More often than I would like, the eBay Standard Shipping service tracking does not update, is late / in limbo, and buyer is complaining.
I've had scenarios where the package arrives way late, and also scenarios where it doesn't arrive at all. Once, it came back to me, but that was once out of at least a dozen since I started using this service. Another possibility is that it simply arrives and the tracking never updates. I've had that happen based on positive feedback on several items that have had tracking never update after drop off. I've also dropped things off that never got scanned, and they won't scan it at the USPS even if you ask, for some technical reason exclusive to the standard shipping service.
The problem I have is that if I refund too soon, and the package arrives late, the insurance denies the refund because the tracking shows it arrived, even if it was three weeks late and the buyer got their refund because they opened a case against me.
If I tell them to wait, there is also the chance it just doesn't arrive and the customer becomes more agitated.
Another scenario is that I send a replacement and bite the bullet, but at that point I'm cutting into the savings I was getting by using the standard shipping service, and losing money for the sake of keeping my perfect rating.
Please help me in managing this nerve wrecking scenario. I want to do the right thing but the lack of tracking reliability makes it too hard for me to pinpoint a good solution
