Estimated delivery date wrong, unhappy buyer

[rebby-clothes]

I sold a toddler dress on 10/24 (last Wednesday). All my items have a handling time of two business days, and I rarely ship earlier unless buyer requests or I have a slow day. So the item was due to ship 10/26, Friday. The morning of the 28th, I wake up to an unhappy email from the buyer, who wanted to know why it hadn't shipped yet, because she needed it before Halloween to use for her child's costume. It was just a regular dress, and this was the first message from the buyer, so I never would have assumed it was needed for Halloween. She also sent a screenshot showing an estimated deliver date of 10/29, which would have been 2 days from shipping if Saturday counts, 1 if not. The shipping method was free first class shipping. I checked USPS.com and entered same info and got estimated delivery 10/31. So I sent the buyer another message asking if they preferred I refund so they could buy locally or if they wanted to pay for express, which would have cost more than the actual item, since USPS website said it would be unlikely to arrive until the 31st. After five days, buyer didn't respond to any messages so I finally just cancelled and refunded. At that point, the buyer finally responded, blamed me for her kid not having a costume, and said I should have been able to send it in time and eBay's date couldn't be wrong. Anyone had this happen before, where ebay's estimate vs USPS estimate were different? It stinks because there is no way the seller can edit that info, and it is pretty frustrating if it is telling my buyers they will get First Class packages in 1 or 2 business days.

[rebby-clothes]

Sorry, it isn't letting me edit, buyer emailed me on 26th not 28th, had a couple spelling errors and I guess there is a limit on edits...

[7606dennis]

Alas!  Many shoppers on eBay fail to realize that the estimated delivery dates are just that, estimates.  That is why it is wise not to wait until the last minute to shop for things online when there is a relatively close deadline.  Procrastination is not your friend.

There really isn't much you can do about the situation at this point.  Unfortunately, since Scotty's passing the transporter has been acting up and without our miracle worker, we've had to muddle through the best we can.

[johnrj1226]

You say "I rarely ship earlier unless buyer requests"

Why? 

1.  How much time would you save if  you shipped an item sooner?  Answer: none.

2.  Is this practice clearly stated in your listings?  Can't tell as this seems to be your posting ID.

3.  "Under estimate & over perform" has always been a key to providing excellent  customer  service.  Only once in my real selling  career did I ever have a customer complain that I delivered  their order (industrial lift trucks) earlier than I quoted.

4.  By  cancelling the  order and refunding the buyer without  the  buyers request you earned a defect on your selling account - not a good thing.

[johnrj1226]

One more thing. 

5.  Since  we started selling in 2010 have yet to  see an estimated delivery date  of 1-2 days from eBay for any of  our FCP and Priority mail shipments.

[rebby-clothes]

If my handling time is 2 business days, why would I have to make a note that I almost always ship on the 2nd business day and only rarely ship sooner?

And unfortunately, it did show that estimate for some reason. Item sold on 24th, so due to ship 26th Friday, eBay estimates it should have been delivered by Monday the 29th, and I have no idea why because that is only 1-2 days depending if you count Saturday. USPS shipping calculator on the USPS site gave me an estimate of the 31st for the same shipping info. I double checked and correct handling time and shipping method were listed.

Would you have just shipped the item knowing it wouldn't arrive when the buyer needed it? Buyer was insistent that they needed the item to arrive before Halloween. it wasn't going to arrive in time, I wasn't going to eat the cost of express (more than cost of item), and buyer refused to respond after several days. Should I have waited for them to file INR? I'm pretty sure they would have just opened a return if it arrived after Halloween, which was why I didn't want to send it.

[rebby-clothes]

posted twice for some reason 

[missjen831]

@rebby-clothes You are darned if you do, darned if you don’t. If you had shipped the same day the buyer paid and the buyer contacted you a few hours later and wanted to cancel, you’d be criticized for shipping too soon. You just can’t win. You met your handling time in this situation. It’s ebay that’s too blame for their over optimistic ETA.

