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.   

[no_zero369]

Just asking, but are you sure the way the eBay "system" was modified that the system recognizes a difference between actual movement and "perceived: movement, i.e. another item on the tracking log?  Wouldn't be the first time the was a programing glitch....

[calntom]

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@no_zero369 wrote:

Just asking, but are you sure the way the eBay "system" was modified that the system recognizes a difference between actual movement and "perceived: movement, i.e. another item on the tracking log?  Wouldn't be the first time the was a programing glitch....

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No I am not sure.  

[silver7auto]

USPS could have avoided this mess if they did starting late November what they're doing now, diverting packages to distribution centers that are overwhelmed. They didn't see this coming? Really? I've been hearing that they've been taking out their automatic sorters too. 

[silver7auto]

That is bull. I've sent many packages Priority mail around the same time with the same delays as first class. It's a mismanaged system.

[dbfolks166mt]

     You are fortunate that you live close to an Amazon warehouse and they cover your area with their own delivery service. For a lot of rural customers where Amazon does not cover the last mile of delivery even the items coming out of the warehouses are often dropped at the local USPS for the final delivery. 

     As Amazon matures their drone delivery capability this will replace the last mile delivery for a lot of the smaller items that currently flow through the USPS system. 

[no_zero369]

Yeah, and Amazon is building a brand new, HUGE distribution center just off the edge of town.  Looks like a 10+ story office building going up.  It is right across from the entrance to a local freeway, which is less than a mile from a major interstate!  Oh and it is on an active railroad spur too!  They use to build cars on that property and now they will put widgets and teddy bears in cardboard boxes and drive them around the area, delivering them to local residences.   Problem with Amazon buying is that usually I can find things cheaper right here on eBay.  Can't always say I can find good sellers here, but the MBG protects me when I have to take a flier with a seller with less than stellar FB score.

[glasser]

@no_zero369 

"Well if one provides the kind of customer service laid out in post #49 from the jump off point, then the buyer expectation is managed.  My point is that perhaps this crisis is a wake up call for many to look at their procedures and provide top-level customer service as a proactive risk mitigation/avoidance technique."

I think many sellers do actually provide great customer service. One of eBay's enduring  values has ben customer satisfaction and feedback. That was one of the key differentiators that Pierre built into eBay from day one.  I would say 99.9% of eBay sellers, in my experience, have a strong customer service focus ( eBay itself could do better in this regard).  I sold one thing after 11/30 and emailed the customer to be patient. They appreciated that. So that was easy. But for sellers who have 100's of items in limbo in the mail that is very hard.

If eBay treats delayed packages and refunds to buyers as the cost of doing business for sellers (and it is to a degree) then eBay should share some loses as their cost of doing business during a crisis.

In general, everyone should be looking to improve their business practices all the time but during a crisis everyone should band together.

[dr.kenzo.tenma]

You will notice that eBay has not taken a SINGLE step that might cost it even one cent in revenue when making changes in response to the recent shipping Armageddon.

[mgmjoe001]

Since ebay does not give a **bleep** about this, this shows me that ebay does not care about the sellers at all. Good luck ebay when you ask me to change to manage payments and I stop selling. Just tired of getting screwed by ebay and the buyers. Does not help that I'm selling physical media such as DVDs. To me that category is infested with scammers. This holiday season really showed me how much ebay really values the sellers. If they really cared, the first thing they could do is get rid of those ridiculous delivery estimations. 

[sfau]

The thing that is the most annoying right now is the stuff sent 12/24 or later is moving and has arrived and there has been no movement or arrival of packages sent the middle of the month.  I had a book that I sent media mail on 12/24 arrive today, but the priority package that was sent on 12/18 to an address two hours away has not made it yet.  That package cost $45 to ship too!   I understand the PO is overwhelmed but they need to work on the backlog and not the current stuff!  

[popblox]

@cosmoneer 

I am a buyer and thought I would share two very different experiences with you which reflect what I as a buyer expect from online sellers, no matter the platform.

1st Experience-

I purchased several items online via a big name hardware store.

Most sellers on eBay are not ‘big name’ corporate entities. You made this purchase from a massive corporation, not a person most likely selling goods from their home. There’s a difference.

All items were packed into a single box, which included a 12-pack of 4ft fluorescent tubes.  A non-USPS delivery service placed the dented package on my front porch and left.  

Most big box stores have contracts with non-USPS delivery services that supply them with regular pick-ups and lucrative shipping discounts, the likes of which most sellers on eBay could never compete with. 

I retrieved the dented package and yes, all bulbs were clearly broken inside the box.  I contacted the store and without question or hesitation, initiated a return, a refund, and started a new order.  Within days, different boxes arrived with undamaged and uncontaminated items, bulbs included!

The policies of many corporations on this scale generally have pre-determined budgets that provide the consumer with swift replacements in such an event. The size and amount of items you purchased indicates that the shipment was insured, which can make offering a replacement a breeze. “Damaged” and “Delayed in transit” are 2 very different things. Incidentally, I can think of several eBay buying experiences I’ve had where the seller replaced damaged items with equal expediency.

