"Extended handling time"

[quisqualis5]

There needs to be a limit on the amount of "extended handling time" allowed to a seller.Here is an example: I recently bought a $2.00 item from China that, despite its low cost, I needed. After waiting the entire 2-month shipping window, the item did not arrive, so I got a refund and no item, and thus had to go looking for what I needed all over again. Multiply this by several hundred, and you have an interest-free loan to a seller. Further add in the trouble I went to daily, trying to track my item, for 2 months. I currently have some phone batteries coming from China with an over-2 months "extended handling time." Since it has already been 1 month, I don't ever expect to receive them, but the seller has gotten a $7 loan from me for over 2 months, interest-free. Multiply this by a thousand, and you can see the logic. It reduces my trust in Ebay, especially regarding Chinese sellers, who often can ship an item to the West Coast in around a week. It is only the recent arrival of this nefarious technique that has soured me on Chinese sellers. Why does Ebay allow ridiculous handling times, without repurcussions to the sellers?  Overseas sellers should be allowed an occasional delay, but If the average handling time is also ridiculous, they should be held responsible, as there is no legitimate reason for the wait.

[zzydny · Accepted solution]

The answer to this is really quite simple:  Don't buy from China sellers when you know how long their shipping window is and how shady their dealings can sometimes be.

Buy USA.  We need the sales.

[victorjunkman55]

You are not buying from eBay, you're buying from China, Which is your choice. You see the shipping / Delivery date(s) when you place your order. To place an Item on the "Slow Boat" and expect delivery in a week or so makes me laugh. Buy American, because it matters. Good Luck to you.

[quisqualis5]

I am replying to myself to say that at least the batteries will arrive. They hit SF the day after I posted. So the delay scam is not a trend yet; hope it never is.

[johnrj1226]

Just  be happy that the interest on a savings account ain't very much - so no great benefit for someone holding your $2.00or $7.00 for two months.

"Online banks offer many times the national average on savings accounts, which was 0.11% APY as of January 2016, according to Bankrate. In fact, it's not uncommon for some of the biggest banks to offer just 0.01% APY."

Once upon a time in the late 70's one could receive 10-12% on a simple passbook savings account on the other hand mortgage interest rates were well north of 10% on a 30 year conventional adn inflation was  going nuts too.  This was the era of the peanut farmer as president.

[johnrj1226]

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@quisqualis5 wrote:

I am replying to myself to say that at least the batteries will arrive. They hit SF the day after I posted. So the delay scam is not a trend yet; hope it never is.

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Hope those cell phone batteries last longer than  the ones I ordered from China did.  The fit  jsut fine but wouldn't hold a chaarge fro one day.  I reordered from a US supplier, received OEM batteries for just a few dollars  more & then I stopped cussing but never bought from over there again.

[creoleorchid]

quisqualis5 wrote:

There needs to be a limit on the amount of "extended handling time" allowed to a seller.Here is an example: I recently bought a $2.00 item from China

I stopped reading after that.

[quisqualis5]

Consider  that the "loan" is operating capital, on which they pay no interest. The benefit then far exceeds what they would make on a savings account. The returns on investing in one's own business can at times be substantial, particularly during a time when the business is growing.

[nickhog]

zzydny - If buying USA was only that simple...  Face it, We all buy from EBay for price.  We all want/need to save money.  I always try to buy from Sellers "Located in USA" but, there is no EBay policy or check that prevents non-USA sellers from opening a Drop Shipping address in USA.  So, their listing by all appearance is a USA seller with item location in USA.  Even using the "USA Only" filter doesn't prevent listings from Non-USA sellers. To further hide their true identity and to further confuse the buyers, they can now show an estimated arrival date as "Variable".  EBay needs to institute a policy that forces "All" sellers to properly identify the location of the item and force a more accurate delivery date.  As for Item Shipped Notification and Tracking Numbers, well there's another whole ball of wax and deception.   Bottom line and best advice to all for shopping on EBay....  "Buyer Beware"

[catmandoos]

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@quisqualis5 wrote:

There needs to be a limit on the amount of buyers who purchase from overseas. of "extended handling time" allowed to a seller.Here is an example: I recently bought a $2.00 item from China that, despite its low cost, I needed. After waiting the entire 2-month shipping window, the item did not arrive, so I got a refund and no item, and thus had to go looking for what I needed all over again. Multiply this by several hundred, and you have an interest-free loan to a seller. Further add in the trouble I went to daily, trying to track my item, for 2 months. I currently have some phone batteries coming from China with an over-2 months "extended handling time." Since it has already been 1 month, I don't ever expect to receive them, but the seller has gotten a $7 loan from me for over 2 months, interest-free. Multiply this by a thousand, and you can see the logic. It reduces my trust in Ebay, especially regarding Chinese sellers, who often can ship an item to the West Coast in around a week. It is only the recent arrival of this nefarious technique that has soured me on Chinese sellers. Why does Ebay allow ridiculous handling times, without repurcussions to the sellers?  Overseas sellers should be allowed an occasional delay, but If the average handling time is also ridiculous, they should be held responsible, as there is no legitimate reason for the wait.

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[hafoster]

I, too, would like to gloat my wiser purchasing choices, but I seem to have misplaced my gong.

[joel3020]

WHY IS THE FOLLOWING ITEM GOING TO TAKE TIL MAY 12? UPAAB000000207137426

[tod-weink]

I've ordered from Chinese sellers and have never had any issues. Sure it take longer to arrive but that's understandable coming from so far away. I just had to deal with a seller from California who requires up to 30 business days just for handling time. That translates to a month and a half handling time. Why eBay would allow so much time for handling is beyond me. I've never had anyone take more than 3 days to ship unless they were away on vacation. eBay needs to change this policy and quickly. I tried to cancel the order but eBay stated that the seller would have to cancel. Asked the seller nicely that I couldn't wait that long for something that any other seller wouldn't have shipped already and I'd already have the item. Seller reduced to cancel. So not only did this person lose a customer but they're getting negative feedback for being an @ss. 

[cressieb]

i am seeking help because i just don't know on 7/22/17 i purchased a item from seller that said item has extended handling time of more than 10 days.it said item was to be received between 8/07 and 8/18 but on 7/23 it showed item created shipping label and will be updated when item reaches carrier below that it says item shipped but evry since that message on 7/23 it still shows item has no movement at all so i will assume right or wrong that the item has not shipped but when i have sent emails to seller they have never answered a single email and now it is getting close to the window where i should be receiving item but it still has shown no movement since shipping label created on 7/23 my question is am i wrong for at least expecting a reply from the seller?my past experience when a seller never replies usually means nothing good.legally i understand i have to wait until after 8/18 to file item not received,just curious from the people on here who are knowledgebale am i wrong for expecting a reply??thanks for your answers

[al-boran]

What a shame no one answered Cressieb!