w~~_7.JPG "pjcdn2005"){kind=avatar}
I recently sold a pair of custom made earrings. First offer from buyer on June 4, and the earrings were sold at a best offer price on June 6 after a few back-and-forth counteroffers. I mailed them as regular letter post (with stamps!) on June 8, and on all of my listings I listed 5 business days handling as I can be really busy with work at times (so technically speaking I shipped within 1 business day for this sale). I usually do ship within 2-3 business days but I put 5 business days just to cover my bases in case I do get super busy and can't even pack things to mail. Anyhow, I messaged the buyer saying that it could take 2-3 weeks as it's shipped from Canada (to California), and now today he replies saying that he needed them by June 19 because it's a gift (for his girlfriend, presumably). eBay's ETA was shown as June 19-26.
While I'm quite confident that it should get there before the 19th, I can't guarantee it... what can I say to this buyer? Tell him how he should've bought sooner if he needed it by certain date, or that he should've told me before buying so that I could have shipped it with express post or something LOL (which I'm sure he wouldn't pay for express post, since he tried to haggle in the first place), or tell him since I already mailed them it's up to USPS to deliver?? I rarely get these "I need it by XXX" messages... last one must've been over 2 years ago.
Thanks for any input from all you wonderful sellers 
PS. I think I might put this guy on Best Buddy List because he left 3 negatives out of 41 purchases, only 1 of them seem to be legit neg... why didn't I decline his offer and block him in the first place? *sigh* I don't want any first neg now that I finally got TRS and 5.0 stars across the board 
While I'm quite confident that it should get there before the 19th, I can't guarantee it... what can I say to this buyer?
Dear buyer:
Your package was mailed on June 8th. While I'm quite confident that it should get there before the 19th, I can't guarantee it.
Your seller
A few hours ago my nagging personality had me write a 180 words long polite message explaining that it's an international shipment and can experience delays due to weather/customs/handling, and suggesting to the guy that he should consider buying early next time or upgrade to express post if he needed something by a certain date lol. I probably just shot myself in the foot if he hates people who nags but well... Hope his girlfriend (?) likes the earrings and extra gifts that he won't trouble me further 
This guy sold a few things online as well so I'm not sure how familiar he is with the selling system.
We'll just wait and see how it goes. I just hope I won't hear from this guy ever again (best case scenario). No feedback is good feedback!
I never delete eBay messages anyway but I'll take femme's advice to make copies with screepcaps as well. Thanks for everyone's input and keeping my fingers crossed 
I need to remind myself to keep my messages simple and straightforward in future...
I have taken to giving them a timeline. Had a guy from Minnesota asking if it could go quicker. If I stood on Riding Mountain, I can practically see MN. No it can't. So, I tell him: At the PO in Dauphin today, down to Winnipeg tonight to be processed, on a plane to Chicago on Thursday, gets hung-up in US Customs, then re-sorted back to Minnesota, in a couple or so days, then it is up to your local PO.
People like that answer.
Asking for delivery by a certain date requires a different response for an item not yet shipped from an item that has already shipped as appears to be the case with the OP.
In the former the buyer has the possible options of paying more or cancelling, for the later it's all said and done, all a seller is doing is politely saying "it's a done deal, it will get there on time or not and nothing anyone can do will change that".
The buyer left me a 5 stars positive so I took him off that Best Buddies List 
Glad to know that it only takes about a week to get a letter to California.
