New Arriving by date in Order details creating unesesarry confusion

[merritt-motorcycle-salvage]

The new arriving by date generated by ebay provided to buyers in order details is now showing only the first estimated delivery date. Instead of an estimated delivery date ranging between two dates it is now giving the impression to buyers an item is arriving on the first estimated delivery date by only providing one date now. I am getting a steady stream of where's my item questions.

[marnotom!]

I checked one of your Suzuki screw set listings on both the .ca and .com sites and I saw a delivery date range for several locations I tried.  🤷

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@marnotom! wrote:

I checked one of your Suzuki screw set listings on both the .ca and .com sites and I saw a delivery date range for several locations I tried.  🤷

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@merritt-motorcycle-salvage 

I may be misreading the OP but sounded like info changes after the sale is completed only showing the first date vs a window. I'm pretty sure I've been seeing something similar to that for awhile. I have noticed recently when checking listings windows are a bit longer than they were in the past. <Canada to USA>.

-Lotz

[merritt-motorcycle-salvage]

Correct. There is no longer a window of two estimated delivery dates visible to the buyer in the order details after the sale, once item is shipped. Only the first estimated date as the time it will be delivered is auto generated now. Confusiing and misleading.

[byto253]

What I wondered is that early date the INF claim date, or is it the latest date shown?  There have been previous past issues where economy gave standard shipping time frames for INF.

[ypdc_dennis]

Viewed on ebay.ca (on a computer):

As a Buyer my orders summary shows date ranges.

As a Buyer my order details shows the last arrival date.

As a Seller my order details show the date range promised to the buyers.

-;-

[merritt-motorcycle-salvage]

I have now received neutral feedback yesterday and negative feedback today because ebay order details is only showing the first estimated delivery date and not the complete delivery date window as it used to. Buyers are now convinced they should receive and item within half the estimated delivery time provide at time of purchase. This is a major problem. I have contacted ebay and guess we will see how they handle the misleading delivery date(s) information been provided in the order details as of recently.

[pjcdn2005]

As @ypdc_dennis  mentioned, I also see the last estimated delivery date being given, not the first date. 

[marnotom!]

@pjcdn2005 @ypdc_dennis, does it make any difference if you view your orders on .com rather than .ca?  I've been playing around with viewing delivery dates on listing pages, and I can make them show up a few different ways on both .ca and .com.

I don't have any current orders and my past orders don't show estimated delivery dates.

[merritt-motorcycle-salvage]

I am beginning to assume this is a dot com issue, not affecting dot ca. The latest sale for me in question has an estimated delivery window of 5-10 business days. The arriving and estimated delivery date is for the 5th delivery date and nothing beyond that.  They are all dot com sales and it doesnt matter if its viewed on either or.

Not only that, I was under the immpression up until recently a buyer could not leave non positive / feedback before the estimated delivery window had past. 

I am getting destroyed with questions, neutral, and negative feedback because of false, inaccurate, and mis-leading provided by ebay as of recently.

[merritt-motorcycle-salvage]

The estimated window is shown when viewing items from the item page but in the actual order details the 2nd part of the delivery window is being eliminated.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@merritt-motorcycle-salvage wrote:

The estimated window is shown when viewing items from the item page but in the actual order details the 2nd part of the delivery window is being eliminated.

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It's comparable to what is  inconsistently displayed when customs is involved. Customs delays are noted on the front of a listing page.

Please allow additional time if international delivery is subject to customs processing.

Omitted on check rates page with calculated/flat rate shipping.

 include seller's handling time, origin postal code, destination postal code and time of acceptance and will depend on shipping service selected and receipt of cleared payment. Delivery times may vary, especially during peak periods.

And missing again after purchase has been completed. Customs delays do "not" always display when a parcel is in route on the tracking pages consistently but can definitely factor in when it comes to a parcel being late due to nothing a seller has done wrong.

-Lotz

[pjcdn2005]

@merritt-motorcycle-salvage 

You should be seeing the same dates that the buyer is seeing.  I shipped an item today. If I view order detail from sellers hub it shows me that the est. delivery is Feb 23 - March 8.  When I go to the item and then click on order details, it shows me 'will arrive by March 8' so it gives me the last estimated delivery date.   

Do you not see something similar when you look at the order details in both of those places?

The item that you received a negative for was sold on Feb. 4. Which country is the buyer in?

The shipping estimate for that item is 5-10 business days. The estimated delivery date should have been Feb 11-18. The buyer saying that they should have received the item by Feb 11?  Is that what you see if you go to the item and click on order details from there?

I haven't seen any reports on the .com boards about this happening to US sellers but that in itself doesn't mean that it isn't happening to you.  I find it helpful though to ask for specific dates for a specific transaction rather than generalizing.

I only have a couple of things listed on .com, I'll check their dates. 

