eBay

littlesnoop · ‎01-09-2021

My larger store has been closed for about 3 weeks due to the shipping delays. I still have 2 packages that were mailed December 10 and 12 that have not been delivered and many others have had delay issues that have caused returns. So I decided mid December to put that store on vacation until after the holidays while USPS gets it together. I reopened for one day at the end of December and still have 3 of those packages mailed 12/30 that have not departed my local sorting facility. SO my question is ...I have decided that I am closing my store for at least the month of January and posibly longer. Other than putting on vacation and not allowing purcahses is there anything else that should be done? I would love it if there were a way to say on my listings why my store is "on vacation" but I do not see a way. Any other suggestions on the best way to handle?

calntom · ‎01-09-2021

When on vacation, it will say that the seller is away and you have an option to choose a date for return and it shows that as well.

From my tablet it looks like you are still open now.

littlesnoop · ‎01-09-2021

This is my small site used mostly by my daughter. This site is not a store and she can not put it "on vacation" so I suggested that she put a 5 day handling to avoid the problem. She does not have many sales and does not have the problem in the volume I have had. My store has 10+ sales a day and has been mostly closed for several weeks. I would love to be able to tell buyers why I am on vacation. Like on etsy you can list a message on your listings.

littlesnoop · ‎01-09-2021

I guess what I am asking is...

1. Is there a potential problem with closing my store now for 1-2 months (ie-just put now that I am away until 3/1). I am currently just continually updating my vacation dates and adding a week or two as time goes forward. Which I can imagine is frustrating if you are watching for me to reopen.

2. Is there a way for buyers to see a message from me as to why my store is temporarily closed and why the reopen date is unknown? Right now every time I add a week to my vacation I get messages from buyers asking why.

eunster1313 · ‎01-09-2021

They did away with vacation mode and replaced it with Time Away Settings.

Everyone can use the Time Away Settings you don't need a store to use.

Time Away Settings

https://ebay.com/vac/timeaway

eunster1313 · ‎01-09-2021

I guess what I am asking is...

1. Is there a potential problem with closing my store now for 1-2 months (ie-just put now that I am away until 3/1). I am currently just continually updating my vacation dates and adding a week or two as time goes forward. Which I can imagine is frustrating if you are watching for me to reopen.

Now matter what you do eBay still expects you to handle any returns so you still need to monitor your account for that.

2. Is there a way for buyers to see a message from me as to why my store is temporarily closed and why the reopen date is unknown? Right now every time I add a week to my vacation I get messages from buyers asking why.

Time Away settings

https://ebay.com/vac/timeaway

jayjaspersgarage · ‎01-09-2021

At the top of the store page is where you can publish a permanent message. You need to go into the "Edit Store" area after entering your store using the door icon. If anyone hasn't wandered around these areas previously it it highly recommended because this is also how you access your shipping supplies code each quarter.

alnor2010 · ‎01-09-2021

Under the title of your store, you have the option to describe yourself and your store. Use that space to explain. You can update all the live long day...

You can't really blame the Postal Service. Their staff was also cut for the pandemic. The virus was still a serious issue for the holidays and hardly anyone traveled back home to spend them with family and friends, so everyone that did not travel sent their gifts to their loved ones. What ended up happening was half the staff was shipping 10 times more packages. I'm sure they saw it coming and I am also sure they could not do much about it. They couldn't even hire the yearly Christmas help.

I don't think it is worth closing your store for two months though. It may take a long time to get your customers back.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎01-09-2021

@littlesnoop wrote:
This is my small site used mostly by my daughter. This site is not a store and she can not put it "on vacation"...

The store vacation option has been replaced by a very similar option which is called "Time away" and which is available to all sellers. The maximum time frame is 30 days, but you can go in at any time (perhaps on day 29) and choose a new end date. IMHO it would make sense for you to just choose the maximum timeframe instead of frustrating your potential buyers. As noted, you can set up a response comment.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/selling-tools/time-away?id=5137

patd3283 · ‎01-09-2021

We noticed this past week that the PO is beginning to get their act together as far as delivery. Packages sitting since 12/12 actually have left the ATL distribution center and miraculously a number have been delivered!

m60driver · ‎01-09-2021

You can simply end all your listings and pay the store fees during that time period. Ending and relisting can be done automatically in bulk. I did this in early December.

buyselljack2016 · ‎01-09-2021

@patd3283 wrote:
We noticed this past week that the PO is beginning to get their act together as far as delivery. Packages sitting since 12/12 actually have left the ATL distribution center and miraculously a number have been delivered!

If any of your packages are going down Miami way please tell them to grab mine when they get there , and go out as a tag team to get delivered🤣

My package has been in hiding there some place near the ocean (maybe it is in the ocean) since Dec 20th when it got it's 3rd "Miami" scan (5th FL scan) , but can not get to the unit, and out for delivery.

littlesnoop · ‎01-09-2021

I thought about that but I was worried that I would loose my listings. How long can the listing stay unlisted before they are removed and I have to do the work again? This seems like one of the better solutions. I really do not see this shipping problem ending before the end of the month.