When does the clock start for shipping times?

[byto253]

Just wondering when the official clock starts for shipping time.  For example, if an item has a 5 to 9 day estimated shipping period and I have a 3 day handling time, my understanding is that the estimated time the buyer will see has the handling time added on.

I usually ship in 1 day, so does the estimated delivery time now start from the time I indicate it has shipped or does it still include the 3 handling time?    i.e. By clicking "shipped"  have I burned up my handling time buffer?

For most items and tracked, it is not a big deal but I have some untracked shipping times that are a bit tight and the handling time is a buffer.  

Thanks

[pjcdn2005]

Unfortunately there is no definitive answer.  At one time the handling time was added on so if the listing form showed that standard shipping was 5-10 business day and you had a 3 day handling time, the buyer would see 8-13 busines days. eBay has said that if you typically ship the next day that your delivery times will include 1 day handling even if you state it is 3.   I've found that for the most part ebay will use the 2 business days that I state but I've seen lots of US sellers comment that isn't the case for them.  Perhaps they are more likely to do that when you are using calculated shipping but I'm just guessing.

[byto253]

Thanks.   

" eBay has said that if you typically ship the next day that your delivery times will include 1 day handling even if you state it is 3. " -  Ah, no good deed goes unpunished.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@byto253 wrote:

Thanks.   

" eBay has said that if you typically ship the next day that your delivery times will include 1 day handling even if you state it is 3. " -  Ah, no good deed goes unpunished.

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In reviewing delivery times this evening for a shipment from Calgary to Arizona via tracked, estimates as follows with 1 day handling time.

eBay Item details - 4 to 7 Business days

eBay Labels page - 4 to 7 Business days

CP Rate check Page - 10 Business days.

Shippo Page - 10 Business days.

CP page does not gives an approximate estimate for Small Packet Air to USA or Internationally. Expedited window is longer with the CP page. Someone is under estimating. Buyers are basing delivery times by what they view in eBay and filing the influx of recent INR's accordingly.

Similar off the mark results/comparisons for International shipping.

-Lotz

[byto253]

And there is still the problem of .com listings from Canada showing economy international as standard delivery time frames.  That was fixed for a short period but is backed.  I have stopped listing small free shipping items on .COM for now.   I could go a 10 day handling time and hope that is reflected in the listings but I don't like that work around.

I may just end up creating a new CDN$ account for free shipping items as the time from for economy for .ca listings does work correctly.  

[maximus7001]

Example:

If you have 5 day handling time but mark it shipped (or ebay marks it shipped if you buy their label) on the first day then the handling time is gone. If you do not mark it shipped until day 5 then it  has been added to the shipping time.

We find historically that americans are the only lot that we have trouble with when it comes to shipping time. For usa sales we wait until the last day to mark shipped but for any other destination it never matters.

We had to stop listing on our other usa based .com account at our north dakota address because nomatter what we did ebay was promising next business day delivery on every sale within usa, even HI and AK. The usa buyers were mad and opened claims on most sales and ebay was swiftly refunding tracked or not.