eBay

ms.orchid · ‎12-06-2022

I wish eBay would require listings that are from drop shippers to have to state that up front. I am so sick of ordering something on here only to find when they don't send me a tracking number or that the day of expected arrival comes and goes without anything showing up that it turns out this is a drop shipper. I try to avoid drop shippers like the plague but their listings are pretty sneaky.

I ordered some Chinet appetizer/dessert plates on the morning of the 1st for a get-together on the 10th. The order detail stated I would receive these between 12/6 and 12/8. Normally, that would be no problem at all, but I twice asked the seller for a tracking when a few days went by without seeing a tracking or even that the package was shipped on my "Order Detail" page. I received no response.

Finally yesterday morning I contacted the seller again since it was the day before the item was supposed to possibly arrive with still no evidence that anything had even shipped yet. I asked what was going on with this package because it shows only that I placed my order but that nothing had processed or shipped out yet. I requested the tracking number from them.

Today I received a message back from them. It was pretty obvious that English was their second language and they were very vague saying it had been shipped out already and I should get it soon. That's it. They had completely ignored my request for the tracking number.

So, I wrote them back and pointed out that they had ignored my request for tracking and they then put a tracking number on the order detail. That tracking shows nothing. Just that a tracking number was made. It does not show this package was shipped to me already at all.

I will give this until the 8th and then if it doesn't arrive (and I have very little confidence that it will get here then) I guess I have no recourse but to then report it to eBay as not received.

The last time I ordered something here that turned out to be via a drop shipper, eBay took over and canceled it and I got a refund. Then, almost three months later a strange package showed up here. It was that drop shipped order! I called eBay about it asking what the heck I should do and they told me to just keep it.

I hope this isn't the case with these plates. However, this morning I just went to the Target website and ordered them to be shipped since our store here doesn't have those particular ones. I'll bet I receive those plates from Target before I ever see anything from this eBay seller.

Sorry for the long vent, but it's really so annoying that we buyers cannot get some warning before being sucked in by drop shippers who don't state in their listings that they are drop shipping.

krazzykats · ‎12-06-2022

You are not alone. I recently purchased a cookbook for the holidays and followed the tracking# until it hadn't moved in over 10 days.

I just received my refund today Dec. 6th. The seller still says it's been shipped. I'll pay if it ever shows up, hopefully before I purchase a replacement. If I do. My enthusiasm has kinda waned at this point.

I purchased on Nov. 9th thinking it would be here before Thanksgiving.

KrazzyKats • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1998

krazzykats · ‎12-06-2022

If the seller is drop shipping through someone like Amazon or Walmart, it could still show up. The estimated delivery is still 2 days away. And it may be dropped shipped from a distribution center nearest you.

KrazzyKats • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1998

stainlessenginecovers · ‎12-06-2022

Drop Shipping has NOTHING to do with giving you a Tracking Number as all Drop Shippers get a tracking number and can then 'input' it into the 'sold' item for the buyer to see.

mobley120 · ‎12-06-2022

@stainlessenginecovers wrote:
Drop Shipping has NOTHING to do with giving you a Tracking Number as all Drop Shippers get a tracking number and can then 'input' it into the 'sold' item for the buyer to see.

Such is true.

But; although it's true and mingled a bit in the textual wording of the OP's post, it would appear to me the OP is merely expressing frustration and aggravation that could be resolved by eBay denoting any pertaining sellers as being drop shippers.

In essence, buying from most all drop shippers amounts to paying them to do what One could do themselves: research different outlets other than eBay. And that research only requires a few taps upon the keyboard and some reading.

A couple of signs of it being drop shipping sellers, but not exclusive:

stock photos; a windy paragraph on the sale page concerning returns: basically begging the buyer not to use eBay's MBG policy if there's a problem with the item or transaction.

I guess for eBay to be able to denote a seller as a drop shipper, such would require the seller's participation: like in, account type: resolved: easily though of, but not too easily achieved.