Seller Incentive for Shorter Shipping Time

[nancys5979]

I notice that eBay wants me to shorten shipping time - is there any financial incentive to do this?

[ryry-jj]

Do you mean "shipping time" or "handling time"?  I have no idea how sellers increase shipping speeds other than what we select as a paid service

[nobody*s_perfect]

As a Top Rated Seller, you could get a 10% discount on your final value fees for listings that offer 1-day handling and "free" returns (i.e., seller pays).  I checked one of your listings, which has 2-day handling and no returns, so you'd have to change both of those in order to get the 10% credit.

[sextons-sweet-deals]

I see no real incentive for 1 day handling time to ship. I think this method / mentality has run its course. This was a big thing during the shutdown. Not anymore!

Are you willing to run to the post office everyday even if you only have one package?

Are you willing to use USPS pick-up and leave your package(s) on the porch for everyone to see until pick-up from mail carrier? 

You do what is best for you and your personal life schedule. 

[slippinjimmy]

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@nancys5979 wrote:

I notice that eBay wants me to shorten shipping time - is there any financial incentive to do this?

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The "financial incentive" is that you MIGHT sell more (or maybe faster).

eBay has tons of data that may show that the shorter the handling time the more likely you get the sale. Keep in mind that this conclusion is NIT based on YOUR listings but rather based on site-wide data.

What might be true for some sellers of some types of goods may not be true for all sellers of all types of goods.

For example, if you sell the same things that many other sellers offer and if the pricing from all those sellers is basically the same then buyer MIGHT pick the one that has the shortest delivery time. On the other hand if you have items that few if any other sellers are offering or you have the lowest price then delivery speed may not be much of a factor.

Always understand that when eBay makes a suggestion on how to improve sales those suggestions are NOT customized for a single specific seller.

[chapeau-noir]

It has made absolutely no difference in my sales whether I have one day or two day handling (I've never had longer handling, so 3 days or more may make a slight difference). 

[adamcartwright]

@nancys5979 

I checked one of your items and saw 2 business days.

That's fine. No reason to shorten it, IMO.

Life happens, and you don't want to miss your deadline.

[fbusoni]

@nancys5979 

Please take note of what @nobody*s_perfect posted above.

In my personal experience over many years with same day / 24 hour shipping and 60-day paid returns, I have found that eBay promotes my listings fairly aggressively -- they are always at or near the top of the search queue and feature prominently on Google, for example.

I also am bombarded by eBay with opportunities to send offers to buyers.

The net result is more sales that I might otherwise get.  

Which I reckon could be classified as a "financial incentive."

Now, how all this works is a mystery -- part of the ever elusive "algorithm" that shapes the selling landscape here.

At the same time -- and I apologize to those who have previously read my spiel -- I do everything eBay recommends, from adding a video to my storefront to being meticulous about filling in listing details.  

In other words, I've sold my soul to eBay (I'm too old to stand on principle any longer, quite frankly) and do whatever they advise.  The results have been and continue to be very satisfactory. 

[tobaccocardyahoo]

The conventional wisdom among the executives at almost all internet marketplaces is that shorter handling time increases sales. For products which are common and readily available, sold by sellers who are getting the best prices from their suppliers and passing them through, that is probably true.

I do not sell products which are common and readily available. I sell products with adequate margin. I do not feel the need for any of the features of TRS+, if a buyer wants something I am selling, he/she will have few choices for the identical item. I select my offerings based on the product and the number of competitive offers on Ebay. I have a 5 day handling time, state a no returns policy (which I know is usually unenforceable), and block buyers based on restrictive judgement.

I do not want buyers who are buying gifts for collectors, I do not want high maintenance buyers, I want buyers who see the worth in the item and are planning to keep it.

I am not the seller any internet marketplace targets, but I am seller with repeat customers which include some who have bought from me on multiple marketplaces, and when I ran my own website. They have found me even though I have never used the same identity on multiple sites. Unfortunately, some of them are no longer on this mortal coil.

[mam98031]

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@nancys5979 wrote:

I notice that eBay wants me to shorten shipping time - is there any financial incentive to do this?

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It can increase your sales sometimes.  But I see you have 2 day handling time and that is great.

Sellers with 5+ day handling time, they do get lowered in the search returns.

[chapeau-noir]

Most of the 'percent increases' in sales that eBay mentions are pretty marginal, and as I don't know the criteria which they use to determine these 'increases' (and suspect it's, well, suspect), tend to ignore them. If you sell desirable items, you'll get sales without jumping through a lot of nonsense hoops and giving the farm away with FREE everything.

[az93]

I raised my shipping time recently to 3 days from to 2, simply for my peace of mind. My post office is not good at scanning. I don't pay any attention to what ebay wants.

[inhawaii]

Shorter shipping times makes customers happy.

Happy customers are more likely to return and re-purchase.

Good for business.

[mypalrocco]

Why would anybody take the bait of a lousy 10% off of the final value fees in exchange for making themselves the target of indecisive dimwits with buyers remorse by offering free returns?  Keep in mind, the final value fees average about 13%, that 10% discount doesn't make your final value fee 3%, it makes it 11.7%. Savings example: $1.30 on a $100 sale. $130 on $10,000. Whooopee, steak and lobster for everyone! A couple returns, which the buyer doesn't even have to have a valid reason for, and that measly 1.3% savings is wiped out and you get your inventory back to sell again and you'd better hope it comes back in the same condition so you can resell it. Believe that people returning stuff seldom give a frogs fat fanny if it's wrapped as carefully as you did when you shipped it to them. NOT WORTH IT!  

[mam98031]

@mypalrocco 

I've conversed with many sellers that offer free returns, that is not the only requirement for receiving the 10% discount on FVFs, and it works well for them and their little businesses.  Because it is not the correct move for you does not make it a wrong move for others.  

Many sellers that offer Free Returns do not experience an open season on returns like you describe.  I am sorry if that is your personal experience.  That has to be tough.

You are not eligible to receive the 10% discount, so not much to be concerned with there.  And you are correct that this discount would not add up to much for you.  But for others that sell more items and do qualify to have this discount if they want to, it has value.  Fortunately this is a decision for each seller to make for themselves.  It is a good move for some and not so much for others.

I don't think anyone has said this but you.  "Keep in mind, the final value fees average about 13%, that 10% discount doesn't make your final value fee 3%..."  So unlikely that many thought this or think this.  

Depending on how many sales a seller gets will likely determine if this TRS Discount is of value to them.