It's official: Listings on eBay must now contain specific explanations of domestic shipping methods and prices so that buyers know what their total cost will be.
eBay.com put its new "specified shipping" policy into effect over the Labor Day holiday weekend and publicized the change in a posting on the General Announcements board.
Though the new policy had been expected, its launch was delayed. eBay originally planned to implement it system-wide in July. A first-phase of the change took effect in March, and required sellers new to eBay to spell out their shipping methods and cost.
Kristina Klausen, eBay senior director of shipping, explains that sellers are more likely to attract higher DSR scores when buyers know the exact shipping price for an item before they place an order or bid.
To help sellers adapt to the new requirement, eBay has added bulk editing functionality to its Selling Manager and Turbo Lister tools.
Similar capability has long been available through Auctiva, eBay's third-largest certified developer. Using Auctiva, sellers can identify standard shipping preferences and create one or more "profiles" that they can load into any new listing.
Certain listings are exempt from the specified shipping rule. According to eBay, categories such as vehicles, or services such as freight are not required to include specific shipping costs and services.
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.
Other Entries by this Author