What's new: The seller news in June 2023

Two to three times a year, we inform our business sellers about the latest updates on our online marketplace – from now on also in the podcast with Andreas Häntsch, Senior Director Seller Engagement at eBay.

The news includes, among other things, current regulations for online commerce, new features for sellers, more information on resolving payment disputes, blocking inappropriate messages, the “eBay Vehicle Parts Promise,” shipping updates, and the option to pick up local orders.

**Important Links**

*** Chapter markers ***

00:01:45 to 00:03:44: Information on the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act, the energy efficiency class, and the sale of hazardous substances and mixtures
00:03:44 to 00:06:32: Information on payment disputes
00:06:32 to 00:08:23: Information on reporting messages
00:08:23 to 00:10:54: Information on the “eBay Vehicle Parts Promise”
00:10:54 to 00:15:06: Information on automatic return labels
00:15:06 to 00:19:09: Information on the “Pick-up offer”

Isabell: Today’s guest: Andreas Häntsch, Senior Director Seller Engagement at eBay Germany. Together we talk about current news that is relevant for business eBay sellers. With these regular updates, we keep you informed about the latest product innovations on our marketplace. It’s worth tuning in!

Andreas: What we want to achieve with the eBay Vehicle Parts Promise is to make buying and selling matching vehicle parts easier on our platform and also to prevent possible problems if a vehicle part turns out not to fit after all.

Isabell: Hello, dear listeners, and welcome to another episode of Alles top. Gerne wieder!, the eBay podcast about commerce & e-commerce. My name is Isabell Butterwegge, and I’m a Seller Engagement Manager at eBay Germany. Joining me again is my co-host, David Philippe, who is also a Seller Engagement Manager at eBay Germany. Hey, David!

David: Hey Isabell, that’s right, today’s episode is about the updates for business sellers at eBay. These are regular updates, the so-called Seller News, where we always point out what will be changing in the near future and what the colleagues have been working on since the last update in February.

Isabell: Yes, and as Seller Engagement, we also actively helped work on many of these updates, but of course not all of them. That’s why we invited Andreas Häntsch today, who is probably already familiar to our listeners. Andreas is Senior Director Seller Engagement at eBay Germany and is basically responsible for the entire area for business sellers, and that’s why he is also mainly responsible for a large part of the topics we’ll be talking about today, and I’m already very excited about the insights he’ll share with us. But first, a very warm welcome back to the studio, Andreas!

Andreas: Yes, thank you very much, and hello David, hello Isabell!

David: A quick service note up front: all further material on all the topics discussed that are coming up will be linked in the show notes. That means you don’t have to take notes, but can focus completely on the content of this episode. So let’s get started with the current regulations affecting eBay and eBay sellers. What’s new here, Andreas?

Andreas: Yes, great David, out of all the updates we have, you’ve picked the driest one now: regulations. So let’s ease into the episode a bit dryly here. But of course, we all have to follow regulations, the legal requirements that come up. So, we as a marketplace obviously have to comply with them, but so does every seller. There are essentially three things to mention. The first is the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act. We’ve already pointed this out several times, and we also had a podcast about it before. It’s about the so-called WEEE number. WEEE stands for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment. So it’s about categories relating to electrical devices, etc. The rule is that anyone who first places items into circulation here, meaning anyone who first imports them for consumers here in Germany or is the manufacturer themselves, needs a so-called WEEE number and must also store it in their eBay account. The deadline is 01/07, so now, and anyone who hasn’t done that yet needs to take care of it urgently. And then there are two more topics. One is EEK, i.e. energy efficiency classes, which we’ve included here as well. This is about giving you as sellers a bit more control and allowing you to upload your own labels. And finally, we have an update on products with hazardous substances and mixtures, where you are also required to store information about hazardous substances in your listing, and we will then display this on the item page using pictograms, etc.

David: Very good, then we’ve covered the dry topic and now let’s move on to the perhaps more interesting topics. eBay is always trying to support sellers, and that’s also what the payment dispute topic is about, or rather the update to payment disputes. Andreas, could you perhaps first explain what a payment dispute is?

Andreas: Sure. We’re talking about a payment dispute when a buyer contacts their bank, for example a credit card provider or PayPal, to report a problem with an order.

