cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Ebay wrongly claims late shipment!

I ship paid items on time, indeed even ahead of time, and yet my account is regularly dinged--not by the Buyers, who thank me on feedback for the fast shipments--but by ebay itself, who claims that the tracking shows late shipments!

 

Were it not for this "late shipment" fallacy, I would be a Top Rated Seller again, as this is the only marker against me (I have 100% feedback score).

 

If there are others out there who have this problem, too, would you please speak up?

 

Thank you!

Message 1 of 44
latest reply
43 REPLIES 43

Ebay wrongly claims late shipment!

The first thing I would do if I were you is to dump the same day shipping and switch to 1 day handling.  Then make sure you get an acceptance scan within that handling time to meet the late delivery metric.  It goes without saying that you have to have the tracking uploaded within the handling time to meet that metric also.

Message 2 of 44
latest reply

Ebay wrongly claims late shipment!

@somethums

 

Are you getting scans at the PO, or do you have a PO that does not scan, and it only gets scanned later, it happens ?

Go to your seller dash board, and run the report for shipping, find the items that ebay says were late.

Then dig out your PO receipts that show a scan on time, with this in hand, call ebay... this is where it gets fun.

 

The first CS will say, we can fix that...... well.... I can't fix that, but I will transfer you to someone who can.

6 different CS reps, all say no problem, let me transfer you, and then they drop the call on the 7 th transfer.

 

It is well known that ebay has a hard time syncing with the PO on tracking.

I lost TRS a year ago, at first I thought it was the shipping time, but I looked closer, my dollar amount was good, but my items sold count was it.

Message 3 of 44
latest reply

Ebay wrongly claims late shipment!

Even with the 1-day there is a variable with the USPS scanning. I have discussed this with the postal service, and they admit that often a package is not scanned until it is out for delivery. One can do one's absolute best --which I do, as I am sure many sellers also do--but one cannot, by law, interfere with the postal service's procedures.

 

Even if a package is delivered well within the estimated delivery time, ebay will automatically ding you.

 

So, guilty until proved innocent, and even when you prove you are innocent, you are still shown as guilty.

 

So, thanks for the thought, but let's examine where the real problem lies.

Message 4 of 44
latest reply

Ebay wrongly claims late shipment!

@fern*wood

 


@fern*wood wrote:

The first thing I would do if I were you is to dump the same day shipping and switch to 1 day handling.  Then make sure you get an acceptance scan within that handling time to meet the late delivery metric.  It goes without saying that you have to have the tracking uploaded within the handling time to meet that metric also.


Where are you seeing one day handling time?  ebay removed our handling time months ago, I see nothing about it in the listings? 

Message 5 of 44
latest reply

Ebay wrongly claims late shipment!

I got dinged and lost TRS a few times in the last couple of years. I specify 2 day handling and processing time, economy shipping. In reality - I ship everything priority or 1st class so it arrives early.

 

The dings have all come when there's a holiday involved and a long weekend. Since I don't care to offer 30 day refunds, I don't qualify for a discount anyway so no big if I drop down from TRS. It's just not worth it to me to call and go thru that ordeal for placement back into TRS.   The weird part is, now that I have experienced this 3 times - I get a boost in sales when I drop down from TRS to Above Average!  Not sure but it may be some insight into the weird world of "listing placement" that no one will talk about. The only thing I can think is that it drops you from TRS where a million sellers are into a "high" above average because that's not normally your track record??.  Weird but true. 

Message 6 of 44
latest reply

Ebay wrongly claims late shipment!


@sockmonkeydave wrote:

@fern*wood

 


@fern*wood wrote:

The first thing I would do if I were you is to dump the same day shipping ....


Where are you seeing one day handling time?  ebay removed our handling time months ago, I see nothing about it in the listings? 


Same day has to show up because it includes a cutoff time.  From the OP's listing for a lithograph:

 

Screen Shot 2016-08-27 at 8.49.55 PM.png

Message 7 of 44
latest reply

Ebay wrongly claims late shipment!


