Ebay giving wrong ETA

[porcupid_63]

I've noticed this on alot of my listings. I enter the Standard Shipping that states (1-5 business days) in the listing when I create it, and a handling time of 1 day. But ebay is showing people an ETA of 4 business days after paying! Shouldn't it be at most 6 business days after paying?

I finally got an impatient buyer who left me a negative feedback because the item arrived 1 day late. I shipped it out 1 day after payment like I'm supposed to and via First Class. At the same time the buyer filed an INR and told me to don't put a delivery date if I can't make it in time. But I can't change or remove that ETA, ebay does it.

Any advice on how to get the negative removed? I have a previous negative still that hasn't removed even after I won the INR (xmas delay). I talked to two agents for that one and they said some negatives can't be removed after winning INR. I fear this one will be the same thing.

[southern*sweet*tea]

Not sure what to tell you about the negs, but change standard shipping to economy shipping. Problem solved.  I use a flat shipping cost of $ for a lot of of my items and choose economy. I ship next day and use either First Class or Media Mail if allowed.  Since most things will ship FCM, the buyer gets it ahead of schedule and everyone is happy.

[goodluckselling]

4 business days sounds right to me. 

• first class mail is 2 to 5 business days depending on buyer and seller locations with a majority beīng delivered in 3 days
• 1 day handling

Four days sounds right to me.

Good Luck Selling!

[buyselljack2016]

You might try messaging the buyer to explain that you shipped next day, and that you do not give the delivery estimates. Try to get them to understand that eBay sets those unrealistic goals.

Late arrival for a antsy Patriot fan that waited too long to order something for gameday  may be tough to overcome, but after explaining that you did not promise the delivery date you might ask them if they would consider revising the feedback.

[porcupid_63]

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wrote:

4 business days sounds right to me. 

• first class mail is 2 to 5 business days depending on buyer and seller locations with a majority beīng delivered in 3 days
• 1 day handling

Four days sounds right to me.

Good Luck Selling!

---

So according to what you're saying, there's still First Class items that go thru normal transit (nothing wrong/no delays) that arrive in 4 and 5 business days (which is still within USPS FC eta), right? Wouldn't that ETA of 4 business days (1 day handling + 3 days delivery) alienate the ones that arrive in 4-5 days? Isn't that just asking for buyers to get upset at you (the seller) when it arrives after the stated ETA?

[goodluckselling]

USPS website says 2 to 5 days for first class mail. 

• eBay uses that info along with
• your handling time. 
• buyer and seller locations and
• historical data for similar deliveries

to come up with the ETA they tell buyers.

Good Luck Selling!

[oaklandmaryland]

Contrary to what the previous message states Ebay DOES NOT use locations of the 2 addresses for ETA. I live and sell in Hawaii and often priority takes a week to arrive to the East Coast. Also media and parcel select are sent via boat and now take from 35 to 40 days. Funny thing is the CEO of Ebay lives a bout 15 miles from my home here in Hawaii. However I bet he doesn't actually mail things himself from Hawaii. As a result of Ebay's quoted ETA I have gotten many questions about their items not being there on time. Buyers are crazy though at times. Had a package addressed to the other side of my island Oahu the buyer purchased in the evening and she left feedback that it was late because it was not in her next day's mail delivery. Takes all kinds. Ebay merely told me it was her opinion so it is an okay comment. I learned long ago one does not argue with Ebay and they are definitely not on the seller's side.

[goodluckselling]

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wrote:
Contrary to what the previous message states Ebay DOES NOT use locations of the 2 addresses for ETA. I live and sell in Hawaii and often priority takes a week to arrive to the East Coast. Also media and parcel select are sent via boat and now take from 35 to 40 days. Funny thing is the CEO of Ebay lives a bout 15 miles from my home here in Hawaii. However I bet he doesn't actually mail things himself from Hawaii. As a result of Ebay's quoted ETA I have gotten many questions about their items not being there on time. Buyers are crazy though at times. Had a package addressed to the other side of my island Oahu the buyer purchased in the evening and she left feedback that it was late because it was not in her next day's mail delivery. Takes all kinds. Ebay merely told me it was her opinion so it is an okay comment. I learned long ago one does not argue with Ebay and they are definitely not on the seller's side.

---

 eBay explained this many times in the forum threads and many times in the weekly chat that these are the factors they use.

Your personal experiences are part of the historical data along with millions of deliveries that happen in two days.  The fact that eBay takes this enormous data base along with carriers estimates and travel distances tells me they are trying to give both parties as factual a time frame as can possible be given.

Sometimes the delivery misses the time frame and some times they out perform the estimates, and all that data goes back into the formula to keep all info up to date.

Good Luck Selling! 

[uvmmmdu]

I recently had a similar situation. I had 3 day handling for this item and shipped in less tahn 24 hours. Unfortunately they told my buyer 2-3 days for delivery. Customer was quite upset and messaged me that she was "promised" by a certain date and it had not arrived. I called ebay immediately and they said they would remove any late shipping or neg if it came up. Well I explained to my customer that ebay has made these very innaccurate expected delivery days and I shipped 2 days ahead of schedule. I suggested she call and ask them why they told her that.  She never did leave neg. but if you have tracking showing acceptance at the PO on time, then it's worth contacting the feedback removal dept. or defect removal until it gets worked out.

