I'm the buyer/customer. I paid for item. Wanted seller to hold it 2 weeks before shipping

[crispautumn]

I bought an item and immediately paid for it. Then immediately, using eBay's messaging service, I asked if the seller could hold the item 2 weeks before shipping BECAUSE I'M OUT OF TOWN 3 WEEKS. Seller replied that eBay insists in immediate shipping and asked what did i want him/her to do. I didn't get a chance to reply (because i'm out of town with poor internet connectivity) and the seller has shipped my item. I am not happy. To whom on eBay can i register a suggestion that there are cases when buyers do NOT want an item shipped immediately?

[glyph01]

If you have tracking, put your mail/packages on hold with the USPS is one option.

[lintbrush*]

@crispautumn 

You asked a question.  You got a No answer.  You don't like it, but the seller did nothing wrong.

Seller must follow the terms of the structured listing to be in compliance with eBay's policy.  Holding an item past that time will impact the seller's metrics for up to a year.  Some sellers will hold it and take the hit.  Others will/can not.

The time to ask for favors is before you purchase.

If you are not going to be around, it is up to you to arrange a hold on your mail.  The Post Office does this easily... for up to a month.  When you get back, you go pick up your mail/packages.

The seller is not a storage service.   eBay cannot dictate the seller's business operation like that.   The logistics of that for a large scale operation would be a huge undertaking.

I know it's not the answer you want, but this is on you.

[tcscollectibles1]

The problem is Ebay...they require handling time listed and require the seller to ship it...however the seller could simply mark it shipped and ship when you asked...if it requires tracking...ad it later

[lintbrush*]

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@tcscollectibles1 wrote:

The problem is Ebay...they require handling time listed and require the seller to ship it...however the seller could simply mark it shipped and ship when you asked...if it requires tracking...ad it later

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It's not a problem.  It's a business.   Any business that sells merchandise gives the buyer such shipping information.

And to suggest that the seller could/should hold it is presumptuous.  Space is money.  Holds and layaways take up space and require more work - both paper and physical.   This seller doesn't offer that service.  Nothing wrong with that.

Could you imagine if eBay told sellers they had to comply with hold requests?  

[nmemoryof]

The seller is held to strict eBay rules.  If he does not ship it, he suffers a defect which can affect his future selling.

Whenever I have that situation come up, I ask the buyer to agree to cancel the purchase and then repurchase WITHOUT PAYING.  Wait and pay in 3 weeks when you are ready to receive the shipment.  I won't file an unpaid item report until that time has past, and so the item just sits there waiting for the buyer.  It keeps everyone within eBay rules.  As long as I'm OK waiting for payment, eBay won't bother the buyer.  That one is not automated.  Everyone wins.

Some sellers do not like to wait for payment.  So there is that.  But for me, I do it.  No big deal.  Sometimes the buyer is fine just waiting while the listing sits there open for sale.  Others want the guarantee that it will be there for them.  Still others are uncomfortable with the unpaid item dispute potential hanging over them (I keep my promises).  So....it's whatever you and the seller can agree to.  But don't blame the seller.   He has to follow eBay rules.

[crispautumn]

Please read my original post again. I am not angry at the seller. I am upset that eBay globally requires items to ship immediately. I felt i had to buy the item i bought even knowing i wouldn't be here if it were shipped immediately, and i am knowledgeable enough about USPS services to ask for a mail hold, which I did. However, once in a while the post office slips up and thinks it's given me three notices to retrieve a package, and when i didn't, has returned the item to the seller. Yes, i understand it's a pain for a seller to hold an item simply because it's a good feeling to get things on their way after they're bought, but i have no way of knowing if my seller is such a huge concern that it would upset their recordkeeping and warehousing to hold my item. I was unaware that eBay punishes sellers for not marking item shipped immediately and now understand that's a strong deterrent to deny my request. 

I still want to make the suggestion that eBay set up a procedure for "forgiving" delayed shipping. For one thing, they can read the message I sent the seller asking if that would be possible. I did not demand it.

[fashions4passionint]

Seller followed the rules eBay has for sellers. 

They did nothing wrong. 

Easy solve...go to usps.com and put a mail hold on your address. 

In the future, ask the selling to change their handling time on the listing. 

[jeannicho22]

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@crispautumn wrote:

Please read my original post again. I am not angry at the seller. I am upset that eBay globally requires items to ship immediately. I felt i had to buy the item i bought even knowing i wouldn't be here if it were shipped immediately, and i am knowledgeable enough about USPS services to ask for a mail hold, which I did. However, once in a while the post office slips up and thinks it's given me three notices to retrieve a package, and when i didn't, has returned the item to the seller. Yes, i understand it's a pain for a seller to hold an item simply because it's a good feeling to get things on their way after they're bought, but i have no way of knowing if my seller is such a huge concern that it would upset their recordkeeping and warehousing to hold my item. I was unaware that eBay punishes sellers for not marking item shipped immediately and now understand that's a strong deterrent to deny my request. 

I still want to make the suggestion that eBay set up a procedure for "forgiving" delayed shipping. For one thing, they can read the message I sent the seller asking if that would be possible. I did not demand it.

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Shipping on time is one of the criteria for being a "good seller", most buyers want their items yesterday.  Rarely is there a buyer that expects their item to be held for 2 weeks and I don't think it is reasonable to build a venue around the rare occurrences.  I personally would probably have told you no, and then cancelled your order.  Some sellers feel that it is just good CS to accommodate such a request and to take the late shipping ding for the team... I will not.  I save my late shipping "allotment" for actual emergencies.

[yuzuha]

Why did you not ask the seller if they were willing to do this BEFORE you bought the item?

If I buy something from any other online store, I can't ask them to hold the item.  They ship it when they ship it, which is usually within a day or two.  I don't understand why you expect eBay to be any different.

[jeannicho22]

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@yuzuha wrote:

Why did you not ask the seller if they were willing to do this BEFORE you bought the item?

If I buy something from any other online store, I can't ask them to hold the item.  They ship it when they ship it, which is usually within a day or two.  I don't understand why you expect eBay to be any different.

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Yes, I missed putting this in my post as well.

[parkersparrow]

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@tcscollectibles1 wrote:

The problem is Ebay...they require handling time listed and require the seller to ship it...however the seller could simply mark it shipped and ship when you asked...if it requires tracking...ad it later

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That would not have worked. Without any tracking validation & delivery within the time frame set it would be a considered a late shipment on the sellers record.

[Anonymous]

We have to follow ebay rules, But maybe next time , You will ask the Seller first before buying if they can hold it 2 weeks before shipping,

[glyph01]

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@lintbrush* wrote:

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Could you imagine if eBay told sellers they had to comply with hold requests?  

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Shush! Haha don't give them any ideas of one more thing to complicate seller's life as they want to keep the buyer's coming. 

[jeannicho22]

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@Anonymous wrote:

We have to follow ebay rules, But maybe next time , You will ask the Seller first before buying if they can hold it 2 weeks before shipping,

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If the item hadn't been paid for, the seller could have held it for the 2 weeks.  However the seller would have had to agree to not file an UPI against the buyer.... AHEAD of time.