Really eBay?? Can I borrow your teleportation machine?

[iamalwaysright]

Come on now. This is getting ridiculous. Calif-> Kentucky shipment for this one. Can you stop jerking my buyers around please? More and more buyers are getting PO’ed at me and “my ETAs”.

[cityslickercreations2004]

Just a thought: When the PO was struggling with backlogs, I adjusted my ship by date from 1 day to 2 days. The PO continued to struggle so I adjusted it to 3 days.

Some days my neighborhood would not have mail delivery or pickup. I am not in a rural location.

I continued to ship the next day as I always have but I have more buffer. 

I was just trying to keep ahead of the estimated delivery dates so everyone would stay calm.

[dhbookds]

Buyer paid 6/6........estimated time for delivery from 6/9-6/11

I presume ebay has your "record" of shipping faster than handling time.........so it's not inconceivable that it could be delivered by 6/9.   At least that would be their explanation.

[iamalwaysright]

I get what you’re saying. But for this issue in my OP, in order for the first date in the ETA to have anything close to reality I’d have to increase my handling time to 4 days to even have the slightest chance for it arriving by then. It’ll be a long shot to get there in 3 days nowadays. That handling time setting would significantly impact my listing exposure.

Also there’s the idea of accountability. When you have a gun with a crooked sight, you don’t try and shoot it every time aiming too far to the left in hopes of overcompensating and hitting your target. You try and fix the crooked sight.

[iamalwaysright]

If so, then it’s pretty stupid it’s telling me I have until 6/9 to ship it out. Obvious eBay lack of transparency. Numerous packages have been delayed by USPS lately because of god knows why. It’s highly unlikely a package going Ground Advantage shipped on 6/7 will get delivered 2/3 cross country in two days.

Ebay is selling pipe dreams.

[dhbookds]

I think we misinterpret what handling time means to ebay........  Handling simply requires/protects sellers on when they mail........ as far as dings are concerned.  It is not really included in projected delivery time except on the "latest" delivery date.  I'm seeing USPS "adjustments" to delivery dates  .....

Estimated delivery date shown to buyer: Jun 7, 2025 - Jun 11, 2025

[meme6253]

You may need the help of Doc & Marty & The Flux Capacitor!

[adamcartwright]

@iamalwaysright 

I've noticed similar on my sold listings.

It's a recipe for disaster.

[a_c_green]

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@iamalwaysright wrote:

Come on now. This is getting ridiculous. Calif-> Kentucky shipment for this one. Can you stop jerking my buyers around please? More and more buyers are getting PO’ed at me and “my ETAs”.

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I assume their logic was that if you shipped it on the date of payment, June 6, there was some possibility (based on their tracking statistics to that area of the country from your area of the country) that it could reach the buyer by June 9. Obviously if it's not going into the mailstream until the 9th at the latest, then the 11th might be a possibility. I know that's a stretch either way.

Just for some data points, I checked a couple of my own sales that went out from the Chicago area on June 6, and one is estimated for delivery in Minnesota on June 10th; the Estimated Date(s) of Delivery (EDD) shown to the buyer was June 9-11, same as yours.

The second shipment that departed from the Chicago area on June 6 is currently passing through Pittsburgh, PA on its way to Niagara Falls, NY. That one showed a wider range for EDD: June 9-13, but its current USPS delivery date is also June 10. (Both packages were Ground Advantage.)

[quicksilverdiecast]

I get this a lot to it is ebay's marketing ploy for hooking buyers,. I set all my main inventory listings at 5days gives me both weekends in case ***happens(normally ships same day). Anyhow I have seen them showing the seller expected date sometimes the next day....not to mention that if USPS thinks your item needs a vacation on the scenic route...(I had one that went back and forth between ONLY 2 depots 23 times!!!)

[12345jamesstamps]

I have seen an adjustment from a seller on an item lately that I purchased.

Finally received a month later after delay after delay from tracking.

To understand the whole picture...the 'buyer' is assuming it WILL be delivered on such and such a date when making the purchase...especially new buyers and those not so smart buyers.

We assumed ALL buyers are intelligent.

And the buyer does not check in their tracking after the purchase.

No package shows up on that date.

Not a happy buyer...could get a not so welcome feedback.

And buyer will probably not return as a 'repeat buyer' for a future purchase.

[stickboy1974]

This is not really eBay's fault. It is the Post Office's. The previous postmaster, Louis DeJoy, was trying to run the Post office as if it was selling items, not services. He was closing down offices, not replacing workers who retired, combining carrier routes so he could do more with less people. The post office I deal with used to have 3 people manning it. Now it has one. And if that person is at lunch (which is not always the same time), the office is actually gets closed for that hour, which means I either have to go back to it later or go to a different one further away from me. And all this while raising rates for mailing letters, items and books twice a year. As of today, it would cost me $5.85 to mail a tube of lipstick to the west coast. and I heard the rates are going up AGAIN on July 13, 2025. If I remember right, same items in 2021 would have cost $4.45

[iamalwaysright]

@cityslickercreations2004  check this one out. This one is going to Connecticut, another coast to coast. This one I have 2 day handling, which is “ship by June 10”. eBay still shows the first ETA date to the buyer as June 9, one day before I’m even set to ship it out. It doesn’t matter what handling time I put. eBay setting us up for failure.

[iamalwaysright]

It may not be as much eBay’s fault than USPS’. But I would hold eBay just as accountable since they are under policy holding sellers responsible and penalizing us for this. If the system’s broken, why require sellers to follow it?

[cityslickercreations2004]

I am not exactly sure what is going on but I suspect USPS provides the estimates. I do wish ebay would adjust their policies on late delivery. Surely AI can be programmed to discern when a package is taking the scenic route or is just circling the same postal hub for days on end. Dream on.

I had 3 sales on June 7 that I need to ship by June 11. I will actually be shipping on June 9.  I can't see the estimated delivery date from my waiting to ship list. I am primarily concerned about getting that first scan. My buyers are quite patient.

I do ship on Saturdays but I don't want to be committed to that day. I have my shipping days set on Monday through Friday.

I wish I could help more.