eBay's previously announced policy change regarding shipping insurance takes effect today, meaning most sellers may no longer give buyers the option to pay extra to insure packages. Only eBay Australia and eBay Germany still allow insurance to be specified as a listing option.
It's still up to sellers to decide whether to insure items. The only difference is that sellers are now responsible for the cost of insuring packages. To offset the cost, sellers can either raise their asking prices or include handling fees when they post their eBay listings.
eBay says it won't block listings that offer optional insurance, but it will remove the insurance option from the listing when a seller uses Relist, Sell Similar or Sell One Like This. Auctiva conducted a site update this morning to remove the insurance option from its checkout flow.
Still, it's a good idea to update active and saved listings, as well as Auctiva profiles that may contain shipping insurance information to make sure buyers don't get confused.
Not sure what to say? Here are a few suggestions:
Say:
- "We package items securely and insure every shipment so you can be confident that your item will arrive safely."
- "All transactions include a handling fee to cover shipping insurance."
Don't say:
- "Buyer pays for shipping insurance. Seller assumes no liability for damage during shipping."
- "If you want the item delivered with insurance, contact me for an estimate as soon as you receive 'winning bidder' confirmation."
Auctiva's site update also lays groundwork to comply with eBay changes that take effect Oct. 1
To make insuring packages easier to manage, sellers can set Auctiva Shipping Insurance Auto-Purchase Rules through their Auctiva account settings.
Auto-Purchase Rules were released earlier this month to give Auctiva customers a head start at adapting their listings to the new policy. The rules were activated this morning to coincide with eBay's changes. Auctiva customers who enable the Auto-Purchase Rules will have policies automatically generated for items when their set transaction criteria are met and they'll get 20 percent off their policies through the end of the year.
Auctiva's site update also lays groundwork to comply with eBay changes that take effect Oct. 1, including:
- discontinuation of listing enhancements such as Gift Services, Border, Highlight and others
- requirement that a Buy It Now price on an auction listing be at least 10 percent greater than the auction start price
- discontinuation of Store item listing format on eBay Australia
Auctiva will activate these changes to coincide with eBay's Oct. 1 site update. For a summary of the changes Auctiva made today, please click here.
For more information about eBay's new policy on shipping insurance and other changes going into effect, please click here.
Auctiva staff writers constantly monitor trends and best practices of those selling on eBay and elsewhere online. They attend relevant training seminars and trade shows and regularly discuss the market with PowerSellers and other market experts.
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