Ebay wrongly claims late shipment!

[somethums]

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!

[fern*wood]

---

@somethums wrote:

Thanks for these thoughts, however the only problem is that even when the item is delivered well within the estimated delivery date and the buyer honestly reports fast delivery, ebay automatically counts the package late when the scan report from the usps does not meet ebay's expectations.

I am looking for others who have had this same problem. I wish to gather a group as there is strength in numbers when you wish to right a wrong.

---

I recently had a package that was misdirected by USPS take over a month to arrive, clearly past the estimated delivery window, but it was still deemed an on time shipping transaction since I had obtained the acceptance scan within my handling window.  This seems to be the key to avoiding late shipment issues with the new metric.

Have you given any thought to changing your handling time to at least one day?  It seems if you make a sale right before the cut off time on same day shipping that it might be near impossible to get than scan and then be dependant on others to meet the metric--either USPS or the buyer.  I don't like depending on others for my metrics.

[Anonymous]

Good morning, everyone! When it comes to the On-Time Shipping metric, as long as we can see a scan within your handling time, a scan within the estimated delivery date, or the "Yes" answer from your buyer, we have you protected. If one happens to show as a miss when it actually isn't, you would need to call into CS to have this reviewed. I will submit the feedback regarding the push back you all have been receiving and hopefully we'll be able to make this process more seamless moving forward. 

[sin-n-dex]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Good morning, everyone! When it comes to the On-Time Shipping metric, as long as we can see a scan within your handling time, a scan within the estimated delivery date, or the "Yes" answer from your buyer, we have you protected. If one happens to show as a miss when it actually isn't, you would need to call into CS to have this reviewed. I will submit the feedback regarding the push back you all have been receiving and hopefully we'll be able to make this process more seamless moving forward. 

---

Thanks for posting, but CSR does not remove the late shipping, even if it's wrong.

I got into it last year about two packages where I had consent from the buyer to delay shipping (one wanted to buy more items, the other was travelling and did not want it to arrive while he wasn't home). They flat out refused to remove it, all three times that I called. I was told "it isn't happening".

I consider myself excellent at arguing and I usually only get hung up on if the CSR is trained to not engage in a discussion with me (ie not the authorized contact on the account). CSR listen to my arguments and I do this well. If I can't get them removed when they're supposed to be after three phone calls and speaking to 10 reps, this indicates to me that your CSRs are trained to not remove late shipment defects that are wrong. One rep even told me since I can't get kicked off eBay for a late shipment, they won't remove them. Another rep told me since I only had two, it wasn't enought to make me lose TSR, so they wouldn't remove them. (I said that they need to remove them when they're wrong so if I do mess up, I have leeway with my TSR status).

That being said, what your policy says, and even what the person answering the phone says, is very different from speaking to the person who has the power to do something about it.

Cheers, C.

[Anonymous]

---

Thanks for posting, but CSR does not remove the late shipping, even if it's wrong.

I got into it last year about two packages where I had consent from the buyer to delay shipping (one wanted to buy more items, the other was travelling and did not want it to arrive while he wasn't home). They flat out refused to remove it, all three times that I called. I was told "it isn't happening".

I consider myself excellent at arguing and I usually only get hung up on if the CSR is trained to not engage in a discussion with me (ie not the authorized contact on the account). CSR listen to my arguments and I do this well. If I can't get them removed when they're supposed to be after three phone calls and speaking to 10 reps, this indicates to me that your CSRs are trained to not remove late shipment defects that are wrong. One rep even told me since I can't get kicked off eBay for a late shipment, they won't remove them. Another rep told me since I only had two, it wasn't enought to make me lose TSR, so they wouldn't remove them. (I said that they need to remove them when they're wrong so if I do mess up, I have leeway with my TSR status).

That being said, what your policy says, and even what the person answering the phone says, is very different from speaking to the person who has the power to do something about it.

Cheers, C.

