Account subscription confusion (silver/gold/platinum)

[aliendragon]

Hello, eBidders. I have a concern about the updates to account subscriptions, which I only just found about recently (which, I guess, just goes to show how often I check here, doesn't it?).

I understand that the account types/upgrades were recently renamed from 'buyer/seller/seller+' to 'free/silver/gold/platinum', with 'free' replacing 'buyer', 'silver' replacing 'seller', and 'gold/platinum' replacing 'seller+/seller+ lifetime'. However, I must ask if the permissions associated with each account type have changed as well.

On both the 'My Subscriptions' page and the FAQ pages, the chart showing each account permission seems to have changed since the renaming. If you need to check, question 2 on this page - https://www.ebid.net/uk/help/register/ - is a good place to look.

Some changes that I have noticed include 'silver' accounts now being limited to 5 listings, and no free photos whatsoever (in comparison, I seem to recall the equivalent 'seller' accounts having no limit on listings and an allowance of 1 free photo). Comparing the charts with an archived version from January 2022 - https://web.archive.org/web/20220108...help/register/ - it seems the use of the 'Ninja Lister app' has been revoked for 'silver' accounts, when the equivalent 'seller' accounts could use it. I've not seen these changes mentioned anywhere on the site or forums, only the renaming - if the changes are mentioned somewhere, then I can't find them.

Has eBid really made this decision to restrict accounts even moreso than previously? I must admit, I didn't notice anything was up when I added my latest listings, as everything seemed to be as though the old system was in place. But if these changes are real, then I may have to reconsider my options...

[theElench]

I think this is because "Standard" has become "Silver. Standard was free to list, no thumb-nail in results pages, no integrated checkout etc. etc.

These were only available if a Standard seller paid 5p per listing to upgrade to a Platinum Listing.

Will be looking closer when I return from work as without the integrated checkout I'll be rethinking as well.

[BordersBargains]

The previous version was perfectly fine and to make changes to this instead of other more important things was baffling

[billsstamps]

I am now called platinum, but apparently I have to be gold to list new items

[theElench]

I'm confused as I'm now a Silver seller who uses Platinum Listings. I replied to an earlier thread, (which was started in response to "Ebid News" Site Update Notification of 2/8/22) saying the update looked good as it drew more attention to Platinum Listings and their similarities to functions available to Platinum sellers.

Parts of this update aren't explained / mentioned in Fees and Charges.

From the link it appears that as a Silver seller I'm limited to 5 listings.
Cannot use the invoicing system.
Cannot list items RUS.
Cannot schedule start and finish times for auctions.
Cannot use MAO.
As none of these are included under the permissions of a Platinum Listing.

It's also disappointing that as a list of upgrades Platinum listings are not mentioned at all. What's the point of my praise that the link between Platinum Listings and the permissions granted to Platinum/Gold sellers was more obvious when its missing from the list of upgrades?

Someone needs to go back to the drawing board and properly cross reference all the relevant lists of fees/ charges / account subscriptions / upgrades to make sure they are all comprehensive and all agree.

[aliendragon]

I just saw the thread you mentioned, theElench. Seems like eBid simply decided not to mention any of these other changes alongside the name changes. Were they hoping nobody would notice or something? Right now, it seems rather shifty, to me. I daren't add/alter any listings, now, in case something untoward happens.

[theElench]

The more I looked at things like "Compare Account Plans" and "Fees and Charges" the more confused I became.

The 2/8 announcement doesn't mention any new restrictions and I can't find the thread / announcement that mentioned an email with explanation anywhere. I certainly never received any email (and I've checked my spam folder).

Although this update was meant to make things clearer for new members, it seems only to have caused confusion to members who have been here for years. Looking at the tables mentioned above, to me they now make little sense.

The 2/8 Announcement said this would be implemented within 48 hours, yet still using Platinum Listings since then I've had several sales and used the invoicing facility and the integrated checkout, which (I think) might no longer available to me?

[tony41]

I am now called platinum, but apparently I have to be gold to list new items

I am also now called platinum. However, a couple of days ago I was able to list some new items.

[aliendragon]

I tried contacting the support people about this earlier this week; I was told the 'Silver' accounts still have the same permissions as the old 'Seller' accounts, and that the charts would be changed to show this. As of writing, the charts on the FAQ pages now show that Silver accounts can have the one free photo, as before, but the one on the 'My Subscription' page doesn't. However, that seems to be the only update they've made on it, and the listing restrictions (5 for Silver, 100 for Gold and 'Unlimited' for Platinum Lifetime) are still there.

I currently have 29 lisitings running, and nothing untoward happened when I added my latest two a couple of weeks back, so I'm still confused in that regard. I daren't do anything else, now, knowing all this, just in case I end up banned or something.

[theElench]

Thanks for contacting Support and trying to get some clarification. Although they've only made one update so far, your call does show that they're aware that the tables make no sense as they are.

Didn't they mention the listing restrictions at all? I've been increasing my listing numbers for a few years now, as a Silver Seller using Platinum Listings. At first by 2 listings each week and more recently by 1 a week as I'm running low on things to list. I would like to know where these restrictions leave me as this has been a continuous process and if the restrictions are not new surely I should have had some sort of warning that I had exceeded the Silver Selling Plan limit. If they're new restrictions, what happens about the, roughly, 300 listing excess?

I listed another item last weekend, no warning about any limit and as of today it is still live.

It does sometimes amaze me how the (logical??) techy mind works. Surely for something that was meant to make things clearer for newly joining sellers, it would have been clearer if the charts had been prepared and ready for switch-over on implementation? As it is, new sellers and old are seeing something that's more confusing than the old conventions were, at least temporarily.

Anyway, hopefully Support will post here to let us know when all the changes are made to the tables and possibly even explain what the restrictions are all about? Until then I will continue listing as usual until I see something in writing that unambiguously says I can't.