eBay

dustin.styner · ‎04-24-2024

Does anyone have any recent experiences to share that could shed light on how quickly packages are being processed at the international hub in Illinois? I've read a bunch of horror stories, but was hoping to get some recent reports that show what the typical processing time is.

Thanks!

marnotom! · ‎04-24-2024

I don’t think you’re going to get a lot of people flocking to this discussion board for the express purpose of responding to your question, unfortunately.

There were a rash of threads and posts on the eBay International Shipping hub that popped up in the past week or so and they can be found just by scrolling down the thread list. They may be some of the ones you’ve found, though.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎04-24-2024

@marnotom! wrote:
I don’t think you’re going to get a lot of people flocking to this discussion board for the express purpose of responding to your question, unfortunately.

There were a rash of threads and posts on the eBay International Shipping hub that popped up in the past week or so and they can be found just by scrolling down the thread list. They may be some of the ones you’ve found, though.

There seems to be a similar volume of "reports" on the dot com board as of late. If it was a contest those posts would be winning. Hopefully eBay realizes that there may be a bit of a logjam at eIS central and is working to identify the problem and then finding a solution. Problems like these do nothing to help user confidence. (Both buyers and sellers.)

-Lotz

marnotom! · ‎04-24-2024

@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

There seems to be a similar volume of "reports" on the dot com board as of late. If it was a contest those posts would be winning. Hopefully eBay realizes that there may be a bit of a logjam at eIS central and is working to identify the problem and then finding a solution. Problems like these do nothing to help user confidence. (Both buyers and sellers.)

I did a search for similar posts on the UK and Australian eBay community boards and couldn't find any complaints along these lines, @lotzofuniquegoodies. Of course, it may be that UK and Aussie buyers don't generally purchase from the United States anyway because of the expense. I did find one post on the UK boards from a buyer who purchased an item in late March. It went through the Illinois hub just fine but appears to have been delayed two weeks at Heathrow before moving on to the buyer.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎04-24-2024

@marnotom! wrote:
@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

There seems to be a similar volume of "reports" on the dot com board as of late. If it was a contest those posts would be winning. Hopefully eBay realizes that there may be a bit of a logjam at eIS central and is working to identify the problem and then finding a solution. Problems like these do nothing to help user confidence. (Both buyers and sellers.)
I did a search for similar posts on the UK and Australian eBay community boards and couldn't find any complaints along these lines, @lotzofuniquegoodies. Of course, it may be that UK and Aussie buyers don't generally purchase from the United States anyway because of the expense. I did find one post on the UK boards from a buyer who purchased an item in late March. It went through the Illinois hub just fine but appears to have been delayed two weeks at Heathrow before moving on to the buyer.

@marnotom!

I'm having the feeling that because for US sellers eIS is basically the default shipping method it's become a case of system overload. Not enough infastructure to process the volume. As anything gets processed it should be going in containers. (Metal Cages). Those cages as they are filled go on whatever transport truck they are using. As soon as they are full they "should" be happily = promptly on their way. If this is not going on, then Houston, we have a problem. I can't see it being a fly by night trucking company that this been left to for handling. Normally when there are problems like this showing up...They get addressed as soon as they are recognized. Or they should be!! Is there is a problem with accountability on this file?

-Lotz

marnotom! · ‎04-24-2024

@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:
I'm having the feeling that because for US sellers eIS is basically the default shipping method it's become a case of system overload. Not enough infastructure to process the volume. As anything gets processed it should be going in containers. (Metal Cages). Those cages as they are filled go on whatever transport truck they are using. As soon as they are full they "should" be happily = promptly on their way. If this is not going on, then Houston, we have a problem. I can't see it being a fly by night trucking company that this been left to for handling.

I'm also suspecting system overload, but I think it's playing out a little differently than what you're suggesting.

I think what's happening is that items are getting checked into a warehouse (the "left with individual" tracking event) and sitting there until the hub is able to take them in. However, the items aren't getting sorted or arranged by their arrival date and the stuff that gets warehoused first ends up being the last items that get checked into the hub, hence we get some items that take just a few days to get checked into the hub, and some items that take a week or even longer to get checked in.

