Thursday, August 21st, 2008
UPDATED: A Follow Up On Payments
Timing, they say, is everything. I had no idea 3 months ago, when I booked my European trip, that we would be announcing these key changes to the eBay Marketplace this same week. On top of that, the two-day period when I’m celebrating the marriage of my little (not so little anymore I guess at 24) cousin, comes less than 24 hours after the news is announced. So I apologize for that now.
Additionally, I must thank the eBay folks back in San Jose, who, on top of everything else they’re working on, have jumped into the comments and are responding to questions and concerns right here on the blog and it’s great to see that happen. More of that in the future, I say… Inspiring stuff!
Having said all of that, I did want to take some time though to re-emphasize exactly what changes are being made with regard to payments and why those changes are taking place. I thought the microsite and other communication platforms were pretty clear but I do feel, as we have eclipsed the 100+ mark in the comments section of the previous post, that we have started to lose focus on exactly what the changes are. Particularly when talking about paying on eBay.
So, I wanted to share a few things with you. A couple of slides to show your new and improved actual buying and selling experience with the payments actually integrated into the eBay checkout process; a video featuring eBay’s one and only Griff; and a link to more information regarding the changes to payments on the eBay site that combined show why using electronic payments (and no, NOT JUST PAYPAL) makes for a better buyer and seller experience on the site. eBay will give buyers a faster, more secure checkout experience every time they pay, like other ecommerce sites. The goal is to keep them on eBay, purchasing your items. Period.
Finally, here is some more information regarding the payment changes:
http://pages.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/Payments/
Cheers,
RBH
UPDATE: 8/25/08
Hi guys,
It’s getting a little late here in Germany but several of you have raised questions with how the payments changes will be enforced. We understand this is an important issue for sellers who have significant numbers of long-standing buyers who pay with checks or money orders. I know you are concerned both with losing buyers and with how eBay will enforce the changes. As a result, I followed up with the team in San Jose to get answers to your questions.
First, a seller can accept check and money order payment from a buyer if (and only if) the buyer requests it. We will not take action against a seller who is trying to accommodate their buyer, complete a sale and be in compliance with the policy. A seller can also decide to refuse check or money order payment from a buyer.
When these changes go into effect in late October, a seller cannot in any way solicit check or money order payment from a buyer. This is considered “abuse of the payments policy”. We will take action against such abuse. One way we will detect abuse is from reports from buyers. We will also monitor checkout completion rates for sellers, and this has generated a lot of questions from sellers. Here are some clarifications:
* eBay will not automatically take action against a seller with a low completion rate. We realize that there are many valid reasons for low completion rates, including the one raised by @Amber, who posted that she frequently uses PayPal invoices with her buyers. (We are reviewing the checkout flow with an eye towards determining and eliminating the most common reasons a seller is forced to resort to PayPal invoicing for eBay sales.)
* We will investigate sellers with low checkout completion rates on a case by case basis. Specifically, we will check to see if the seller is soliciting check or money order payment from their buyers. If we don’t find any evidence of this occurring, we won’t take action against the seller.
eBay also plans to help you retain your buyers. We are planning a series of workshops, blogs and email to buyers to provide tips on how to adjust to the changes, and assure them of both the security of the new eBay checkout and the permitted electronic payment options, as well as overall benefits to paying using electronic methods, such as buyer protection. Late last week, eBay began a phone outreach campaign targeted at top buyers who frequently use checks and money orders. These buyers were offered coupons to encourage them to continue purchasing your items.
I hope this answers a number of your questions.
Cheers,
RBH
Related Reads:
* Changes on eBay: The Impact of Eliminating Paper
Tagged: ebay, ebayink, payments, paypal
ChrisOn 08.22.2008 at 10:07 am Said:
In the UK Amazon will stop accepting cheques and money orders from 9th September. As I have used cheques in the past, I had an email a few days ago from Amazon notifying me of this. Ironically it was the reason I first used them, when I first started buying online and wasn’t sure about the security of paying online.
TonyOn 08.22.2008 at 10:35 am Said:
I’m surprised they didn’t try the no cheques rule in the UK first Chris. Many places are phasing out cheques, I was in a high street store today who had a sign up saying they stopped accepting personal cheques on August 1st.
However there is still a market for people who want to accept cheques and I think ebay should let the market speak rather than twisting arms, it would be different if ebay themselves decided they won’t accept cheques, that’s their choice but I don’t think they should force that upon sellers.
DavidOn 08.22.2008 at 12:05 pm Said:
John,
Seller’s central forum if filled with seller’s that have gotten negative feedback from a NPB and not removed. Also strikes for NPB are being dropped.
