Ebay says package been out for delivery, Canada Post says it was delivered

[pebul_24]

I sent on a package out on March 26th, Canada Post tracking says it was delivered yesterday on March 30th, however Ebay tracking says it's still out for delivery 24 hours later. Has Ebay tracking just not caught up to Canada Post, or is something else going on?

I'm new to selling, and I'm just a little concerned that maybe something went wrong along the way.

[intimewithmusic]

Hi.

   eBay tracking has beenout of sync with Canada post for a long time. The reason is debateable. Some Ebay folks say CP is slow to provide updates.

  The random delivery delays last year made it pretty confusing because Buyers look at eBay for tracking. Sellers tend to look at CP. 

   To help the buyer (and reduce the chance of a "where's my item?" msg) when I ship I send a brief msg to the buyer letting them know their package has been shipped and that tracking is more up to date on Canada Post compared to eBay. 

   Along with the msg is a photo of their packed item. They can see it's condition upon leaving our facility, how it was packed, the external customs documents are attached and what to expect on arrival. This can help avoid claims for damage, wrongly shipped items and possible interferance by customs & couriers. 

  So fas so good. 

   Hope that helps.

InTime

[pebul_24]

Thanks for the reply.

So it's probably simply a syncing issue with this specific order between EBay and Canada Post? That eases my mind some. Ebay still says expected delivery is April 8th, so I'm guessing I should worry unless it goes past that date?

And thanks for the tip about messaging the buyer when shipped along with pictures of the parcel. I'll do that next time I send something out.

[intimewithmusic]

Expected delivery dates depend exactly what address (not what country, what province or maybe not even  what town) It's just a general guess. The fine print states delivery times are subject to the actual address a package is going to. For example the date applies to a package shipped to Toronto but not a rural area in Ontario.

Guaranteed delivery dates are another thing. Not meeting them can result in a refund of postage. It doesn't mean the package will to arrive in time. 

   The policies are updated a few times a year .  I advise reading the CP website on "Expected Delivery Dates".  Buyers don't know.  Sellers should. As well there are many other exclusions IE: The pandemic effect.   In many situations the dates are exceeded within the CP exclusion boundaries listed in the fine print.

[lotzofuniquegoodies · Accepted solution]

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@pebul_24 wrote:

I sent on a package out on March 26th, Canada Post tracking says it was delivered yesterday on March 30th, however Ebay tracking says it's still out for delivery 24 hours later. Has Ebay tracking just not caught up to Canada Post, or is something else going on?

I'm new to selling, and I'm just a little concerned that maybe something went wrong along the way.

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This has been an ongoing problem with eBay tracing for well over a year. I have a shipment, Calgary to Vancouver. Dropped off on 17th shows processed eBay in Richmond on 19th. No further updates. According to CP it was delivered on 22nd. It is presently it is the 31st. US tracked package updates has been brutal as of late seeing any sort of updates. I often get quicker unofficial tracking for small packet US in 5 days vs US Tracked. On a few occasions the small packet shipments have even gotten delivered faster. As suggested, when/if a customer gripes suggest tracking using CP/USPS for more up to day information. Tracking update delays can happen for many reasons. Equipment, weather, customs processing, lazy clerks etc. Ask for their patience.

-Lotz

[pebul_24]

If there are issues with tracking for a year, that explains the two different expected delivery dates I found on the ebay side (one says April 8th, and the other the 14th) So I shouldn't be worrying about it unless the buyer contacts me? I've been worried about it being delivered safely, but also about the payment getting released.

Thanks for the help 🙂

[reallynicestamps]

So I shouldn't be worrying about it unless the buyer contacts me?

Exactly.

The first response to a customer complaint should be checking whether the last estimated delivery date has passed. If it hasn't, the customer should be reminded of that date.

The second response should be checking Canada Post's website and referring the customer to that.

The third response would be refunding, with a polite notice that you will be reinvoicing when the package actually does arrive.

Don't poke a sleeping bear.

If there is a problem, let the customer tell you about it.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

@pebul_24 

Somehow this still isn't dealing with  the ongoing known issues with eBay tracking/delivery window conflicts that eBay refuses to address. Similar reports on dot com. Especially when buyers check eBay tracking first. Kinda like buying a shovel that only comes with a handle.

-Lotz

[pjcdn2005]

eBay doesn't update tracking in real time, there is often a delay. 

There has definitely been an on/off problem with some tracking updating at all on ebay but because its not consistent it's probably difficult to find out the cause of the problem.

Where are you seeing the 2 different delivery dates?  You will see one date in the order details which is the expected delivery date and another date on the listing itself.  The date on the listing changes each day as it shows you the delivery date if the item was purchased that particular day.   Or you may be seeing the Canada Post eta which may be different than the ebay eta.

Jmo but I don't see how sending a picture of the package to the buyer is a good use of time and is rarely helpful to seller or buyer.It doesn't matter what the package looked like before you sent it...if the package and item are damaged when they receive it the seller is responsible, regardless of what it looked like before it was sent.

I do think a short note letting the buyer know the item has been sent, giving a realistic arrival time and thanking them for their purchase does seem to create more of 'the seller is a real person' attitude and perhaps make them a bit more patient..   But we all have our own opinions on the best way to do things.

[pjcdn2005]

Guaranteed delivery dates are another thing. Not meeting them can result in a refund of postage. It doesn't mean the package will to arrive in time. 

Guaranteed delivery dates are only for sellers and buyers who are both in the US.

