eBay

honeville1 · ‎07-22-2023

Ship by Jul 25 at 9:59pm PDT

Make sure you ship your order within the handling time you specified in the listing.

Estimated delivery date shown to buyer: Jul 24, 2023 - Jul 26, 2023

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I told eBay I'll ship within 3 business days. So, last sale eBay tells me to "Ship by July 25th". Then, they KNOWINGLY, WILLFULLY, PURPOSEFULLY, tell my buyer to begin expecting it on the 24th. The day BEFORE I told eBay I'd ship it.

By refusing to factor in our handling time into an estimate shown to the buyer, their policy is to give unreasonable expectations to 100% of the buyers and justify it with "shipping times are estimates only and will be changed once tracking is uploaded".

Now, I played the whole "same day shipping" game forever trying to get a TRS discount. After 2020 I said "screw it"! Set a 3 day handling time. Mostly to cover usps' butt... but also to cover me so I don't have to be under the constant pressure. But after years of complaining about the above information, I still get the deer in the headlight response... what's the problem? So what, we told your buyer to expect it on the 24th and told you to ship it on the 25th? It's just an "estimate" anyway.... No. No, it's not. It's a flat out lie. 100% of the time. It's unrealistic expectations resulting in increased "where's my item" complaints.

I know, I know... in eBay's world it makes PERFECT sense to tell my buyer to expect it on the 24th and to tell me to ship it on the 25th... but that's because eBay's world is not our world. To the rest of us, it's moronic.

martin2001 · ‎07-22-2023

I think the "willfully, knowingly" are a little bit too strong words. Most likely it is a glitch that you need to talk to a tech rep about.

For example, I have next day handling and a random listing from my items I picked shows the expected delivery to my ZIP in VA is by Wed, Jul 26 and Thu, Jul 27. So even more relaxed delivery than yours (from IL to VA -Tue, Jul 25 and Thu, Jul 27 ), and it does say you ship in three days.

DId you try to delete your expedite shipping option?

buyselljack2016 · ‎07-22-2023

@honeville1

Do you as a general practice actually ship often before the "must ship by date"?

Having 3 day handling, and actually shipping consistently before the required date is viewed by the eBay bots, and establishes "historical shipping data" which is used to provide that early date in the estimate for your buyer.

honeville1 · ‎07-23-2023

Point is it shouldn't. If eBay shows a 6-8 day receipt time I can hit it 100% of the time. Regardless of what life throws at me. That is a number I'm comfortable with. I am NOT comfortable telling all buyers they can have a shirt in 3-days. I want ZERO of my buyers expecting that. It's a promise I'm not comfortable making. I don't make that promise. eBay does. And if eBay wants to come and run my business and meet that promise 100% of the time, Let them. Otherwise, they need to stop promising my buyer what I don't promise them.

fern*wood · ‎07-23-2023

I completely agree. It isn't a glitch. They have posted about doing this enough times to know it's by design. I also started using a 3 day handling to give me leeway, but it's a false leeway in many ways. I almost always ship next day, so my delivery estimates reflect that instead of allowing for my handling time.

So basically, I know my metrics won't take a hit if I have to be out of town quickly to be with my elderly father, but in the mean time, my buyers may be a bit disappointed.