Four-day warning to all private eBay sellers as major change comes into effect

A change to eBay's shipping methods is coming into effect from April 15

A major change is being made to the way that items sold on eBay are shipped from April 15.

The popular online marketplace has confirmed that it is making 'Simple Delivery' mandatory for private sellers.

Simple Delivery is an "all-in-one delivery solution" which sets out to provide an "easier and faster" listing experience for private sellers, according to the auction site.

It works by offering a delivery option based on similar items and sellers' carrier preferences. Sellers are provided with a prepaid printable label or QR code by eBay, and all they have to do is drop the item with their chosen carrier.

Currently when listing an item as a private seller, there are several different delivery options to choose from aside from Simple Delivery including seller-managed deliveries such as Royal Mail or Evri, eBay shipping labels, click and collect, or buyers' choice, among others.

But from April 15, Simple Delivery will be the only delivery method available for private sellers. The option to opt out of Simple Delivery will only be available for items under £10 and weighing 100g or under, according to eBay.

eBay claims that Simple Delivery makes it easier to post items and it offers automatic tracking which should result in sellers being paid in less time. The labels, whether you print at home or use a QR code, are prepaid.

Although Simple Delivery will be the only option, sellers will be able to choose between Royal Mail or Evri, or both, depending on what they have available to them. This can be personalised using Postage Preferences in eBay's account settings.

Simple Delivery is also supposed to offer more protection for sellers as you will be able to remove neutral or negative feedback based on delivery-related complaints, seller standards will be unaffected by late deliveries, and once an item is scanned by the carrier and until delivery has been confirmed, the full value of the item is covered against loss and damage.

How does eBay Simple Delivery work?

There are three stages to eBay's Simple Delivery process:

1. Confirm package size: eBay will suggest a package size based on similar items and the seller can confirm the package size.

2. Get label: When an item is sold, the seller will receive a prepaid printable label and QR code.

3. Post item: Sellers can follow the instructions and drop of the item at the nearest carrier location or schedule a home delivery.

Sellers can find their nearest parcel drop-off point for Royal Mail and Evri using their websites.