"estimated deliveries" - unrealistic expectations being set for buyers

[mxkid23]

It would be really nice if ebay would just do away with the estimated delivery dates. I believe buyers don't understand the difference between that and the guaranteed deliveries dates. USPS has been the worst I've seen it probably, ever.... items that are normally 3-5 days are taking way longer to show up. Buyers are very unhappy, opening cases, etc because they expect it to show up on or before the estimated delivery date.

I'm so frustrated with all of this I'm considering just taking a break until after the holidays.

Anyone else share the same thoughts?

Its as if amazon prime has just ruined all of ebay, every buyer has the expectation that their item should be at their door in 2 days, and is using no common sense and is extra rude this time of the year.  

[ogaugeminiaturefigures]

I just put everything on time away. I'm done until after this mess.

[jack_bucks_ghost]

i definitely shared your concerns (posting my frustration in a different thread), but just checked all my shipments and the "estimated delivery by" dates have been extended to December 16th. This wasn't the case yesterday, so I'm wondering if eBay is bumping them all forward in waves (another poster said they had been extended a couple of days ago). You might keep checking to see if yours do get bumped back a bit. Best of luck to you.

[madcaptoys]

What usually has been 1-3 days for us is running sometimes past two weeks for things to get delivered. Hope this gets solved for all us soon.

[electronics510]

We don't seem to be hearing much from the 'I've been selling on ebay for 28 years and never had a problem' crew this week.

Any word on them? Are they OK?

*This is just my posting id, I've been selling for 28 years on another id

[netwizz760]

What makes me angry about all of this is I have always done my part.  Heck, I even shipped Saturday and Sunday via the big, blue bin.  That said, the item on Sunday got scanned.  The item from Saturday in the same bin did NOT get scanned!

How hard is it to take a barcode scanner to a blue bin full of items.  I have a handheld Honeywell 1900 Area-Imaging scanner, and it reads barcodes almost 2' away with ease in ANY direction.  It could personally scan maybe 500 packages in 3 to 7 minutes, so it irritates me!  What is so hard about scanning packages?  FedEx and UPS certainly manage to do it reliably where USPS only scans reliably on delivery.

I ended promotions to slow down sales and doubled my handling time from 2 days to 4 days, BUT then last week I sold an item on Thursday 12/3.  I had to ship by Wednesday 12/9, BUT I shipped on Friday 12/4 at 9:01 am Acceptance.  eBay then gives my buyer an estimated delivery of Monday 12/7!  The label itself said Priority 3-Day, NOT Priority 2-Day, but who is USPS kidding?  Priority 3-Day is lucky to get delivered in five (5) days!

At any rate, said item moved 5 miles across town to the sort facility and got scanned there.  It now shows, "In Transit/Arriving Late."  I still have very high hopes in the next couple of days it will end up scanned at a facility in its destination facility and within a day or two of that get delivered... BUT, how can eBay estimate/promise something delivered before I even promised to ship it?

I removed all items that are very inexpensive first-class because UPS and FedEx cost a minimum of about $8 to send a small item.  I subsequently increased the price on everything by $3 to mitigate most of the increase to me.  I made a notation in descriptions, and I selected "Standard Shipping" because then I have the freedom to use FedEx Home/Ground, UPS Ground, or USPS First Class.  It is NOT a specific method!

[grannys_cache]

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/Helping-buyers-understand-shipping-delays-and-what-you-n...

[mxkid23]

Is there a way I'm not aware of to display a message on every listing? I have over 300 listings to add a note to each listing description would be impossible... and then to go back a month later and change them all again...

I thought about adding a few dollars to cover sending each item with tracking until things change.. but I've done that before and its useless, buyers just skip right over me and go to the next cheaper one. its a lose/lose. 

[netwizz760]

As for being passed over, you are lucky unfortunately.   If they bought from you, you either get $4 less profit, which is not going to work on a $12 item, OR you send out a $120 item via USPS and the lose it or delay it.  If it goes real bad guess who gets to refund the buyer and let them keep their item?   Then when USPS finally delivers in three weeks, the buyer gets a free item .  (You might be able to intercept).

Most won’t read what you say.   As a buyer they know your policies and procedures are meaningless that you fall under eBays policies.   I always just read info about the item and shipping, but many read only the title of the item and look at a picture.

It is still a good idea.

