Handling time

[linda7913]

I need some advice about handling time. For the past nine months, I have stated that I need 2 days handling time for a sold item to be packaged and shipped.

eBay suggested that as a Top Rated seller, I would be better off with 1 day handling time. I am not sure how that works since I used Package Pickup Service from USPS, and my mail carrier picks up the packages when notified, but I have to make the request the night before.

If I receive a notification that someone has purchased an item this evening and I package it and request Package Pickup Service for tomorrow during my mail carrier's regular rounds, is that 1 day handling time or 2 days? Also, eBay tells me that I have until a certain date to get the package shipped; does that mean the label printed and tracking uploaded, or does it also mean that the package is in the carrier's possession?

I appreciate any clarification you can provide.

[lepke1979]

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

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@itscalledapostingid wrote:

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

My handling time was always met by simply creating the label - sometimes it's 36 hours before the item is scanned through the sorting center if my local station misses scanning, but that has never mattered. I have a mixture of one-day and two-day handling times right now.

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According to ebay it must be in possession of carrier within stated handing time:

"If you offer 1-day handling, remember the time frame isn't based on 24 hours: it's the end of the next business day. For example, if a buyer pays for your item on Monday, it needs to be scanned by Tuesday, 11:59pm."

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/delivery-date-options-sellers?id=4086

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That's interesting, because the item disappears from my "need to ship in 24 hours" column as soon as I issue the label, and I don't even use eBay labels. If USPS doesn't scan until it gets to the sorting center, or even the sorting center closer to the buyer, it makes no difference.

ETA: It needed to be scanned 'delivered' within the time decreed by the handling time if there were no other scans.

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I believe the buyer can also say the shipping was quick or something and it won't hurt you as well.

But it seems inconsistent to me. I've had packages not get scanned for as long as a week after pickup and it would show up wherever it was supposed to go and things would check out ok on the seller status page. Have also had CS tell me all that matters is buying the label. But that doesn't seem to be the case.

Personally, unless you can ensure it gets scanned on pickup be it each package gets scanned or they scan a scan sheet. I wouldn't bother with it. It's not worth it unless you still A LOT. Another possibility is dropping it off. But might not be with it to you. Plus, for me at least. I like having a buffer in case it takes me a little time to package it. Or I just don't feel like getting it or the following day. And to allow it a day or two to show up at the local hub.

[itscalledapostingid]

Buying the label fulfills the "tracking uploaded on time" part and removes it from the pending tasks.

It still needs to be validated/scanned within the handling time although I don't believe you actually take the hit in seller metrics (or whatever it's called) unless the buyer reports it late or INR.

[transamcc]

I buy only.  It matters not at all to me what your seller status rating is. If it is not delivered to me wihin one calendar week of payment  (7 calendar days), I exclude all of your listings on my searches forever.

[mam98031]

Please remember Ebay will always make suggestions for its members on every subject imaginable here.  That doesn't mean those suggestions are the best options for you.

You do NOT have to offer 1 day shipping to be TRS.

How you are doing your shipping is 1 day shipping.  But unless you are after the 10% FVF TRS discount, sticking with 2 is just a little safety net for you.  To qualify for the discount, you have to qualify as TRS and on some or all of your listings you have to offer 1 day handling and Free Returns [30-60 day returns w/ seller pays shipping].

For me, the discount was big enough for me anymore so I went back to 2 day shipping and 30 day returns with Buyer pays shipping.  Works great for me.  And I don't have to worry if I get sick and can't get everything done in one day.  

You just need to do what is best for you and your health.  There is no right or wrong answer here.

[chapeau-noir]

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@itscalledapostingid wrote:

Buying the label fulfills the "tracking uploaded on time" part and removes it from the pending tasks.

It still needs to be validated/scanned within the handling time although I don't believe you actually take the hit in seller metrics (or whatever it's called) unless the buyer reports it late or INR.

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That may be the distinction I'm not seeing - I live in an area with ruthlessly efficient everything, including the post office, so perhaps I simply haven't dealt with late scanning so haven't decoupled printing the label with the actual scanning. The USPS are superstars as far as I'm concerned.

[toomuchstuffagain35]

I've had things sell that have been listed for a LOT longer than 7 months.

