Is anyone else's metrics getting dinged unfairly over late deliveries?

[albany_sellers]

I have been getting my metrics dinged for reasons that should not be affecting them, and I am wondering if eBay is now punishing sellers over carrier delays.

In every case, my orders have shipped with valid tracking well within my stated handling time, yet whenever a package is later than the ESTIMATED delivery time, be it due to weather delays or just the postal service being slow, it's causing my metrics to take a hit, as though it's me personally driving the mail truck and delivering the mail.

Right in the seller dashboard it states that "If you ship on time and upload validated tracking or your buyers tell us the shipment was on time when they leave feedback, you're all set.", yet I am not finding that to be the case for the last 2 months. This was never a problem previously, so it has me wondering what the game here is now.

I still have quite a ways to go before hitting that 3%  threshold and losing top rated status, but find it very discouraging that I am getting dinged at all when I should not be.  Imagine being on the border of that 3% and getting pushed over when you should not have been, and then your fees going up...maybe that is the whole point here, I don't know.

If there is an eBay moderator who can look into this, and let me know what is going on with it, it would be nice. I push very hard to get orders out on time, and to see the effort wasted when I am getting punished anyhow is not very motivating.

[simply-the-best-for-you]

You say you're shipping within your handling time, but the real question is if you're getting Acceptance Scans to prove that?  Everything revolves around the Acceptance Scan.  If you're not getting it at all or getting it late b/c your mail is being shipped to a distant sort center before the scan happens, so it may be registering the next business day (mine would all do that if I was insistent about getting an Acceptance scan at pickup of drop off).  

It is your responsibility though to get the Acceptance Scan & I know a lot of sellers just drop the packages off, without one & then what happens is exactly what is happening to you.   You MUST get the SCAN at pick up or drop off, that's what Ebay goes by to determine ON TIME (or at least one of the things). 

ETA:  And to answer your question, no I'm not getting the dings, but that's b/c I'm positively **bleep** about getting my Acceptance scan.  You wouldn't believe the lengths I go to, for it.  The only few dings I've had were real or before I was so **bleep** about Acceptance scans & just allowed the PO to do its thing. 

ETA:  Jeez, it's not a swear word.  I'm very thorough & detailed & insistent in getting the scan, since I can't apparently use the word I used. 

[luckythewinner]

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@albany_sellers wrote:

In every case, my orders have shipped with valid tracking well within my stated handling time

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When you say "valid" tracking, what do you mean?

Do you mean "valid" in the sense that the tracking number os correct and the USPS recognizes it?

Or do you mean "validated" by eBay's definition which means that it also received an acceptance scan within your handling time. 

The two are not the same thing, and you need both to avoid a ding for on-time shipping. 

[stainlessenginecovers]

I've had a couple things 'lost' for up to 3 weeks, at least 10 in the past year and my metrics has not taken one hit. I have 5 'handling days' and the item always get 'scanned in' before then. When is delivers has NEVER been a metric that gets a "hit"? 

[fashunu4eeuh]

”If there is an eBay moderator who can look into this, and let me know what is going on with it, it would be nice...”

Hi, just an FYI—Here in the forums, there are no mods who work for eBay, so they have no access to accounts, and are part of the Khoros team. Khoros manages and runs the forums for eBay.

[lepke1979]

No. I've even had packages take a week to get a scan at wherever it currently was and not get dinged. Only thing I can think of is maybe the buyer said they got it on time or something.

[quincydepot]

I understand your frustration.  I am getting dinged for "Item Not as Described" even though I cut and paste from the manufacturer's website.  Just proves that buyers are not always the sharpest knives in the drawer.  

1.  Overstate your handling time.  Even though I ship as fast as I can everyday, I take processing time to the max in case of another Christmas 2020 USPS debacle.  (eBay forcing sellers to pay refunds for items that an eBay preferred carrier had in their possession.)   I also drop ship from my distributors west of the Mississippi on orders to the Pacific Coast.  Saves $$ but they may have a lag that's dependant upon their backlog.

2.  Use a third party or establish a "business" account with a major carrier.  Lower costs,  perks, dedicated EPL customer service rep in the USA, even in my state!  

3.  Integrate your shipping partner with eBay.  Takes a little time to set up but ensures peace of mind.

Good Luck 

[simply-the-best-for-you]

@quincydepot 

Overstating handling time won't help.   He still would need to get an Acceptance Scan within the overstated handling time.  Without the Acceptance scan, it doesn't matter, that's the key, not the handling time. 

[pithecanthropus4152]

It's happened to me, even though I'm so new at this that I've shipped only a few items so far.  There are a few things working against us, some or all of which may apply to you depending on where you live.

First, I think everyone realizes that just about all the mail is slower generally than it used to be.  Likewise, mail tracking is absolutely useless.   You get your tracking number like that! [Snapping my fingers] as soon as you generate the label.  But good luck seeing it updated enroute, or even marked accepted by USPS.  The last time I sold something there were zero tracking updates until my buyer received it, about eight days later.

Another factor is geography.  I live in Eugene, Oregon, and I've been told that all of our outgoing mail goes to Portland for postmarking. So that's an extra day right there.  Do eBay metrics algos take that into account?

[pjcdn2005]

@pithecanthropus4152 

If your packaged is scanned by the post office within your handling time, you will not get a late ding even if it arrives late.  If your packages are not being scanned then you might have to stand in line at the post office to get them scanned.