eBay

momcqueen · ‎12-06-2016

So this is interesting. I saw this for the first time this afternoon. On my own listings but only when viewed on ebay.ca and ebay.co.uk and NOT ebay.com or ebay.com.au.

Here's the thing, though:

Canada Post says the deadline for Tracked Packet International service and 2016 Holiday Delivery passed on Friday, Dec. 2. It's Dec. 6 now. Will those items arrive to the UK within eight business days? Probably, but Tracked Packet is NOT a guaranteed service.

My concern is that this is setting dangerous expectations for certain buyers overseas whose CPC-assigned deadline has passed while ignoring completely for some reason our USA buyers who are actually still within the CPC comfort zone.

So, er, what the heck?

This one from ebay.ca as shown to a Canadian address for delivery.

This one from ebay.co.uk as shown to a buyer with a London address:

For the record, these are the actual Canada Post deadlines and I put them in the Payment Instructions on all my listings mid-November:

Seller's payment instructions

CANADA POST DEADLINE FOR 2016 HOLIDAY DELIVERY: WITHIN CANADA EXPEDITED PARCEL is DEC 12 and XPRESSPOST is DEC 21 /// USA TRACKED PACKET is DEC 12 and XPRESSPOST is DEC 16 /// OVERSEAS (EUROPE ASIA AUSTRALIA) TRACKED PACKET is DEC 2 and XPRESSPOST is DEC 9. PLEASE SELECT YOUR SERVICE WISELY

momcqueen · ‎12-09-2016

Get well soon!

momcqueen · ‎12-09-2016

For posterity, this was the reposes from our now-departed ebay Canada staffer about this issue. Post 50: http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Weekly-Chat-Session/December-7th-2016-Weekly-Session-Raphael-s-Finale/td...

pjcdn2005 · ‎12-10-2016

@mjwl2006 wrote:
Here is where this is going to get me into trouble. Ebay is promising this will arrive in Australia in the eleventh hour but before Christmas with its 6 to 10 business days BUT Canada Post with an eleven-day standard for Tracked Packet knows it will take 11. That puts it past Christmas. December 27 to be exact.

Your listings have 7-11 business for tracked packet to Australia but if you sold that on Friday morning, the time on the order details is showing 7--11 days...not business days. And delivery is shown as being on Sunday?

Something similar recently happened with one of my items that sold to Australia on sat. Nov 26. Economy international shipping has delivery to Australia as 7-15 business days but the dates on the order details page were dec 5-15 which is just 5-13 business days.

momcqueen · ‎12-10-2016

It must have shifted to 7-11 days after my same-day dispatch cut-off time which is Noon CST. That's normally the case. There's also the additional conplication of Australia being on a totally different day due to their time zone. Like our today is already tomorrow in Australia.

The buyer paid yesterday at 2 am and the order was packed and accepted at the post office before 10 am yet the Canada Post tracking states the Delivery Standard is Dec. 28. eBay says no later than Dec. 22.

Clearly, that's messed up. The day an item is accepted at the post office is Day Zero not Day One. eBay is nonetheless counting it PLUS short-changing the time CPC says it needs to deliver this. Illogical.

And eBay won't protect the seller from negative feedback if the buyer is upset about this and decides to blame the seller for a problem they themselves did not create. My listings give the CPC delivery deadlines under Payment Instructiins as well. Does that count for nothing?

momcqueen · ‎12-10-2016

https://auspost.com.au/about-us/corporate-information/public-holiday-services

Australia does celebrate Boxing Day, the same as us. And they're closed the previous day to Dec. 28, a Wednesday, due to a replacement stat for Christmas Day being on a weekend. So no mail moves Monday or Tuesday in the week immediately following Christmas. There. And here.

pjcdn2005 · ‎12-10-2016

Out of curiosity where are you seeing the 11 day delivery standard from CP....on the tracking itself?

i noticed a little while ago that some of the time estimates were a day earlier on the first estimated date but that the last date was correct so I wasn't too concerned. But that doesn't seem to be the problem in this situation. I don't remember what service that was but it wouldn't have been TP.

