Sellers need to blame themselves for issues encountered from USPS shipping delays!

[powell-memorabilia]

My heart goes out to sellers significantly impacted by USPS shipping delays.  I’ve had my share of worry about lack of scans at the post office, items stuck in limbo, potential INR’s, etc..  However, It is time for sellers to stop whining about the USPS and delivery delays.  We’ve all had the opportunity and vent, but now is the time to act like functioning adults, take responsibility for our mistakes, and move on. 

Let’s not pretend that sellers shipping mid-November and onwards didn’t understand that there might be issues with shipping delays.  Come on – the first COVID lockdowns weren’t that long ago, and we all knew that B&M retail was taking a huge hit this year, and that the USPS/FedEx/UPS would be slammed.  Me, I got a bit greedy – shipped media mail when I should have upgraded to priority, used the prepaid drop box instead of waiting in line for an actual scan, and waited a few days longer than I should have to put my store on vacation mode.  Those mistakes are on me, not on my buyers, not on eBay, not on the USPS (no, I don’t want to join your sure-to-never-launch class action suit).

The same sellers that are adamant that they “own” their selling, and outraged that eBay would dictate MP, are now crying that eBay is siding with buyers on items that have been “lost” for several weeks and didn’t make it in time for Christmas? If you own it, own it.  If not, take whatever comes your way, and stop complaining.  Life happens - deal with it.

eBay is the facilitator – but we own our performance.  We choose the carrier, we decide when to sell, we control pricing.  If you can’t deal with it, absolutely, shut it down until the situation is accommodating to your selling constraints.  Come on – let’s grow up, learn from our mistakes, and come back better than before.   

[mcdougle4248]

@powell-memorabilia 

I own it.  I used eBay to sell my items knowing full well that they (eBay) were not adjusting the EDD shown to buyers as the significant delays with USPS became evident.  50% of my orders this month have not reached the buyer by the EDD provided at the time of sale.  100% of the orders have on time tracking uploaded and an on time acceptance scan.  If I had been able to adjust the EDD shown to my buyers, I certainly would have.  

[thedoors2008]

The problem here becomes Ebay giving buyers the benefit of the doubt during Covid and allowing them extra time for returns when not giving that same benefit to sellers w/ the extended delays by the Post Office during the Holiday rush.   You can't be one sided on your decision making and flexibility but that's what Ebay has done.

[lightlily_arts]

USPS is not alone with late deliveries or the lack of updated tracking scans.  Fedex and UPS are having problems as well in some areas.  Buyers do have options and choose their carrier.  The issue is that eBay is fully aware of the problem and continues to provide unrealistic delivery estimates.  Small parcels that travel First Class can't be changed to Fedex as the shipping expense is significantly greater.  Individuals that depend on their eBay income don't have the option of shutting down their stores.  Sellers do not have  the option to change the estimated delivery time or they would.

[thedoors2008]

And you will continue to have $ deducted from your account if the buyer puts in a claim for item not delivered b/c of these continuing post office delays/ ineptness.  NO MATTER WHAT.  if even you shipped item out next day and provided proof of tracking.   Ebay is stating if there is NO updated tracking  by the post office after 7 days of going by,  they are going to find in the buyers favor.    And b/c of the post office backup , the Post office has ADMITTED they don't have time to scan these items....I've seen some go for 17 days w/ updated scans.!!!   You will have to APPEAL every one of these decisions AFTER proof of delivery to get your funds back .  Hard truth.

[luckythewinner]

Sellers need to blame themselves for issues encountered from USPS shipping delays!

I disagree. IMHO blame and responsibility are two very different things. Sellers need to take responsibility for the issues that arise from the shipping delays, but they are not to blame for those issues.

I think most sellers are simply upset that eBay was in a position to do more for sellers affected by shipping delays, but chose not to.

They have relatively timely tracking information for millions and millions and millions of transactions, and were in a position to recognize bottlenecks and adjust delivery estimates accordingly.

[powell-memorabilia]

That is a fair distinction.  I don't blame myself for USPS issues, but I do blame myself for not taking certain actions to mitigate the risks, and I do have to take responsibility for my actions (or lack of action).  