[divwido]

If a US buyer ordered on 10/24, there should be every expectation for it to be delivered within seven days.   Two days handling is two days too many unless it was clearly (and repeatedly) stated.

[missjen831]

---

@divwido wrote:

If a US buyer ordered on 10/24, there should be every expectation for it to be delivered within seven days.   Two days handling is two days too many unless it was clearly (and repeatedly) stated.

---

@divwido EBAY has chosen to stop showing the sellers handling time on the listing so again let’s blame eBay not the seller. She met her stated handling time. eBay chose not to display that info and eBay chose to give the buyer a 2 business day delivery estimate. Not the seller. eBay shouldn’t be giving that estimate when the sellers handling time is 2 days and they ship first class.

[lovingroger2020]

I have very similar problem with ebay. I had to change all my listenings for 4 business days handling time because of ebay. I ship next business day or the same day, but I always had 3 business days handling time because of USPS delays. So formally if I sell something today I can ship it on Monday. But no, when I open my listenings I see that estimated time is also on Monday. It's pretty funny because USPS (even express) can't deliver in the same day I shipped. 

So where are my 3 business days? I ship very fast I think but I need a time for USPS mistakes.  So I don't think someone wants to wait 4 business days but if I change for 3 business days it shows: fast and free, and free delivery in 4 days. Wow! 

I called ebay but they only know how to get their 10% and thats all. Don't see any problem. 

[johnrj1226]

Again if this is your  policy - I rarely ship earlier unless buyer requests.  My question  remain do  you make thsi clear in your lsitings??? You did not anwer  any comments I made.

[johnrj1226]

@missjen831

Without seeing the actual screen shot the OP is referring w/date time reference points) it is  hard to comment if  eBay was overly optimistic.  Personally I have yet to see an overly optiimistic expected delivery  date from eBay.     Just looked  at my current listings where I use priority mail and FCP and the expected delivery  date is on or before Nov. 5 based on my 1 day handling time) - that will change depending on what day & time a buyer pays & when I print out the  label - at the time the label is purchased and the selects  a shipping date is selected (like today, tommorow or two days from now. nothing will happen 'til the  next day.

Of couse if the buyer pays after  4:00 PM or while I'm counting sheep (this happens at lot for me as I'm in GA and  ~ 45% of  our buyers are from the western states.  Will I'm not able to buy a label  until I wake up 4 -5 am (vintage folks don't need much sleep or does  a former farm boy ) , have some coffee, take the dog out, etc. I assure you I will have it in the hands of the USPS the same day - my carrier will pick  it up  or PO drop off if I'll be  driving near.  No big  deal as  Quicker delivery  equals happier buyer - haven't  had one complaint about  receiving it  too soon.  Maybe that is why I get FB, all but two positive on 64% of the items I sold since 2010.

[rebby-clothes]

I guess I am confused what exactly you think I should add to my listings? I select an accurate handling time, I ship in time based on what I select when I list the items. What am I supposed to say? "The handling time is really the handling time! I ship when I say I will ship, I don't ship earlier than I say I will ship, unless you ask, then I can ship next day but never same day. But otherwise, it means what it says!" That seems.. odd.  

This is what the buyer sent me. I verified that I didn't make a mistake and the handling time was set to 2 days and the shipping was First Class. I also made sure that the buyer wasn't showing me a different order, because when I looked at the order to print a label it said the buyer expected to receive it by Oct 29. So basically ebay expected it to arrive in 2 days, because that's what's left after 2 day handling time plus there was a Sunday in there. WTH? I didn't take a screenshot of the later USPS website estimate and can't do that now since I can't select an old shipping date, wish I had taken one.

[lintbrush*]

And there it is.  It says estimated, not guaranteed.

I think if you mailed on Friday, good chances are it would've arrived by Monday.  I send things Saturday and they often get delivered Monday - coast to coast.  The PO has business day retail hours, but is a 24/7 operation.

I do think eBay did a disservice to the sellers by removing the handling time from the listing.