Oops!
Since optional or required shipping insurance is no longer allowed on eBay (see more info):
•You can't charge buyers a separate fee for insurance, either in a listing or after they've committed to purchasing your item fold the cost of insurance into your item price or handling fee.
• You can't indicate insurance is only offered upon the buyer's request.
•You can't say that you're not responsible for the item once it has shipped.
What you can do:
•You can still insure items by including the cost of insurance in the item's price or in your handling cost.
•You can say "The item is insured" or "Handling cost includes insurance" in your listing description.
Please make any necessary changes to your listing before posting it on eBay. Also, make sure it follows our selling practices policy .
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
No optional buyer charges for insurance
Why is eBay removing optional or required shipping insurance when I list or re-list my item?
By removing optional or required shipping insurance, we are adjusting to help meet buyer expectations for ecommerce and aligning with industry standard practices. In most circumstances, buyers do not expect to pay for the cost of shipping insurance. This change also reflects the industry—and eBay—standard practice that sellers are responsible for their items until they are safely in their customers' hands.
As a seller, can I still insure the items I sell on eBay?
Yes, you are still able to insure your items. Check with your shipping carrier for insurance options, contact a third-party shipping insurance provider for insurance coverage, or purchase shipping insurance from your shipping company when you print your shipping labels directly from the site. To help cover the additional expense, consider folding the cost of insurance into your handling cost or item price.
What is wrong with giving the buyer the option to purchase insurance?
Sellers are responsible for their items until they are safely in their customers' hands. Offering insurance to a buyer (optional or required) gives the impression that the buyer is responsible for the safe delivery of the item and can reduce buyer confidence in the marketplace.
What if a buyer specifically requests insurance?
You can remind your buyer that insurance is designed to protect the seller, not the buyer— if a buyer does not receive an item, it is the seller's responsibility. If a buyer continues to request shipping insurance, you can select a shipping service that includes insurance (for example, UPS covers insurance up to $100 automatically with many services), or add the cost of insurance into your shipping or handling costs and send the buyer a revised invoice.
Paying for shipping insurance raises my costs. What can I do?
If appropriate, you can move the cost of shipping insurance into your handling charges or item price.
Won't moving insurance cost into my shipping charges make my shipping appear excessive?
With respect to listing status if you are thinking about excessive shipping, eBay Trust and Safety will look at excessive shipping on a case by case basis. If you offer reasonable shipping in a category that typically has higher shipping rates due to item size, weight, handling, or insurance you should not be negatively affected.
Isn't the removal of insurance as a separate cost really just a ploy by eBay to garner higher Final Value Fees? Are you making me price my item higher so you can charge more fees?
We are removing insurance as an option for the buyer since insurance is designed to protect the seller, not the buyer. If a buyer does not receive an item, it is the seller's responsibility. You have the option to fold insurance costs into the shipping cost or handling costs.
Shouldn't the shipping companies be responsible for an item once it has shipped?
While it is the shipping company's responsibility to deliver the item to your buyer, the shipping company is accountable to the seller not to the buyer. It is your option how you manage your relationship, risk, or exposure with the carrier and you have choices as to which carrier you choose to safely deliver your goods to your buyers.
How do I add my insurance cost to my Auction-style listings?
If you list with Auction-style format, you can choose to add your insurance cost into your handling charges. You'll need to estimate the value of the item, and check with your shipping carrier or third-party insurance provider for approximate cost of coverage. You could also start your item at a slightly higher price to cover the cost of insurance.
I sell rare, antique, or one-of-a-kind items that I must insure. How can I insure these items?
There are several ways to insure items you sell. Check with your shipping carrier for insurance options, contact a third-party shipping insurance provider for insurance coverage, or purchase shipping insurance from your shipping company when you print your shipping labels directly from the site. To help cover the additional expense, consider folding the cost of insurance into your handling cost or item price. There will be cases when end price exceeds your insurance cost estimate. In cases when you make an unexpected profit, you will need to cover additional insurance cost.
What if my item sells for much more than I estimated?
Shipping insurance is generally priced in tranches based on desired coverage (e.g., $50.01 to $100.00 = $2.15, $100.01 to $200.00 = $2.60, etc), so exact item sale price estimates are not required in order for you to estimate the cost of insurance. There will be cases when end price exceeds your insurance cost estimate. In cases when you make an unexpected profit, you will need to cover additional insurance cost.
