Why has ebay not implemented alternate delivery confirmation ?
Summary: bit5andbyte5 expressed frustration over a local package delivery delay and the costs involved, suggesting that eBay implement alternate delivery confirmation methods like photographs with GPS data. bonanza125 pointed out that eBay relies on shipping companies and suggested having buyers pick up items and scan a code for confirmation. christworks recommended offering local pickup with QR code scanning as a solution.
On June 30th 2026 a buyer with a local address made a purchase, their package has been in USPS’s possession since July 1st and as of July 11th, it still has not been delivered. Their residence is 3.6 miles away from mine. The post office I usually drop off packages is 3.7 miles from me. The distance that post office would have to travel to the address being delivered to is 4.3 miles making it more nonsensical when you factor in how fuel affects the cost of postage. If I had the choice, I would save $5.17 in postage and drop off the item myself. But in order for ebay to recognize order fulfillment, a tracking number must indicate delivery. Tracking numbers are only generated by shipping companies. Using a shipping company is advantageous in every domicile but of course there are drawbacks because it costs money and even more money to get the item delivered sooner and it also adds another variable to the equation, you putting the responsibility of order fulfillment into someone else hands. In any event all inherent risks are unavoidable because we use shipping companies out of necessity. Yet when I have a local order, I am paying money to a party that can do something I am capable of doing, cheaper and better. I paid more so that the buyer could get less. Solution: alternate order fulfillment which can be a picture of the package and the location is was delivered, which can include GPS location at time of delivery.
christworks
·1 month ago · EditedVery easy solution: Offer local pick up. Buyers can select it, then you scan a QR code on the buyer's phone to confirm delivery.
Once eBay takes over shipping, it won't matter as they will be the responsible party once you have an acceptance scan.
bonanza125
·1 month agoEbay is not the carrier. They rely on shipping companies to ship the item and only go by tracking. The alternative is have the buyer pick up and scan the code for pick up. I have had a couple situations where I purchased an item and the seller made the decision to hand delivered it to me even though they charged me shipping. That was of course a risk for them cause there was no proof of delivery.
bit5andbyte5
OP1 month agoI offer free shipping on my items. The couple of times I hand delivered a local item, I would reach out to the buyer to give them a heads up that I would be dropping off the item myself. Then I would message them once I dropped it off to tell them exactly where it was placed. Impacting my performance is the only hurdle that I’m worried about .