Updated Seller Protections on SHIPPING DELAYS! But what about the SERVICE METRICS????

[mam98031]

There is a new announcement on the announcement board that explains why we are suddenly seeing very long ETAs on deliveries in regards to our listings.  Ebay is making an effort to have the ETAs more realistic to what is going on in the world right now.  

I think this is a good move, but what is it doing to us in the Search returns?  Is it tanking all of us in the same way due to these long ETAs?  Or is there any effect at all?

A VERY important side effect of all these INRs continues to be ignored by Ebay and sellers NEED, EXPECT and should RECEIVE some assistance on the INR count in the Service Metrics too.  If a INR falls under one of the reasons Ebay is willing to protect the seller for, then I think it is only reasonable for Ebay to remove that INR from the Service Metric's count.  I don't think that is an unreasonable ask at all !!!

And if the seller gets an INAD filed because the buyer wants to return the item due to the length of time it took to get received, if the buyer clearly states that in the INAD, we should also get some relief in the Service Metrics for these too.  

Punishing sellers for something they have NO WAY to control is just bad business IMHO.  We can do better than this and we should.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/How-we-re-responding-to-USPS-delays/ba-p/31134359

It reads as follows:

08-11-2020 11:49:02 AM

The United States Postal Service continues to be strained, and we realize the burden this puts on our sellers. Delivery and scan delays persist, and we are monitoring not only the delays but ongoing negotiations in Washington. 

As your partner, we will continue to protect you and ensure you’re covered for any shipping defects and delays beyond your control. 

Here’s what we’re doing now and how we’re looking to the future:

Handling time

We are automatically extending estimated delivery dates as necessary to give buyers a more reasonable expectation of when their items will arrive. We recommend that you don’t extend your handling time. Our extended estimates should give you enough buffer, and additional handling days could lead to the appearance of your items shipping slower than they actually are. 

Seller protections

Last month, we announced seller protections against shipping defects through August 31, and we will continue to extend these protections as long as strains on carriers affect delivery dates.

“Item not received” cases

If a buyer opens an “item not received” case, and you provided valid tracking and shipped the item within your promised handling time, we will wait to evaluate the case until after the extended estimated delivery date.

1. We will recognize that you uploaded valid tracking and met your handling time commitment, and you can still qualify as a Top Rated Seller.
2. If the item shows up late because of a carrier delay, we will remove the shipping defect for late shipment.
3. If the item is delivered after the extended estimated delivery date, we will remove shipping-related negative or neutral feedback on your behalf.

We are continually monitoring shipping developments and USPS delays. We are working on other affordable, more reliable delivery options for sellers. Stay tuned for important developments in this area in the coming weeks.

As always, thank you for selling on eBay.

Marni Levine

VP of Seller Operations and Engagement

[mam98031]

The United States Postal Service continues to be strained, and we realize the burden this puts on our sellers. Delivery and scan delays persist, and we are monitoring not only the delays but ongoing negotiations in Washington. 

As your partner, we will continue to protect you and ensure you’re covered for any shipping defects and delays beyond your control. 

Here’s what we’re doing now and how we’re looking to the future:

Handling time

We are automatically extending estimated delivery dates as necessary to give buyers a more reasonable expectation of when their items will arrive. We recommend that you don’t extend your handling time. Our extended estimates should give you enough buffer, and additional handling days could lead to the appearance of your items shipping slower than they actually are. 

Seller protections

Last month, we announced seller protections against shipping defects through August 31, and we will continue to extend these protections as long as strains on carriers affect delivery dates.

“Item not received” cases

If a buyer opens an “item not received” case, and you provided valid tracking and shipped the item within your promised handling time, we will wait to evaluate the case until after the extended estimated delivery date.

1. We will recognize that you uploaded valid tracking and met your handling time commitment, and you can still qualify as a Top Rated Seller.
2. If the item shows up late because of a carrier delay, we will remove the shipping defect for late shipment.
3. If the item is delivered after the extended estimated delivery date, we will remove shipping-related negative or neutral feedback on your behalf.

We are continually monitoring shipping developments and USPS delays. We are working on other affordable, more reliable delivery options for sellers. Stay tuned for important developments in this area in the coming weeks.

As always, thank you for selling on eBay.

Marni Levine

VP of Seller Operations and Engagement

[dahanayaka-enterprises]

 When the covid 19 problem is solved, all this is set as a befor 

[mam98031]

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@dahanayaka-enterprises wrote:

 When the covid 19 problem is solved, all this is set as a befor 

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Yes, but that is likely to be a long way off.  In the meantime we have to deal with it.  We can't just ignore it and hope for the best.  That reaction by some regarding the pandemic itself is a large contributing factor of the pandemic still not being under control.  

