Guaranteed Delivery

[rouleur]

I’m currently awaiting delivery of an item that had a guaranteed delivery date of October 20.  The item didn’t arrive on that date, although tracking information shows it’s in the USPS system.  The guaranteed delivery date presented by eBay is now alternating between October 20 and October 22.  In what sense is a delivery date “guaranteed” if eBay can push the date out at will?

[eburtonlab]

@rouleur 

eBay does not actually ship anything, so eBay cannot control when something is delivered. eBay can offer to pay the shipping cost (or provide a $5 voucher if shipping was "free") and allow you to return the item if it is not delivered by the date specified at the time of purchase.

https://pages.ebay.com/shipping/guaranteed-delivery.html

[rouleur]

eBay does handle international shipments (through their facility in Erlanger, Kentucky), so it's not strictly accurate to say they don't ship anything.  In this instance, however, it's a domestic shipment to me.  I'm aware that a $5.00 voucher is an option I can choose for an item that doesn't arrive on the date delivery is guaranteed.  The issue, as I said, is that delivery was guaranteed for October 20 and, when that didn't happen, the guaranteed delivery date was shifted to 22 October.  If the delivery date can be changed willy-nilly, how can eBay characterize it as "guaranteed"?  It's nonsense.

[fab_finds4u]

@rouleur @The shipping center in Erlanger is owned and run by Pitney-Bowes not eBay.  Pitney-Bowes does the shipping so it is not strictly accurate to say eBay ships. eBay has no idea what's going on with International deliveries other than what the tracking shows.

[rouleur]

Pitney-Bowes is acting as an agent of eBay, so the distinction you make is merely semantic.      

[eburtonlab]

@rouleur 

The issue, as I said, is that delivery was guaranteed for October 20 and, when that didn't happen, the guaranteed delivery date was shifted to 22 October. If the delivery date can be changed willy-nilly, how can eBay characterize it as "guaranteed"?

Have you filed a claim?

If you filed a claim and it was rejected because the guaranteed delivery date was changed to October 22 after the fact, I would say you have every reason to be upset.

[corvettestainless]

Guarantees of delivery during CV19 should be removed, since ebay does not delivery anything (unlike AZ). As most are aware, between ballots, CV19 and Politics, USPS has been hit and miss the past few months.

[reed-sales]

There is also a known glitch that some items receive a "guaranteed delivery" date, even though they do not qualify for one.  I have had at least a dozen items that have a 3 day handling time and only ship via first class mail.

None the less, eBay has posted a guaranteed delivery date.  See attached file.  eBay's own information on the the "get it fast", guaranteed delivery date states that the item must be shipped the same or next day and that expedited shipping must be used.

This whole "guaranteed delivery" thing is just one more attempt to be more like amazon.

Due to this glitch, I received 3 negative feedbacks

[dbfolks166mt]

     I have commented on this issue before. The whole "guaranteed deliver" eBay flashes up is a JOKE. They have absolutely NO control over the shipping process nor does Pitney-Bowes. What it should say is "estimated delivery" date or for something eBay does have control over based on the actual listing "shipping date". This stupid date has caused more INR cases being posted that I care to count. In many of those cases after the buyer has filed the INR case and eBay has refunded their money the item actually arrives at the buyers location. At this point they have the item and their money. 

     If you ship USPS they in fact use the correct terminology and will tell you that the dates are estimated delivery dates no guaranteed dates. The do have one shipping method and that is Priority Mail Express. It comes with a money-back guarantee if your package is not delivered by the promised time. However, the money-back guarantee is contingent on a number of factors including the package drop-off time as well as the origin and destination zip codes. It is also VERY expensive to ship using Priority Mail Express. 

[dbfolks166mt]

     Not just during COVID it should be removed all together or changed to guaranteed ship date. There is absolutely NO way eBay can guarantee delivery. What they can guarantee is that the seller gets the item to the shipper on time based on their posting. 

     Amazon will not simply refund the buyers money if the item does not arrive on time, what they will refund is the shipping costs if they have not made an attempt to deliver the package by the "guaranteed delivery date". They are smart enough not to refund the buyer for the item as well only to have it delivered later and be out the shipping as well as the cost of the item. Apparently eBay is not that intelligent nor to they want to bear the cost of refunding the shipping they would rather shaft the seller for both.