Customer Has Requested Delayed Shipping

[nanniestreasurechest]

I just had a customer to purchase two of my larger pieces of art.  They paid right away and then sent me a message through Ebay saying they would be out of town until the 13th and asked if I would hold off shipping until the 14th and if I could ship with tracking and signature required because they had a new postman and sometimes mail was getting delivered to the wrong address.   I checked his feedback and he's purchased from several different artists over the past 12 months and has given them all good feedback.

My concern is how do I keep from getting a "shipped late" ding from Ebay or am I just going to have to accept getting one?  I'm set up for 1 day shipping. 

[albertabrightalberta · Accepted solution]

This is something the buyer should have asked about BEFORE buying!

You will get a late shipment ding if you don't ship within your handling time. Also, if the buyer lacked integrity, he could file INR if the item didn't arrive by the estimate delivery date even though he asked you to hold off shipping.

I'd recommend letting the buyer know that ebay doesn't allow you to hold items that long and they (ebay) require that you ship within your (however many day) handling time. Tell the buyer you will cancel the sale at their request and they can purchase it when they're back in town, at which time you'll ship promptly.

[klhmdg]

If you agree to hold the shipping past your 1 day, you will get a late shipment ding.

You can either agree and get the ding OR ask the buyer if they would like a refund and they can rebuy when they are home. 

[nanniestreasurechest]

Thanks!  I've sent him a message explaining that I can't do it and if he would like to cancel and purchase when he returned from his trip.   I'll wait and see what he says. 

[nanniestreasurechest]

@albertabrightalberta   If he doesn't answer me and give me permission to cancel will I be able to cancel without getting a ding? 

[nanniestreasurechest]

UPDATE:  I just heard from him and he said to cancel and he would get back with me when he returns from his trip.   Thank you for your help! 

[blijeolifantje72]

All u have to do is print  label ontime and not turn it over to be mail til 3 days later. It is not that big of a deal. I think emailing a customer to delay a couple of days is abit of hassle to them when it can easily be solved. There are crooked sellers who print label and do not even turn it over post office days later.

[pickermall]

I know this was solved, but...

I tell the buyer that I have a commitment date for shipping that Ebay holds me to and NOT shipping by then affects my Ebay account and standing.

It is up to the buyer to have their mail held at the post office while they are away (USPS does this for free)

If they can't have their mail held, you can cancel the order and they can purchase it again when they want it sent.

Not sure why buyers do this sometimes!

[nanniestreasurechest]

@blijeolifantje72  I had wondered if I could print the label and put the 14th date on it.  I was scared to try it though.  I've only been selling for a few months so am trying hard not get my hands slapped much.  Thankfully this customer was very understanding about the situation. 

[nanniestreasurechest]

@pickermall  As I said above, thankfully this customer was really understanding.  He said he didn't realize that it would count as a late shipment against me and apologized for "being difficult".   He said he would purchase when he returned if item was still available.   Of course, I don't know if he will or not but I had rather lose the sale than get a negative mark especially since I haven't been selling that long. 

[blijeolifantje72]

If he had not purchase this already then all you had to do is for that listing add on handling time and that easily would have solve and you would have time to print label too

[albertabrightalberta]

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@blijeolifantje72 wrote:

All u have to do is print  label ontime and not turn it over to be mail til 3 days later. It is not that big of a deal. I think emailing a customer to delay a couple of days is abit of hassle to them when it can easily be solved. There are crooked sellers who print label and do not even turn it over post office days later.

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I'm pretty sure that you're incorrect. Ebay still expects tracking to begin within the handling time and waiting 3 days will be outside of the OP's handling time.

[blijeolifantje72]

As long as u ship within the handling time you specified then you are fine. That is why they have handing time as an option. There are  Sellers who put in extended handling time 10 business days. and they are fine. I already spoke to ebay about this when running across unethical seller and how that would be viewed in stat

[blijeolifantje72]

Oh u are speaking of prior post. Read it again. Print label  on time in the amt you specified but hold dropping off a couple of days. It is not common and should not be done only to help buyers.

There are sellers who pull this all the time not for buyers sake but because they are lazy and want to play the system. I run into them all the time

[nanniestreasurechest]

One of the other things on this was, he had made an offer on both pieces and I accepted.  I think he actually had 4 days before he had to pay.  If he had held off paying this would have helped since he wouldn't have had to pay until Saturday night and I could have printed the label on Monday and shipped the next day.  This would have kept me in my shipping time.  Unfortunately he paid as soon I accepted the offer.