Is there any weight behind the suggested change to 1 day handling time?

[mirror-in-the-attic]

I get suggestions from Bay Bots…among them- change your handling time to 1 day.

The truth is, I usually do ship next day but I like the option open if something comes up to not HAVE to do so…like a box needs to be made/found, something personal comes up, any myriad of things that could make a 24 hr turn around seem like a task rather than a striven for ideal but still an option.

Has anyone found changing this makes a difference in sales?

[tsme35]

Unless your going for top rated seller plus. It was better for me to switch back to 2 days, I ship out daily and Saturdays but I'm a little rural, power and internet go down plus snow.  Like you said, gives ya an extra day for oops lol

[stephenmorgan]

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@mirror-in-the-attic wrote:

I get suggestions from Bay Bots…among them- change your handling time to 1 day.

Has anyone found changing this makes a difference in sales?

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I have 5 days handling but will almost always ship same day or next day.

I do not think most people even realize what your handling time is and will let you know if they think you are taking too long.  This could be with a message or a Feedback.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

For me, selling single quantity long tail items, I don't think I've ever been able to say with any certainty that one day handling boosted my sales. I can say I certainly don't think it hurt my sales, it may have helped, and I have never really had a problem with it (and if I'm expecting to be tied up for some reason, I can do a time away/vacation setting, or just extend the handling time with bulk edit. 

Why not try it with just some of your items, especially the ones you know are easy to package, not the ones you'll need to make a Frankenbox for....see how it goes?

[chapeau-noir]

I've done both and have seen no boost or decline. I don't think anyone cares THAT much, and I don't think any amount of boosting for a stated one day shipping does much in a site that's as overloaded with stuff as this one - they're still going to have a bunch of stuff to go through, and if you're not selling in overloaded categories, then they're going to find it anyway.

[simba6]

I used to always have one day.  The local rural  post office out here won't scan packages they have to make it through the main office for that.  So, it can take one or two days to be scanned from when it was dropped off.

To avoid late dings I switched to three day and have not seen any effect on sales.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

Just want to add...I suspect the value may depend a bit on what you are selling. While a lot of my feedback mentions fast delivery, for my kind of stuff, I think that's a nice perk buyers like, but rarely does it influence their purchasing decision... although it might have more influence during the holiday season, even for my kind of stuff. Frankly, I wouldn't do it if it created any real hardship for me. Frankly, if my sales suddenly take off, and packing became a problem, I'd reconsider.

[mam98031]

This is a very good question.  I go back and forth between 1 day shipping and 2 day shipping.  I bulk edit my listings every so often because it refreshes them and sometimes that can cause a few more sales.

But I like 2 days.  Like you, I do typically ship in 1 day.  But there is the rare occasion that something comes up and that added day is really handy.

I don't think buyers tell much of a difference.  I've certainly never had one of them complain in all the years I'm selling.

I also don't think it something that affects the search returns.  To my knowledge, that happens when a seller has 5+ days for a handling time.  Then it does drop you a little in the search returns.

[johnrj1226]

Selling anything is not about what you like, it is what the buyer likes and what the competition offers +  like other eBay sellers selling the  same or similar item and other on line selling venues, retail stores offering on line  shopping, even Goodwill.  eBay isn't the only game in town for buyers.  When I sold on eBay always offered 1 day shipping and would frequently do same day shipping if he USPS carrier had not come by or the buy express a  "quick" delivery, always shipped stuff on Saturday (a non eBay business day).  Buyers often reflected they  like quick/ship/receipt in their feedback - on the 1665  we shipped.

Remember one thing - your buyer has already paid for their item and they want  it Pronto.  Personally sold for 41  years on a tete-a-tete basis and my buyers of capital goods were no different - except they  paid up, had 30 day payment terms ) after delivery(based on credit rating , or signed a lease agreement the day before delivery or at time of delivery.

Do what you want to do but remember but buyers often have other choices other than yours.

[johnrj1226]

How many days out of 365 or 366 days   does the Pony Express rider not  run even in the snow rural snow/ tornado alley, hurricane, flooding, forest firs, earthquakes, etc and these events seems to always be localized, the  world  does stop - buyers are every where and when it is June in January  your probably in Rio de Janeiro chilling..  On line buying is a 365/366/24/7 activity.  Seems eBay biggest competitor even delivers on Sundays.  The "oops" is your problem and those are unpredictable  - do too many and eBay may  have something to  say about it.  Customer  first approach is not what is convenient for the seller but is a key for successful selling.  Competition sets the standards.

[carlmarxx]

I can't  see  using USPS ground  advantage  do to number of issues   over   unexplained  delays  and  their  auto computer  upload  tracking  with unexplained  time stamp's  .    I would like to see ebay get  out of UPS  their smart mail and sure post   shipping  both are cheaper then USPS   .  AS a buyer  I'm willing to pay extra for  priority mail  ,UPS and fedex  over  ground advantage .

[johnrj1226]

Can't  speak about today's USPS service  as I haven't sold for  3 years on eBay (or any other site) but I  shipped via USPS services exclusively  - first class ground advantage for items  up to15.99 oz and priority services - shipped to  all 50 states, US protectorates and APO/FPO.  Found delivery time  very good - ya' some packages  ping ponged around but it was rare - kept the buyer informed all was well.  Delivery  of the  first class ground was pretty much 3 days max to the continental US, always  shipped priority to  Alaska, Hawaii and US protectorates.

USPS has  a Tiger by the tail and things keep changing as the try to break even but they seem to be in a bigger hole  by a lot while revenue  remains  about the  same level.

[fbusoni]

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@mirror-in-the-attic wrote:

I get suggestions from Bay Bots…among them- change your handling time to 1 day.

The truth is, I usually do ship next day but I like the option open if something comes up to not HAVE to do so…like a box needs to be made/found, something personal comes up, any myriad of things that could make a 24 hr turn around seem like a task rather than a striven for ideal but still an option.

Has anyone found changing this makes a difference in sales?

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Apropos of @tsme35's observation:

When I changed from 3-day to 1-day shipping, I also changed my policy to 30-day paid returns (have since switched to 60-day).

That double change led my sales to increased significantly because my listings were at the top of the search queue and remain there several years later.

[toysaver]

I usually do next day or same day shipping but have 2 day handling to make up for deficiencies by the PO and unrealistic expectations of buyers.  Handling time is irrelevant when the carrier's delivery date is fluid and unpredictable.

[tsme35]

We've been having more ice storms then snow the last 10 yrs., but both could halt mail pick up for a couple days. My mail lady had a jeep so she tried to get out most times but now she has a PO van, they don't do snow with the hills we have or even wet grass as she would say lol. Last year we had 80mph straight line winds, took out power and internet for 3 days, trees and power lines everywhere. Only thing that save me, was it happened on a Thursday so my orders didn't have to be shipped until Monday since I had 2 days shipping.

 When you sell 15-20 orders per day, 2 days without scanning orders can add up quickly and get you in trouble with ebay.  So, it's not so much 365 days but those 2-3 days shots that can get a seller. The only late shipments for me have been when I goof on a listing but took the buyer 3-4 days to response to my emails, whether if they still wanted or not(accidents happen, I'm on human)

 I wish I could go on vacation; I work 7 days a week on ebay