There's no reason to think at this point that you are going to get a negative. Anything is possible but I try never to play the what if game for things that are out of my control. Why even think about something that may not happen?

momcqueen · ‎12-10-2016

@pjcdn2005 wrote:
Out of curiosity where are you seeing the 11 day delivery standard from CP....on the tracking itself?

i noticed a little while ago that some of the time estimates were a day earlier on the first estimated date but that the last date was correct so I wasn't too concerned. But that doesn't seem to be the problem in this situation. I don't remember what service that was but it wouldn't have been TP.

There's no reason to think at this point that you are going to get a negative. Anything is possible but I try never to play the what if game for things that are out of my control. Why even think about something that may not happen?

The 11-day delivery estimate shows on the tracking itself as well as the Delivery Standard when one is quoting a postage rate.

Canada Post's website has gone wacky at the moment and I cannot get a quote for Tracked Packet going anywhere; it only shows Small Packet Air (Or Surface) if you're logged in as a business account.

i.am.vivian · ‎12-10-2016

mjwl2006 wrote:
The 11-day delivery estimate shows on the tracking itself as well as the Delivery Standard when one is quoting a postage rate.

Canada Post's website has gone wacky at the moment and I cannot get a quote for Tracked Packet going anywhere; it only shows Small Packet Air (Or Surface) if you're logged in as a business account.

Have you emailed your buyer about this? It could be they just want it sometime approximately during the holidays and may not be too picky about before or after Dec 25. Wouldn't that be nice.

I can understand your irritation about eBay offering dates that CP does not support. It MAY arrive earlier only CP doesn't want to make promises in case it can't keep them. The "better to be safe than sorry" approach. Items in Canada often say it will be delivered by Dec 9th only it gets there on the 7th, so maybe you'll get lucky.

You can always show the buyer that you got it in the mail as fast as humanly possible, like you said earlier.

I'm not sure if this ever happens in Australia but in Canada sometimes a parcel gets stuck in the bottom of Santa's bag and in his hurry and juggling so many packages, he overlooks it. Back at The Pole it's usually an elf or someone who notices but then Santa has to make a quick last-minute run to drop off any of these late items.

Presents all week long isn't so bad.

It could happen. 🙂

momcqueen · ‎12-10-2016

I have not made contact with the buyer yet. I'm watching tracking and waiting. I don't want to needlessly cause her stress. If, by some miracle, it arrives when eBay claims as opposed to when Canada Post says, then I will have worried her for naught. If it looks unlikely, I'll initiate contact to alert her to the likelihood of delayed delivery.

momcqueen · ‎12-14-2016

Maybe there is still hope. I had just sent a different item to Australia earlier that week and it was delivered in record fast time. The Delivery Standard for it was Dec. 22 and it was instead delivered Dec. 14. So, fingers crossed for this one too. Will report back as soon as I know.

momcqueen · ‎12-21-2016

Update:

Dec 21 and the item has arrived at Australia and has passed through Customs and is formally now in custody of Australia Post at Sunshine West, VIC. Handily, Australia Post has a feature that allows you to check delivery estimates between locations and it says that from this spot to where my buyer lives, it will take three- to four-business days.

Three business days sees this delivered on Fri., Dec. 23 but four days means it would be delivered on Wed., Dec. 28 (additional weekdays off for Boxing Day and Christmas Day which are postal stat holiday that fell on the weekend).

It is now time to contact the buyer, I think, to alert them to the fact there may be a problem with delivery in time for Christmas.

I send them a polite message, thanking them again for their purchase and indicating with tracking to Australia Post provided that their order is still on the way. Noting the gap between delivery in three days versus four days and invite them to speak to me if they have any concerns.

Quick reply form buyer saying they knew they bought it close to the wire and although they fear Australia Post is a hopeless enterprise, they have their fingers crossed. I write back again, agreeing I am hoping for the best too and wishing them a Merry Christmas.

So, hopefully, they get what they ordered in time for Christmas but they are forewarned if they don't and hopefully can recognize that I shipped it as fast as humanly possible. It took long than I would have liked to see to actually get to Australia this time. The previous item sent there was delivered fast, very fast, sooner than expected. With this one, no such luck.

I'll write back with another update when the item is actually delivered. Will it be in no longer than 10 business days like ebay promises? Or will it take the full 11 as Canada Post says? We shall soon know.

