After eBay made unannounced changes to feedback over a week ago that caused some SNAFUs described in this August 7th EcommerceBytes blog post, a feature designed to save sellers' time when leaving feedback for buyers disappeared.

A seller described the problem anew on this thread posted August 15th. When the seller attempts to leave feedback for buyers, their prefilled comments are no longer available, meaning they must type in feedback from scratch.

We couldn't find anything about the prefilled comments (auto-save) function in eBay's help file (it's not the same as eBay's automatic feedback settings). But sellers used to ... Read More

eBay and Etsy charge a commission fee on shipping above and beyond payment-processing charges. As a result, when shipping carriers raise fees during the holidays, sellers end up paying online marketplaces what could be characterized as a "shipping tax." It's a fee increase that the marketplaces don't have to publicly announce!

On October 2nd, the USPS is raising rates for packages sent Priority Mail, First Class Package Service (FCPS), Parcel Select Ground, and USPS Retail Ground that will be in effect through mid-January. In an article about the ... Read More

As the USPS continues to raise rates, it saw shipping and package volume decline 5 percent in its fiscal third quarter (the three months ended June 30, 2022). One might think revenue would be down by a similar percentage, but revenue from shipping and packages decreased only 1.1 percent.

First-Class Mail saw a similar pattern: volume dropped 5.1 percent, while revenue was essentially flat due to higher rates.

The USPS said that, in the third quarter, "First-Class Mail volume continued to decline due to on-going migration from mail to electronic communication and transaction alternatives and remains lower than pre-pandemic ... Read More

eBay made changes to how users leave feedback, but there was no mention of the change in the latest Seller Update, nor did eBay announce the new feature when it launched late last week.

On Friday, an eBay moderator confirmed in a thread on the discussion boards that what a seller described as a new feedback flow they encountered was an intentional change, not a glitch. 

"The old format had ALL of my pre-typed Feedback available," the seller wrote in part. "The first time I saw this and clicked the Positive button I got a canned eBay Feedback in the window ... Read More

Online sellers, brace yourselves - holiday surcharges are coming from shipping carriers soon, even before the beginning of the busy holiday shopping season. 

FedEx will increase its Additional Handling Surcharge on September 5th, calling it a "Peak" surcharge, which seems absurdly early. The surcharge applies to FedEx Express Package and US and International Ground services, and it will rise yet again on October 3, lasting through January 15, 2023. The same is true for its Oversize Charge.

Among the other holiday surcharges published on the FedEx website on Friday (hat tip to logistics consultant Cathy Roberson via Twitter) are its ... Read More