

    I use to lose about 1% of untracked mail but early last year hit a patch of around 30% went missing ( maybe around 80 items sample ) I change all to tracking . For me with 1% loss I had no problems sending up to $100 value untracked . Even with tracking Aus Post is still losing a lot more than similar periods in the past for tracked parcels .

    • Aerith-Waifu on 03/07/2021 - 01:06

      Yes that makes sense for sure

  • Geoff897 on 01/07/2021 - 22:36

    Wait till you sell OS, a tracked letter is close to $30.00, standard untracked $3.50.

    Try charging you buyer $30 for a letter to be tracked, thanks auspost

    • Aerith-Waifu on 02/07/2021 - 16:54

      Thats crazy!

      • Geoff897 on 02/07/2021 - 18:21

        To get international tracking on a letter I put it in a small box and send as a parcel. Saves about $10/15

        Standard Registered international Letter is about $18.00 which doesn't provide any online tracking
        So pointless for the purpose of tracking. Basically auspost know its left the country that's about it.

        • Aerith-Waifu on 03/07/2021 - 01:03

          WOW! glad I dont sent international…..thanks for the info

  • OzHunterNSW on 02/07/2021 - 11:58
    +1

    All items posted have tracking numbers… unless a simple letter.
    Ask next time you post off a parcel for tracking number.

  • skygreenland2 on 28/08/2021 - 09:20

    hmm, this is an interesting read. Probably worth a food of thought as Jbhifi item received still untrack and received as letter for small item previously, not aware at the moment just later start getting back in online purchase due to covid situation. Miss those old days can't just walk in store, grab the stuff and use it on spot after paying (no so keen to collect at post office / reschedule collect in so called miss you, you are not at home)

    Curious to know as can't find Jbhifi, Kmart, Target store ? in ebay
    or is it they dont exist

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