eBay have recently announced that the listing fees for buying and selling clothes have been removed for private sellers, cue a rise in people listing clothing on the eBay marketplace. With competition in the second-hand marketplace fierce between platforms such as eBay, Vinted and Depop, it’s little wonder that eBay have made this decision, however many people do complain that eBay’s postage services are a barrier to listing. Whilst eBay do offer integrated shipping through Packlink, the Packlink tool is soon to be retired and postage will have to be purchased using the eBay platform, which has led to concerns that sellers will only be able to use the couriers listed on the eBay platform (such as Yodel, Evri and Royal Mail).
Please bear in mind that this cut in fees on clothing sales only applies to private sellers; registered business sellers will still need to pay fees on clothing sales.
Do you have to use eBay’s recommended courier services?
Regardless of what it is you’re selling, the answer is no – but it is harder to find the right options if you don’t want to use eBay’s preferred couriers. The key to getting your delivery options correct on eBay is to ensure you offer the right services when you list your items.
Other Courier
If you wish to use a different courier, you can navigate to the Domestic Delivery screen and then into the Delivery Service menu, whereby you can click into the size and weight of your item(s). in this area, you will find an “Other” option and it’s in here you can find the option to use “Other Courier” and then a timescale; for example, “Other Courier (3-5 days), “Other 48h Courier” or “Other 24h Courier”.
By selecting one of these options, you can then set the postage amount the buyer pays based on cost you know your preferred courier will charge (be sure to get this information right, or you may be undercharging or overcharging the buyer on the postage).
Free postage
Many sellers (Business and Domestic) offer free delivery; it’s a great inventive to buyers. However, there’s still a postage cost to pay even though the seller isn’t paying it. Using this option however does mean you aren’t committing to any of eBay’s recommended courier services and can use a courier service of your choosing.
Local Collection
You may wish to have your buyers collect their items, in which case you don’t need to specify a postage cost or courier service.
Can you offer multiple delivery options on eBay?
Yes – as well as your primary courier, you can also then add an Additional Domestic Service. This is important if you want to add options for same day delivery in 24h, 48h delivery, or 3-5 days delivery using your preferred courier.
Using the eBay Seller Hub to manage courier options
You can use the eBay Seller Hub to manage your postage and courier options. The Business Policies page enables business sellers to choose the payment, postage and return details for buyers, which saves time if you list on a frequent basis as you won’t have to select the correct options every time.
