Does eBay valet still exist?

Now that you have created the best listings on eBay, they are garnering the attention they deserve. As a result, it is imperative that you ensure that your items are reaching the buyers in a timely and painless manner-one of the most important factors for customer satisfaction on the eBay platform.

Logistics can pose a severe challenge for those who need to move a large volume of items from storage to the buyers' mailboxes.

The administration involved with listing and selling online items is also a concern for some eCommerce sellers. Of course, that's understandable - it can take a lot of time and effort. There is often a misunderstanding regarding the full magnitude of work involved in being an eCommerce seller. 

It was announced in 2014 that eBay Valet would provide a solution to this problem. The service was short-lived. In what circumstances did eBay valet completely close down in 2018, and what alternatives are available to eBay sellers? Learn all about it here. 

Why did eBay Valet exist?

The eBay Valet service was an eBay service that sold items for you.  eBay's warehouses would accept items from people, and eBay would create listings for them, take photos, and write descriptions. Customers would also be able to communicate with eBay, as well as handle shipping and handling. All in all, eBay valet was very beneficial in eBay account management to handle shipment and storage processes, but that is no longer the case. 

Essentially, it allowed eBay users to participate in the marketplace without actually having to devote a great deal of time to it. 

Depending on the complexity of the transaction, the fee ranged from 20% to 75%. A number of mixed reviews were published regarding eBay Valet when it launched in 2014, and it closed its doors in 2018.

It chooses the right shipping for you. The customer gets the option to checklist between First Class Vs Priority shipping method. 

Why was eBay Valet shut down?

The consignment program at eBay has had some problems in recent years. eBay Valet was discontinued for a reason that is not entirely clear, but here is a statement eBay released about the closure:

“We are always looking to provide the best experience for our customers. We’re focusing on simplifying the selling process and invite you to sell at eBay.com/sell or try our consignment program for luxury handbags and wallets, eBay Authenticate.”

According to the feedback from the eBay seller community, it appears there was a problem regarding the quality control of the listing. 

This speculation does not make much sense - the challenge remains to find a speedy, seamless delivery service. Having said that, let's now consider what options eBay merchants have now that eBay Valet is no longer available to them.

How are eBay Valet Alternatives Different from eBay Valet?

It was eBay Valet's ability to go beyond simply fulfilling orders that made it unique.  While eBay Valet would store and select items and ship them to you, they also would handle shipping. In addition to listing the items and photographing them, they will also be responsible for answering customers' inquiries. 

The eBay Valet service was a "hands-off" experience for the seller. In order to reach eBay's Valet program, all those who wanted to participate had to do was send the item to a specific location and wait for their cut of the sale. The eBay Valet program has not been replaced. So what options are there? 

Both yes and no. Depending on the product you are selling and the type of expectation you have. eBay sellers are still using the following eBay Valet alternatives. 

• eBay Fulfillment Options

eBay Consignment Center

A few third-party sellers are featured on eBay Consignment Center, one of eBay's trusted third-party sellers. In the event that you are in a position to pass on your items in one of the 12 categories available, this could be a good option.

• Comics
• Toys for collectors
• Bicycling
• Coins
• Postage stamps
• Pottery art
• Jewels
• Wearables
• Bags
• Apparel

They are all experts in their field with a thorough understanding of the categories in which they sell. 

If you can't find your consignment category here, contact eBay for help. You can contact the seller directly by selecting your category at the bottom of the page. 

The range of services offered by these independent sellers varies as a result of their independence. Many companies handle end-to-end sales, and logistics differ based upon the product. Negotiation will take place between you and them to determine your expectations and the cost of their services. 

Phones and tablets on eBay Quick Sale

In 2016, eBay introduced Quick Sale in order to facilitate the sale of mobile devices. In other categories, this will not help eBay sellers, but making the process easier for those who wish to dispose of their phones quickly will. 

There are currently two categories of Quick Sale:

• Quick Sale for tablets
• Quick Sale for phones

In order to determine the current offer amount, please enter the details of the device. Having printed out a free shipping label, you can put it on the package and mail it to eBay. Upon receiving and verifying the package, you will receive payment from eBay.  In some cases, Quick Sale could work for both one-off and high-volume sellers of phones and tablets, but sellers have no way of controlling the amount that is being offered.  

• eBay Global Shipping Program

The eBay Global Shipping Program simplifies the process of selling internationally for US sellers with international buyers. Bay sellers who meet the service's criteria are handled by this service for their customs and import requirements. During processing, eBay's dedicated center receives the items.  

eBay's Global Shipping Program takes care of the administrative aspects of international shipping while the seller remains responsible for listing and customer relationships.

Third-Party eBay fulfillment Options

• eFulfillment Service (EFS)

You can use eFulfillment Service (EFS) if you want to use eBay as your marketplace but handle fulfillment elsewhere. With a special branch for eBay sellers, EFS is a global eCommerce and fulfillment solution. 

Despite not helping with the listing, EFS will take care of the following:

• Receiving
• Inspection of products
• Storage of inventory
• Fulfillment of orders
• Shipment
• Processing of returns
• Knitting/assembling

As a company that provides fulfillment services solely, EFS has developed a positive reputation among merchants. Multichannel sellers will find them attractive since they integrate with eBay as well as a number of other online sales channels.

• Delivery

Delivery offers a special branch to eBay sellers who need fulfillment services.  Your listings will still be in your hands, but this service will store, package, and ship them for you. The service easily integrates with an array of platforms, one of which is eBay, and has the option of applying a special “fast and free” badge to your listings for a more professional appearance.  This service can be calculated using their cost calculator to help you work out how much it will cost you. 

• Sellery

SELLERY provides multichannel fulfillment and warehousing to eBay Stores that can be customized to fit their specific needs. Unlike other companies, they don't advertise themselves on their packaging or any other material - their business aims to be customized for the individual seller. The service appears to be flexible, as it has been set up to provide personalized attention to sellers.

Conclusion

As with Amazon FBA, eBay valet was launched with the intention of handling shipment and warehousing processes, but it failed to capture the market. The shutting down of eBay valet was not an easy task to undertake, given the fact that there was a new seller update regarding more products that needed to be listed and warehoused. 

While there are many other options available, such as eBay valet, you can also use other options like them. There are a number of alternatives that you can use to facilitate your eBay business smoothly; we have listed some of them too.