2nd Experience-

I purchased a medical related item from an eBay CA seller on December 2nd, which left their warehouse on Dec. 3rd via USPS.  The item last showed a scan on the 13th and the USPS site said the item would be late as of the 17th.  It is now the 29th an no new activity has appeared.  I am out the funds used to buy these items and had to adjust my budget to make another purchase elsewhere.  As they buyer, I have no say in what can be filed with the USPS in regards to a lost package claim.  That right goes to the seller.  

That’s entirely incorrect - file away. You can put “Sender Address Unknown” in the fields on the claim, or you could research how to do it yourself, or maybe even make a phone call. I would be downright giddy if a buyer asked me for my shipping address so they could file the claim.

As it goes, I contacted the seller who has asked me to be patient, but has otherwise not done anything to help.  No offer to ship a replacement via another service, no offer of a refund.

In both cases, I had no say in where the items shipped from, nor did I have a say in what carrier they were shipped by.  Now, which of the two online purchases would you say I've had the best experience as a buyer?

You absolutely DO have a say in where the item ships from, you literally chose to purchase an item on eBay from a disclosed location. You also chose the shipping method when you bought the item, as some sellers offer multiple options, others don’t. if you didn’t want to use USPS, you should’ve bought it elsewhere. Instead, you made a choice to make that purchase and, in doing so, you agreed to the terms and conditions of buying on eBay, some of which justifiably require you to exercise a bit of patience in the event of transit delays (an event like, say, a pandemic thats killed 344,000 U.S. citizens in less than a year and forced 19,000 exposed USPS workers into quarantine, resulting in huge facility shutdowns).

OF COURSE a seller on eBay can’t compare to places like WalMart, Home Depot, etc. - did you seriously never even consider that you might have a different experience when making a purchase from a person in another state, as opposed to a massive, multi-billion dollar corporation with hundreds, or even thousands, of locations all over the country? 

I was a bit shocked when I read your post and I’ve tried not to be snooty or condescending, so I do apologize if I’ve come off in an offensive manner, but this kind of presumptive mentality in buyers absolutely blows my mind. 

[no_zero369]

@cosmoneer 

@popblox 

Just saw the reply as I apparently missed the original.  So a few observations.

I dunno, maybe it is me?  Maybe there are somethings that don't make sense being purchased where shipping is involved? 🤔  On a side note..... Has one considered replacing those fluorescent fixtures with LED "tubes" fixtures?  Prices are down on LEDs and they have lower operating costs and last longer, so a double win economically.🤑  I bought four 4-ft LED fixtures from Big Box store recently for just a bit more than the cost of the old tubes.  Now I have brighter light, less on the electric bill, a lower "replacement " budget and don't have to deal with hazardous waste when an old tube breaks and releases mercury.😵

But my Big Box Store experiences have been mixed, rather than all positive.  One purchase shipped well before the holiday snafu, took a "tour":  It shipped from south of me and it's first scan was north of me, so it drove by on its way to that  location.  Then the package went west, instead of south, reversed course and went south - drove by me AGAIN and finally arrived 2-weeks late.  USPS would have done a better job.

Oh and another Big Box purchase sent me non-working items.  So yeah, I had to go through the replacement process, er, twice!  So once I went through the hassle of asking for a return/refund and finally got the replacements, the timing would have been the same as a delayed USPS package.

Oh and Big Box tends to ship some item in their retail boxes without any additional packaging. So not only does that leave them more likely to be damaged in transit it makes them more susceptible to porch piracy because the pirate can see what they are stealing.

So the point is that Big Box is not intrinsically better.

I am guessing the company that delivered a crushed box was UPS?  In my experience about half the packages I get from UPS deliveries are crushed, opened or whatever. 

Anyway the main point is that buying on eBay does require some "skill" and thinking.  It CAN take a bit of time to do and perhaps not everyone is cut out to do it?  When I buy, what makes it difficult is that I look at many things, not just the price.  Have learned the hard way that shopping on just price has a cost.  

So I look at where an item is located as stated on the listing.  Things that are across the country get passed by.  One has to be aware that some items can not be shipped on a plane and must be shipped as "ground".  Thus those are going to take at least 3-days to drive across the country. 

Then I look at the carrier the seller is using.  A lot of sellers list "Standard Shipping" which means they are using a blended, two-shipper service, like SmartPost.  Delivery times on those are terrible so those sellers don't get my business.  So in the long run I recognize it is worth it to pay a dollar of two more for an item that will be shipped from close by and by a shipper that I like. 

So I DO have a choice of what shipper is used in the transaction and I exercise that choice frequently!  So on eBay I CAN and DO choose what shipper is used, with the Big Box Stores I have no choice what so ever.

Now as far as the comment on your seller's reaction when you contacted them - that really stinks!  This is one of my largest pet peeves with eBay is that ANYONE can sell here.  There is no "training" or testing, so that makes the statement cavet emptor ( let the buyer beware) a burden when buying here. 

