Guaranteed Delivery?

[mikesbestpicks]

eBay tells me that, because of my excellent shipping time history, I'm qualified to offer Guaranteed Delivery to my buyers. eBay also states that buyers who want something quickly are more likely to buy from a Guaranteed Delivery seller than from another seller, even though that other seller (me) may already be offering one business day shipping & handling time. I have no problem committing to getting my package to the shipping carrier within one business day, so here's my question. How can I offer guaranteed delivery on an item that is completely out of my control once I leave it with the package carrier? Even the USPS can't guarantee a specific delivery time, even though they say they do. Just last week, I received a package on which I paid Priority Mail EXPRESS charges. That service states a guaranteed 2-Day delivery. It took that package 4 days to get to me (with no weather delays or any of the other normal contributing circumstances). So, it seems to me that subscribing to eBay's Guaranteed Shipping Time program would be more of a liability than an asset for a seller. Am I missing something here?

[loveyourimagination49]

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/offering-ebay-guaranteed-delivery?id=4645&st=12&pos...

[ittybitnot]

Am I missing something here?

Don't think so. 

[andrew547 · Accepted solution]

With Guaranteed Delivery and a late delivery, ebay will refund the shipping cost to the buyer or give them a $5 voucher if shipping was free. It has nothing to do with you, and you pay nothing unless you miss your shipping window - though customers will surely complain to you that their package was late. But it's on ebay, not you. It's great...until ebay starts inexplicably estimating your delivery time a week into the future.

[mikesbestpicks]

Thanks for your reply! For the buyer who does get a late delivery, and who, as you say, might complain to me about it, am I subject to negative feedback from him?

[andrew547]

No, not if you shipped within your stated shipping window. If you shipped late, that may be a different matter.

From ebay:

An item arrived late but tracking shows that you shipped on time

We automatically adjust your late shipment rate and remove feedback when:

• The carrier scan shows you shipped within your handling time, even if it arrives late
• The carrier scan shows the item arrived by the estimated delivery, even if you shipped it late
• If there is no tracking or the carrier didn't scan the shipment, it will not count as a late shipment if the buyer doesn't indicate the shipment was late

[koinonia215]

The Guaranteed Shipping can also count against you in the service metrics. I don't participate in it but ebay adds it anyway to some sales. I had 2-3 cases where they did this and people opened INR cases when their purchase wasn't received by ebay's date. (They did get the packages, just later than ebay stated.) Though a service rep stated these would not count against me and they were closed in my favor, they show in my performance metrics.  I won't ever voluntarily participate as I have no control over what date ebay promises nor what the USPS does once they have the package.