I just checked a sale that had been listed on .com and sold in January.  I saw basically the same info. In one order details it showed a range and in the other it said arriving by xx (the last estimated delivery date)

[merritt-motorcycle-salvage]

The item received negative feedback for purchased and paid for Friday, Feb 4, 2022 at 8:11 PM.  US buyer. Tracking number provided Monday, Feb 7, 2022, have acceptance scan receipt from post office. Order details shows Arriving by Mon, Feb 14. Tracking information shows Estimated delivery Mon, Feb 14. Item is still in transit. Monday, Feb 21, 2022 is 10 business days. Ebay is now repeatedly convincing my buyers an item will arrive within half the time after the sale is completed.

Why am I not surprised 15+ years on ebay as a reputable seller and left out do dry time after time after time after time.

[pjcdn2005]

I might know what's happening although it seems odd. 

Your listing state 'standard shipping' for US buyers.   That's really a domestic option for sellers in the US and if you go into the sell your business form that option gives an estimated delivery of 1-5 business days.   Feb 4 + 1 day handling plus 5 business is Feb. 14.   That would explain why the buyer sees Feb. 14th.  I don't understand why your listings show a longer arrival time but I think that is the information that is wrong...not the actual arrival time that your buyer sees later.  Do you understand what I mean?

My guess is that if you change your listings to 'standard shipping from outside of the US' (which is what I use)  your listings will show a 5-11 day arrival time and your buyers will see the correct arrival time

You mentioned that the tracking also showed an eta of Feb 14th?  What service was that? It's possible that ebay was taking their arrival time from that but it seems like a very short arrival time to the US.

Something else..if you use tracking a lot ebay may be giving your buyers an estimated delivery time using historical data based on your actual average arrival times.  But unless your buyers generally receive their items within 5 business days, they shouldn't be given that as an arriving by date.

[pjcdn2005]

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@marnotom! wrote:

@pjcdn2005 @ypdc_dennis, does it make any difference if you view your orders on .com rather than .ca?  I've been playing around with viewing delivery dates on listing pages, and I can make them show up a few different ways on both .ca and .com.

I don't have any current orders and my past orders don't show estimated delivery dates.

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 I'm going by what I see as a seller as I don't have any orders either but I've never run into the situation where the buyer and seller saw different dates. No, it isn't any different on .com and .ca.  I don't know if a buyer  see an estimated delivery date once the item has been delivered but the problem here is that they are reportedly seeing the wrong date before the item has been delivered.

[marnotom!]

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@pjcdn2005 wrote: I'm going by what I see as a seller as I don't have any orders either but I've never run into the situation where the buyer and seller saw different dates. No, it isn't any different on .com and .ca.  I don't know if a buyer  see an estimated delivery date once the item has been delivered but the problem here is that they are reportedly seeing the wrong date before the item has been delivered.

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Yes, sorry if I was unclear.  I was trying to explain why I can't test this out for myself.  Maybe I should buy something.  😁

[reallynicestamps]

You may need to take pre-emptive action.

Perhaps you could put the delivery window in your Feedback when you ship, along with the shipping date and service.

Or the same information in a Message to your buyers.

Not only that, I was under the immpression up until recently a buyer could not leave non positive / feedback before the estimated delivery window had past.

Sadly, I don't think that has ever been true. I have received (positive) FB on purchase once or twice, and slightly more often as an immediate reaction to my own.

Try calling eBay's actual employees (not the telephone sub-contractors who have no authority) about the problem.

https://twitter.com/askebay?lang=en



https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness/



https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/How-do-I-contact-Customer-Support/m-p/32016431#M1783851

[merritt-motorcycle-salvage]

I have confirmed that when using small packet air usa UR code the correct delivery window is visible up until it is scanned by usps then the delivery time visible is cut in half. This was not the case up until very recently, whatever changes made on ebays end are the cause. I will have to clearly have to experiment with shipping services to correct this issue. 

We will see how ebay handles the issue in terms of feedback. Receiving negative feedback for no reason except conflicting delivery time after the package is scanned, package has not even been received and still within the estimated delivery window.

There is lack of understanding that a seller does not control delivery times and they are ESTIMATES only.

For the most part a very large majority of buyers are understanding and will at least make an effort to communicate with thier sellers.

[pjcdn2005]

The feedback doesn't mention anything about the item being late so I don't know if they would remove the feedback for the reason that you gave. 

How did you confirm that the original date was visible until the package was scanned?

You could be right though I haven't noticed that happening. But then I haven't shipped to the US showing tracking since January.  Something may have changed recently.  It's possible that once it is scanned the expected delivery date changes to the usps expected delivery date.  Did the buyer open an inr?  I would think that they still would not be able to open a case until after the original delivery date. 

I agree that some buyers don't realize that an estimated delivery date is just that...an estimate.  It can be frustrating.   I don't know if it would help but using the 'shipping from outside of the US' as a shipping method might make your buyers more aware that you are not in the US so that shipping might take longer? Just a thought.