Signature Confirmation Threshold $750

[bowtiebits]

Happy December everyone. I hope all of you are doing well! 😀

I have a perplexing situation that has come up for me for the first time, this morning, that I would like some help with please. 
3 items ordered from the same buyer. 2 different order numbers, (Total Value, Item + Tax + Shipping) approx $275 each. So $275 on one order, and $550 on the second two item order.

1 order was done as a single, and paid for.
2 orders were done together and paid for as a pair.
Then eBay offers me 'Buy Labels in Bulk, and Combine all items into a single package for shipping'.
This then triggers the notification > 

Seller – When should I purchase signature confirmation in order to be protected against an item not received case or a payment dispute?

If the order has a total cost (including shipping costs and any taxes) of $750 or more, you're required to purchase signature confirmation to be protected if a buyer reports an item not received or opens a payment dispute. If you are shipping internationally . . . .

The Seller is having them shipped to a 'package forwarding service', so no international shipping on my part. The Seller does not know if this 'package forwarder' (MyUS - 4283 Express Ln suite 2630 115, Sarasota, FL 34238) will, or does sign for incoming packages?

My first question has to be this. If I ship out two packages (Value $550, and $275), I should be good to go, right? It will cost me more in shipping, but eliminates the signature confirmation issue we both could have, and also eliminate any issue for me if a buyer reports an item not received or opens a payment dispute. Correct?

Without 'Buying Labels in Bulk, and combining this order all together in the same package', could eBay still look at this single Buyer order (In two payments/two order numbers) as still being over the $750 threshold, and subject to signature confirmation, even if I ship out in two ShipCover Insured packages? I would not think so, but I thought I had better run this by some of you first.

[12345jamesstamps]

Ship them out separately...each one will need a tracking number. Paid the extra shipping for peace of mind.

The one with two in an order...made sure each one of the two has the same tracking number.

'Signature confirmation'...sometimes tracking does not scan the package at Florida and just travels onward.

I would mail one package like today and another one the next day...not on the same day.

I would take a photo of package with postage and send that in a friendly email to buyer stating item is mailed to Florida to (their country) and expect it to take a little longer because of 'freight forward'.

Losing two separate packages to same destination is highly unlikely.

Have to protect yourself in any way.

I haven't had any problems with 'freight forward'.

If item doesn't get scanned as 'delivered' in Florida that could be a problem. Honest buyers will be honest.

A dishonest buyer will say item not received. It needs to scan as 'delivered'.

I have an example of 'freight forward' not scanned an 'delivered'...but buyer was honest. I actually have quite a few packages not scanned as 'delivered' but buyers were honest.

Good Luck.

These packages were delivered but still show as not delivered.

[buyselljack2016]

I don't deal with $$$ that high, but I would add signature confirmation to those FF sales so fast it would make the buyers head swim.

[bowtiebits]

I plan on updating this thread on exactly how I ended-up proceeding with this shipment, just as soon as the packages are delivered to the package forwarding company in Florida.  👍

[fm2000]

People's opinions on signature confirmation vary, however I wouldn't hesitate to slap signature confirmation on the $550 package, if not both of them. eBay may not require it, but I would argue it is still a good idea. A signature will at least require the packages to be signed for by someone who works at the freight forwarder and prove the item was delivered successfully to an actual person at the freight forwarder. It also protects against "porch" piracy, or a worker at the freight forwarder from walking off with the package and claiming it was never delivered.

[bowtiebits]

The package forwarder in Florida does not sign for packages (I asked them ahead of time). So it is up to (in this case) USPS to bring a Master list with them when they drop off what are bins full of packages to this company, every work day. It is then up to the Postal employee to sign the Master list off as "Delivered', when they drop off the bin/s full of packages. That did happen in this instance. Signed (Scanned the Master List), as delivered by the delivering Postal employee. 

The Sales were made on  a Friday. I would normally ship these on Saturday, but I have a 'Three Business Day" shipping policy (under promise, and over deliver) on all listings. So in this instance, for the first time ever, I waited until Monday to see about the 'money landing in my Bank account'. That didn't happen until late in the afternoon on Monday, so all packages went out Tuesday. Still a day early according to my shipping policy. 

I bought insurance for all items, and only co-packaged two items in one box, to one buyer.
So two buyers. 3 items each, packed into 5 fully insured packages. Max value of the double package box was about $630-ish.
During the shipment from me to Florida, they got separated for a bit according to Tacking. 3 packages arriving on one day, and the final two packages arriving on the second day, to the package forwarding business. 

So all went well. I am still in contact with the overseas buyers. They tell me they use this service often, and on average (not during the Holidays), once the package has landed in the Florida facility, it take about 3 days for them to get a plane load ready, and off the ground. Another 10 days to fly overseas, land, get sorted, and then finally re-routed and delivered. So 13 days in total, on average. Considering the Holidays, both buyers are fully expecting this to take about an extra 5 days, according to their experience in past years.  So about 18 days in total this time. 

The package were all delivered in Florida on December 21st, and the buyers do not have them in their hands yet (I write this on the evening of January 6th, 2025). It's been 16 days of their expected 18 day wait. I decided to update this thread early.

Happy New Year everyone!