Does the shipping cap in media still apply?
Yes, the shipping cap still applies. If you need to charge higher costs than the shipping caps, you can use the eBay shipping calculator to charge actual shipping costs. The maximum shipping costs were set based research around buyer satisfaction of shipping costs within the category. You may want to consider setting your shipping cost at the maximum shipping cap and adding some of the insurance cost into your item price.
When does this change take effect?
eBay is scheduled to remove shipping insurance from new listings starting the week of September 22, 2009.
Do I have to update my listings?
You will be required to remove any reference to purchasing optional or required insurance in your item description; however, adding a statement like "insurance included" in your item description is fine if you've moved the cost into your item price or shipping and handling costs. Bulk editing tools are available now to update your existing listings.
We will automatically remove optional or required shipping Insurance from the Sell Your Item form, scheduled for the week of September 21, 2009. If you have selected shipping insurance on existing listings, it will be removed when you use Relist, Sell Similar or Sell One Like This.
If I want to revise my listings, are bulk editing tools available?
Yes, bulk editing tools are available now.
Will my listings be blocked in Relist, Sell Similar or Sell One Like This flows if they include shipping insurance?
No, eBay will not block these listings, but we will automatically remove the insurance option from the listing when a seller uses Relist, Sell Similar, or Sell one Like This. You'll see a message that eBay has removed these options from your listing.
What about Good 'Til Cancelled listings?
The insurance option will be automatically removed from Good 'Til Cancelled listings when they renew. You'll see a message that the option has been removed.
Does this change apply to all listing formats and categories?
Yes, this change will apply to all listing formats and categories.
I use a third-party listing service. Am I affected?
Yes, this change impacts all third parties that provide listing and/or checkout services with optional or required shipping insurance as an option. eBay will require third parties to remove optional or required shipping insurance from their listing and checkout flows.
I am a third-party developer. What changes do I need to make?
By September, you should remove the shipping insurance option from your product or service's listing and checkout flow.
Since optional or required shipping insurance is no longer allowed on eBay (see more info):
•You can't charge buyers a separate fee for insurance, either in a listing or after they've committed to purchasing your item fold the cost of insurance into your item price or handling fee.
• You can't indicate insurance is only offered upon the buyer's request.
•You can't say that you're not responsible for the item once it has shipped.
What you can do:
•You can still insure items by including the cost of insurance in the item's price or in your handling cost.
•You can say "The item is insured" or "Handling cost includes insurance" in your listing description.
Please make any necessary changes to your listing before posting it on eBay. Also, make sure it follows our selling practices policy .
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
No optional buyer charges for insurance
Why is eBay removing optional or required shipping insurance when I list or re-list my item?
By removing optional or required shipping insurance, we are adjusting to help meet buyer expectations for ecommerce and aligning with industry standard practices. In most circumstances, buyers do not expect to pay for the cost of shipping insurance. This change also reflects the industry—and eBay—standard practice that sellers are responsible for their items until they are safely in their customers' hands.
As a seller, can I still insure the items I sell on eBay?
Yes, you are still able to insure your items. Check with your shipping carrier for insurance options, contact a third-party shipping insurance provider for insurance coverage, or purchase shipping insurance from your shipping company when you print your shipping labels directly from the site. To help cover the additional expense, consider folding the cost of insurance into your handling cost or item price.
What is wrong with giving the buyer the option to purchase insurance?
Sellers are responsible for their items until they are safely in their customers' hands. Offering insurance to a buyer (optional or required) gives the impression that the buyer is responsible for the safe delivery of the item and can reduce buyer confidence in the marketplace.
What if a buyer specifically requests insurance?
You can remind your buyer that insurance is designed to protect the seller, not the buyer— if a buyer does not receive an item, it is the seller's responsibility. If a buyer continues to request shipping insurance, you can select a shipping service that includes insurance (for example, UPS covers insurance up to $100 automatically with many services), or add the cost of insurance into your shipping or handling costs and send the buyer a revised invoice.
Paying for shipping insurance raises my costs. What can I do?
