eBay

excaliburcomicshop · ‎10-08-2016

Lost my top rated status ever since eBay institued these shenanigans regarding late shipments. Just to clarify for anyone not familiar. It used to be that if you had a handling time of one business day, as long as you printed your shipping label or uploaded tracking info within that time frame you were not charged with a late shipment. So if you do everything right, and the post office decides to give your package a tour of the country before delivering it one state over (yes this has actually happened to me) the you weren't held accountable for a late shipment.

The way it works now is that even if your label is printed on time, if the post office doesn't scan it right away then it can still be marked as a late shipment if it misses the delivery date. Now if you have your packages picked up by the mail truck, or drop them off at the PO without taking them to the window to be scanned, they might not get scanned in until they reach the sort facility the next day. Congratulations, you did everything right but now you just made a late shipment according to eBay.

I just recently contacted USPS customer service because a buyer hadn't recieved their item on time. The screen cap below is the reply I got. It says the only guaranteed service is express mail. So, eBay holding a seller accountable for late deliveries on items with no guaranteed delivery date is utter nonsense.

Also, below is the screen cap of my late shipment report just to show that it's never my buyer's claiming a late delivery.

This is utter nonsense and it needs to stop

excaliburcomicshop · ‎10-11-2016

See the screenshot. Tracking uploaded on time and validated 100℅ Late shipment rate 3.98% These are all first class mail, not media mail. The scan absolutely determines whether or not they deem a shipment to be sent out late

excaliburcomicshop · ‎10-11-2016

I'm going to try setting the listings to economy shipping by default instead of standard and then send them first class, as was suggested by another poster. I just hope the slower shipping method won't deter buyers.

rock-rollcafe · ‎10-11-2016

@excaliburcomics718 wrote:
The scan absolutely determines whether or not they deem a shipment to be sent out late

gramophone-georg · ‎10-11-2016

@twnpopcards wrote:
@joesoucie22012 wrote:
You need to Wait in line at the post office. Get an acceptance scan.
But when this entire mess began Ebay's Blues made the comment that this was NEVER INTENDED to force the sellers to stand in line at the post office. But now if you don't, especially with the latest change to FCM and FCP to handling time plus 3 days or its late, you either get a scan when your package is picked up or you stand in line for the scan because otherwise the odds are now against you for the package being delivered on time, and Ebay knows it. This entire change was to once again lower the number of TRS+ 20% discounts Ebay has to give out each month. They need to increase revenue and that is one of the easiest ways.

I wish they would just come out and say it or eliminate the program if they are that desperate for the 20% discount, but that will never happen because Ebay does not want the PR Nightmare that would come with it. With all the revenues they earn on the advertising on the listings as well as the links to other sites on our listings that we pay for, Ebay should actually be paying billboard space rent for all their ads to the sellers.

I truthfully wonder how really aware TPTB are of all the changes that keep occurring that constantly effect the sellers that Weinig said he wanted to reconnect with when he first became CEO. Was it all just a bunch of hot air or are the Execs under him not relaying all the issues that are constantly effecting the sales of the customers that they wanted to reconnect with?

DAvid
Twnpopcards

David
Twnpopcards

We've all been around this stuff long enough to know that whenever eBay says something "doesn't count" or "isn't intended to force you to do XXX" that it's going to count, or force you to do XXX sooner than later... right?

If you want to know what is going to happen- pay attention to whatever eBay says isn't going to happen.

Chaos is NOT an "industry standard".

d-k_treasures · ‎10-12-2016

Seems like these were the result of the new 3-day FC requirements for tracking, although I didn't think that went into affect yet.

_____________________________
"Nothing is obvious to the oblivious"

edgemotorcycle · ‎01-18-2017

I am still within the 3%, but getting a lot closer than I'd like. In one instance, I did print a lable and forgot about it, sat on the printer for a day, but all the others, have been the post office, happened several times in the month of December, I'm assuming becasue of all the extra mail. They picked our packages, but they must have sat/got lost for a extra day or two at the post office.

I usually drop off my packages at the P.O. on the way to work, drop them in with our mail pick-up, or take them to the P.O. nearest my office, I stopped leaving them in my mailbox at home, becasue we now get our mail about 7:00pm some days, it never comes, and is delivered the following morning! I've had packages I shipped on Monday, not scanned until Wednesday or Thursday, shippments I made a day or two later arrive before prior ones even appear to leave the P.O.

eBay could fix most of this by simply dropping the required percent of "late" to 5%; 95% on-time.

genghoul · ‎01-18-2017

@d-k_treasures wrote:
Seems like these were the result of the new 3-day FC requirements for tracking, although I didn't think that went into affect yet.

Let's not forget that ebay makes up the estimated delivery dates from whole cloth. They do not correspond to handlers' estimated dates plus sellers handling time. I assume they did this to try to compete with Amazon's fast delivery, ignoring the fact that Amazon buyers pay $100/year to get those fast deliveries.

excaliburcomicshop · ‎01-18-2017

Update on my personal situation. I've set the standard shipping speed of all my listings to economy, whereas they used to be USPS First Class Mail. Of course I still ship first class, but setting it to economy on the listing adds a couple extra days to the estimated delivery date. Since doing that, I've not had one shipment marked late by eBay. Hopefully I'll fall below the 3% threshold within a couple of months and get back my status.