@sockmonkeydave wrote:

@fern*wood

 


@fern*wood wrote:

The first thing I would do if I were you is to dump the same day shipping and switch to 1 day handling.  Then make sure you get an acceptance scan within that handling time to meet the late delivery metric.  It goes without saying that you have to have the tracking uploaded within the handling time to meet that metric also.


Where are you seeing one day handling time?  ebay removed our handling time months ago, I see nothing about it in the listings? 


When I looked at a listing of the OP it stated under the shipping tab:

 

"Will usually ship within same business day if paid before 14:00 PDT (excludes weekends and holidays). Expected ship time may vary and is based on seller's order cut-off time."

 

This sounded like same day handling so I thought they would be wise to switch that to 1 day handling instead.

 

Message 8 of 44
latest reply

Ebay wrongly claims late shipment!

@somethums@posting*master@stonevintage@sockmonkeydave@fern*wood

 

I read this thread to this point and this ir probably a really good topic to submit to the new Ebay Team.  I use 1 Day handling and correct me if I am wrong but when I print the label and the tracking is uploaded I am covered there as long as it is within the 1 day time frame after receiving payment.  I hand the package to the PO clerk and get a receipt for packages scanned (Acceptence scan).  They advised me they scan again when they put it on the truck to go to the next facility, I get the sense that they like to scan them onto the bulk truck and then know they are done with them.  The PO I use the most has two bulk trucks come through per day, one just after lunch and one after closing. 

 

Regards,
Mr. Lincoln - Community Mentor
Message 9 of 44
latest reply

Ebay wrongly claims late shipment!

@posting*master  @fern*wood

 

lol, I just clicked on the boots, first in the list, and it was not there, but then I clicked on Mickey mouse, and I see it.

Message 10 of 44
latest reply

Ebay wrongly claims late shipment!


@mr_lincoln wrote:

 

...  I use 1 Day handling and correct me if I am wrong but when I print the label and the tracking is uploaded I am covered there as long as it is within the 1 day time frame after receiving payment. ...

There are two different evaluaiton criteria related to shipping time.

 

For TRS status, you must upload tracking within your stated handling time for at least 90% of your domestic transactions, and this tracking number must get a validation  scan. The validation scan can be any scan, even the delivery scan; its purpose is just to sho that the tracking number isn't fake.  The one exception here is that if the seller offers same-day handling he must get an acceptance scan  on that day.

 

The other measure is the 'On time" shipping requirement, which can be met in  3 ways: (1) scan within your handling time; (2) delivery scan within projected delivery dates; or (3)  the buyer answers "Yes" inresponse to the 'On time?" question when leaving feedback.

Message 11 of 44
latest reply

Ebay wrongly claims late shipment!


@somethums wrote:

Even with the 1-day there is a variable with the USPS scanning. I have discussed this with the postal service, and they admit that often a package is not scanned until it is out for delivery. One can do one's absolute best --which I do, as I am sure many sellers also do--but one cannot, by law, interfere with the postal service's procedures.

 

Even if a package is delivered well within the estimated delivery time, ebay will automatically ding you.

 

So, guilty until proved innocent, and even when you prove you are innocent, you are still shown as guilty.

 

So, thanks for the thought, but let's examine where the real problem lies.


 

 

@somethums

 

I have 1 day shipping and have no problems with it at all.  My packages are scanned by the mail carrier while on my porch and that takes care of the issues immediately.  I do use the scan sheet so that all my packages are listed on that one sheet and that one scan is all that is needed.  I also use the USPS scheduled pickup where they pickup all my packages when they deliver my mail, so again everything is done when my mail is picked up and I look online at my sold items to see that the first scan shows up and 99.9% of the time it is there.

