Should I cancel a paid order I didn’t ship in time?

[ashers*house]

Buyer paid, I was supposed to ship yesterday but due to unforeseen circumstances I didn’t ship in time & haven’t printed label yet.  Should I go ahead and ship even tho it’s a day late? Can the seller still leave a negative remark if I cancel the order? Is it possible to avoid a negative mark/rating at this point? 

[nobody*s_perfect]

Yes, you should ship ASAP.  Late shipping is less of a potential problem than not shipping at all, from the perspectives of both eBay and of the buyer. If the buyer paid for Ground Advantage, you should consider upgrading to Priority so it will probably still arrive on time.

[jerseyboymusic]

Sellers cannot leave negative feedback

If YOU are the seller, you NEED to ship the order!

[mr_lincoln · Accepted solution]

Hi @ashers*house 

-Ship the item today

-You might get a Late shipping defect but that is not an account killer, it happens from time to time

-Message the Buyer and let them know you are running one day late on shipping, communicating with your customers is not a bad thing

-Do NOT cancel the transaction, if you do you will get a defect on your account AND the Buyer can still leave Neutral or Negative Feedback for you

[fern*wood]

If shipping one item on time is a problem, you probably should consider extending your handling time on your remaining listings.

[oldschool718]

Contact the buyer let em no you couldn't get it out on time but its on the way ,

you're sorry for any inconveniences. 

[soh.maryl]

"Can the seller still leave a negative remark . . ."

YOU are the seller.  Contact the buyer and explain, then get that package out TODAY.

And, yes, even if you apologize in advance etc, that buyer can leave a negative.  Do some more reading.  

[ashers*house]

Thank you, I took your advice, messaged the buyer and shipped it.

[byrd69er]

At this point, consider delivering it yourself.

[fern*wood]

Negative feedback doesn't look good, but keep in mind the items on your seller dashboard are what determines your selling status.  Pay close attention to defects and learn what causes them -- cancellations in particular. 

[luckythewinner]

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@ashers*house wrote:

Buyer paid, I was supposed to ship yesterday but due to unforeseen circumstances I didn’t ship in time & haven’t printed label yet.  Should I go ahead and ship even tho it’s a day late? Can the seller still leave a negative remark if I cancel the order? Is it possible to avoid a negative mark/rating at this point? 

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Wow. Sellers inventing reasons to disappoint buyers and cancel sales contributes to buyers getting frustrated with eBay.  And that affects every seller on the site, not just you.

IMHO the buyer absolutely SHOULD leave a negative if a seller does this to them. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@mr_lincoln wrote: ... You might get a Late shipping defect but that is not an account killer, it happens from time to time...

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eBay counts an item as late if the first scan is later than the stated handling time AND delivery is after the estimated delivery date.  That's why I suggested upgrading the shipping service to Priority: There's still a chance for this seller to avoid a late-shipment ding.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/selling-policies/seller-performance-policy?id=4347

[mr_lincoln]

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@ashers*house wrote:

Thank you, I took your advice, messaged the buyer and shipped it.

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@ashers*house 

Excellent!  You are not the first nor will you be the last Seller to ship a package one day late ... 

[mr_lincoln]

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@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

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@mr_lincoln wrote: ... You might get a Late shipping defect but that is not an account killer, it happens from time to time...

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eBay counts an item as late if the first scan is later than the stated handling time AND delivery is after the estimated delivery date.  That's why I suggested upgrading the shipping service to Priority: There's still a chance for this seller to avoid a late-shipment ding.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/selling-policies/seller-performance-policy?id=4347

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@nobody*s_perfect 

Thanks, that would be good to direct to the OP as an additional to a previously supplied post ... which I do from time to time for the OP's benefit.

[femmefan1946]

They paid.

You ship.

The problems from being a bit late in shipping are nothing compared to cancelling an order which can lead to higher fees, restrictions on the number and value of listings, and even a closed selling account.

At worst it will take a bit longer before the Hold on your payments is listed.