Handling time

[nalak.lk2015]

Hi Community,

I want to know about handling time. I mean that's how important it is when selling products. How long is it good for?

Thank you.

[fab_finds4u]

You can choose your handling time.

Most sellers have 2 or 3 days handling time.

Top rated sellers have 1 day handling.

[fab_finds4u]

I noticed you've already set your handling time for 10 days. That's considered an extended handling time. Does it really take you 10 days to put those earrings in an envelope and drop them in the mail? 

[inhawaii]

How long is it good for?

That doesn't make sense.

Please explain.

[mam98031 · Accepted solution]

It is critical that you set your handling time for what you can actually do.  Don't set it for something that you can not achieve on a daily basis.  If you do that you will hurt the health of your selling account and continued infractions can cause sanctions and/or additional fees.

So it is up to you.  If you can ship by the next day [except federal holidays and Sundays], the a 1 day handling time will be very good.  If you can't do that, then maybe 3 day handling time would be better for you.  You can chose handling times up to 30 days, but know that if you have a handling time that exceeds 5 days, Ebay starts to drop your listings in the search returns because it takes you so long to ship.

The ETA on the listing that displays to the buyers will adjust according to your handling time you have chosen.  So longer handling times means it takes longer to get to the buyers.  Most buyers don't like waiting long.

https://www.ebay.com/sellercenter/shipping/shipping-on-ebay/handling-time-and-estimated-delivery-dat...

[chapeau-noir]

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@fab_finds4u wrote:

You can choose your handling time.

Most sellers have 2 or 3 days handling time.

Top rated sellers have 1 day handling.

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I'm top rated and have 2 day handling.  Perhaps you mean listings with TRS Plus?

[joseh1445]

Handling time, is very important.  If you have decided that you will ship your items within 3 days (just example), you have to ship within 3 days, not on the 4th day or 5th day, or when ever you remember that you made a sale.  

Good luck on your selling journey!

[simba6]

Buyers want their items yesterday so fast shipping is a must.  Just make sure you can meet your chosen time.  Many will avoid items with long delivery times.

[Anonymous]

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@simba6 wrote:

Buyers want their items yesterday so fast shipping is a must.  Just make sure you can meet your chosen time.  Many will avoid items with long delivery times.

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Or not read them and then complain about it later in the forum, like the other post on the boards right now.

[b86fiero]

You are to be commended for coming here asking questions to help grow your business instead of just assuming one time frame is better than another.

Buyers have ants in their pants these days and want their purchase to arrive quickly.  It can if you ship within 1 or 2 days AND the post office does its job of delivering in a timely manner.  

However, you don't want to promise your buyers that items will be shipped in 1 day if you cannot consistently do so.  If possible for you,  I recommend a 2 day handling time and set your daily cut off time for early morning.  That gives you time to package and ship orders that came in over night.  This also does not raise buyer expectations.  Those who purchase an item at 9:00 at night will not expect their item to be shipped the next day.

If you can ship overnight purchases the next day then that's good for your account.  Buyers will be happy that you shipped early.  If you find you can consistently package and ship within 1 day you can change your handling time in the future.

If you find difficulty in adhering to a 2 day handling time you can always extend it to 3 or 4 days.

Best wishes and good luck to you! 

[12345jamesstamps]

I have 5 business days but I ship out the next day. That way, when buyers get my items they say its super fast shipping. And just in case something comes up and I cannot ship right away I still have that 5 business days just in case to use. This also works for me during the rainy season. I never mail anything on a rainy day. Packages and mail can sit outside at post office hubs in the rain in those bins and bags.

[onefootflipper]

Handling time isn't going to matter if you don't have products that people want. 

In the past 3 months only 9 pairs of coconut shell earrings sold on ebay from Sri Lanka (3 of those sold at a definite loss) and only 34 sold worldwide. That is only 3 pairs a month from Sri Lanka that sell, and 1/3rd of those are given away for pennies).

There are currently 432 pairs of them listed, 200 of those are in Sri Lanka. 1 in 100 chance each month that you might sell a pair of earrings.

[mam98031]

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@12345jamesstamps wrote:

I have 5 business days but I ship out the next day. That way, when buyers get my items they say its super fast shipping. And just in case something comes up and I cannot ship right away I still have that 5 business days just in case to use. This also works for me during the rainy season. I never mail anything on a rainy day. Packages and mail can sit outside at post office hubs in the rain in those bins and bags.

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@12345jamesstamps 

Interesting.  You might consider going to 2 or 3 day handling.  You still accomplish what you explained above, but more buyers will like it and it will make your listings rise in the search returns.

Rain issues is an odd thing.  When it is raining at my house, it may not be raining at the PO.  Or the other way around.  I've never experienced what you describe about the mail and rain too.

[12345jamesstamps]

I tend to get more and better feedback this way.  And I also get more repeat buyers which is what I desire in my business plan.

I have seen the post office trucks loading the bins with mail in the trucks. And I have seen these bins sitting in the rain a while before getting loaded. You know that old saying..."wind, rain, snow..." and they will still mail. 

Imagine putting letters in the post office in their mail box during rain. Now imagine me being careful but some idiot who drops his wet mail in the post office slit on top of my mail. And imagine the address on a letter or package getting wet...water and ink don't mix. So on my packages i also put tape on the address incase of rain. Never had a package lost yet. Worse case an address can get unreadable. And your package goes to the wrong place or retuned or sits in limbo land.

[lepke1979]

Amazon has trained a lot of people that they will get their item in a lot of cases the next day. Sometimes even same day. Obviously this isn't realistic for probably the majority of sellers on eBay unless you're selling a lot of replenishable items and taking advantage of fulfillment services such as Deliverr or Amazon by sprinkling the items across the US.

So you want to get it to them as quick as possible. But at the same time what is realistic to you.

Myself, I'm able to get stuff out next day at least 95% of the time. Used to usually be same day, but my postman has started to come in the morning instead of the evening. In any event, I like 3 day because it gives me a buffer. First being in case it takes a day or two for the package to show it's picked up or moving. But also in case of the occasional times I have trouble finding an item. Or just not in the mood to pick and pack today and can just leave it for tomorrow. However, if eBay was more realistic when it came to same or next day with tracking or just had a sort of honor system when it came to it. I'd probably put most of my stuff as one day to get the TRP for them.

But in the end, do what works for you.