Question about handling times and ship on dates
Summary: shire123 is concerned about the 'ship on' date when printing shipping labels on eBay, questioning whether it affects metrics if they ship within the handling time. thriftyfiftyfifty explains it doesn't affect handling time metrics, which are based on carrier scans. Other participants mention the field's purpose is for buyer information, and the 'ship on' date indicates label validity. luckythewinner adds that post office availability can vary, and caldreamer suggests adjusting the shipping timeframe to avoid penalties. The consensus is that the 'ship on' date itself does not impact seller metrics.
I have a one day handling time on all my orders. When I sell on item on a Friday or Saturday the order says to ship by Monday. I understand that is the next business day. But when you go to print the label on ebay just after you enter the weight and dimensions there is a box to select the "ship on". My question is does the selected "ship on" date influence your metrics is you don't actually ship on the date that is selected even though you ship within your handling time (Monday in this case)
I wonder because orders that are processed late on Friday or Saturday will have the default date of the date you are processing the label. It seems that the default date is related to Pacific time. If you are processing an order at 4PM CDT on a Friday the default date will show you are shipping on that Friday even though the Post Office is closed. If you are processing an order on a Saturday the default "ship on" date is Saturday even though our Post Office is closed. I have sometimes forgotten to change that "ship on" date but am getting better.
lakefor94
·1 week agoI try to remember to pick the correct day the item will actually ship in case eBay uses that to inform the buyer of when they might expect delivery as eBay does send the buyer a message as soon as the label is purchased.
onefootflipper
·1 week agoThe ship on date on the label is essentially meaningless. I have shipped items both before that date and after it with zero issue and it has nothing to do with your metrics.
bdmh-enterprises
·1 week agoThe "ship on" date drop down on the label purchase page is only to indicate when the label becomes valid. That is the date that will be printed on the label and that is the date used to calculate when it expires.
shire123
OP1 week ago@bdmh-enterprises Excellent. Thank you so much for that information
caldreamer
·1 week agoWhen you print label, the reason they have "ship on" is because if you print your label on SUNDAY you can change "ship date" to Monday.
EBAY will penalize if you don't ship in the 1-day timeframe you specified on your listings. If you think that will be a problem for you, it would be better to change shipping to 2 or 3 days.
thriftyfiftyfifty
·1 week agoPrinting of the Label (nor the Ship Date drop-down) does not affect your Handling Time...your On Time Metrics are measured by the Carrier (USPS/UPS/FedEx) Scans.
shire123
OP1 week ago@thriftyfiftyfifty Then why have that field if it doesn't affect handling time?
thriftyfiftyfifty
·1 week agoKind of an ambiguous question for me to answer anyway...It only becomes pertinent to me to avoid next day Rate Changes.
shire123
OP1 week ago@thriftyfiftyfifty good point! Thank you.
luckythewinner
·1 week ago · EditedBecause not everything on eBay is solely about the seller and whether he meets his metrics. Some things - such as when you are planning to ship it - are just things that some buyers appreciate knowing. Buyers simply want to know when they will get their item, and do not care about your metrics.
As an aside, not all post offices are closed on Saturdays. My p[ost officve has been open on saturdays for the full 25+ years that I have been selling on eBay.
shire123
OP1 week ago@luckythewinner Well I am not going to drive 30 miles one way to an open post office for a $20 item. LOL!!
toomuchstuffagain35
·1 week agoAnd if you're lucky enough to live close to a PO with a kiosk they're open 24/7
shire123
OP1 week ago · Edited@toomuchstuffagain35 I wouldn't even know what a kiosk looks like. We live out in the boonies and are sort of just getting into the 21st century!! LOL
Just to illustrate how remote we are. Our local "post office" states it is open only a few hours in the AM. 3 of the last 4 times I attempted to use them during their stated hours they were closed due to staffing issues.