eBay UK Sellers Denied Premium Service Benefits Due To Authenticated Sneaker Shipping
Mandatory buyer paid shipping for sneakers with Authenticity Guarantee is causing major problems for UK eBay sellers who are no longer eligible to receive Premium Service benefits, including fee discounts.
eBay implemented changes to the Authenticity Guarantee program for sneakers last year requiring mandatory shipping charges to help cover the costs of authentication in the US, Canada, and Australia.
Liz Morton
Apparently the eBay shipping requirement was also quietly extended to the UK in November and it's causing problems for sellers who wish to maintain their Premium Service benefits (similar to Top Rated Plus in the US).
What is eBay delivery?
In addition to Authenticity Guarantee, we’re also streamlining delivery to make it easier for buyers and sellers with eBay delivery. For all Authenticity Guarantee eligible sneakers (excluding items from an excluded postcode, for example those located in Northern Ireland or the Channel Islands, for full details see below, or on orders £75,000 and above), buyers will pay a flat delivery fee of £8.95 in the UK.The new handling time for eBay delivery orders requires that sellers send Authenticity Guarantee eligible sneakers to the authenticator in 3 business days or less. Buyers will receive their items within 2 business days of leaving the facility.
For most items located in the UK mainland, the eBay delivery fee will apply. However, if you are purchasing an item located in an excluded postcode, such as in Northern Ireland, seller specified delivery costs will still apply.
For full details on excluded postcodes please see below.
Which postcodes are currently excluded from eBay delivery labels?
eBay delivery labels are not available for items located in the following postcodes: BT, FK20, GY, HS, IM, IV41 - IV56, JE, KA27 - KA28, KW15 - KW17, PA20, PA38 - PA78, PH33, PH36 - PH44, TR21 - TR25, ZE, ZZ.
anita@ebay
As per your comment on the 17/11 from the weekly chat 1/11 where you mentioned to me that you had heard back from the team and that its all been fixed, sadly to my shock and amazement its not fixed, I am still not getting the premium benefits on any item that is going via the AGS, even item number 325870997812 which you mentioned was showing it. Only 387 of my listings are included, thats the exact number that dont go via AGS.
Sorry for having to start a new thread. I would just reply to the chat but for some reason unknown to myself the chat gets locked for replies, once this is fixed I guess I will get refunded the benefits that I have not received all this time, correct?
I've been having the same problem. I've been having the same problem and I've been on and off the phone to eBay for around 3 weeks! Coming up to the busiest (so called) time of the year and I'm still not recieving the benifits!
I hope you can help me
Much like the Top Rated Plus program for the US, the Premium Service program in the UK provides sellers who meet certain criteria with benefits including increased visibility with seller badges and a 10% discount on final value fees.
The benefits
Listings with a Premium Service badge may attract more buyers and boost conversion, and we also reward sellers who uphold the highest delivery standards in our marketplace. Benefits of using eBay Premium Service include:
- Maximum visibility in Best Match search results
- 10% discount on final value fees on eBay.co.uk
The discount applies to the Final value fee which is calculated on the total amount of the sale, including postage. The discount does not apply to the fixed charge per order portion of the final value fee.
Unfortunately, unlike the Top Rated Plus program for the US, the Premium Service program for the UK requires sellers to offer at least one free shipping method to qualify.
US Top Rated Plus requirements:
As a Top Rated Seller, you can qualify for a Top Rated Plus seal and additional benefits when your listings offer the following services:
- Same or one-business-day handling, and
- A 30-day-or-longer free return period with money back option.
You can choose to offer these in some or all listings. For listings that qualify, you earn the following benefits
- The Top Rated Plus seal, displayed prominently in search results and your listing description.
- A 10% discount on final value fees.
UK Premium Service requirements:
Adding Premium Service to your listings
eBay Premium Service is only available for use by eBay Top-rated Sellers. You can find out how to reach eBay Top-rated Seller status here.To qualify for eBay Premium Service, listings must:
Offer a free domestic delivery option within 3 working days.*
Offer an express delivery option within 2 working days for no more than £10.
For items over £20, all of the delivery services must be designated tracked services and valid tracking must be uploaded within the dispatch time (this includes auction-style listings and Best Offers where the final price is over £20).
Items listed under the Authenticity Guarantee programme must be received by the authentication centre within 3 working days with tracking information.
The policy just says items with Authenticity Guaranteed must be received at the authenticator with 3 working days, but does not provide any exceptions to the free domestic delivery criteria for sneakers, even though sellers no longer have the option to offer free shipping for those items.
eBay community staff have acknowledged the issue and said the tech team was "working on a fix" as of December 14, but no further updates have been provided since that time.
Are you a UK seller being denied Premium Service benefits due to eBay's recent change to require paid shipping for authenticated sneakers? Let us know in the comments below!
