<<Most items are Delivery Confirmed, not tracked>>
This is incorrect. There is no such thing as Delivery Confirmation which is not tracked.
Tracking necessarily includes Delivery Confirmation.
There is no instance when one is independent of the other.
Tracked/DC items get 'checked in' at various points along the way, but cannot possibly
or realistically be monitored every minute of every hour. An item coming up from the
US might read that it is in Customs at Montreal and then not show up again until it is
scanned again several days later.
On the last day the item is "out for delivery" with the final notation showing "Delivered".
Sellers may comfortably restrict their concerns to that final word.
<<Tracking/ delivery confirmation is not useful, and is very stressful, for buyers.>>
This is wholly incorrect and misguided. When people spend money they want to know that
their item is on its way and where it is. They may need to arrange for someone to be available
to receive the package if they cannot be on hand themselves. The buyer may have to sign for
it, and having to later retrieve the item at the post office can be a huge inconvenience for some.
Tracking greatly relieves buyer anxiety and reduces stress.
Buyers frequently post to these boards about tracking, and this is the clearest indication
that it is indeed very important to them. People do not post their concerns here to be told
to pipe down and go watch the calendar.
<<A buyer should not bother with it and given the choice should not pay extra for it.>>
This is similarly untrue. Tracking is very useful to buyers and hence they continue to inquire
about it. It enables people to know where their package is and to make arrangements for
its receipt. Buyers are perfectly capable of making their own decisions as to the utility tracking
will have for themselves. Anyone making a purchase who wishes to be able to monitor the
progress of their item should be willing to pay for tracking if it is an option. Items coming to
Canada from the US via USPS First Class are tracked without 'extra' cost.
Buyers should be willing to wait at least 30 days for any item. They have 45 days in which to
initiate a claim for non-receipt. There is simply no reason to file before day 40.
'False claims of non-delivery' could be greatly reduced if buyers were encouraged to wait for
their items to show up. Posting 'wishful thinking' delivery times fosters unrealistic expectations
and results in impulsive claims.
This is evidently not a problem to Canadian sellers for whom reimbursment is just a phone call
away. But the day Canada Post stops handing back money to ebay sellers is the day more
sellers here will encourage buyers to wait a reasonable length of time for their items to arrive.
Mail order takes time, and most postal systems in other countries do not refund sellers 'on demand'
unless they have purchased separate insurance..
De facto encouragement to premature claims invariably leads to increased costs for everyone,
in all capacities, - selling fees, shipping and insurance costs.
The continued perpetuation of misinformation helps no one. When a buyer requests assistance
that person will be best served by honest and truthful replies.
A seller may limit her interests to the word 'delivered', but other ebay users are entitled to
have the most truthful and therefore helpful information possible.
The following link explains what to do for anyone with concerns about an item that has
not arrived. A claim must be opened by day 45 (just over 6 weeks) , but is not required to be
concluded in that time:
http://pages.ebay.ca/help/buy/item-not-received.html