David: Okay, and what has changed here for our sellers?

Andreas: Yes, we’ve introduced a few improvements that are meant to make it easier for sellers to provide us with more information in order to respond to a payment dispute – specifically, this means that the seller can now defend themselves more easily and that we, as well as the payment provider, can assess cases better. Until now, when disputing a payment dispute, I could only upload a single file to provide information, for example. Information can be something like pictures of messages, a shipping label, etc. In the end, I had to combine everything into one file and upload it. We’re now providing the option to upload more files, i.e. separate files, plus give us information in a text field so that we, and also the payment provider, can assess the case better accordingly.

Isabell: Exactly, and just a quick note here: you can now upload several files, but the total size is still limited to 1.75 MB. That’s simply because we work with different payment providers here and also have to comply with their guidelines, and the change is actually because we want to support our sellers even better. David, you put that very nicely just now.

David: Thanks. Um, then I just have one question left on the topic, namely, where can I even dispute a payment dispute?

Andreas: Yes, in “My eBay” under the “Sold” tab or in the “Seller Hub Pro.” Important note here: I have to respond within five calendar days. What we then do is... we basically forward the information provided to us to the buyer’s payment provider in order to dispute the payment dispute. And perhaps one more note here: with all the information they provide to us, their chances of benefiting from eBay Seller Protection also increase.

Isabell: That definitely sounds like a very, very good change that also strengthens open, professional exchange on the platform and with others. Then we have another topic that also sounds a bit dry at first, but also brings a very positive change, namely reporting inappropriate messages. Andreas, what’s behind that?

Andreas: Exactly, inappropriate messages sounds like “Oh God, what’s going on here,” but first of all: eBay is a safe online marketplace, and nevertheless we of course work continuously to make eBay even safer, of course for our buyers, but also for you as sellers. From now on, as sellers, you can directly report messages from buyers that are somehow fraudulent, appear offensive, threatening, or otherwise inappropriate for any reason, maybe also violating eBay policies. What we do then: we review these messages and then also reserve the right to take appropriate action against buyers. That can be a warning, but in the end it can also mean blocking the user’s account. What you can still do: you can of course also block buyers directly. Yes, that remains available to you as well.

Isabell: Exactly, and maybe one more important thing to add here: you can now do this from within the messaging system, i.e. block and report buyers directly from messages. But this is not yet possible via APIs or in external messaging systems, like Outlook for example. So if I want to respond directly, it’s best to use the eBay messaging system. And one more note: when members are blocked, they are initially only blocked for the seller, meaning they are not generally blocked on eBay. If we are supposed to step in, then messages need to be reported, and as Andreas just said, we review the cases, and if necessary we will then also restrict the members and definitely respond to them. Let’s move on to a bigger update that will be especially popular with the vehicle sellers among our listeners: the eBay Vehicle Parts Promise has also been announced. Andreas, what’s behind that?

Andreas: Exactly, this is about one of our biggest categories, namely vehicle parts, one of the biggest categories on eBay Germany. What we want to achieve with the eBay Vehicle Parts Promise is to make buying and selling matching vehicle parts easier on our platform and also to prevent possible problems if a vehicle part turns out not to fit after all. As a seller, I automatically take part in this program if I store my vehicle details in the listings, and I do that via the vehicle compatibility lists. So basically, I tell the listing which vehicle this part fits. And what we then do is: the buyer stores their vehicle, and then we basically make the match: “Which vehicle does this part fit?” to “Which vehicle has the buyer stored?” The listing is then marked with a green checkmark and signals a bit of trust here, or trust as we like to say, to the buyer that this part really does fit.

Isabell: So if I buy the replacement part, then according to the eBay Vehicle Parts Promise, it will also fit my vehicle. What if it doesn’t?

Andreas: Yes, first of all we כמובן hope that this only happens in very rare cases, but if it does, we provide the buyer with a free return label.

