15 business day handling time

[honeybadgerposter]

I regularly go away for 5-8 days at a time. I always leave my listings up and change my handling time to 5 or 10 days.  Part way through the trip I often adjust that downwards, sometimes more than once. We are going on vacation and I just changed my non-TRS selling account to 15 day handling time. Just started using it again in January and have had a grand total of 4 sales so I'm actually figuring I likely won't have any while gone.

I've just updated all my returns on my TRS account with free return shipping. Had some time today to do it, and then I was going to shut those listings down. Then I thought, hmmmm, I've had no problems with customers waiting 10 days while I'm gone, wonder if I should just leave them running with a 15 day handling time and update that to 10 and then 5 days as the vacation progresses.  I don't sell anything that someone should be desperate for, always thank buyer for the sale and tell them I wanted to be sure they saw the extended handling time and when the item will ship.

What do you think, is 15 days just too much time to ask buyers to wait?  FWIW, these are all fixed price items, and about half of my 200 or so listings will actually end on their own while we are gone.

[nobody*s_perfect]

If you haven't had a problem with 10 days, then you probably won't with 15 days.

[jonathankirkland]

Since you seem to be very thorough and attentive I would say there's no problem. No amount of time is too long to ask someone to wait if they are willing to wait.

[gkyn29]

Is it long? Yes

Is it reasonable given your circumstances? Yes

Should you put a disclaimer in your shipping narrative portion of your listings reminding potential buyers of the fact that your handling time MAY BE UP TO 15 days? Yes

[honeybadgerposter]

 Another post made me go look at the account I've already changed to 15 days because it doesn't get much traffic.   This is what I see, so hopefully a buyer would notice it too since it is in colored type.

Estimated between Wed. Jun. 20 and Mon. Jun. 25 

This item has an extended handling time and a delivery estimate greater than 15 business days.

[pburn]

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@honeybadgerposter wrote:

 Another post made me go look at the account I've already changed to 15 days because it doesn't get much traffic. 

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This post? LOL!

If your item isn't ready to ship, why bother having it listed?

I didn't read it because it already had about a thousand replies. Reading those tends to be drudgery for me unless I'm in on it from the beginning. Plus, "entitled" buyers get my dander up.

[pburn]

I could not edit my last post to save my life! It was supposed to contain this link:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/If-your-item-isn-t-ready-to-ship-why-bother-having-it-listed/m...

[auctionpet]

I think it depends on what you sell. Are you in a competitive category? But since your not posting on your selling ID, no one can help with that. We all know many buyers don't read descriptions, and it's especially feasible this info may not show on a mobile app. I had no idea ebay had a handling time that long, especially with buyer's need it now expectations.

Personally, I wouldn't wait beyond a 3 day handling. When I order items, it's because I need to use them for something, they're not leisure purchases. I expect sellers who are away regularly to have a store and use vacation hold. You can do that now for a mere $4.99 a month with annual subscription.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@honeybadgerposter wrote:

I regularly go away for 5-8 days at a time. I always leave my listings up and change my handling time to 5 or 10 days.  Part way through the trip I often adjust that downwards, sometimes more than once. We are going on vacation and I just changed my non-TRS selling account to 15 day handling time. Just started using it again in January and have had a grand total of 4 sales so I'm actually figuring I likely won't have any while gone.

I've just updated all my returns on my TRS account with free return shipping. Had some time today to do it, and then I was going to shut those listings down. Then I thought, hmmmm, I've had no problems with customers waiting 10 days while I'm gone, wonder if I should just leave them running with a 15 day handling time and update that to 10 and then 5 days as the vacation progresses.  I don't sell anything that someone should be desperate for, always thank buyer for the sale and tell them I wanted to be sure they saw the extended handling time and when the item will ship.

What do you think, is 15 days just too much time to ask buyers to wait?  FWIW, these are all fixed price items, and about half of my 200 or so listings will actually end on their own while we are gone.

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You could add a disclaimer stating you are currently unavailable to ship but will ship in the time specified.