Another example of Ebay reps not knowing even the most basic policies

[ziggylab]

I'm fighting with Ebay about some orders where they claim I didn't upload tracking on time. If a seller has a greater than 5% defect in this catergory, you lose Top Rated Seller.

A "helpful" rep wrote this:

"the tracking uploaded on time and validated is not a defect on your seller dashboard" ...

"To make it simply a seller’s performance will only be measured for the following key metrics:

• Transaction defect rate

• Late shipment rate

• Cases closed without seller resolution

And it will not be measured for Tracking uploaded on time and validated"

This was actually the second rep to tell me this. The first one told me this during a chat session. I would be disappointed if I didn't already have such low expectations for their service.

[mam98031]

They are not exactly wrong.  While we do have separate areas on the Seller Dashboard for tracking loaded on time and late shipments, they are really tied together.

I know you are just going by what the Seller Dashboard tells you, but it is slightly more complicated than that.

Additionally, we have some safeguards in place to protect your ratings and help you in case you have a problem. For example:

• If we determine that a buyer has violated our Abusive buyer policy, we'll automatically remove any associated defects
• We remove defects and/or late shipments when things happen that are outside of your control, such as severe weather or carrier disruptions
• We won't count a late shipment if an item arrives after the estimated date, but tracking shows you sent it on time

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/selling-policies/seller-performance-policy?id=4347#late-shipment

You just need to look at the whole thing.

[coolections]

The rep was correct. The only thing you lose is a top rated badge. 

[simply-the-best-for-you]

Although that was weirdly worded, the rep is correct, that it is not a Defect. 

[wastingtime101]

Hey @ziggylab . I don't know if it holds true today, but we were told in the past that eBay CS would only remove erroneously applied hits to "tracking uploaded on time and validated" if a seller's TRS status was in jeopardy, which leads me to ask:

- What is your current percent in that area? Is your TRS status in jeopardy?

- Did you run the report to see which transactions were affected?

- Did you verify tracking was uploaded within your handling time?

- Did you verify they all had tracking scans?

[12345jamesstamps]

I think the problem....especially in my situation is combined items using one tracking...and not all items show up with tracking even though I type in each item with same tracking.

This is why I gave up on Top Rated Seller.

[mam98031]

Interesting.

For myself, I do combine shipping all the time, however I do my shipping on Ebay as I ship via Media Mail or Ground Advantage and the prices for shipping are the same on any internet site.  I've thankfully never experienced the problem you have.

[ziggylab]

My seller metrics clearly show that they are watching "Tracking uploaded on time and validated" and that you lose Top Rated Seller if it goes below 95%. I have 5 out of 56 in the last 3 months with an issue.

2 or them are my fault because I cancelled the label in Pirate Ship, switched to a different service and forgot to update in Ebay. 2 of the others are because I used a freight shipping service but the items were not originally set for freight shipping. Ebay doesn't have visibility into my shipper's (Aeronet) tracking system.

The final one is because a customer asked to cancel an order after I had already purchased a shipping label but hadn't sent the item. I refunded the customer in full but Ebay is still holding this order against me. I guess I should have changed it to "not shipped", but I didn't.

Losing Top Rated Seller for a month will cost me hundreds of dollars.

[wastingtime101]

---

@ziggylab wrote:

The final one is because a customer asked to cancel an order after I had already purchased a shipping label but hadn't sent the item. I refunded the customer in full 

---

So here's the question now @ziggylab .

On that last one, how did you refund the customer in full? Did you file a formal cancellation or did  you just "send refund"?

If you filed a formal cancellation, then the order shouldn't appear on the tracking metric, and it may drop off on its own when the system catches up.

But if you just sent a refund without formally cancelling the order then the system will count it against you on the tracking metric because the order wasn't cancelled and the label wasn't scanned.

[ziggylab]

It was not possible to do a cancellation because I had already marked it shipped (because I had packed it and bought the label on Pirate Ship). So I did a refund. 

I know "why" it's counting against me. What I don't know is why Ebay won't make an exception for this.

[wastingtime101]

You could have still cancelled despite marking it shipped. I've done it many times. Just a few days ago, in fact. Buyer asked to cancel after item was packed and shipping label purchased. Voided the label and put through a buyer-requested cancellation.

Unfortunately you're probably not going to get help from CS here because you didn't process the cancellation properly. Doesn't help you right now, but at least you know for next time.

[mam98031]

@ziggylab 

Did you void the shipping label so you could get your money back for the label?

[ziggylab]

Yes, I voided the label in Pirate Ship and got a refund for it.