The point of this thread is that sellers could do much more when it comes to customer service.  WAY too many do not know the tools they have available or are unwilling to use them!  At least the seller asked for patience, but they should have been advocating for your with their shipper!  After all it is the seller's responsibility to see to it that the package is delivered to the buyer.  So why do seller's throw up their hands and say "I have no control" when in fact there are some tools to take some control?  II suspect you would have had a different attitude had the seller taken steps with the USPS to try to get the package moving.  I would ding the seller, not for the late delivery, but for their unwillingness to use the tools to try to get an item to you.  That is poor customer service!

Oh and the fallacy of many eBay sellers is that they don't take ALL of the costs of being "in business" into account.  Too many threads on these boards where sellers are not prepared for returns, replacements or refunds.  Just because a seller is small and on eBay does not give them a pass on basic retail selling principles.  While Big Box businesses do have budgets for returns, damaged in shipping and refunds there is no reason that any eBay seller should not have the same worked into their price. 

But there is a difference between replacing damaged goods and late delivery.   Seems like the Big seller had control over the packaging and could have done better so the buyer would not have had to file the "damaged item" claim in the first place?  But that oversight gets a pass?  That is acceptable behavior just because they replaced it?  What about the hassle of filing the claim?  What about the extra time to wait for the second shipment?  What "choice" did the buyer have in selecting the shipper when buying form the Big Box?  Why is that a better experience over all?  Did the medical item arrive in good condition as it was well packaged?

[pooh333piglet]

move to Priority Mail mid-Nov, or move to UPS

-delist lower margin items that don’t support non-Media Mail shipping

-send notes to buyers when they purchase - explain potential shipping issues, explain that packages might be delayed, and ask if they still want the order 

-make Sure that the post office scans every item - no more dropping in the bin or leaving at the counter 

These suggestions noted are not the best for everyone. That seller thinks that. I dont.

Been selling for 20 yrs.

Almost every package I had sent 1st class beat priority packages. I've had 0 issues with media mail. Media has actually been awesome for me. Beating 1st class and priority.

Using UPS or fedex is a great option. I used fedex as I have always done. You do need to be aware of how they ship, charge and deliver also. There are different options and it's a learning process.

I cant get my post office to scan every package in.  No matter what. It's been a fight a few times over the years on certain packages or when my numbers are dropping. I get a lot scanned and they go in the bins. There are clerks there who cause a lot of trouble. I'm not going to get into it here but those workers with alcoholism and others with known mental health issues keep their jobs somehow no how many people complain. The alcoholic told me on NY eve (yesterday) ... Hey wheres my champagne? Dont come back here with packages unless you have it next time. I told him... No way would I bring him anything so go home and drink your night away. I smiled. Said Happy new year! Hes not going to effect my life. He might effect my packages but I rotate around post offices and do what I need to do that day when I mail. It is what it is. I let it go. I cant keep track of who works where and when. I just cant. Days off, they rotate somewhat. I mail and goodbye. Have a safe night.

I dont message all my buyers. Nope. Too much. Too many. A few I might contact. This season maybe 2 I messaged 1st. I'm kind of thinking none. 

So you do you. What's best for your business. High dollar items think about what's best to use for shipping, cost, delivery time, scans. We all can learn but there is no exact right way. I've been staying away from Priority when I can. That works best for enduring covidmas. Next year, next month might be a different story. I go with the flow. 

[va-8501]

We need to understand that the USPS does not adhere to ISO-9001 Standard KPI (Key Performance Indicator) for OTD (On Time Delivery).  That standard requires a revised delivery date when the original delivery date is missed and charged against the OTD KPI.  This keeps the ownership of the service on the  service provider.  If the the second delivery date is missed, there is supposed to be another charge against the OTD KPI.  In the case of one of my shipments, the USPS Priority label showed 2-day  delivery on Dec 5th.  It was finally delivered Dec 31st, 26 days total.  USPS never provided a new delivery date, but continued to quote 2-day delivery for this service on subsequent shipments.  If proper OTD calculations were kept, this would have counted for 9 misses (not counting Sundays & Holidays).  If USPS adhered to ISO-9001 standards this would have motivated USPS to put equal resources on late items, and/or to increase their published delivery times with the realization that they couldn't keep up.

But USPS only charges the first missed delivery against their OTD KPI.  Once the first delivery date is missed no other performance measurements are made.  Notice that once the tracking shows 'your item will be late', they do not give a revised delivery date.  There is no motivation for USPS to get that package moving, screw it, the original delivery date was missed there is no sense putting any resources on it since it was not re-promised and won't count  as another miss.  Under that type KPI calculation, resources are better devoted to 'new' shipments.  Thus, it's obvious that USPS is using a FIFO (First-in, First-out) prioritization.  Interesting that the OP of this thread implies there are many ebay sellers that just 'ship it and forget it'.  The most guilty party of "ship it and forget it", is the USPS.

[stephenmorgan]

So do you think keeping the subsequence OTD off the books factors into annual bonus's for key personnel?