Best thing now is to change all USPS First Class and smaller Priority 3 pounds or less to Standard Shipping... and increase the price of the item or shipping by at least $3.   Increase your handling time to at least three-days to weed out buyers who expect their item next-day, and be very clear that you may ship USPS First-Class (3-5 day service), FedEx Home/Ground (1-5 business day service), or UPS Ground (1-5 business day service), which are ALL Standard Shipping options.  Make some comment that you ship within x hours or days.  That you increases your handling time to try to more closely have eBay correctly advise the buyer the real delivery estimate before you buy because nothing is on-time anymore.

[valkseller]

I'm going to try the "TIME AWAY - CONTINUE SELLING" option.  Maximum 15 days time away to Dec 23 which should eliminate any expectation of guaranteed delivery by Christmas.  You also have the option of leaving a message to buyers.  Mine will say 'I will still ship during this time period with the understanding that USPS Priority mail published delivery dates are proving to be very unrealistic.'  All the available options, TIME AWAY, increasing handling time will hurt my sales, but at least I won't be issuing refunds for not delivering on time.  Not a one of my items have arrived within the USPS quoted delivery time in the past month.  The only thing I can guarantee to a buyer is that your item will be late.

USPS tracking data clearly demonstrates that Priority items are being delivered late; nowhere close to being on time.  Yet USPS continues to quote the same 2, 3, and 4 day delivery times on my pre-paid labels.  It's a joke.

[heygreatwatch]

What is everyone doing about those circumstances where USPS does not scan the package as delivered?  I've already confirmed one such case.

Would seem to me that anyone who receives a package that's not been scanned out can open an INR and scam me?

[netwizz760]

True, but most services are very good about marking delivered as this is the disposition their bosses like to see.   Additionally, Some mail is insured such as all Priority.   I am fairly sure FedEx and UPS both are the same with included insurance, so it is in their best interest to mark delivered.

Lastly, services like FedEx do not even bill your account until delivery, so there is nothing in their business model to skip a delivery scan.

You should be more interested in getting an acceptance scan...  USPS employees show no interest in scanning an item.   From their perspective it is A ) more work, and B) more responsibility.   Think about it if your mail carrier picks up a handful of items and doesn’t want to drive them or run them to the proper place or sorting facility, and he never scans them, he isn’t responsible to get them to the proper place that day.   Should he go tomorrow, all is well in his world.

As far as delivery goes, everybody including USPS is good at scanning items delivered... sometimes they are so good at it they get scanned delivered the day before the delivery 🙄

[va-8501]

@heygreatwatch,

Regarding missing USPS delivery scans. I've had a few instances of this.

On one the customer never complained, in fact they gave me positive feedback for the item and fast shipping.

Nice to know there are still some honest people in the world.

On another I kept bugging the my local post office about it.  They assured me it was delivered, just a missed scan.  When I told them about ebay INR policy they were surprised.  Eventually, they got the destination post office to confirm delivery and updated the tracking history.  The buyer never complained about this one either.

[mxkid23]

just back to my topic to vent. for years i shipped w/ out tracking and never had problems, I bit the bullet finally, as ebay has always said "you have to ship with tracking 'SO YOU'RE PROTECTED'"

Well, i've shipped every single item big or small out with tracking since early dec. when all of this started. I rasied my prices a bit to cover this, it has hurt my sales as expected, go figure. And guess what - buyers are still opening cases because things haven't arrived when they think they should have. They are still escalating claims to ebay, and ebay is still taking sides with the buyer. Now what?  Where is my "protection" I was told I had?

Now I've lost more product, and more money due to shipping costs, etc. Spent MORE time (in other words, lost more money) dealing w/ cases, dealing with ebay trying to dispute things, etc...   FOR WHAT?????? 

I have argued repeatedly with ebay that cases like that should be put ON HOLD, not closed out. Their answer is wait for items to show delivered, then appeal it. Yes, sure, I'll sit around every day and go back and check closed cases tracking, and wait for delivery updates.. and then ill go appeal them all 1 by 1. That's a great  use of my time.. at which time I'm confident they will still not give me money back.

Meanwhile I have about 40% of my sales tied up as pending because of cases, so I continue to work my butt off, while money just sits on hold and I can't touch it. 

I am so beyond tired of ebay and their **bleep**. It literally disgusts me how we are treated as sellers..meanwhile we are the ones paying the fees.  I've probably paid a good $30,000 in fees since starting on ebay.. and we are treated like we are the scum of the earth by buyers and ebay support.

[house_of_mystery]

I've been considering going into "time away" mode until after the holidays. I wish eBay would add an extra week or 10 days to their estimations. Especially in the case of any item going USPS ground or book rate. While I'm all for USPS lowering costs, doing so at the expense of accountability is just wrong.