---

Thanks for reaching out, C. We definitely want to make sure we're giving you the cushion just in case you happen to need it. We're only able to appeal these misses within 90 days of the transaction so I'm not sure if these instances will qualify. That said, I did double check and we are able to appeal these if the buyer requests that the shipping is postponed. Please let me know if any of your misses are within the 90 day period; I want to make sure you're given the protection we offer.

[somethums]

I think that having a 90-day statute of limitations for correcting errors in tracking that penalize hardworking and fast-shipping sellers is simply wrong and should be corrected. The law allows much better for those wrongly accused; why does ebay insist on continuing to punish sellers? I am still seeing my "bad" numbers rise with 100% positive feedback, being dinged for "late" shipments that the buyers state publicly in feedback were delivered quickly.

Where is the logic? the justice?

I am injured and so are many others.

I call on eBay to correct this, and not hold innocent sellers guilty---then not give them proper time nor any notification to prove they shipped immediately.

I am giving you only 90 days to fix this. OK?

[prarie_nerd]

Well I feel better knowing I'm not alone. I was having major problems with this too! My defect rating was up over 4% at one point, they removed a couple defects but I had to fight for them and the rest they said too bad. They actually argued with me to have items shipped on weekends, holidays and in the middle of the night. Or that items should have been shipped then they weren't even paid for yet! But the Best part is even after they were removed my % went down by less than it went up so how does that make sense?
Ebay also went back how many months when they started giving us defects just so we started with some and we couldn't prove anything because listings and tracking were obsolete by then.
Of all the things ebay has done the defects are probably the biggest slap in the face. Even when buyers rip us off and they say too bad and take their side at least they're taking someone else's side. This is ebay taking their own side and saying we don't matter and they want us gone

[nostalgia-world-wi]

This late shipment is total **bleep**, I live in Milwaukee, WI and it took 7 days for a package to get to Chicago 90 miles from where I leave. How is this my fault?? USPS made the mistake for letting it get there so late!!!!! Yet I get dinged??????? I am top rated 100% getting ready to lose all of that because of USPS!!!!!!

[cdelight132013]

On the second part, The buyer marks, "yes" for shipping time.  I was told that on the phone as well when this new policy came to pass. I have some customers who order items over time to combine ship at max. allowable weight. . Sometimes they add something last minute. Nonetheless, Last week a notice appeared about late shipments.  Almost all items, 5 of 6, are for 2 of my regular customers who gave 5 stars in the shipping catagory.   Yes, Ebay does wrongly claim late shipment without further adeu. This deduction process has some loop holes. While communicating with buyers and sellers over the years, I have often contemplated  individuals commitment and integrity while selling with Ebay, and why 'TRS' was so important to me?  Now I understand those individuals a little better but wonder if 'TRS' still holds the level of importance I had placed it at!  Respectfully, cd

[dands_collectibles]

I'm in the same boat! Every morning at 7:30am we drop off our packages in the blue bin that is inside either post office here in my town. Numerous times the acceptence scan shows at 2:00am the next day, but arrives at the hub an hour later? The hub is 4 hours away north in Portland, Oregon! I live in Southern Oregon. I have called eBay weekly to get this figured out and they just lie to get you off the phone. How can a package that goes from West Coast to East Coast in 3 days be considered late? I just dont get it and we will prpabbly lose our TRS due to this. Mind you we have 100% feedback, 100% tracking uploaded, 100% no defects, and only a total of 2 returns over thousands of shipments. Anyone have a good suggestion to combat this without standing in line every single day?

[somethums]

It continueds to infuriate for several reasons: first is that one does not realize your account has been dinged by ebay--not by the buyer, who thanks you on feedback for fast shipping--but by ebay's protocol that makes sure every possible point is taken from you. Then there is the 3-month window to complain, really tricky when you do not even realize you have been dinged. Usually you are too busy making sure packages are getting out. I have been forced now to spend hours waiting in line at the post office, pleading with the clearks to please scan the packages in front of me. The clerks assure me the packages will be scanned eventually, but I can no longer rely on that.