If you recall, the USPS Chicago International Sort Center had and may still have this issue. In fact, part of me wonders if some of this delay at the hub may be caused by the ISC telling the parcel contractor to hold off on getting the consolidated sacks or pallets out to them until the Sort Center is ready to receive them.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎04-24-2024

@marnotom! wrote:
@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:
I'm having the feeling that because for US sellers eIS is basically the default shipping method it's become a case of system overload. Not enough infastructure to process the volume. As anything gets processed it should be going in containers. (Metal Cages). Those cages as they are filled go on whatever transport truck they are using. As soon as they are full they "should" be happily = promptly on their way. If this is not going on, then Houston, we have a problem. I can't see it being a fly by night trucking company that this been left to for handling.
I'm also suspecting system overload, but I think it's playing out a little differently than what you're suggesting.

I think what's happening is that items are getting checked into a warehouse (the "left with individual" tracking event) and sitting there until the hub is able to take them in. However, the items aren't getting sorted or arranged by their arrival date and the stuff that gets warehoused first ends up being the last items that get checked into the hub, hence we get some items that take just a few days to get checked into the hub, and some items that take a week or even longer to get checked in.

If you recall, the USPS Chicago International Sort Center had and may still have this issue. In fact, part of me wonders if some of this delay at the hub may be caused by the ISC telling the parcel contractor to hold off on getting the consolidated sacks or pallets out to them until the Sort Center is ready to receive them.

Distribution centres have failsafes so that should never happen. If it does, it is corrected. Issue being eIS/eBay appears to be slow to the dance recognizing or even addressing based on complaints. That's why it's called FIFO. First in...First out. It's been around forever.

Quote of the day: "You can't be first, but you could be next."

aramatic · ‎04-24-2024

One of my packages stopped in its tracks at the International Hub on 5 April, languished there for 17 days, and finally made it across the border to Mississauga today (24 April). Ohers have reported similar hold-ups beginning on 5 April. Perhaps a calamity of some sort overtook a warehouse.

marnotom! · ‎04-24-2024

Can you go into a little more detail on that, @aramatic? Was the April 5 scan a “received at the hub” scan or a “left with individual” scan? When did it leave the hub and what are the scan events between then and today?

aramatic · ‎04-24-2024

Arrived at hub 5 April, all inspections passed 22 April. I'd almost given it up for lost.

reallynicestamps · ‎04-24-2024

And of course, how many days past the last estimated date for arrival did you actually receive it?

I asked devon@ebay about the eIS policy on parcels refunded while in transit that are later received.

He tells us that like GSP, the buyer gets to keep the money and the purchase.

Perhaps the eIS insurer will point out that they should hire a few more workers to get stuff moving rather than paying out on failed transactions.

marnotom! · ‎04-25-2024

@reallynicestamps wrote:

And of course, how many days past the last estimated date for arrival did you actually receive it?

Item’s still in transit, @reallynicestamps. @aramatic noted in his first post on this thread that there was a scan event in Mississauga today.

zzzyzygy · ‎05-03-2024

It has always been a useless service, just like its predecessor. In addition to being slow, they don't make any effort to fill in the customs declaration to Canada correctly. I recently purchased a Canadian-made model kit from a US seller. The eBay International Shipping declared it as machinery from China. That cost me $30 in duty, taxes and fees. It is the third time eBay International Shipping has made that mistake. In short, it is an incompetent operation. I will now only purchase from US sellers that ship directly with USPS.

marnotom! · ‎05-03-2024

@zzzyzygy wrote:

It has always been a useless service, just like its predecessor. In addition to being slow, they don't make any effort to fill in the customs declaration to Canada correctly. I recently purchased a Canadian-made model kit from a US seller. The eBay International Shipping declared it as machinery from China. That cost me $30 in duty, taxes and fees. It is the third time eBay International Shipping has made that mistake. In short, it is an incompetent operation. I will now only purchase from US sellers that ship directly with USPS.

I'm not a big fan of the eBay International Shipping scheme, either, @zzzyzygy, but I've come to realize that many of its errors and quirks are due to the information provided by the seller, or lack thereof. In that latest item that you purchased, there's no information on the model kit's country of origin or manufacture, and it's pretty light on other specifications that could have been added to help the eIS's AI create a more accurate customs declaration.

Also, your seller states in the listing description that they ship to Canada via USPS. Did you take that up with the seller before you placed your bid?