The lament of the same day ship.
Summary: The discussion centers around the challenges of offering same-day shipping for sellers who have transitioned from antiques to selling new products. quadcitypickers mentions that although they offer same-day shipping with clear instructions for deadlines, the increase in new item cancellations has caused issues. When they sold vintage items, cancellations were rare, but now they encounter up to 10 cancellations a month, which incurs costs due to returns and damages, making items unsellable. Shipping delays, though potentially upsetting some buyers, have helped reduce fraudulent returns under 'Significantly Not As Described' claims.
The buyer always wants their item shipped yesterday.
"Please ship this out without delay!".
If offered a faster speed, they always refuse the extra to pay.
I do not ship the same or next day.
For cancelations happen too often for it to work that way.
Otherwise for their return shipping I'd have to pay.
They care not when it comes, but when it ships.
eBay tells them when it will arrive, but they still crack the whip.
"Ship it the slowest method, but ship it right now."
I wish buyers would just chill and not have a cow.
If eBay would just show them the handling time, but I guess that makes too much sense somehow.
Instead they shift it on to me, who is sick of explaining the why and the how.
But they think I'm Amazon Prime, with millions of minions to ship it all, right now.
So danged if I do and danged if I don't.
But buyers use the cancel button too often, so I won't.
Bills are high as it is, so the cost of return shipping for cancellations wouldn't make a good biz.
Buyers just need to be patient and not let their frustration fizz.
For they will get it when it says so.
Do they ever pay for it to be shipped faster? Heck no.
I just wish they would let me be,
It will get there on time, they will see.
chapeau-noir
·4 months agoSung to "What Do We Do With a Drunken Sailor".
pls-consignments
·4 months agoI offer same-day shipping. However, in all of my listing descriptions, I have a bold, red banner that says: "Same Day Shipping - Purchase by Noon CST!", which I added in 2024.
I haven't had one issue since. 😉
quadcitypickers
OP4 months agoIt would be nice if it worked for me, but I sell a lot of new things, as sourcing in the antiques and vintage sectors became more competitive since Covid.
New item buyers are just more wishy washy. When I sold 50-100 year old items, I could probably have counted on a single hand how many cancellations I would get in several years time.
Now? Upwards of 10 a month! Usually hours later, and by the time if I had indeed shipped same-day, would be too late. So they would just intentionally break the item or lie about it, and return shipping for 10 items could cost me easily $150, and usually the items would be unable to be resold once returned.
Having a slower handling might upset a few buyers, but it's reduced false SNAD returns.
tobaccocardyahoo
·4 months agoYou have many items you are offering which are time critical to buyers, even if they are only buying from Ebay because they are too cheap to buy from a local source which would reduce the amount of down time associated with a repair.
I have little sympathy for them but I understand their motivation. I think their behavior is predictable and if the money is not good enough to put up with their whining, choose different merchandise.
Nothing I sell is ever NEEDED. That is by design, I drive that home with a 5 day handling time.
I can honestly say that I like most of my buyers, and when I get a clunker I reconsider what I sold them should be part of my offerings.
slippinjimmy
·4 months agoIt's quite likely your buyer adds that comment to everything they buy and they do it because in the past they have bought things from sellers that DO delay shipping regardless of their stated handling time.
I sell LP records mostly, I have a long standing repeat buyer who always sends a lengthy note with instructions on packing. I have received dozens of orders from that buyer, they always add that same note and when they leave feedback they always mention the excellent packing and fast delivery (even though I have an extended handling time).
Lets face it there are plenty of eBay sellers that don't ship on time and/or don't know how to pack.
You are taking these requests too personally!
fern*wood
·4 months agoYour handling time is shown under your shipping details. I'm found a few listings that didn't show it for some reason, but it is usually there.
quadcitypickers
OP4 months agoIt needs to be front and center, and since the majority of purchases come from the eBay app now.
Honestly I wish eBay had a way to add a template to every description automatically, or I would put something like:
"As we are a very small business, normal handling time is typically 3 business days (M-F), if you are in need of faster delivery, we ask that you inquire prior to purchasing to ensure it can be accommodated, faster delivery methods including overnight shipping are available upon request and the payment of subsequent express delivery charges."
Or heck, even a way to add that message so it shows upon checkout. Sellers used to add notes to an invoice back when eBay was mainly auctions, but they never updated that process through buy-it-now purchases.
quadcitypickers
OP4 months agoI do have a 3 day handling time. eBay adjusts their delivery time to reflect it.
Few buyers seem to know math, and should know the delivery date shown to them accounts for my handling time.
Why do so many care when it ships? When I order online, I only care about when it gets there. If it shows it will take a week, and it's 2 days with the carrier, the seller has 5 days to get it to me. If it takes 5 days with the carrier, they have 2. But both get there the same time.
It makes no sense they don't want the item physically on their doorstep now, they want it shipped now.
I trialed 1 day handling for a month.
Too many buyers would change their mind, for whatever reason, and then make up a reason to SNAD return it, and then I was having to foot the return shipping cost, and often the item would come back damaged.
This became far too expensive. If I sold an item for $15 shipped with $5 of profit after fees and shipping, and paid over $5 for return shipping, I was losing money on sales.
Do any of them express urgency of need when ordering? Nope. Do any request a faster shipping method? Nope.
It's also funny to see it get blamed on Amazon - if I order an item anywhere online, and it says 1 week delivery, heck it sometimes won't be shipped until the day before, but from a warehouse that only takes one day to arrive. Do I complain? Of course not, I got it when they said so.