Is it better to purchase the label and wait or purchase labels at date of shipping?

[willingdealer_make-me-an-offer]

On weekends, I purchase labels ten or so at a time. I'll usually mail them all out on Monday.  Is it  better to hold off on purchasing labels until day of shipping, to avoid late delivery defects? If I buy a label earlier than my shipping and handling time, does the countdown till USPS scan start early?

[simply-the-best-for-you]

It doesn't matter, do what's convenient for you.   You are rated on the Acceptance Scan being within your handling time.   The 'scan' that reads 'usps is awaiting shipment' makes no difference at all.   The only scan that matters is that Acceptance scan for your metrics.  

The Delivery scan can make a difference in some cases & it's certainly good to have, but you can't do anything to ensure that that one happens, like you can with the Acceptance scan.  

Just a note, if you're not doing it, it is imperative that you get an Acceptance scan.  Some PO's do it, some don't, some carriers do it, others don't, the ONLY way to ensure that that scan happens is to do it yourself at the Kiosk or to observe the postal employees doing it. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

The countdown for the acceptance scan requirement begins when the buyer pays.  

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/selling-policies/seller-performance-policy?id=4347

If you have one-day handling and the buyer pays on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, then you are expected to get an acceptance scan on Monday (unless of course it's a holiday, like this week).  It doesn't matter to eBay WHEN you purchase the label; they only care about the scan. USPS would prefer that you ship it on the date that's printed on the label.

IMHO if you wait to purchase the labels on Monday, you're taking a risk that something will happen -- an eBay glitch, you get sick, or your power goes out so you can't print.  So I vote to purchase labels ASAP.

[buyselljack2016]

I'm not a big shipper. I wait until the morning that I ship as long as I can handle the # that I have going out. Ever so occasionally I will print the night before if I have other matters to deal with in the AM.

My reasoning is.........  as soon as I purchase that label........................  eBay jumps up an says it is "shipped" thus alerting the customer to start their "modern day,  I want it now, it says shipped, but the tracking is not updating, where is it countdown" by the buyer.  We know what it really means is that the shipping process has started, but that is sometimes just not understood buy some buyers.

Print the label Saturday night after all the PO's are closed, and then have buyers wondering why by late Sunday night it still does not show acceptance by USPS 🙄

Monday Holiday. I could print my label now with a Tuesday shipping date selected to be sure that I have the label, but I won't.  I have a cushion. I have 3 day handling to cover me for unexpected delays. Once upon a time I did print as soon as practical, but I no longer do that.

[kds99]

Yes - I always try to print my labels before some system crashes!

[superpsychme]

Do you mean same day handling or one day handling like you said? One day handling would mean you get one full business day before you have to ship meaning you could ship tuesday if they bought on the weekend or after business hours on Friday.

[nobody*s_perfect]

I meant what I said: One-day handling means that you ship on the next business day.  

https://www.ebay.com/sellercenter/shipping/shipping-on-ebay/handling-time-and-estimated-delivery-dat...

[lakefor94]

I buy labels whenever it is convenient for me and ship within my handling time. 

On the expensive stuff, the buyer always gets an eBay message that reads like this, "Thank you for your purchase. I will get this order shipped and headed your way today. Best Regards,   ---  seller"

Today, tomorrow,  Monday, whenever. Just let them know when it is actually shipping. I don't care about any email that eBay might send as well. I let them know when I am shipping it. 

It has been so long since I had a buyer ask about shipping or where is my package, can't even remember the last year in which that happened.

[richard1rst]

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@buyselljack2016 wrote:

My reasoning is.........  as soon as I purchase that label........................  eBay jumps up an says it is "shipped" thus alerting the customer to start their "modern day,  I want it now, it says shipped, but the tracking is not updating, where is it countdown" by the buyer.  We know what it really means is that the shipping process has started, but that is sometimes just not understood buy some buyers.

The note that eBay posts is grammatically correct but as you observed a lot people mis-read it.

For the record:

Notice "is being shipped" and "will ship" are both future tense. I frequently print my labels the night before if I have a lot just so the next day doesn't get bogged down. Doesn't make no never mind.

[1tuna]

one day is handling is getting it shipped the next business day

anything payed for on the weekend is expected to ship by midnight on monday

@superpsychme 

[lakefor94]

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@lakefor94 wrote:

I buy labels whenever it is convenient for me and ship within my handling time. 

On the expensive stuff, the buyer always gets an eBay message that reads like this, "Thank you for your purchase. I will get this order shipped and headed your way today. Best Regards,   ---  seller"

Today, tomorrow,  Monday, whenever. Just let them know when it is actually shipping. I don't care about any email that eBay might send as well. I let them know when I am shipping it. 

It has been so long since I had a buyer ask about shipping or where is my package, can't even remember the last year in which that happened.

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@willingdealer_make-me-an-offer 

The other thing I like about printing a label early and sending the buyer a eBay message as to when the item is shipping is it tells the buyer, "You can stop shopping now", item is shipping, no worries, we got this.   

I tend to get less requests to cancel an order, especially over on the AMZ site. I try to print those shipping labels asap.