Same problem as last year... ebay not honoring our handling times

[bigdeals.etc]

With the increased sales volume, I recently changed my handling time to 3 business days from 11/28 - 12/3.

A buyer purchased upgraded Priority Mail on 12/1. Luckily I shipped it on 12/2... one day handling. But ebay is showing the buyer an ETA of 12/6 (today) and buyer is peeved that they don't have the item yet.

If you do the math, the ETA ebay gave the buyer is 3 business days after purchase! How can the ETA be on the exact same day as the last handling day?? Ebay is giving the package ZERO DAYS shipping time.

I know what some of you are going to say about this though... so again, what's the point of ebay letting sellers set a handling time at all?!

[vintagecraze50]

You have to have some type of estimate to show to buyers. The earlier the better , but you have to factor in your shipping method and of course the handling time and then HOPE TO God , especially if your use first class mail with USPS that the item will make it there in a reasonable time. Dejoy did slow down the first class parcels with his wonderful plan to save the postal service. I have late USPS packages right now becuase of this.

[katzrul15]

When e-Bay made the change to no longer "show" the Buyer the "handling time", this has been messed up like this since.

I too changed our handling time to 3 days several weeks back - but have been trying to ship the same day or the next day at the latest, if the order comes in late in the day/evening.  As soon as I print the label, it seems to track what USPS says the delivery should/will be.  Which is great, if it is close by, but not so great, if it is farther away.

So far, minus (1) heavy media mail parcel, USPS is doing a great job.  Disclaimer:  "so far"

[classynottrashylingerie]

The arrival times are figured by the date the shipping label is purchased. Hence I hold all my “to be shipped” items back, do bulk shipping literally a half hour before I drop off at the post office.  This should be helpful for those who print labels on Friday night and can’t do the PO till Tuesday due to a Monday holiday…..wait till the last minute!  

[eunster1313]

@dnasilver 

(ETA means Estimated time of arrival not Exact time of arrival. The problem is with the understanding of "estimated" and buyers who think that means actual delivery date.)

Although eBay is using their expertise to make those estimated times on

(behalf of the sellers). I can assure you that eBay officially considers them

as part of the (sellers item description) and the sellers responsibility to

meet them.

Any package that arrives past that date is a SNAD return

if the buyer chooses to do so.

eBay Money Back Guarantee policy

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy... 

[farmalljr]

True, it should. But eBay signals buyer the delivery date the second you print the label.

[farmalljr]

For those who think I am wrong about delivery times, you go ahead and think what you want. eBay does give buyers an estimate day when they buy. 

When you print the label, they get another notice it was shipped and the arrival date. It is updated at that point.

I know this because I buy too, and I pay attention to these details. I have purchased from sellers that have had 5 days handling and shipped within 2 days. It shortens the expected delivery date by three days. I know this, because I have seen it. Sellers do not see this, just the buyers. 

It's not like I am here to argue about it. I'm just stating what is true. If you all don't want to believe it, that's fine. Makes no difference to me. I have my shipping set to one day. I know it doesn't make any difference to extend days unless I am actually going to wait longer to ship. 

Lots of people last year tried the "trick" of adding handling days to get ahead of late deliveries, but that doesn't work. When you print the label, it corrects the expected delivery date. 

[dnasilver]

Which means eBay does not even understand their own term of "estimate". Sad but true.

[katzrul15]

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@farmalljr wrote:

For those who think I am wrong about delivery times, you go ahead and think what you want. eBay does give buyers an estimate day when they buy. 

When you print the label, they get another notice it was shipped and the arrival date. It is updated at that point.

I know this because I buy too, and I pay attention to these details. I have purchased from sellers that have had 5 days handling and shipped within 2 days. It shortens the expected delivery date by three days. I know this, because I have seen it. Sellers do not see this, just the buyers. 

It's not like I am here to argue about it. I'm just stating what is true. If you all don't want to believe it, that's fine. Makes no difference to me. I have my shipping set to one day. I know it doesn't make any difference to extend days unless I am actually going to wait longer to ship. 

Lots of people last year tried the "trick" of adding handling days to get ahead of late deliveries, but that doesn't work. When you print the label, it corrects the expected delivery date. 

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I agree with you -it does.

And now, when I print the e-Bay label, it prints on the label (Priority 2-day delivery, Priority 3-day delivery).....

Buyers are trained to think Amazon, free delivery and next-day delivery.   Not realistic, but happens every holiday season with unreasonable Buyer expectations.  

We send out our own emails to try and combat this - so far, so good.