Check 2 of my last surprising feedbacks re: delivery times.

[triber]

I was very surprised about the comments on delivery times when we are hearing how long mail it taking.

[msmaggie060]

Hi triber, yes, I was pleasantly surprised with my feedback comments about fast delivery times too. 

[recped]

These comments in feedback are nice to see......

Super Fast Shipping A+. Great !!! Thanks

Just got that on an order that actually was delivered pretty fast....

BUT

If I look at the buyers Feedback Left it shows they have left the exact same comment more than 400 times, every single purchase over the past 16 years!

And I thought I was "special".....

[whistlersmother1]

i have had a few items to quebec that took 6 weeks. usa up to 8 weeks. now my christmas worldwide buyers are startig to complain.  i ask them to wait a while longer and ebay just refunds because i have no tracking on a ten dollar item. if the buyer contacts me direct they are usually happy to wait and a lot a lot are so good letting me that their item has arrived. stamp collectors are an honest bunch will contact me to say the item has arrived and they want to pay me again.. ebay seems to have no way to do this easily and it  is usually easier to tell the buyer thank you for the offer but i let it go. 

others are arriving in lightning speed.

 EBAY EXTEND YOUR DATES TILL COVID IS OVER. 

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

---

@recped wrote:

These comments in feedback are nice to see......

Super Fast Shipping A+. Great !!! Thanks

Just got that on an order that actually was delivered pretty fast....

BUT

If I look at the buyers Feedback Left it shows they have left the exact same comment more than 400 times, every single purchase over the past 16 years!

And I thought I was "special".....

---

Comparative to.

1. Received fast. Buyer was in Scarborough,ON. Seller was in Brampton, ON

2. It took forever. Buyer was in N. Ontario. Seller was in Italy. Buyer paid for slow shipping.

3. Shipping was expensive. Item weighed 10 lbs and had to travel a great distance.

4. There's a pandemic. Delivery times may vary

Has made feedback almost meaningless.

-Lotz

[triber]

There is always someone who will complain. I was given neutral feedback when I mailed within 2 hours of getting the payment from the US, package arrived in the specified time. And for some reason the buyer said there was confusion over whether it was mailed or not. I told her it was mailed and with the small package from Paypal she would have got an invoice also. I guess she didn't know there was a pandemic going on.

[katlover1952]

I am curious if the items that arrived quickly were tracked or small packet not tracked. With the warning eBay has given us re Canada Post backlog delays I am concerned about shipping. Most of my items are smaller items under $25. The more expensive ones I usually do ship tracked but with tracked packet for less than 100 grams being so expensive in Canada it is somewhat unpalatable to use the tracked mail for these inexpensive items.  But it appears from what I am reading that eBay only is allowing for extra times on items not received if they are send tracked (maybe I misinterpreted that). Wondering if others are still using small packet to US or what on less expensive items. I really do feel eBay should be allowing for extra time on all deliveries in light of Canada Post woes (am not sure it is much better in US either) & do not understand why they have not. I have a 3 day handling time & am reluctant to change that to allow for slow shipping times. What are others doing??

[ricarmic · Accepted solution]

My understanding was that it was only for tracked stuff too, but I don't read these things too closely because most of my stuff is sent untracked.

What am I doing?

Same thing I've always done, sending most of them untracked, but note that I always send a message to all buyers and the current version advises them of the potential for delays. Note that I get a fair bit of positive (ie supportive) responses back from the buyers.

This is the current form letter that goes out via ebay messaging:

Thank you for your purchase and quick payment.  Your parcel has been shipped out today, Monday XXXXXXX.  Note that the global pandemic may impact the parcel delivery timeline. Some parcels move at normal speed or even more quickly, some are slowed down significantly. A lot depends on which sorting/customs centers are affected and for how long they are impacted. Once the parcel arrives, I hope you will find everything satisfactory.  If you are not completely pleased with this transaction, please feel free to contact me.  I will do my very best to resolve any problem you may have.  Thank you very much in advance for your extra patience while the parcel makes the journey. Regards, RICARMIC (Ron)

I'm also trying to "ignore" my growing late shipment rate, at the moment both are below 1%, sometimes the late shipment dings get auto dropped by eBay sometimes they don't, and this is for untracked ones. Personally I am not sure what would happen if anyone does go "above the line" so to speak, the last time I looked closely at the official wording it was something like "action may be taken", and I doubt very much any would but one never knows!

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

---

@ricarmic wrote:

My understanding was that it was only for tracked stuff too, but I don't read these things too closely because most of my stuff is sent untracked.

What am I doing?

Same thing I've always done, sending most of them untracked, but note that I always send a message to all buyers and the current version advises them of the potential for delays. Note that I get a fair bit of positive (ie supportive) responses back from the buyers.

This is the current form letter that goes out via ebay messaging:

Thank you for your purchase and quick payment.  Your parcel has been shipped out today, Monday XXXXXXX.  Note that the global pandemic may impact the parcel delivery timeline. Some parcels move at normal speed or even more quickly, some are slowed down significantly. A lot depends on which sorting/customs centers are affected and for how long they are impacted. Once the parcel arrives, I hope you will find everything satisfactory.  If you are not completely pleased with this transaction, please feel free to contact me.  I will do my very best to resolve any problem you may have.  Thank you very much in advance for your extra patience while the parcel makes the journey. Regards, RICARMIC (Ron)

I'm also trying to "ignore" my growing late shipment rate, at the moment both are below 1%, sometimes the late shipment dings get auto dropped by eBay sometimes they don't, and this is for untracked ones. Personally I am not sure what would happen if anyone does go "above the line" so to speak, the last time I looked closely at the official wording it was something like "action may be taken", and I doubt very much any would but one never knows!

---

In helping out another seller on here that sells low value items and everything untracked it caused them their FVF's % to jump. I believe it was 4 points. Regarding anything that is tracked and does arrive late it really depends on how proactive ebay is with correcting those defects.  When announcements came out that they were going fix these I received 1 email from eBay stating they had done so at the beginning of Covid and then a gap with 2 emails over the last 3 months. I do a happy dance every time I accidentally sell something in a category with with lower FVF's. I call those a small win for me!!! It's worth it to consider a TSR defect could easily be caused by a buyer clicking on the wrong number by accident. And there is no undo button.

-Lotz

[pjcdn2005]

How could a defect be caused by a buyer clicking on the wrong number? Just curious.

As far as getting a late shipment mark for late items that are tracked..if the package is scanned within the sellers handling time there would be no late shipment mark even if the package was delivered late.

[pjcdn2005]

I always send out a similar letter too and I think that it makes a huge difference, especially with non tracked packages.   I think that it makes them realize that it is a real person looking after their order and that we do want to know if there is a problem.

[femmefan1946]

I send most of my items untracked and put the date of shipping in the Feedback along with Canada Post Air Mail.
Most of my sales are to Americans who are antsy as a nation and who neeeeeeed to have tracking. Even though it is only a Seller Protection.

Giving the date "properly" 27/1/21, stating Canada Post and Air Mail I believe reminds them it is coming from a foreign country,  is reassuring that it has been sent, and gives them some warm pink fuzzies to hold onto.

[katlover1952]

I too send a letter when I ship the item & tell the buyer when & how it was mailed. I also point out delays with shipping since COVID. I have been fortunate with the untracked packages to date but was somewhat concerned when I read eBay’s announcement. In light of what Canada Post is advising they should be lengthening all anticipated delivery dates. Even Prime at Amazon is taking way longer these days.

[teenytrinkets]

Yes, i do the same thing! I think it helps them to get the "warm and fuzzies"!