I recently complained about the issue to eBay customer service, and was told by the rep on the phone that "top rated sellers should go directly to the window and insist the packages be scanned in every day." So their answer is essentially, don't like it? Too bad.

slippinjimmy · ‎01-18-2017

I recently complained about the issue to eBay customer service, and was told by the rep on the phone that "top rated sellers should go directly to the window and insist the packages be scanned in every day." So their answer is essentially, don't like it? Too bad.

What they told you is 100% accurate. If you get an Acceptance Scan within your Handling Time then it doesn't matter how long it takes to be delivered.

So their answer is actually "if you can't make the effort to get an acceptance scan within your handling time".....too bad!

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep

excaliburcomicshop · ‎01-18-2017

@slippinjimmy wrote:
I recently complained about the issue to eBay customer service, and was told by the rep on the phone that "top rated sellers should go directly to the window and insist the packages be scanned in every day." So their answer is essentially, don't like it? Too bad.

What they told you is 100% accurate. If you get an Acceptance Scan within your Handling Time then it doesn't matter how long it takes to be delivered.

So their answer is actually "if you can't make the effort to get an acceptance scan within your handling time".....too bad!

I understand that this is the case, however, when they changed the policy, they claimed that it wasn't their intention to do that. Also, many post offices aren't accommodating when it comes to scanning in 20+ packages at the window. A lot of people have said that they were explicit told by the post office that they wouldn't do it. So there's that

slippinjimmy · ‎01-18-2017

@excaliburcomicshop wrote:
@slippinjimmy wrote:
I recently complained about the issue to eBay customer service, and was told by the rep on the phone that "top rated sellers should go directly to the window and insist the packages be scanned in every day." So their answer is essentially, don't like it? Too bad.

What they told you is 100% accurate. If you get an Acceptance Scan within your Handling Time then it doesn't matter how long it takes to be delivered.

So their answer is actually "if you can't make the effort to get an acceptance scan within your handling time".....too bad!

I understand that this is the case, however, when they changed the policy, they claimed that it wasn't their intention to do that. Also, many post offices aren't accommodating when it comes to scanning in 20+ packages at the window. A lot of people have said that they were explicit told by the post office that they wouldn't do it. So there's that

I'm not sure what policy change you are referring to. The entire point of an Acceptance Scan is to prove you shipped on time and are therefore held harmless for any late shipments.

If you are taking 20 packages at a time to the Post office with online postage you should be using a SCAN Form so that the PO staff only have to do one scan and you don't even need to wait around for them to do it.

Information on SCAN Forms here:

https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2006/html/pb22192/pb6ktxt.html

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep

excaliburcomicshop · ‎01-18-2017

@slippinjimmy wrote:
@excaliburcomicshop wrote:
@slippinjimmy wrote:
I recently complained about the issue to eBay customer service, and was told by the rep on the phone that "top rated sellers should go directly to the window and insist the packages be scanned in every day." So their answer is essentially, don't like it? Too bad.

What they told you is 100% accurate. If you get an Acceptance Scan within your Handling Time then it doesn't matter how long it takes to be delivered.

So their answer is actually "if you can't make the effort to get an acceptance scan within your handling time".....too bad!

I understand that this is the case, however, when they changed the policy, they claimed that it wasn't their intention to do that. Also, many post offices aren't accommodating when it comes to scanning in 20+ packages at the window. A lot of people have said that they were explicit told by the post office that they wouldn't do it. So there's that
I'm not sure what policy change you are referring to. The entire point of an Acceptance Scan is to prove you shipped on time and are therefore held harmless for any late shipments.

If you are taking 20 packages at a time to the Post office with online postage you should be using a SCAN Form so that the PO staff only have to do one scan and you don't even need to wait around for them to do it.

Information on SCAN Forms here:

https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2006/html/pb22192/pb6ktxt.html

The change I'm referring to which was in the original post, is the change from having the label printed within 1 business day vs. getting an acceptance scan within 1 business day in order for a shipment to be considered shipped on time.

The scan form was not something I was aware of, and I'll look into that so thanks for that info.

keziak · ‎01-18-2017

I really need to get with the 21st century and try to print Scan forms off Endicia. It doesn't appear to be hard.

When the barcode is scanned do you get a receipt listing all of the packages?

slippinjimmy · ‎01-18-2017

@keziak wrote:
I really need to get with the 21st century and try to print Scan forms off Endicia. It doesn't appear to be hard.

When the barcode is scanned do you get a receipt listing all of the packages?

Once the SCAN form is scanned the PO doesn't need it anymore, they can give it back to you and if you ask nicely they might date stamp it.

This is really unnessesary as ALL items included on the SCAN Form will show they are Accepted when you check online. A receipt in this case is simply a useless piece of paper, if you need it for some sort of record keeping and the PO won't give you back the original (or you don't want to wait for it) just print two copies, one ofr the PO and one for your records.

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep

riverviewmusicandmovies · ‎03-02-2017

I have worked for the post office for 20 years and understand the majority of the inner workings. Plain and simple ebay has set the sellers up to fail. They should be held accountable for this bogus scheme that puts ebay sellers at the mercy of another company.

They should be ashamed of their business practuces, but big business seems to have no shame.