In the meantime, I have a new thread to create, probably tomorrow, about a completely different order that went to you-know-where-in-a-handbasket this week. Big BIG time.

i.am.vivian · ‎12-22-2016

@mjwl2006 wrote:
Update:
they knew they bought it close to the wire and although they fear Australia Post is a hopeless enterprise, they have their fingers crossed.

Sounds like a decent person anyway. So many buy at the last minute then when it doesn't make it by Dec 24th they blame eBay, the post office, the seller, anyone. That is, anyone else.

On the bright side, if the item does come late, the buyer can either make up a Santa story or tell the truth, and either way the Dec 25th toys will be familiar so the kids will be sure to enjoy something new & exciting mid-week like that. Kids like presents of toys all the time. It's just adults who get hung up on specific dates.

musicyouneed · ‎12-24-2016

Hi Mj, has the buyer received the parcel yet? I think that because you have tracking that makes a difference.

Just wondering as you know on other thread I have lost 3 out of 3 sent to Australia, I have now blocked Australia. Love the Australians but can't afford to sell to them because of their mail system. Not only have I lost the 3 items but also the shipping cost.

momcqueen · ‎12-24-2016

The buyer has not, to my knowledge, received their package. Tracking shows no movement whatsoever in more than a few days, nor have they left me feedback to indicate it was delivered. I'd like to reiterate their Order Details promised them they'd have this on Dec.22 at the latest, with the time zone differences and eBay assurances of delivery in six to ten business days. I offer same-day shipping meaning that purchase date is Day Zero for the post office IF the order is delivered into the mail stream before final pickup at 5 pm. Technically, I have until midnight. Meaning Day Zero should be Minus Day One as far as eBay is concerned. The Estimated Delivery Date really blew it on this one.

musicyouneed · ‎12-24-2016

Thanks for letting me know. Have a Merry Christmas.

I have now blocked Australia due to their mail system.

i.am.vivian · ‎12-24-2016

@mjwl2006 wrote:
Order Details promised them they'd have this on Dec.22 at the latest, with the time zone differences and eBay assurances of delivery in six to ten business days. I offer same-day shipping meaning that purchase date is Day Zero for the post office IF the order is delivered into the mail stream before final pickup at 5 pm. Technically, I have until midnight. Meaning Day Zero should be Minus Day One as far as eBay is concerned. The Estimated Delivery Date really blew it on this one.

Yes. I am going to guess that this is not the only eBay transaction this happened on. Does your buyer know that YOU do not make up the dates? That YOU would know enough to post a realistic time frame?

Can you get any defect removed IF you get one, either by the tracking indicating a "late" delivery or if the buyer answers "No" to the "on time" question?

For that matter, because you have tracking that shows you mailed it within minutes of receiving payment, will the system prevent (or automatically remove) any defect? Let's say the buyer answered the question truthfully. Won't the tracking information blot that out because it shows when it was mailed. As for arriving "late", it's eBay who bungled that one.

momcqueen · ‎12-24-2016

As I understand it, I cannot get a defect on this because it was mailed within my stated handling time with an acceptance scan tracking to show that.

What I could get, however, is negative feedback from the buyer which I would then have a fight on my hands with Customer Service to get removed.

i.am.vivian · ‎12-24-2016

mjwl2006 wrote:
As I understand it, I cannot get a defect on this because it was mailed within my stated handling time with an acceptance scan tracking to show that.

I thought it was something like that, but I can never remember all the details. It was probably really obvious and done to death already, but I just can't seem to keep it all in my head. Sorry. 🙂

I am sure you will not have a buyer problem because it sounds like your buyer is very reasonable. You proved that you mailed it absolutely right away. I'll bet they have never had anything mailed so fast ever. They can see where the problem is, and it is not with the seller. The seller went above & beyond, and I'm sure the buyer can see that.

reallynicestamps · ‎12-24-2016

But feedback no longer counts against us with eBay.

Feedback is of course still an important part of our customer relations, especially for new customers.

Perhaps you should be prepared with a calm professional Response to negative feedback, if any.

"Pd 31/11/16 Shipped from Canada 31/11/16 Air Mail Delivered Australia 28/12/16" should give any sane person reason to think the neg was undeserved.

momcqueen · ‎12-24-2016

Buyer seems reasonable but there are still is users who take advantage of feedback to comment on their EBAY experience as opposed to the seller experience.