 

If you are taking your items to the PO and dropping them in the collections box then that is on you as to when they are going to get scanned.  It is not even necessary to get a scan until delivery as the USPS notifies Ebay if and when an item is late based on their shipping time estimates for that particular type of mail to that location.  If many of yours are exceeding that delivery timeframe then again something is happening that is delaying them.  Is your local PO emptying the collection box and shipping all the items everyday or are they doing it every 2-3 days?  That alone could be causing you your problems with the late shipments.  If you stand in line and have them scan the packages then you will have the AUTOMATIC EXCEPTION to late shipments as they acceptance scan would have been done within your stated handling time (1 business day).  I know it takes a lot of time to stand in line but if you do not want to do that nor use Scheduled pickups then you are at the mercy of the USPS when it comes to ontime shipments.

 

Also if you are located on the East Coast and receive a payment for an item at 2:59am on Wednesday, that is still 11:59 pm Tuesday in CA which is what Ebay uses for whether packages are mailed on time or not.  So that package would need to be scanned by Midnight Wednesday to be on time for the 1 day handling policy.  I am not sure what the policy is for same say but that could also be causing some problems for you.  

 

Also you say your buyers are happy and leave positive feedback for quick shipments,  well then the ones that are telling ebay it arrived late are not leaving feedback.  As i said before if you have the ontime acceptance scan that is the automatic exception to any late shipment.  If the shipper states the item was delivered within their stated delivery estimates then you are still okay, but if they say its late then the buyer still has the option to save you by saying the item was ontime, which they are evidently not doing which is why you are getting those dings.

 

I hope this helps and maybe gives you some ideas on how to accomplish the on time shipments you are looking for.

 

David

Twnpopcards

Message 12 of 44
latest reply

Ebay wrongly claims late shipment!


@mr_lincoln wrote:

@somethums@posting*master@stonevintage@sockmonkeydave@fern*wood

 

I read this thread to this point and this ir probably a really good topic to submit to the new Ebay Team.  I use 1 Day handling and correct me if I am wrong but when I print the label and the tracking is uploaded I am covered there as long as it is within the 1 day time frame after receiving payment.  I hand the package to the PO clerk and get a receipt for packages scanned (Acceptence scan).  They advised me they scan again when they put it on the truck to go to the next facility, I get the sense that they like to scan them onto the bulk truck and then know they are done with them.  The PO I use the most has two bulk trucks come through per day, one just after lunch and one after closing. 

 


@mr_lincoln

 

Per the USPS a normal package shipped through them will have between 6 and 7 scans from the time it is mailed until it is delivered.  If it has less than that it means that some particular station did no their job correctly for some reason.   Just thought I would add that tidbit.  It was in one of Ebays Webinar where they had USPS supervisors included and then recently in another announcement made my USPS for something.

 

David

twnpopcards

Message 13 of 44
latest reply

Ebay wrongly claims late shipment!

@twnpopcards  Thanks David, oh yes I know there are multiple scans.  Back in the early 90s I worked on a project for several of their bulk mail centers in my area and toured 3 of them.  This was when they were switching from manually input zip codes to automatic bar code scanning and weighing systems for each bulk center.  This improved their thru-put AND accuracy by eliminating the occasional key stroke error by the postal workers sorting packages and typing in zip codes.  Mail moves the country and Zip Code moves the mail!

Regards,
Mr. Lincoln - Community Mentor
Message 14 of 44
latest reply

Ebay wrongly claims late shipment!

When I had one day handling, I frequently got ratted out as late by the post office (because sometimes buyers would buy an item, then buy a second item they want shipped together, but take a couple of days to pay). When you are about to charge a buyer $14.30 on shipping that first item, you do not want to alienate them by doing it a second time to save your TRS status...

 

I decided enough with that, 10 days handling time. Most items ship within 3 days. Never ever a late shipment since this change was made. And buyers notice the long handling time and tell me how fast they got it when it arrives a week after they bought it.

 

Cheers, C.

Message 15 of 44
latest reply