Ebay Standard Delivery Program

[casimishop]

Has anyone experienced an issue with this service? we send the item, buyer claims they did not get it, they open a claim, you get hurt, you refund the money, buyer get the money and the item too. you have to stop listing items because all of this claims. tracking says nothing, buyer call ebay. on other cases item was sent months ago and buyer leave a positive feedback even do tracking dosent says it was delivered. tracking on other cases says delivered to a different zip code and 7 days later item was deliver. nothing against ebay, I love ebay but out there, a lots of buyers in my opinion are taking advantage of this issue. buyers that are Honest dont do it but lately there a lots of lost claim. what can we do? tell me your experience please. like I said, I love ebay but this program of shipping need to be revised. 

[soh.maryl]

Are you referring to the eBay International Shipping Program? 

[wastingtime101]

eBay Standard Envelope (ESE) is a metered mail shipment so it does not receive traditional tracking scans and the clerk at the PO counter cannot scan it. Instead you should drop these envelopes in your PO's metered mail slot. The envelope will be scanned by sorting machinery at distribution centers along the way.

If you find the tracking on eBay to be lacking, you can track the ESUS number on this site:
https://parcelsapp.com/en

Common reasons ESE envelopes don't get scans include:
- Overpacking. Envelopes are too stiff. It's not recommended to use trading card top loaders or cardboard mailers.
- Placement of label. Label should be placed in the upper right corner with 1/8" clearance from edges. If it's placed too far from the corner the machinery won't scan it.

With ESE, a 'delivered' scan generally occurs at the last sort facility before it gets to the buyer, so typically the buyer will receive their order a day or two after the delivered scan.

If an item doesn't have a delivered scan and a buyer files a not received claim, you do have insurance coverage as long as there's at least one tracking scan, and the claims process is outlined on this page: 

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/setting-shipping-options/ebay-standard-envelope?id=...

@casimishop 

[1786davycrockett]

@casimishop 

If you are referring to the eBay Standard Envelope (ESE), you need to be aware of a few elementary things:

The ESE is NOT the same as USPS First Class Mail -- it is "metered" mail, and is treated slightly differently.  When you mail the ESE, it is very important that you physically drop the ESE in the "METERED MAIL" slot in the lobby of your post office.  Do NOT hand it to the USPS counter clerk, or your USPS delivery carrier, and do NOT drop the ESE in your own mailbox, or the USPS "blue" boxes.  All the latter options will only slow down the initial USPS "Acceptance" scan -- and that initial "Acceptance" scan is critical for purposes of making an insurance claim through eBay.

Secondly, the "Delivered" notification refers ONLY to the the delivery of the ESE to the post office matching the ZIP Code of the address of the buyer -- and NOT the buyer's residential address.  The actual delivery to the buyer may take an additional day or two -- and LONGER if the "Delivered" notification was made on a Friday, or just before a three-day USPS holiday weekend.  If you explain this situation to your impatient buyers, perhaps they'll be just a little more patient.

Good luck.

[casimishop]

thank you so much. very clear answer. 

[casimishop]

thank you for your reply. I am talking about ebay standard shipping for trading cards. sorry for the error 

[casimishop]

thank you so much for your reply. very helpful answer. 

[worldcoinauctions]

I see the advice not to hand it to your carrier or drop it in the ordinary mail slot all the time, but I've never had a real issue with either. Sometimes (3 out of over a thousand) they come back marked "unmachineable" but I have had good luck just reprinting the same label (you don't get charged until after it scans) and sending it again. 

Cardboard mailers: On a couple occasions I have put cardboard mailers in the envelope, I find that if I rub them over the edge of the counter first to make them flexible they do work.

Coins, I put in a baggie (already in a 2x2) staple to the packaging slip and make sure they are positioned on the far side of the envelope from the postage. I've done up to 3 coins in an envelope, positioned side by side (no overlapping) without problems, flexibility is the key. The envelop must be able to wrap around a 10" drum.

Cards ship in a penny sleeve, wrapped in a packing slip.

[12345jamesstamps]

Not all post offices are created equal.

[ryry-jj]

I dont think a standard envelope was ever designed to be used to ship merchandise.  It doesnt have the care or properties in place to protect the item both physically or in accountability.   If shipping  product, put it in a box or at least a shipping mailer .  And when it comes to  box, one large enough to carry the label and not  fit into someones pocket....just my thoughts.

Btw, do we even have selling protection if shipping products in a standard envelope?

[isto2008]

As a buyer, just pass on the item if you know that the eBay Standard Delivery Program is to be used.  You can, as a buyer, look at the method of shipment the seller uses before you purchase.  Also, beware of "free shipping," as the shipping method may not be listed.  eBay needs to look up the definition of the word "delivered." To me, delivered means in my mailbox or at my front door...... at the address on the shipping label. In conclusion, we now have a slower method of postal service than the USPS !  eBay's doing.....

[bdmh-enterprises]

I have sent thousands of ESE since inception and have had exactly SIX INRs, 2 were 'delivered' so I won, 2 had partial tracking so was covered by insurance and one of the other 2 was received a week after refunding and they re-payed. All in all I'd say the service works great, wonky at times sure, but they deliver my cards as efficiently as they deliver my bills. Which makes sense as they use the same mail stream.

