How about a "Sick Day Button"?

[movieman630]

I was sick recently and it came on so sudden that when my shipping day came around I had several orders that needed to be shipped.  I had no time to think about "Time Away" functions. 

If ebay wanted to help sellers what would really be helpful (Especially in the age of covid-19) would be an "Emergency Delay Function".   Something where if a SUDDEN onset emergency hits a seller can suspend sales and also automatically notify buyers that their items "shipping will be delayed but that if they wish to cancel the transaction and get a full refund they are welcome to do so." 

This would allow the seller an easy way out of worrying about ebay punishing them for not shipping on time while also protecting the buyer from having to wait for something.  If the buyer doesn't like waiting they can get a refund no questions asked and the seller doesn't have to deal with buyer abuse. 

A function like this is long overdue.  There's no reason why we can't have something like this when emergencies hit all the time for any and all reasons. 

Just a suggestion for ebay of a function that would ACTUALLY HELP SELLERS!  How about something like that for an update instead of just telling us how we're going to pay more fees?

[maxine*j]

Never mind.  I literally got lost and replied to the wrong thread.  🙄

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[inhawaii]

Yes a "sick day" button would be great to have.

It's just too complicated and I totally understand why we don't have it.

Who gets to use it?

How often do we get to use it?

How long is it for? 1 day? 3 days? 1 week? 1 month?

What reasons qualify? Do you have to be sick? What about injured?

What about a house fire?  What about a death in the family?

What about a car theft?  What about a flat tire?

How do we keep sellers from abusing it?

Once you waive the rules for a "sick day" then you open up the floodgates to every other excuse in the book, legitimate or not.

So I respectfully disagree with you.

Please don't dare say that I lack compassion!!!

After what I went through I have so much compassion for everybody who experiences a sickness or illness.

[stainlessenginecovers · Accepted solution]

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@inhawaii wrote:

Yes a "sick day" button would be great to have.

It's just too complicated and I totally understand why we don't have it.

Who gets to use it?

How often do we get to use it?

How long is it for? 1 day? 3 days? 1 week? 1 month?

What reasons qualify? Do you have to be sick? What about injured?

What about a house fire?  What about a death in the family?

What about a car theft?  What about a flat tire?

How do we keep sellers from abusing it?

Once you waive the rules for a "sick day" then you open up the floodgates to every other excuse in the book, legitimate or not.

So I respectfully disagree with you.

Please don't dare say that I lack compassion!!!

After what I went through I have so much compassion for everybody who experiences a sickness or illness.

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I would say:

a.) Can be used once in a 12 month rotating period

b.) Only by Top Rated Sellers

c.) Reason doesn't matter as 'by law' can't be asked anyway (Hepa and all)

d.) Lasts until you, the user, turns it 'off'

Current unshipped items will be refunded with a message to the buyer regarding some type of 'emergency.

New orders won't happen because all listings will be hidden (just like using 'away' with the box ticked for 'don't show my items)

This is beyond simple and should be there for all GOOD sellers. Better than what DOES happen to sellers that, when they return, are now paying more fees or not allowed to list/sell at all anymore. 

[chapeau-noir]

The implementation wouldn't be difficult, what I see as difficult is overlapping areas of responsibility and accountability in what's essentially contractual law and how this marketplace is structured.  The OP mentioned 'overtime' and 'pay raise, but eBay doesn't pay us - the two issues are completely different and it comes down to our being independent contractors.

But, eBay has loads of lawyers - may be they could figure out how to open this big can-o-worms.

[inhawaii]

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@stainlessenginecovers wrote:

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I would say:

a.) Can be used once in a 12 month rotating period

b.) Only by Top Rated Sellers

c.) Reason doesn't matter as 'by law' can't be asked anyway (Hepa and all)

d.) Lasts until you, the user, turns it 'off'

Current unshipped items will be refunded with a message to the buyer regarding some type of 'emergency.

New orders won't happen because all listings will be hidden (just like using 'away' with the box ticked for 'don't show my items)

This is beyond simple and should be there for all GOOD sellers. Better than what DOES happen to sellers that, when they return, are now paying more fees or not allowed to list/sell at all anymore. 

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Great suggestion. I just don't see it happening.

It benefits a small group of sellers and does not benefit buyers at all.

As a matter of fact, it hurts buyers. It's a hassle to make them decide "delay" or "cancel".

Also, I see one flaw in this system. If you've been around long enough, you know that many buyers don't read their ebay messages.  Heck many sellers don't  evan read their ebay messages.

What do you do when a seller ignores or does not respond?

What's the default?  Delay or cancel?

Again, too complicated.

[inhawaii]

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

But, eBay has loads of lawyers - may be they could figure out how to open this big can-o-worms.

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Exactly!  It is a big can of worms and I don't think ebay is willing to  open it.

Nothing against @movieman630  for suggesting it or @stainlessenginecovers  for agreeing with it. 

[movieman630]

It would be no different from the old vacation mode where it was literally a switch you turned on and suspended your sales.  You just simply turn it off when you're ready. 

It's not rocket science.

Turn off store, No sales at all.  Only you can turn it back on when you're ready.  Minimum 24 hours. 

