A tracking number is not evidence that an item has been shipped.

[flybd5]

Many sellers on eBay abuse the fact that eBay will mark an item shipped when a tracking number has been entered or generated. This is FRAUD. An item is NOT shipped until it is turned over to the carrier. I have had lazy sellers wait almost a week before actually shipping items, but nobody does anything because eBay says the item is "shipped" when it is NOT. Isn't it about time that eBay end this abusive practice and take action against sellers who do not keep their shipping time commitments???

[fab_finds4u]

Maybe those sellers that wait almost a week have a 3 or 5 day handing time. They could be mailing packages only a couple of days a week instead of every day.

eBay supplies the tracking number when a label is made. There is nothing fraudulent about. 

Are you considering the seller's handling time that could be incorporated into the ship date on the label?  When the label is made the seller can  enter a date they will ship it. The PO will not accept a package that is more than a day or two past the label date. Some sellers make a label and then schedule  a carrier pickup. The pickup might not happen for a few days. 

Some packages miss an acceptance scan which can lead a buyer to think the seller is lazy.

You should only be concerned with the delivery date. 

[stainlessenginecovers · Accepted solution]

Paying for a label that creates a tracking number has been (and is) an industry standard for EVERY website in the world. 

In even simpler terms, a seller PAYING for that label IS THE BEGINNING of the shipping process. 'Shipped' does NOT necessarily mean that it is in the hands of the carrier. 

[youn2240]

you're at about an 11 and you need to tone it down to a 3 ya know.. there are definitely metrics to how many late postal scans you can have. some sellers have different handling times also. like if they have a 3 day handling and you buy it on a wednesday they could ship that on monday afternoon and be completely free of fraud or abuising you. even if they have automated label printing set up that shows shipped. what you could do is go look at the tracking and see it's not at the post office yet. and you can always get your feelings out in the seller reviews. I just don't think any courts want to hear your fraud case against a slow ebay seller lol. 

[evry1nositswindy]

eBay does take action against seller who do not ship within their stated shipping time.  Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it doesn't happen.  Sellers 'earn' defects on their accounts and can be suspended.  Printing a label on Monday and shipping on Friday is just fine if the seller has a 5 day shipping time.  It isn't fine if they have 1 day shipping time and they get a defect.  Not everyone has a 1 day handling time.  That is what you need to look at before you purchase the item.

[flybd5]

One thing I learned long ago is that excuses are just like rear ends, everyone has one and they all stink. Saying that an item has SHIPPED when only a tracking label has been printed is a LIE, and it constitutes the basis for fraud. The definition of fraud is when a person unjustifiably claims or takes credit for an action or a quality. Amazon has recognized this simple fact and has changed their policies to inform a buyer when a label has been printed and when an item is turned over to a carrier as separate and distinct activities. 

You are not the person to be telling me what should concern me. 

[flybd5]

You are about a 3 in your attitude. eBay follows tracking quite closely and knows exactly when an item has had a label printed for it (or tracking info entered) and when it is actually moving in the carrier's network. This is eCommerce 101. Sit back down.

[stainlessenginecovers]

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@flybd5 wrote:

One thing I learned long ago is that excuses are just like rear ends, everyone has one and they all stink. Saying that an item has SHIPPED when only a tracking label has been printed is a LIE, and it constitutes the basis for fraud. The definition of fraud is when a person unjustifiably claims or takes credit for an action or a quality. Amazon has recognized this simple fact and has changed their policies to inform a buyer when a label has been printed and when an item is turned over to a carrier as separate and distinct activities. 

You are not the person to be telling me what should concern me. 

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Same thing with Opinions, which you are giving (although wrong, it's your right to give a Wrong opinion). 

Shipping STARTS with the seller paying for a shipping label that creates the tracking number. Done by Amazon, Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, Ross, Kohls, Macy's, BassProShops on and on and on. EVERY website is operated this way. 

[flybd5]

eBay knows exactly when the item is moving in the shipper's network. This point is simple: eBay should not say an item has been "shipped" until tracking shows the item is in the carrier's possession. Until then, it's just a piece of paper that has been printed. Amazon has changed its policy to do exactly this. eBay should conform to what the major players in the industry are doing.

[flybd5]

Which is EXACTLY why eBay should separate these two events in their notifications to buyers.

[powell-collectibles]

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@flybd5 wrote:

You are about a 3 in your attitude. eBay follows tracking quite closely and knows exactly when an item has had a label printed for it (or tracking info entered) and when it is actually moving in the carrier's network. This is eCommerce 101. Sit back down.

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A package can be moving in a network and not receive tracking updates.  Had one I shipped on Monday, and there wasn’t an acceptance scan.  So, it looked like I had printed the label and didn’t take it to the post office.  Today, the first day that the system showed any tracking, it was delivered.

[kensgiftshop]

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@flybd5 wrote:

eBay knows exactly when the item is moving in the shipper's network. This point is simple: eBay should not say an item has been "shipped" until tracking shows the item is in the carrier's possession. Until then, it's just a piece of paper that has been printed. Amazon has changed its policy to do exactly this. eBay should conform to what the major players in the industry are doing.

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This isn't Amazon

Amazon ships their products, Ebay doesn't.

Just because there is no scan, doesn't mean the package hasn't been shipped.

Some sellers just toss their packages in a tub and it might be a few days before it gets a scan.

[pastimpressions]

Correct me if I am wrong, but is it not the fact with all major package carriers that one can click on the tracking id number and there receive a detailed description of the progress of the shipping process?

Is it also not so that generally speaking, the first/primary message with every major carrier reads something like this:  " A shipping label has been created for this order/tracking #, carrier awaits receipt of item and/or this does not indicate that the X company is in receipt of package" 

No one at any point in the process is misled into thinking a package is on route that has yet to set sail.

I feel profoundly that there is an intentionally fraudulent use of the term "fraud" here. That is simply unjust.

[marnotom!]

Tracking in and of itself is largely useless from the buyers' perspective and not much more use to sellers.

What buyers want--whether they realize it or not--is to receive their items by the last estimated delivery date.  And what sellers want is online viewable proof that the buyer received the item by the last estimated delivery date.

What happens  between the seller's location and the buyer's location is largely immaterial.

Buy your item, mark the first estimated date of delivery on your calendar, and don't bother checking on the tracking until that date.  Your blood pressure will be a lot lower as a result.

[annadryl]

Fraud and abuse? It's standard practice and has always worked that way. I have never been abused. You might want to consider just shopping in stores.