Autumn 2017 eBay UK Seller Release

In the last couple of months eBay has started to make changes affecting contact information in listings, product identifiers for Good ‘Til Cancelled listings and the marketing tools available in Seller Hub. The Autumn 2017 eBay Seller Release  will bring more updates to these areas, as well as automatic acceptance of returns in certain situations and shortening the response time to Money Back Guarantee claims, among other changes.

Removing watermarks from images

When: 1 March 2018

What’s happening: Watermarks will no longer be allowed on any eBay pictures. eBay will be monitoring pictures for watermarks and sellers will be notified if their images don’t comply with the new policy. After 1 March 2018, sellers that still have watermarks on their images will have their listings removed from eBay search results.

What do you need to do: You’ll either need to use the original product images without the watermark added on, or take new product images. No additional text, artwork, logos or other marketing materials are allowed in your product pictures.

Find out more about watermarks on eBay product images here. 

More product identifier requirements - Good ‘Til Cancelled, Seller refurbished, and used items

Good ‘Til Cancelled
When: September 2017

What: Good ‘Til Cancelled listings won’t be automatically renewed if they contain invalid product identifiers.

Seller Refurbished and Used
When: 19 October 2017

What: All listings (new and revised) for Seller Refurbished condition items must include product identifiers, as well as new and revised listings in Used condition in certain categories. If it doesn’t have a product identifier you will be able to select ‘Does not apply’.

The product identifiers will be required for Good ‘Til Cancelled listings for Seller Refurbished and Used condition products in 2018.

What do you need to do: Update all listings in the categories where product identifiers are already required - this will now affect products that are Seller Refurbished or Used.

‘Does not apply’ will be available for custom, home-made or limited product items. Using ‘Does not apply’ when a product identifier is available is a violation of eBay’s policies and could result in listings being removed.

Find out more about changes to product identifiers here.   

Updates to Promotion Manager

When: Now

What: eBay has made a number of updates to Promotions Manager to make it easier to set up and run promotions.You can access it by going to the Marketing tab in Seller Hub and clicking ‘Promotions’. Features that were previously part of Markdown Manager will soon be integrated with Promotions Manager.

Find out more about how running promotions has changed. 

Automatically accepted returns

When: Autumn 2017

What: eBay will start to automatically accept some returns requests in line with your returns policy.

For domestic orders, eBay will automatically accept a returns request and offer your buyers a returns label if their reason for returning is: doesn’t fit, changed my mind, found a better price, just didn’t like it, ordered it by mistake.

Returns will also be automatically accepted if you don’t respond to a not as described return request that is for any of the following reasons: - doesn’t work or defective, doesn’t match description or photos, wrong item sent, missing parts or pieces, arrived damaged, doesn’t seem authentic.

What do you need to do: You can’t opt out of automatic return acceptance. If the return request meets your specified returns policy then it will be automatically accepted. For returns that are because of a change of mind, or the product is unsuitable, you need to specify whether you or the buyer pays the return postage.

Money Back Guarantee request response time

When: Early 2018

What: Once a buyer opens a Money Back Guarantee request you’ll have three business days before the buyers, or you, can ask eBay to step in and help. Currently, you have eight calendar days.

Learn more about changes to eBay’s after sales process. 

Simplifying buyer feedback

When: September 2017

What: eBay has made changes to the Leave Feedback form to make it quicker for buyers. It’s also easier to report buyers. Find out more here. 

Contact information and links policy changes

When: October 2017 - early 2018

What: eBay no longer allows contact information such as phone numbers, email addresses or social media profiles in item descriptions, images or eBay Shops. The links policy has also been updated - you can include links that direct customers to a site other than eBay as long as they point to information on delivery services, product videos, or other legally required information such as warranties.

What do you need to do: You need to remove all contact details from your listings, and complete the Business Seller Information section in My eBay so that your business contact details are included in your eBay profile.

From October 2017 eBay may obscure contact details that are included in descriptions, and from early next year, eBay may remove listings containing contact details or links that direct buyers off eBay.

Learn more about changes to contact information and eBay’s link policy here.