If appropriate, you can move the cost of shipping insurance into your handling charges or item price.
Won't moving insurance cost into my shipping charges make my shipping appear excessive?
With respect to listing status if you are thinking about excessive shipping, eBay Trust and Safety will look at excessive shipping on a case by case basis. If you offer reasonable shipping in a category that typically has higher shipping rates due to item size, weight, handling, or insurance you should not be negatively affected.
Isn't the removal of insurance as a separate cost really just a ploy by eBay to garner higher Final Value Fees? Are you making me price my item higher so you can charge more fees?
We are removing insurance as an option for the buyer since insurance is designed to protect the seller, not the buyer. If a buyer does not receive an item, it is the seller's responsibility. You have the option to fold insurance costs into the shipping cost or handling costs.
Shouldn't the shipping companies be responsible for an item once it has shipped?
While it is the shipping company's responsibility to deliver the item to your buyer, the shipping company is accountable to the seller not to the buyer. It is your option how you manage your relationship, risk, or exposure with the carrier and you have choices as to which carrier you choose to safely deliver your goods to your buyers.
How do I add my insurance cost to my Auction-style listings?
If you list with Auction-style format, you can choose to add your insurance cost into your handling charges. You'll need to estimate the value of the item, and check with your shipping carrier or third-party insurance provider for approximate cost of coverage. You could also start your item at a slightly higher price to cover the cost of insurance.
I sell rare, antique, or one-of-a-kind items that I must insure. How can I insure these items?
There are several ways to insure items you sell. Check with your shipping carrier for insurance options, contact a third-party shipping insurance provider for insurance coverage, or purchase shipping insurance from your shipping company when you print your shipping labels directly from the site. To help cover the additional expense, consider folding the cost of insurance into your handling cost or item price. There will be cases when end price exceeds your insurance cost estimate. In cases when you make an unexpected profit, you will need to cover additional insurance cost.
What if my item sells for much more than I estimated?
Shipping insurance is generally priced in tranches based on desired coverage (e.g., $50.01 to $100.00 = $2.15, $100.01 to $200.00 = $2.60, etc), so exact item sale price estimates are not required in order for you to estimate the cost of insurance. There will be cases when end price exceeds your insurance cost estimate. In cases when you make an unexpected profit, you will need to cover additional insurance cost.
Does the shipping cap in media still apply?
Yes, the shipping cap still applies. If you need to charge higher costs than the shipping caps, you can use the eBay shipping calculator to charge actual shipping costs. The maximum shipping costs were set based research around buyer satisfaction of shipping costs within the category. You may want to consider setting your shipping cost at the maximum shipping cap and adding some of the insurance cost into your item price.
When does this change take effect?
eBay is scheduled to remove shipping insurance from new listings starting the week of September 22, 2009.
Do I have to update my listings?
You will be required to remove any reference to purchasing optional or required insurance in your item description; however, adding a statement like "insurance included" in your item description is fine if you've moved the cost into your item price or shipping and handling costs. Bulk editing tools are available now to update your existing listings.
We will automatically remove optional or required shipping Insurance from the Sell Your Item form, scheduled for the week of September 21, 2009. If you have selected shipping insurance on existing listings, it will be removed when you use Relist, Sell Similar or Sell One Like This.
If I want to revise my listings, are bulk editing tools available?
Yes, bulk editing tools are available now.
Will my listings be blocked in Relist, Sell Similar or Sell One Like This flows if they include shipping insurance?
No, eBay will not block these listings, but we will automatically remove the insurance option from the listing when a seller uses Relist, Sell Similar, or Sell one Like This. You'll see a message that eBay has removed these options from your listing.
What about Good 'Til Cancelled listings?
The insurance option will be automatically removed from Good 'Til Cancelled listings when they renew. You'll see a message that the option has been removed.
Does this change apply to all listing formats and categories?
Yes, this change will apply to all listing formats and categories.
I use a third-party listing service. Am I affected?
Yes, this change impacts all third parties that provide listing and/or checkout services with optional or required shipping insurance as an option. eBay will require third parties to remove optional or required shipping insurance from their listing and checkout flows.
I am a third-party developer. What changes do I need to make?
By September, you should remove the shipping insurance option from your product or service's listing and checkout flow.