[intimewithmusic]

Hi pjcdn2005

I'm not sure you're right there. With Xpresspost I get a guarnteed dates internationally. Here's what comes up today for a 250 gram package from BC to Florida. April 2 - April 12 seems to be "Guaranteed. "

[intimewithmusic]

Sending a photo can be both helpful to the buyer and the seller. For example

• I have a parcel locker that is 30" long. I recently received a package that wouldn't fit in the locker. It was poorly packed in an oversize box. A photo ahead of time would have tipped me off to be home. It was thn left out as loot for porch pirates.
• Many customers live in condo towers. Packages are left with a doorperson. I've shipped packages to hotels marked "Hold Until Recipient Arrives On Date ***".  Those customers appreciate a photo they can show the attendant on pickup which is sometimes days later than arrival.  (Common in the entertainment industry).
• If a customer returns an item poorly packed and it becomes damaged during the return trip  you have a photo of it's outgoing package in the event of a dispute.
• If customs rips the package open for inspection and damages the contents or else returns in to the freight line in poor condition you have a photo of the original shipping container in the event of a "damaged in transit" complaint. 

  In summary wasted time depends on the type of product you sell. Almost everything I sell is a one of a kind with an average selling price of $70 or more. If you sell fewer more expensive items there is not a lot of time invested. I know a seller who does sell high volume. His solution was not to send a photo but to position a go pro overtop of his shipping table. 

  I can say I get a LOT of thank yous from customers! That is actually the best reason to try this. It's something they only get from you and not another eBay seller.

   I've been selling products in the entertainment industry since 1969. I learned the importance of going the extra mile for a customer from a guy named Ray Ayotte. Ray was owner of Ayotte Custom Drums. We were building sets for the likes of Wynton Marsallis when his band replaced Doc Seversen.  He also owned Drums Only Inc Vancouver which became the largest drum centre on the planet. He is still one of the most world reknown instrument manufacturers with his company Raya Drums. 

  Using his " go the extra mile" philosophy I sold a custom made fireman's coat from the Tragically Hip band to a girl in New York . A $1000 Christmas present for her husband. PHOTO attached.. The next year she ordered an expensive photograph I had taken of Eddie Van Halen. A month later she ordered another photo. Also gifts for her husband. She always sent thank yous for the advance shipping table photo.

  Don't let anyone tell you "going the extra mile" for your customer is a poor use of time. 

InTime

[intimewithmusic]

[pjcdn2005]

My mistake, I thought that you were referring to delivery times guaranteed by eBay which they add on to some listings in the US site and only affect buyers and sellers on the US.

I certainly would never suggest that a seller shouldn't go the 'extra mile' for a buyer but Ive never thought thar sending a pic or video of the package provides any added benefit to the buyer.  I would think it a bid odd actually if you sent me a picture of a wrapped package as that doesn't tell me the condition of the item inside, what the condition of the package will be when it arrives or how customs will view the package.    

Of course there may be exceptions but when sellers refer to taking pics of packaging on eBay, they are usually referring to doing it as a protection to themselves, not for the benefit of the buyer.  But on eBay pics and videos are not taken into account by eBay when a claim is opened so IMO it's a waste of time for most sellers.  If you think your buyers appreciate that, that's great but I just don't see it as being useful to the seller or as extra service for the buyer.  However we all look at things differently.

[intimewithmusic]

  Our customer service may not apply to most sellers.  Currently Egypt is moving royal mummies from one museum to another. They did the same thing with the photos for pretty much the same reasons. Unless you ship mummies don't go to all that trouble.. but the land rovers are pretty cool!

   Valuable antiques and irreplaceable vintage musical items require good listing photos and often, good listing videos for audio purposes. Some of them have a hundred parts like a big drum set or vibraphone.  It's very hard to represent them with eBay's 12 pic maximum.  One of my recent sales was a fragile item that required extensive repair. Part of the sale included a flash drive of the repair process in case it arrived needing adjustment. It did. The item was not returned do to the level of customer service. 

The time of the sale could be a year after your listing went up . Many antiques do not have serial numbers to confirm it's one and not a substitute.  Without all this you can easily get fooled. Can you tell the difference  from a photo of different antique $1K cymbals?  A reputable professional dealer will include photos before packing and a photo when it is fully packed.  the videos I also post are up for 90 days so buyers have a reference. It illustrates you know what you're doing. If they see that you're less likely to have a problem after the sale. It can take a full day to pack a drum set or vibraphone. Snapping a couple pix is a good use of time.

For example:

   If you ship a stringed instrument on an airplane someone who doesn't know what they're doing will ship it IN TUNE. If the instrument ends up in an unpressurized cargo hold on an airplane the tension of the strings will damage the instrument no matter how well it's packed. Stringed instruments must be detuned. The photo clarifys this was done.

In the 80's we were shipping out of large brick & mortar music centers that earned a level of trust but on eBay you need to prove that to your buyer. If you do you get this: 

"My most favorite seller in the world ! PERFECTION .I will buy from him forever !"
EDDIE VAN HALEN JAMMING 1992 HUGE 12"x16"PHOTO EXCLUSIVE ITWM w COA 1ST RELEASE! (#303737682208)

Do whatever it takes to keep em coming back for more!

Thanks for listening! 

WM

[doc_scribe]

The OP's reasonable question and your candid responses to it prompted a little investigation of my own regarding Canada Post vs. eBay Hub delivery confirmation. My conclusion: you are both correct:

In these samples, 9 out of my 38 tracked shipments still display only "Shipped"/"In Transit" (approximately 24%). Even more eyebrow raising was 8 out of 11 of these MIA delivery updates (approximately 73%) were for domestic shipments. It appears that this key Seller performance data point is not consistently being pushed to / pulled by eBay...in some cases, not at all...especially for Expedited Parcels.

Just FYI...