David: I’d like to jump in briefly here and say that we’ll roll this out on July 10. That means you can already inform yourselves in advance in the seller portal about this eBay Vehicle Parts Promise and use the vehicle compatibility list to add the compatibility details to your listing, so you’ll be ready to join as soon as the update really goes live. It’s also important to mention here that the eBay Vehicle Parts Promise only applies to listings in selected categories. An overview of the categories is also available in the seller portal. And there are also no free return labels in certain special cases, for example for international shipments, items sent in multiple packages, oversize items or freight items that exceed the maximum weight and maximum size, and items in the tires and complete wheels category. In the context of return labels, I’d also like to move on to the next topic, namely when it comes to the actual shipping of goods. We’ve got news there too. What do we have here, Andreas?

Andreas: Yes, we’re working continuously to improve our returns process. Perhaps a little background: sometimes you also notice a bit where we come from, i.e. we’re an American company. The topic of returns is perhaps a little less common there than it is in Germany, and that’s something you may have noticed here and there in our returns process. We’re tidying that up right now. One sticking point, for example, is that until now, when a buyer requested a return, they still had to wait until the seller had basically accepted it, which of course makes little sense in the German context. We’re fixing that now. Previously, as a seller, I also had to process this within two days, responded, then created and uploaded a return label – pretty cumbersome, and we’re now introducing automation. The old process, so no worries if you were happy with it, will still be available. But optionally we offer that I can basically accept returns automatically and then also automatically provide a return label to the buyer, in this case from Hermes. So that has already been implemented. However, we’re still working on providing corresponding return labels together with DHL. We’ll of course inform our sellers in good time about that too.

David: Andreas, just a quick question here: how does that work? So, what does a Hermes return label cost, and above all, who pays for it?

Andreas: The return label has a flat rate, so regardless of how large the package is, it costs €5.47. That means I no longer have to worry about the size of the return. In a way, it’s a kind of flat rate, yes, €5.47, and who pays for it naturally depends a bit on what the seller has set in the settings. So if, according to the seller’s return policy, the buyer bears the return costs, then the amount is simply deducted from the refund amount. If the seller covers the return costs, then we automatically deduct them from the seller account.

Isabell: Exactly, and maybe one more thing to add here: Andreas already said that the whole process is basically optional. The process will now be inserted automatically for cases where the buyer has to pay anyway, according to the sellers’ terms, and there is then the option to basically opt out again. This works in the return settings via “My eBay.” And there is a checkbox there called “I want to have the option to add a return number,” and if I select that, then I’m out of this automated process. Exactly, and this automated function also won’t be available if the buyer stated that the item arrived damaged or incomplete. This is based on the assumption that in these cases, the seller and buyer need to communicate again.

David: Very good. In that context, DHL is still to come, but you can already simply pay for DHL shipping labels with your own eBay balance. That means the purchase of shipping labels in the sales process is now embedded, and eBay sellers can use their proceeds directly on eBay to pay the cost of a shipping label, and they don’t have to front the money themselves beforehand...in other words, pay out of pocket first. If the balance isn’t enough, which can happen, the remaining amount for the shipping label will be charged to the payment method stored on eBay, so it can be a credit card or direct debit. Of course, it is still also possible to pay for DHL shipping labels with PayPal, that’s not changing. But we want to make it easier for our sellers to pay for shipping labels with their balance as well.

Isabell: So everything is more automated and linked together, I’d sum it up that way. Let’s come to the last point in the Seller News, namely pick-up, for better sales opportunities. Andreas, how did it come about that we encourage our sellers to offer pick-up in their listings?

Andreas: Honestly, this is the part of the Seller News that I personally find the most exciting. You all know that local commerce is very close to my heart. We also launched the eBay Deine Stadt initiative, for example, because we keep seeing how important it is to support local commerce in Germany. Yes, now it’s the case that pick-up directly from the seller... of course that has always existed, but honestly it was very hidden in the buyer experience, and we’re reversing that now. We’re currently redesigning the local buying experience on our marketplace, want to optimize it, and for example we’ve improved the radius search and will also be introducing further product innovations in this area in the future. I think it’s super exciting for sellers to already adjust their listings accordingly and make local pick-up possible.

Isabell: Andreas, you just said this is an exciting point for sellers. What exactly do they get out of it if they offer pick-up now?