@dahanayaka-enterprises 

[aldente28]

Amen. And thank you.

I have to be honest, with all the effort I put into doing everything right - including 100% on time same-day shipping during a pandemic and many 20 hour days - being punished for things I have no control over quite frankly feels like abuse.

Nothing is worth that. I feel like I am the exact kind of seller ebay wants selling on its platform, yet I am being driven away with this treatment. It's a race to the bottom, and I can't imagine ebay wants that.

[vintagecraze50]

IF USPS is unable to resolve this issue fairly quickly, I believe we as sellers are going to have to look for other alternatives to get our shipments out fast. If Ebay can assist in getting us a better delivery source then that would be fantastic.  USPS seems to be so deep in debt it is threatening their very existence now. Years of trying to keep their services at a reasonable price, which I have appreciated very much and probably some really bad mismanagement of funds have caused them to tank.

[gwzcomps]

eBay can eat my donkey.  I don't know what the current issue is on my listings, but I will find someone to fight.  I potentially just lost a $250 sale over whatever is going on right now!

[mam98031]

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@gwzcomps wrote:

eBay can eat my donkey.  I don't know what the current issue is on my listings, but I will find someone to fight.  I potentially just lost a $250 sale over whatever is going on right now!

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Are you saying you are losing sales due to the extended delivery times?

I'm not sure if you are aware, the extension of the ETAs was likely due to so many sellers asking Ebay to extend them.  The unrealistic ETAs was causing lots of problem for a whole lot of sellers and a significant increase in INRs.

What is it that you want Ebay to do?  What do you suggest?

Oh and please don't let anyone eat the donkey!  I like them!!  🙄

[vintagecraze50]

Until this gets settled, I message every single buyer now telling them that while most packages get delivered on time, some experience delays and to be patient. A preventative to opening an INR.

[tsme35]

About feed up myself, I'm spending more time tracking down package's sitting for weeks, I have 2 orders that were suppose to be delivered on the 28th and the buyers are just letting me know. Even with extended protections they don't go that far out and hard to track down after being lost for almost 12 days

[aldente28]

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@vintagecraze50 wrote:

IF USPS is unable to resolve this issue fairly quickly, I believe we as sellers are going to have to look for other alternatives to get our shipments out fast. If Ebay can assist in getting us a better delivery source then that would be fantastic.  USPS seems to be so deep in debt it is threatening their very existence now. Years of trying to keep their services at a reasonable price, which I have appreciated very much and probably some really bad mismanagement of funds have caused them to tank.

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As soon as Congress can, it will fix USPS. Until then, I will give them my business. They are critical to my business and to the country.

[gwzcomps]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@gwzcomps wrote:

eBay can eat my donkey.  I don't know what the current issue is on my listings, but I will find someone to fight.  I potentially just lost a $250 sale over whatever is going on right now!

---

Are you saying you are losing sales due to the extended delivery times?

I'm not sure if you are aware, the extension of the ETAs was likely due to so many sellers asking Ebay to extend them.  The unrealistic ETAs was causing lots of problem for a whole lot of sellers and a significant increase in INRs.

What is it that you want Ebay to do?  What do you suggest?

Oh and please don't let anyone eat the donkey!  I like them!!  🙄

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I don't care about the delivery times being extended, but messing with the handling times is another thing.  I can live with the delivery date being off by a week.

[vintagecraze50]

They are extending the delivery estaimates, that should help a lot. Also, do not put extended handling times on your listing ton deal with this, it is the opposite you must get these packages out asap. Like yesterday. LOL.

[vintagecraze50]

I also watch the tracking everyday on all my packages, it I see a weird re route, or late issue. I start a package trace to try to get them found and MOOOOVING!

[aldente28]

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@vintagecraze50 wrote:

Until this gets settled, I message every single buyer now telling them that while most packages get delivered on time, some experience delays and to be patient. A preventative to opening an INR.

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Good strategy but I couldn't possibly do that. During the pandemic/lockdown, I am keeping this business afloat by myself, which means 20+ hour days for the last 100 days. I'm at the end of my rope. While it may seem trivial, I literally can't add a single other thing or procedure to my day. I barely find time to eat and sleep as it is, and adding one thing means subtracting time for another, and when you're at the end of the rope, there's no room left - not even a little bit.

[vintagecraze50]

COVID is going to be with us for a long long long time.