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[MODELBOATBITS]

URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT

MODELBOATBITS HAVE CLOSED ITS EBAY SHOP DUE TO A DISPUTE WITH EBAY OVER FEES AND UNFAIR POLICYS

AFTER TRADING FOR 20 YEARS WITH EBAY WE HAVE DECIDED THAT DUE TO THEIR VERY HIGH FEES
AND THEIR INCREASE FROM 1 st APRIL TOGETHER WITH THEIR UNFAIR POLICYS TOWARDS TRADERS
WE ARE ONLY SUPPLYING VIA OUR OWN DIRECT WEBSHOP

WE WILL BE AIMING TO REDUCE PRICES ON ALL ITEM’S HAVING CUT OUT THE EBAY SELLING FEE’S AND
THE MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION FEE

OUR LEVEL OF SERVICE HAS BEEN RECENTLY AFFECTED TO THE POINT THAT DEALING WITH EBAY ISSUES HAS
BECOME A FULL TIME JOB THEREFORE IT IS A DECISION THAT WILL HELP RESTORE OUR QUALITY OF SERVICE
THAT WE HAVE HAD SINCE WE STARTED IN 2009

PLEASE BEAR WITH US DURING THIS TRANSITION PERIOD AND SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR USEFULL SUGGESTION’S


!!! THE BIG FIGHT BACK IS ON !!!


PLEASE CONTECT STEVE ON: 01597 870437 OR 07921 032624

WE WILL BE RE-INSTATING OUR MODEL BOAT MAGAZINE ADVERT NEXT MONTH

[Jonty]

Not surprised. I ran an Ebay shop that kept my business alive during the banking crisis and following recession. I gave up when their ridiculous policies in always backing the customer, regardless of obvious fraud, made it unviable.
The very best of luck for the future.

[MODELBOATBITS]

modelboatbits  ( 13269 ) Positive Feedback (last 12 months): 99.9%
Member since: 02-Jan-03 in United Kingdom
Registered as a business

                    1 month      6 months     12 months
Positive             104              559                1130
Neutral               1                6                    16
Negative             0                  0                    1

Yet Ebay are telling me my performance level is below standard and are charging me an extra 6% on top of the 12% + £0.30

If that ain't fair nothing is

It just means yet another huge corperation rakes in the massive profits and we mere mortals mean nothing

I hope they go out of business before they put me out of business

Come on fella's let's start a revolution against large organisations like them

Without customers they will not survive

[Martin (Admin)]

Happy for you to promote your wares on here Steve!   

https://www.modelboatbits.com/

[Andyn]

Unrelated, but what happened to the moulds of that sports IC boat you were selling years back Steve?

[Jonty]

I've been looking at publishing a new book, a guide to walking the Thames through London, with Kdp Amazon. That was until I looked up their reviews on Trustpilot. I am sceptical about all such ratings sites - but Blimey!  https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/kdp.amazon.com

[SteamboatPhil]

Steve
Power to you, well done, lets hope more follow your lead,


With luck when I come back to the the UK we can catch up


Phil

[MODELBOATBITS]

Hi Phil


Hope u ain't crossing the channel on one of dem dinghy's


Hate to see u locked up in a dissused army camp 

[Charlie]

I've been looking at publishing a new book, a guide to walking the Thames through London, with Kdp Amazon. That was until I looked up their reviews on Trustpilot. I am sceptical about all such ratings sites - but Blimey!  https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/kdp.amazon.com

Most random reply i've seen in a thread for quite a while😀

[Jonty]

Actually precisely the same thing that MBB has been suffering from - huge firms losing touch with their customers and behaving arbitrarily.

[modboat]

Round of applause


I have been on ebay as a seller for some 15 Years and I have experienced very poor service.
I have a private account and a business account and both are poorly looked after by Ebay.
Although fees are excessive I am funning about the feedback.


Feedback rules are to state facts about the seller, not Evri or Royal Mail etc or even the product.
I have always tried to be honest and professional and I have asked Ebays advice on my listings.
You will always get a Muppet or two on there but my gripe is the following.
Ebay state delivery approx 3 days, If it is not there in 3 days I have had neg feedback, I have stated it is a estimate only.
Item would be there on day six due to wrong address given by customer but that still gets the neg feedback.
I have stated to Ebay that they should alter there delivery time estimate and that there policy has caused my neg feedback.
They agreed but the feedback still stands.


Buyers order an item for a machine that they do not own and open a return as it will not fit.
I accept the return and offer refund less my postage cost for sending the item in the first place as I should not be out of pocket
for their error.
They don't return the item and still leave me poor feedback.
Again I contact ebay and they state they will not remove the feedback as I was offering a partial refund and this is customers view.
I stated when there is a return there is a box to enable a partial refund on the system so again it is that option that causes my feedback
not that I will not give it. Either do a refund or refuse, no grey area. Again Ebay policies are the main cause of the hassle.