I had again same thing today, late shipping but mailed in less than 24 hours. It stalled some place in some other state. And now I am fighting again to have that late defect removed since I was well ahead (1 day) on shipping time at my end.

I find at times it takes several calls until you get the right person that actually does something.

[uvmmmdu]

Good advice there about the "economy shipping" it has helped me too choosing that option and I can still do 1st class or media and most are very happy.  Problem though with ebay giving unrealistic expectations and customers are misled. Like when I had 3 day handling and economy yet ebay told the buyer 3 days? Math did not add up lol Lucky when priority from Maine gets places in 3 days esp cross country.

[uvmmmdu]

I feel for you in Hawaii. I have had buyers there so upset that I stopped shipping media mail items to AK and HA only because ebay gives rediculous ETA . IF I get a message I don't refuse as long as buyer is aware it goes on a boat and that's when there is room, so yes 6 weeks in not unusal.  So even if PO says so many days for items like media mail 2-10 days, sorry but  not Maine to Ak/HA. or CA for that matter.

 I have had the best luck with 1st class if thats possible but even that I have seen it get stuck in the middle of the states and take a week. SO I can even say it's slow Maine mail.....another reason I would never do guaranteed delivery option.  Who can really guarantee what the postal/ups/ shipping will take?

[porcupid_63]

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wrote:

I recently had a similar situation. I had 3 day handling for this item and shipped in less tahn 24 hours. Unfortunately they told my buyer 2-3 days for delivery. Customer was quite upset and messaged me that she was "promised" by a certain date and it had not arrived. I called ebay immediately and they said they would remove any late shipping or neg if it came up. Well I explained to my customer that ebay has made these very innaccurate expected delivery days and I shipped 2 days ahead of schedule. I suggested she call and ask them why they told her that.  She never did leave neg. but if you have tracking showing acceptance at the PO on time, then it's worth contacting the feedback removal dept. or defect removal until it gets worked out.

I had again same thing today, late shipping but mailed in less than 24 hours. It stalled some place in some other state. And now I am fighting again to have that late defect removed since I was well ahead (1 day) on shipping time at my end.

I find at times it takes several calls until you get the right person that actually does something.

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That's all good and well if you are able to explain to the buyer or even the CS agent to remove the feedback, but that still leaves the buyer who was upset because the item never had a chance to arrive to them by the ebay ETA in the first place... how is that fair to the buyer??

The fact of the matter is that a huge percentage of buyers think that ETA is a guarantee... and many times the ETA isn't met (deliveries that take 4-5 days under normal scheduled transit). The formula is super simple, no? Add handling time to the maximum time a service can take, and you come up with the ETA. I.e. 1 day handling with First Class (2-5 business days delivery) = 6 business days delivery. When you use the "average" delivery for First Class (3 business days), you're asking for trouble there and pissing buyers off when the delivery takes it's maximum time to deliver (5 business days).

And now we have to lie about our shipping (adding extra days for handling or choosing economy shipping) just to make up for ebay's inaccuracy? How is that right?

[uvmmmdu]

You are correct it leaves the buyer upset with ebay, and I suspect many leave after being misled by unrealistic ETA especially if they take the "estimated" part as a factual guaranteed date.

It does show if a buyer looks these are estimates, but also ebay even treats these like they are guaranteed dates. And how can that be when the math doesn't even add up to handling time and USPS estimated dates? So sure buyers get mad, naturally with misinformation.

[nawlinsron2]

ebay knows EXACTLY the average delivery time from one ZIP to another for all carriers and class.
Why not use THAT data plus 1 standard deviation as delivery time, AND note that the time INCLUDES handling time?
Why hold sellers to a standard that THEY KNOW is maybe 90% attainable AND out of seller control?

[ebbyisme]

I've never had this problem. Ebay's estimates are pretty spot on. Now what could the difference be?

Could be your local PO or sorting center.  I think the one out there notorious for terrible mail service is Bell Gardens... do your items go through Bell Gardens? You would think "historical data" eBay uses would adjust your estimates over time.

or

Looking at your listings and feedback: I see complaints of the items being fake and/or cheap, time delays and your "item location" (city and state) is a known location for Chinese sellers and drop shippers in the United States. Sometimes buyers will complain about the item being late when they are POd about other issues, such as the item being fake or cheap, and want to make sure no one removes their feedback.

If you are drop shipping or have poor mail service and want to avoid complaints about a delay allow a longer handling time. But if the real reason they are POd is something else it won't help the rate of bad feedback only what the complaint is in feedback. Most buyers don't really complain about one issue.... it is almost always multiple issues from one seller or a continuing issue with many sellers which creates the proverbial final straw. Especially if the buyer has little history of leaving poor feedback.