Strangely, with some of those things I've had the buyer say they were "so happy to find this, I've been looking for one for a .long time". Yet they never saw my listing before then? Things that make you go hmmm.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

In today's (6.13.2023) podcast, Griff stated:

" Yeah, I don't think that's actually a concern at all anymore. Cause we removed the Top Rated seller badge, it's now Top Rated Plus item. Yeah, we said for years, and I wish we would do something about this when we started the Top Rated seller program back in what, 2008? It was based around feedback ratings. A big part of it. Now it has nothing to do with customer ratings at all and yet we still call it Top Rated. It really is time to rebrand that program."

And in the context of the podcast discussion, I take this to mean TRS status has little impact on buying decisions. (Which many of us have been saying for a few years now, but it's nice to see it confirmed by an ebay personage.)

And I agree with ebay, time to "rebrand" the TRS program.

[m60driver]

I changed over to 3-day shipping and never looked back.  Most items actually get shipped out much quicker and all my weekend sales, about 80% of my total, get shipped out on Monday, and that is next day.  I now don't have to stress about not getting an item shipped out due to some reason beyond my control and I don't have to make a trip to the post office for a single package.  And given that most sales get shipped out sooner than 3 days I get good reviews about my shipping time.

[postcardcountry]

I do 2 day shipping.   Mon, Wed and Friday.  If you purchase any of those days before I have finished package processing, you get shipped that day.  If you miss Friday and spend a lot of money, I ship on Saturday.  And those orders on Sunday that say 'ship Tuesday'....they get shipped Monday so I don't have to ship on Tuesday.

Haven't noticed my switch from 1 day to 2 day making any difference in sales.  It just makes my life easier.

[toomuchstuffagain35]

TRS (as with power seller) used to actually mean something.

These days the whole thing is laughable given some sellers you see with TRS.

[luckythewinner]

eBay suggested that as a Top Rated seller, I would be better off with 1 day handling time

Just because eBay wants you to ship faster doe snot mean it makes sense for you to ship faster. Unless you want to ship next day and offer free returns in order to chase the ~1% fee discount, I do not think it matters. 

I am not sure how that works since I used Package Pickup Service from USPS ...  I have to make the request the night before.

If you need to use package pickup service, then it sounds like it does not work for you.

eBay tells me that I have until a certain date to get the package shipped; does that mean the label printed and tracking uploaded, or does it also mean that the package is in the carrier's possession?

It means it is is in the carrier's possession AND the carrier has scanned it correctly.

If I receive a notification that someone has purchased an item this evening and I package it and request Package Pickup Service for tomorrow during my mail carrier's regular rounds, is that 1 day handling time or 2 days?

That is one day handling if the carrier picks it up and scans it in a timely manner.

[mrcdeals]

Good morning,

I use 2 day handling. The problem I see with a 1 day handling time is when the buyers account (usually new buyers with nefarious intentions) is suspended after a sale is completed for suspicious activity.

A few weeks ago I had a sale for a relatively expensive item late at night from a new buyer with no feedback. I believe it was on a Saturday night - late. So I waited until Monday morning to start to ship my weekend sales.

Early Monday eBay sent me a message stating that they had canceled the sale (and buyers account) for suspicious activity. Then the eBay message directed me to not ship the item - or - if I had shipped it, to then attempt to retrieve it from my shipper. Luckily I had not shipped the item.  

This is not the first time this has happened to me. It happened one other time - where I had shipped the item immediately (same day) then eBay cancelled the sale the second day (again due to a suspicious buyer). I could not retrieve that item from the shipper and lost the item and the sale. 

Best wishes to you whichever you choose 🙂

[ms.rodriguez*]

I stopped jumping through ebay hoops years ago. I have 3 day handling and ship most items within 24 hours.  But sometimes, I am not home so I would fail the one day handling. Ebay can take the extra % in fees.   Don't do it if you can't fulfill shipping everytime.  It's not worth the aggravation.  WHen I buy,  I don't even look if the seller is top rated or not. I look at feedback, handling time, shipping fee and how they describe the item and if the photos match the description.

[mam98031]

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@toomuchstuffagain35 wrote:

TRS (as with power seller) used to actually mean something.

These days the whole thing is laughable given some sellers you see with TRS.

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I would disagree with that.  While the benefits aren't as robust as they could be, there are still some nice benefits.

Power Seller status only had one benefit for many years.  Which made sense to move it to TRS and retire Power Seller, which they did.