They have even told me they are not happy with there feedback team or policies but still will not do anything to help.


I could change to someone else or start my own website but I am semi retired at 60 and don't need the hassle.


Well done to Model Boat Bits for standing up to the big boys and hopefully soon to be the Small boys.

[MODELBOATBITS]

Round of applause


I have been on ebay as a seller for some 15 Years and I have experienced very poor service.
I have a private account and a business account and both are poorly looked after by Ebay.
Although fees are excessive I am funning about the feedback.


Feedback rules are to state facts about the seller, not Evri or Royal Mail etc or even the product.
I have always tried to be honest and professional and I have asked Ebays advice on my listings.
You will always get a Muppet or two on there but my gripe is the following.
Ebay state delivery approx 3 days, If it is not there in 3 days I have had neg feedback, I have stated it is a estimate only.
Item would be there on day six due to wrong address given by customer but that still gets the neg feedback.
I have stated to Ebay that they should alter there delivery time estimate and that there policy has caused my neg feedback.
They agreed but the feedback still stands.


Buyers order an item for a machine that they do not own and open a return as it will not fit.
I accept the return and offer refund less my postage cost for sending the item in the first place as I should not be out of pocket
for their error.
They don't return the item and still leave me poor feedback.
Again I contact ebay and they state they will not remove the feedback as I was offering a partial refund and this is customers view.
I stated when there is a return there is a box to enable a partial refund on the system so again it is that option that causes my feedback
not that I will not give it. Either do a refund or refuse, no grey area. Again Ebay policies are the main cause of the hassle.


They have even told me they are not happy with there feedback team or policies but still will not do anything to help.


I could change to someone else or start my own website but I am semi retired at 60 and don't need the hassle.


Well done to Model Boat Bits for standing up to the big boys and hopefully soon to be the Small boys.

You are spot on with with your comment's


I have just possibly lost £25,000 P.A. sales by shutting ebay shop however by the time they
take everthing away the past 12 month's they have taken 21.4% of the total


Then there is my manufacturing cost's and purchases and overheads it leaves very little
in the pot


So I will now have a lot more time to improve my direct webshop, Introduce new product's
and advertise by other methods with the main aim to cut out as many middle men and
associated cost's as possible resulting in a small efficient business with reasonable prices


Most important is customer relation's and communication


Both these have dropped of late due to the past 12 months turmoil with cost of living


So my aim is to get back to to my old fashioned personalised customer service that put
me up there in the first place


Modelboatbits is my business,  You are my customers and without you I have nothing

[modboat]

100% Spot on


The cost is one thing but as with me I believe you can not beat 100% honest go the extra mile service.
You give it they don,t, so you are right not to deal with them.


My sons run our main business now and deal with Ebay Amazon and On Buy, however I am not a fan
but I have to say the one we benefit from the most is Facebook as long as you don't listen to all the cat fighting
and various scams/false stories it is a very good business tool and cost is low.


I wish you all the best in your diversity and nice to see a well know name (Model boat bits) is continuing to look after its customers interest and in turn hopefully will stand you in good stead for the future.


I will be honest I have never purchased from you before as I normally build ready made kits, but I will be doing in the future and can we please have a range of 1/12 lifeboat figures and others.


More work for you LOL

[Neil]

well done Steve, hope you do well with your personal handling of your business.....as someone said........ebay's onus is on keeping the purchasert happy, and not the seller........... they are not and never have been impartial. good luck with your business.
ARE you coming to blackpool this year to spread the word.

[Neil]

 but I will be doing in the future and can we please have a range of 1/12 lifeboat figures and others.

what era of lifeboat 1;12 figures are you wanting Modboat

[roycv]

Interesting to read all this as I have had my suspicions. 
Personally I do a search when after something and prefer to buy direct.  I do not like Amazon as I do not wish to be entrapped with other 'options'!  Where I get refered to ebay i have to accept it.  I rarely start with ebay.

It seems that when a set up gets too big they milk it to everyone's dissatisfaction. 
I use Paypal too and look at the the developer of that!
Thanks
Roy

[roycv]

After my last post I was thinking about my dealings with ebay/uk.  A few years ago  they threatened to ban me!  I had made a legit enquiry as to which items were actually on sale in a seller's auction item as there were several pictures.
 Ebay said to me I was trying to buy without going through their system and so I rang them.  I spoke to a rather entitled young man and asked him which part of my communications he was refering to.  He read them out and I said there is nothing there which is against ebay's policy. 
He said ther could be, I said why?  He hummed and harred about it and I demanded an apology or I would go on facebook and tell my end of it and eventually he apologised.
That is what put me off ebay!
However it turned out that the seller was drumming up business for a separate 'auction'.  I did not take part in it.  You really can't take people at face value unless you know who you are dealing with. 
I have had some items from Model Bits some time ago when I was dealing with them directly.  Good service as well.

Roy