   Yes, I agree, when I have complained to ebay, I get a scripted answer. No sense trying to show the buyer's feedback thanking you for fast shipping.

   The bottom line is that the Top Rated status confers discounts of final value fees, as well as other benefits, and this has to be a way of making sure these are taken away as often as possible. Really disappointed in them, and I feel it is better to make as many voices heard as possible about this.

[Anonymous]

Hi all - We understand that your performance is an important part of running your business which is why we offer the Seller Dashboard that is updated as often as possible with your stats. I suggest checking here: https://sellerstandards.ebay.com/dashboard frequently to see where you're at and if you've had any misses that may need to be reviewed. 

As for making sure you're getting acceptance scans, I have seen quite a few sellers who've seen success with scheduling pickups of their packages through USPS directly. Using the SCAN form through the bulk-shipping flow is also a great way to make things easy on your post office so that they only have to make one scan to show "acceptance" of all your items. 

If you're running into issues where your post office isn't scanning your packages as accepted within the same day you've dropped them off, I would recommend reaching out to your post master to file a complaint. They should be doing this and if they do, you're given credit for on-time shipping as long as it happens within your handling time. Keep in mind that you only need to meet one of the three requirements outlined above to earn credit for this metric and to prevent any dings. 

[d-k_treasures]

The SCAN form should be available for printing at any point in the day for labels printed up until that point.

Until that change is made, it is fairly useless.

[somethums]

So, curiouser and curiouser,  as Alice would say in Ebayland.

The system double dinged me for not shipping packages back on the Fourth of July. After I explained this was a big holiday and the post offices closed, they removed the late shipment but not the late tracking, saying this was not within their control.

If not under their control, then whose control, I ask you?

This past week, I immediately shipped three packages with tracking via first class, that took 3 days to get across they country. The system attempted to claim these were late. A call this morning made them see it my way, and remove those defects.

OK, so my numbers are outstanding, well within the Top Rated guidelines and yet, mysteriously, I have been demoted once more! Half an hour on the phone tonight with more than one rep saying that demotion made no sense, but no one yet able to fix it.

Supposed to get a phone call in the morning from a supervisor.

I could have been making ebay hundreds of dollars in the time I spent on the phone fixing their mistakes.

Anyone have experience with selling on Amazon to share with me?

[southern*sweet*tea]

---

@somethums wrote:

So, curiouser and curiouser,  as Alice would say in Ebayland.

The system double dinged me for not shipping packages back on the Fourth of July. After I explained this was a big holiday and the post offices closed, they removed the late shipment but not the late tracking, saying this was not within their control.

If not under their control, then whose control, I ask you?

This past week, I immediately shipped three packages with tracking via first class, that took 3 days to get across they country. The system attempted to claim these were late. A call this morning made them see it my way, and remove those defects.

OK, so my numbers are outstanding, well within the Top Rated guidelines and yet, mysteriously, I have been demoted once more! Half an hour on the phone tonight with more than one rep saying that demotion made no sense, but no one yet able to fix it.

Supposed to get a phone call in the morning from a supervisor.

I could have been making ebay hundreds of dollars in the time I spent on the phone fixing their mistakes.

Anyone have experience with selling on Amazon to share with me?

---

Amazon runs a TIGHT ship, much tighter than Ebay.  Ebay is a walk in the park compared to them. I left three years ago, and I from what I read it's even worse for sellers now.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?ie=UTF8&nodeId=201616500

"We ask sellers to maintain their late shipments below a target rate of 4%. Failure to meet this target may result in the removal of your selling privileges."

Ebay will not remove you if you have late shipments. You may lose TRS, you may lose visibility to a degree, but Ebay won't kick you off for 4% late shipments.