All Pending orders are notified of emergency situation with either an ebay form letter (if your not available)  or you can personalize the message to let them know what happened.  Then the buyers have the option to either wait or refund. 

If they wait you could just give them an estimate of when you think you'll be back.  The whole time your off they have the option to refund. 

It's a pretty simple concept.  It's just a way for a seller to protect their metrics and give buyers an option in how they'd like to respond.  It's not for BIG business.  Like Amazon.  It's a more "Mom and Pop" approach but that's who many of us are.

I really don't see the abuse in this option.  Sorry but I don't.

[movieman630]

Thanks.  You get it.

[sin-n-dex]

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@movieman630 wrote:

Probably, but the agreement is that your sales that are "pending shipping" could all be cancelled and refunded without question by the buyer at any time.  So abuse at your loss.

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I suffer from chronic migraines and critical illness, and I would never use a "sick day" button to delay my shipping. Granted I might not ship quickly, but with extended handling time I have never suffered an issue with my metrics because all issues are sorted out within a few days.

I also know buyers don't buy the "I'm too sick to ship" excuse because it's so overused by many sellers that they assume you're lying, and they don't really want to know all about your illness issues. If it's going to be more than a few days to ship (like I'm skipping Friday before a long weekend), I just say there are some delays with shipping but their order will be out (on this date).

C.

[movieman630]

I was being sarcastic when I mentioned "overtime".  I was using an example of real world stuff.  Like if we worked in a factory and such.  People arguing against something that benefits them.

[movieman630]

Ebay could choose to refund if the buyer doesn't respond in a certain amount of time or let it go until they finally feel like complaining and ebay explains they should have read their messages.

[yuzuha]

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@movieman630 wrote:

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That's a weak argument against this function.  Very weak.  The only person who loses is the seller who has to stop selling to recover. 

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You're acting like none of us have ever been in situations like that. I would venture to say that the vast majority of us probably have (I have, on more than one occasion) and managed just fine without needing that function.

[stainlessenginecovers]

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@inhawaii wrote:

Great suggestion. I just don't see it happening.

It benefits a small group of sellers and does not benefit buyers at all.

As a matter of fact, it hurts buyers. It's a hassle to make them decide "delay" or "cancel".

Also, I see one flaw in this system. If you've been around long enough, you know that many buyers don't read their ebay messages.  Heck many sellers don't  evan read their ebay messages.

What do you do when a seller ignores or does not respond?

What's the default?  Delay or cancel?

Again, too complicated.

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That seems to also be a simple fix. 

No message gets sent. Customer is just refunded with a 'notification of a seller emergency' in their messages. If they get a cancellation/refund and don't check their messages- ah well, that's on them.

But, you are correct. If does only 'help' a few sellers and does NOT help buyers at all. The site may not be 'into doing it' just for that reason, but either way, these things happen and buyers are 'dissappointed' even MORE because they have NO CLUE what happened. 

They now have to wait past the last estimated delivery date to open an INR, then ebay sends a message and gives the seller XX days to 'respond'- which they won't; then close the case and refund the buyer.

This buyer is STILL not happy having their $$ tied up with NO explanation.

Also, from a 'legal standpoint'- that is easily fixed.

It's an "emergency". 

Heck, a seller that gets in this position or dies while selling, that buyer is STILL NOT EVER getting their 'thingy' from that seller anyway- so at least they would get a message with some type of explanation.

Win Win Win! 

[iamalwaysright]

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@movieman630 wrote:

Well employee or not.  What really matters is if you actually USE ebay.  Those of us who do, know.  I've been on here a very long time.  Probably grossed over 1M in sales in all my time here (Though I haven't been keeping track since Ebay removed the "all time sales" totals in the dashboard). 

I bend over backwards to keep my stats in order.  I value being a TRS.

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Aaaaaand there it is. Your “Don’t you know who I am” or “I’m kind of a big deal here” combined with your stance to never take advice from someone with a zero feedback account and zero listings (paraphrasing your previous reply) is your main issue in this thread.

The fact is you know nothing about some of us here, especially ones with posting accounts. Are you trying to impress us with your stats of the account you are posting with thinking that entitles you to some sort of seniority or even validity of advice? Even the smallest person can have good ideas.

As a general standpoint I’m annoyed by people who have this narrow minded view let alone ones who actually say it out loud. It says volumes on how these arrogant people are and how they conduct business. No one’s else’s view can be right but their own.
Perhaps the reason why the OP is met which such opposition is due to their unwillingness to listen to anyone “beneath them”, not wavering to any other version of their plan or solutions brought up by others.

I make it a rule to not bother with people who use the “Don’t you know who I am” line when debating. No need to talk when people aren’t ready to listen. So as the OP said in their few posts ago, “I’m out”. Good luck. See you on the other threads.

Contrarian: a person who opposes or rejects popular opinion.

[chapeau-noir]

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@movieman630 wrote:

I was being sarcastic when I mentioned "overtime".  I was using an example of real world stuff.  Like if we worked in a factory and such.  People arguing against something that benefits them.

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You actually proved my point with that example.