Every seller that rolled the dice (I was one of them) on shipping with USPS has to live with the consequences.  I get it that many are reliant on eBay income, and this put a lot of sellers in a tough spot.  Unfortunate as it might be, I find it ludicrous that sellers, knowing of USPS issues, continued with business as usual throughout December, yet complain about USPS performance. They continued to ship First Class/Media Mail, continued to not ensure that packages received scans, continued to not communicate with buyers about shipping issues.  

Admittedly, I've been somewhat lucky - I've had a lot of in-limbo shipments, but almost all of them have moved, and I'm only worried about a few open items.  I've had to give three refunds - one I had intercepted (successfully), on was eventually delivered (and re-paid by the buyer), and one is still in limbo.  I might have one or two more, once the dust settles, but I'm optimistic, given the great progress that I've seen in the last couple of weeks, especially since I've moved to (mostly) Priority Mail. 

[m60driver]

Accept responsibility yes, but to "blame themselves", well that is just a ridiculous sentiment.

[powell-memorabilia]

Blame themselves for issues encountered - not for the backups.  I blame myself for not taking certain actions - that is only way to get better out of this mess.  To throw up your hands and pretend that you are just a deckhand on this ship is fine - just don't complain that you don't like where that ship sailed.  

[blueapples_22]

I'm not sure if you're trolling here, but I'll bite.  I have always had confidence in Ebay and The USPS.  Ebay has always been fair with opened cases.  How can we "own it" sending our packages in the end of November and they still haven't arrived yet?

I did stop sending stuff free via USPS and switched to UPS & FEDEX with a $4 handling fee to make up for the costs on Dec 15th after none of my 50 or so packages had arrived yet.  I guess that is me "owning it".  

As sellers we have a right to complain when we feel we aren't being represented fairly by Ebay when it comes to the situation with USPS.  I know many sellers who have gotten so fed up they are "owning it" as you say, and have completely left Ebay.

I'm not there yet as UPS and FedEx are working fine for me.

I find your comments a little insensitive, especially for the smaller sellers and noobs.

[powell-memorabilia]

Not trolling, just would love to see a return of personal accountability for actions and inactions.  Perhaps a blunt message is what some sellers need to hear.  This rampant complaining and deflecting about shipping delays isn't dissimilar to the complaints of "I don't make enough margin," "there are too many sellers from x region cutting into my sales," "I'm not getting enough page views, and eBay is to blame" and whatever other things sellers don't want to face as something that they can either control or influence.  

90% of the threads on the shipping delays are purely for deflection - not information gathering, not about how to better approach the situation, not admissions of what a seller could/should have done differently, not any lessons learned for next time.  If people don't want to understand that there are things they can do to mitigate issues - if they are in the mode of wanting to hear that they are great, eBay sucks, and the USPS is screwing them - they'll never look for hidden risks, never look to improve, and continually be let down by a market that doesn't care if they think they are doing everything right.  

[donsdetour]

USPS is a single item of the infrastructure that has show a fail.

It shows just how unimpaired the whole system is during a situation.

As for griping about the USPS it should be directed to your federal representatives.

As for sellers responsible for getting an item to the buyer: that is true.

A lot of sellers have already lost money and goods over this stuff going on.

[calntom]

I agree with most of what you have posted. Access to all types of news and seller forums made it more than obvious there were going to be major issues with deliveries from November thru the holiday season. As sellers, we made a choice to throw caution to the wind, mitigate risk or eliminate risk. As sellers, we choose the carriers and offer them to the buyers.

Buyers pay and we ship. I ship knowing the risk. Many of my sales had USPS as the designated carrier. I mitigated risk by changing the carrier to UPS for most sales.

With the information I had, I eventually eliminated risk by shutting down across venues. 

As sellers we have to make the choices and own the decisions.

[sextons-sweet-deals]

I think they are trolling!

check their status. Nothing listed for sale and only feedback is from sellers!

[dr.kenzo.tenma]

Of course. Buyers should take all the responsibility upon themselves. eBay, which is just the "facilitator," doesn't have to do anything. They certainly don't set the expected delivery times, establish procedures that allow buyers to file for refunds based on those delivery times, charge a fee for the privilege of being subject to these policies, or jack up the fees on media items just so they can capture the excess savings of media mail for themselves.