I use grading size semi rigid sleeves in a #6 envelope. Little empty space, very flexible, very safe. If you're using top loaders know they are IFFY as far as being machined, especially if they're sliding around in a #10 envelope. Could be fine at one location and then the next place someone decides it's non machinable and then you no longer get 'tracking'.

Also if the item has any scans at all and a buyer does INR, the insurance claim is quick and easy right through ebay.

[bdmh-enterprises]

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@1786davycrockett wrote:

@casimishop 

If you are referring to the eBay Standard Envelope (ESE), you need to be aware of a few elementary things:

The ESE is NOT the same as USPS First Class Mail -- it is "metered" mail, and is treated slightly differently.  When you mail the ESE, it is very important that you physically drop the ESE in the "METERED MAIL" slot in the lobby of your post office.  Do NOT hand it to the USPS counter clerk, or your USPS delivery carrier, and do NOT drop the ESE in your own mailbox, or the USPS "blue" boxes.  All the latter options will only slow down the initial USPS "Acceptance" scan -- and that initial "Acceptance" scan is critical for purposes of making an insurance claim through eBay.

Secondly, the "Delivered" notification refers ONLY to the the delivery of the ESE to the post office matching the ZIP Code of the address of the buyer -- and NOT the buyer's residential address.  The actual delivery to the buyer may take an additional day or two -- and LONGER if the "Delivered" notification was made on a Friday, or just before a three-day USPS holiday weekend.  If you explain this situation to your impatient buyers, perhaps they'll be just a little more patient.

Good luck.

---

My carrier is competent so he takes my ESEs no prob I actually think they get scanned more reliably when he takes them than when I put it in the PO's mail slot. Agree with the counter clerks being iffy at best for sure, the less hands on them the better.

I don't know how widespread this is, but I read on another shipping label site that USPS trucks and/or scanners are geotagged so that mail using the IMB (Intelligent Mail Barcode) like ESE's will get marked as delivered when they enter the geofence of the recipient. Might be the case as it's been a good long while since I've had to explain the 'delivered' not delivered situation to anyone, and WAY more of  mine are getting marked delivered in general.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

I disagree with the concept that it matters that ESE is metered mail.

ESE is Letter Mail. Both stamped and metered mail are letter mail and First Class Mail. So is some permit mail.

It is sorted on equipment for letter mail which uses a bar code to route it to its destination. That bar code is also carrying the ESE tracking number. Both stamped and metered mail may have this code.

Although the experienced sellers who have used ESE recommend not using top loaders, Ebay does not discourage top loaders.

USPS employees are either totally ignorant of ESE or know it only because the ESE letters as packed by many sellers jam the sorting equipment.

USPS does not access the tracking or handle the insurance claims.

If you find your packaging does not reliably scan, you need to reduce the rigidity of your packaging. That said, I have found that the use of a cardboard #10 envelope worked best for me. I used one from Ebay supplies which has not been available for months. Some sellers use a product designed for ESE from Ebay supplies which sometimes works. The additional cost over a standard paper #10 envelope removes a portion of the price advantage associated with using ESE. Either add a handling charge if you find a package which works for you or don't sell anything which relies on being able to ship for less than Ground Advantage.

I stopped using ESE when I saw how poorly it performed. I always sold items which could sell even if the shipping was GA. When I discovered a listing recently that I failed to remove the ESE shipping from I paid for GA - it was still profitable and I did not have to make a customer unhappy.

I do not bring anything to the PO except on rare occasions. I do not put anything in a metered mail slot and when I did, it made no difference in the result.  If ESE works for you - use it. But do not be surprised if it works only sometimes and fails in some sorting centers.

It is an attempt by USPS to increase the declining volume of letter mail, and get better return on their existing investment in equipment. It is unlikely to ever get better because they cannot justify newer equipment for letter mail.

[1786davycrockett]

@tobaccocardyahoo 

"I disagree with the concept that it matters that ESE is metered mail.

ESE is Letter Mail. Both stamped and metered mail are letter mail and First Class Mail. So is some permit mail."

Perhaps my post office is "special."  The only times that my ESEs have been delayed, were early on, when I handed the ESEs to the USPS counter person -- and each time the initial scan was delayed by at least one day.

Since then, I've ONLY been using the "Metered Mail" slots in the post office lobby -- with never a delay and never a complaint from buyers.

I've been dealing with metered mail since 1965, and there seems to be a slight difference between the manner in which First Class stamped mail is handled, and how metered mail is handled.

But it also may depend upon the local postal system in one's locality:  some smaller post offices just lump everything together, while larger metropolitan post offices require more separation of postal types.  Since I live in a large metropolitan area, there seem to be more demands made for unit separation.  Back in the 1960s, for instance, the business for which I was employed required us to bundle up our weekly metered mail shipments by separate ZIP Codes, which is probably no longer necessary.

And there are definitely some extreme differences in how the ESE is treated at varying post office branches across the United States:  some (like my post office) only have minor issues with the counter workers, while other post offices refuse to permit sellers to use ESEs at all!

The bottom line is -- all of our ESE situations are personally experiential, but they are NOT 100% typical across the United States -- some sellers will have very few problems using the ESEs, while other sellers seem to have ONLY problems using the ESEs.

Experience is the judge, in each situation.  Nothing is 100%.