Guaranteed Delivery - being objective.

[mr_lincoln]

I think there is a place for Guaranteed Delivery but I am truly curious about the categories it would really support from a Buyer demand and quickest delivery standpoint?  I received a message about it today which was a little confusing ... the message states "60% of Buyers are more likely to chose a seller who accurately predicts a delivery date*."  My first thought was the delivery has nothing to do with the seller and everything to do with the carrier.  I know there is an asterisk after the word "date" that further explains things but the message implication is what it is.

For what I sell I have not seen any demand for fast shipments on collectibles and when an item is heavier than First Class I offer both Parcel Select and Priority Mail ... only rarely has a Buyer selected Priority due to cost ... I think one Buyer did early this year but I think that was due to their lack of buying experience.

So from a curiosity standpoint it would be great to see the real numbers on those who want a guaranteed delivery ... publishing the 60% number I personally think is high and with the words "are more likely" is speculation, not factual ... just IMHO ...

[callahanmagic]

@mr_lincoln ..."From a business standpoint on eBay's part it is a bad decision because they have initially stated they will cover the late shipments if Sellers upload tracking within their handling time. Now, the downside to that loss is that it will most likely be passed on to Store Owners with increased fees ... which I hope do not start to appear on the Fall Seller update but I suspect it will happen no later than the Spring update. " 

@llllady: " that eBay will end up raising seller/store fees to cover 100% of the costs of this program.  It will be much like them taking away half of the TRS discount to pay for advertising. "

Exactly!

Sellers be they Store Owners or Non-Store Owners will bear the costs one way or another.

September 22nd is the Fall Equinox.  Am not sure when the platform's Seller's Fall Update will hit the board.  I'll just make sure I have some PEPSMOL tablets handy then;)

-

Lucas

*still rollin' with the punches*

[tev4all]

The Fall seller update should be out in the next couple of days, IT came out last year about 1 week before the Labor day weekend.

Opting in to something I cannot control, is out the question. 

[cleaningoutmyclosets17]

As or right now I have top rated seller status but I am seriously considering switching everything to 2 days handleing time instead of next day. ( I will still try to get things in the mail as soon as I can)

I work a full time job, come home make dinner, get the kids reato bed then pack up my eBay items that sold that day at around 9:30 pm est. (I live in Connecticut.) let's say someone buys an items from me at 2:30 in the morning (my time) while I am sleeping on Monday night/technically Tuesday morning. Ebay conciders this sale to be purchased on Monday and expects me to have in in the mail on Tuesday which means I somehow have to find time before I leave for work to get it packed up and print out a label. I find this absolutely ridiculous. If any of you reading this are on the east coast and are in a similar situation to me, you will run into the same problem if you opt in to gaurenteed delivery. Running around like an idiot before work just isn't worth the 10% off my finial value fees. 

[calntom]

If a buyer purchases an item this evening and I ship it tomorrow, Thursday, via 1st Class USPS, What would the buyer rather see? (Note that we do have a holiday on Monday)

On or before Tue. Sep. 05

Delivery: Estimated between Sat. Sep. 2 and Fri. Sep. 8

I never have understood these wide range of dates that they spit out for "estimated".

I like the idea of the guaranteed delivery.

[mr_lincoln]

@calntom

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@calntom wrote:

If a buyer purchases an item this evening and I ship it tomorrow, Thursday, via 1st Class USPS, What would the buyer rather see? (Note that we do have a holiday on Monday)

On or before Tue. Sep. 05

Delivery: Estimated between Sat. Sep. 2 and Fri. Sep. 8

I never have understood these wide range of dates that they spit out for "estimated".

I like the idea of the guaranteed delivery.

---

I don't think First Class mail is part of Guaranteed delivery ... I think G.D. is more for express services.  As for the date ranges, I think they can be generated based on a Seller's Handling time plus the (in your example First Class) service selected.  So Seller may have Same to 1 day handling WITH a cut off time each day where they can ship for sure.  Then for each service there are ranges ... 1st class 1-3 days, Parcel Select 2-9 days, Priority 1-3(?)  "Estimated" has ALL the time value fluff built in whereas G.D. cuts it all out and determines exactly the latest day an item will arrive.  Keep in mind also time zones come in to play.  I am on the east coast with a 3 PM daily cut off time for shipping.  But that's NOON on the west coast ... so if anyone out there purchases after NOON their time the earliest I can ship is the next day ... anyone ordering NOON on the east coast, (and dispite having 1 day handling)I often, if around, can ship the same day which cuts out one day of shipping.

The fact that there are som many different scenarios for shipping on days and times and zones and services, etc. for what I sell it just makes little sense to opt in to G.D.

[carachellescreations]

I have been a "Top Rated" Seller on E-bay for over 10 years. Just recently signed up for 3 day 

guaranteed shipping, I thought what the heck. I go to the post office every day anyways. My 

packages usally get ther within the 3 day window anyways. Just noticed today that my late shipment

rate has rased from .21% to .97%. Looks like I have a bunch of late shippments. I checked the 

USPS tracking info and all of the so called late deliverys where postal scaned the day they 

where purchased. How can I be charged for a late delivery when I did all the things that Ebay

requires of me as the seller. The packages where indeed delivered late. How does this turn into

my problem. I called ebay and the gave me the song and dance. "If I ship them same day and

the post office scans them same day as the tracking record shows. I shouldn't get dinged. Tell

that to may late delivery rate increase. I am a "Power seller". This gives me a discount on my fees

every month of around $1000 .  If my lade delivery rate hits 3.01% I no longer have "Power Seller"

rating. I lose $1000 a month because of it. I don't think Ebay is being honest on the rules of guaranteed delivery. They will tell you one thing and do another thing.

I would advise you against it.

[fashunu4eeuh]

This thread is an old one from last August. (The interested parties may not see your post.) Sorry to hear about your issues though.

[mallontown]

---

wrote:

I have been a "Top Rated" Seller on E-bay for over 10 years. Just recently signed up for 3 day 

guaranteed shipping, I thought what the heck. I go to the post office every day anyways. My 

packages usally get ther within the 3 day window anyways. Just noticed today that my late shipment

rate has rased from .21% to .97%. Looks like I have a bunch of late shippments. I checked the 

USPS tracking info and all of the so called late deliverys where postal scaned the day they 

where purchased. How can I be charged for a late delivery when I did all the things that Ebay

requires of me as the seller. The packages where indeed delivered late. How does this turn into

my problem. I called ebay and the gave me the song and dance. "If I ship them same day and

the post office scans them same day as the tracking record shows. I shouldn't get dinged. Tell

that to may late delivery rate increase. I am a "Power seller". This gives me a discount on my fees

every month of around $1000 .  If my lade delivery rate hits 3.01% I no longer have "Power Seller"

rating. I lose $1000 a month because of it. I don't think Ebay is being honest on the rules of guaranteed delivery. They will tell you one thing and do another thing.

I would advise you against it.

---

They can be removed. Call customer service, try to do it during normal USA hours and you may get a USA CSR in Utah. 

The rep may tell you that sometimes it takes time for the programming to catch up with those listing but persist that you want them removed now. Ask for management if the CSR will not help. Just make sure your items were scanned within the 1 day period.