DavidOn 08.22.2008 at 12:11 pm Said:
John,
Also forgot to add that reports to eBay are not followed through. I have reported several Chinese sellers in the past for selling FAKE GOLD jewelry and NO action was taken as they sell a TON of that FAKE stuff. They were selling NEW jewelry way below scrap gold. Enough so that if it was real I would have bought every one of their items and scrapped them and made money! Until eBay does what they say and cleans up the site, supports sellers (your customers by the way), drops the current feedback rules, listens to people, and stop making STUPID decisions they will continue the downward spiral of the site.
TonyOn 08.22.2008 at 12:13 pm Said:
John a lot of sellers don’t report bad buyer behaviour because of policies like this:
“Feedback extortion is not a reason for feedback removal under eBay’s Feedback Withdrawal and Removal Policy. It is possible to threaten negative feedback, but still leave a valid comment.”
LurchOn 08.22.2008 at 12:20 pm Said:
John-
Will DSR’s also be removed or will they remain and potentially contribute to a seller’s inability to sell (particularly if a low-volume seller)?
TheBrewsNewsOn 08.22.2008 at 12:31 pm Said:
@Tony
The issue of feedback extortion is an important issue to me.
I received confirmation today from eBay that the wording in outgoing emails to sellers who report possible feedback extortion has been changed so that it no longer says feedback will not be removed.
I am working on a blog post specifically about feedback extortion, a topic on which I have traded numerous emails over the last week with a few eBay employees.
I am hoping to have the Feedback Extortion blog post up sometime in the next few days.
AmberOn 08.22.2008 at 1:07 pm Said:
I have yet to see anyone address this in the numerous places I’ve posted both on the announcement forum and on the Seller Central discussion board.
The only way eBay will be able to determine abuse of the payments policy is by monitoring checkout completion rates.
My checkout completion rates will be artificially low, as I frequently have to use Paypal invoices for my buyers. The checkout quite simply doesn’t do the job.
It doesn’t allow me to discount more than the shipping amount nor will it allow a combined payment for items purchased on multiple ebay sites: I sell directly on ebay au and buyers frequently will buy 2 books from Au, 2 from .com In order to pay only 1 transaction fee, I invoice.
Almost all transactions are with approved methods, but I can easily see my account being flagged for excessive checkout abandonment.
No one will address a fix for this issue nor will they address what the threshold is for sanctions. Lastly, they will not/have not addressed if we will be able to appeal if we can, like I can, prove the payments were done through an approved method.
DakotaOn 08.22.2008 at 1:59 pm Said:
I just sent John Mc a message through posting on this blog and guess what?
It has NOT posted!
WHY?!
Papa eBay is really messing with me and I deserve to know why!
CAMOn 08.22.2008 at 2:22 pm Said:
@Jay - I don’t care about feedback. Its the DSRs and I would have no idea if they left a bad DSR because I wouldn’t accept a check.
I could care less about feedback at this point (100%), its the DSRs that detemine if any of my items are EVER seen.
-CAM
camOn 08.22.2008 at 2:27 pm Said:
John,
What about DSRs? I don’t care about feedback. My concern is that if I do not take checks and money orders “by request” that I will be hosed. I mean, it really is at least 20% of my transations today and I specify Paypal only.
-CAM
CAMOn 08.22.2008 at 2:34 pm Said:
I must have a short attention span today. As soon as I hit submit, I have another thought.
John, I am probably a “bad” seller. I’ve never left a negative feedback for a buyer. If they don’t pay me, I just file mutual withdrawl and move on. I’ve never reported a buyer for anything.
I don’t have the angst that others do about “bad” buyers. I’ve run into wacko’s and I just let it roll off my back. So, I won’t be reporting any buyers for anything. I like buyers, and some are so angst ridden at having a previous bad transaction, they just need reassurance.
I KNOW I have an unpopular opinion but I’m not about to ruin a buyer by reporting them to you cause they are short-tempered, uninfomed or demanding.
Life is too short to worry about what others are doing and its not my job 
-CAM
Patricia1On 08.22.2008 at 2:38 pm Said:
@ Mr. McDonald:
“We also realize that many sellers will decide to comply with the buyer’s request and accept payment by check and money order. As long as this occurs for a reasonably small percentage of transactions for the seller (eBay doesn’t see a pattern of abuse of the accepted payments policy), we won’t take any action against the seller.”
ACTION AGAINST THE SELLER??? May I ask just what ebay intends to do to punish a seller who is merely trying to accomodate his buyer and complete a sale? Is the fee Paypal collects is so valuable to you people that you will turn away valid buyers who do not want to put their credit information online? Or who has a low income and saves to purchase an item? Frankly, I find this a low blow and appalling!…and to hold a seller responsible makes it even worse!
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