Andreas: Yes, I’d say a whole range of things. First of all, I’d maybe mention a rather mundane topic, namely shipping costs. Whoever picks up means I don’t have to ship anything, meaning I save on shipping costs, which is especially worthwhile for heavy-to-ship items. Another perhaps slightly mundane reason: returns. On site, I naturally have the opportunity to explain things again, and the buyer can perhaps take another very close look at the product. So, the chance of fewer returns and then the topic – which I find very exciting – I may simply have higher sales. What we’re seeing is a growing trend, a real megatrend, that consumers value regional and sustainable shopping. That doesn’t necessarily mean they want to pick everything up, but there is definitely this trend. I’ll see whether I can also support sellers near me and rather buy from regional sellers. In other words, I increase my sales opportunities by jumping on the trend and marking my listings so they are available in the buyer’s area, plus I naturally have the chance, if I have a brick-and-mortar store for example, to increase my basket through cross-selling, so to speak, meaning generate additional sales in my store as well.

Isabell: Yes, I think that makes it really clear again that eBay positions itself as a partner to commerce and that we also want to continue promoting retail in city centers. You just said that we’ll also be introducing further product innovations over the next few months. Why is it worth it for sellers to revise their listings now?

Andreas: Yes, on the one hand because we’ve already made improvements, especially what I mentioned earlier, the local radius search, which is now really nicely and prominently displayed, plus we’ll continue working on the topic over the coming weeks and months, and it’s simply exciting to be there from the start and benefit from the trend.

David: And the setup to use this feature is also relatively easy, right? So you just need to enter the item location in the listings, specify pick-up under shipping options, and of course align the store or your own processes with more foot traffic as needed. And if, for example, you list a warehouse as the item location, additional internal processes may be necessary. But as a seller, you don’t really have to do much more than that, right?

Andreas: Exactly, that’s how it is.

David: Andreas, one more question: what about seller protection, i.e. eBay Seller Protection for pick-up?

Andreas: The same applies here. So the rule is: sell locally safely too. Even with pick-up, a seller benefits from eBay Seller Protection as usual.

David: Very good.

Isabell: Yes, many thanks, Andreas, for all the insights into the new features on our marketplace. And as promised at the beginning, we’ll put all the important information in the show notes again. You can read up on the details there as well.

David: Exactly, and regular listeners already know what’s coming: at the end there’s always the last question, which you, Andreas, have answered several times before. Nevertheless, I’m curious what it will be today, because: what was the last thing you bought on eBay?

Andreas: Luckily, I shop on eBay regularly, so I’m not a bore here and keep telling the same thing over and over. No, but as you know, I’m a bit of a DIY nerd. Not that I’m particularly good at it, but I like tinkering around and I’ve just cobbled together an outdoor kitchen myself, and for that I needed door handles because I made the doors myself. And I bought some nice door handles for that, yes, I’ll install them this weekend.

David: Very cool! I think, Isabell, we should just invite ourselves over to Andreas’s for a barbecue, right?

Isabell: I was just about to not say it, but now you said it, I’m in.

Andreas: You’re very welcome!

David: Andreas, many many thanks in any case for your time and the insights into Seller News, and I’m already looking forward to next time when we get together again and record a new episode.

Andreas: My pleasure, thank you both.

Isabell: Thanks from me too, until next time. So, and now one last appeal to our listeners: feel free to write to us in the eBay Community or directly on the “eBay for Business Deutschland” Facebook page about which updates are most relevant to you and which ones you might want in the future.

David: You’re also welcome to leave general feedback about the podcast there, and of course we always appreciate a subscription or a like, because that helps our podcast grow. Isabell, at this point I’d like to say thank you for joining us, and I’m already looking forward to the next episode of Alles top. Gerne wieder!

Isabell: I’m looking forward to it too, until next time.

David: See you then.

Isabell: Psst! Have you already applied for the eBay Awards 2023? No? No problem at all, because the application period runs until July 16.

David: Are you local heroes? Do you stand out for special social awareness? Are you an eBay veteran? A service hero? Or do you think you deserve the title Founder of the Year? Then send us your application, because we can’t wait to hear your story!

Isabell: Absolutely, and if you want to know how to polish your applications properly, then listen to our episode “All Ears On: eBay Awards 2023.” We’ll give you some practical tips there as well. You can find the link to the website where you can apply in the show notes.

David: And now to the keyboard, ready, apply!

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