eBay

gemaddict · ‎10-29-2015

As anybody that has read my messages over the last few weeks know, I am about fed up with both eBay and CPC. From losing parcels, to ridiculous delivery estimate dates, to unwarranted defects, to buyers who don't seem to know what they are doing...etc...etc..etc.

I had a buyer from Finland message me saying the order that I sent on Sept. 29 was still not there on Oct.27. The estimated deliver date to Finland it was Oct 5-Oct.7. Later the same day it showed up. It was sent light packet international. It has been my experience that four weeks is not too uncommon for overseas shipments. However, thanks to eBay putting the expected delivery dates in flaming neon (well they may as well) I have had more buyers asking me then ever where their items are because "By golly eBay said it should be here by this date"). Um really? To top it all off some buyers use the "item not received" question which in turn gives you an automatic defect because it automatically opens a case. How fair is that?

I recently had one shipment to the U.S. that I ended up reshipping as it was a no show. The second order I put tracking on at my expense. The customer messages me to let me know that not only did it show up, the first order did as well. This was 41 days after the initial shipment!!!

Shipping tracked packet works on a very few of my orders as it is too expensive for most of what I sell. I had one tracked packet that I had to file a lost claim on because even though I handed it over the counter at CP it was never scanned into the system therefore didn't exist. Thankfully it finally showed up once it hit USPS. At least one postal company was doing it's job.

I have another order sitting on my desk that I mailed Oct.13 to Quebec. I got it back two weeks later saying that the address didn't exist. I had another one to Ontario three weeks ago that had the same problem. Funny though because after contacting the customer I find out the address is correct so I reshipped and they received it. I haven't reshipped this one as I have repeatedly tried to contact the customer with no results. I will be forced to cancel the order because of address issues even though chances are the address is fine. Naturally I will most likely incur another defect due to a very unhappy customer. Then there is the matter of orders coming back to me because CPC can't tell the difference between the sender and receiver address. I do highlight the "To" now to make sure..though I've still gotten one back. Sigh.

I lost my top rated seller status because of two defects that should NOT be on my account. I am going to call eBay and try to get them removed. However I am not sure I should bother because I expect I will be receiving many more. I can't imagine that I will still be an eBay seller once the new defect for ship time comes into effect, unless of course eBay comes to their senses.

In the meantime the only thing I think I can try is to go through my shipping and change everything to economy or standard. I refuse to change my handling time as I do believe buyers pay attention to that and if I list a longer handling time my business will become even slower then it is.

It would seem eBay is confused on what to rate sellers on and CPC is falling apart at the seams. Not looking very optimistic by any means!

gemaddict · ‎11-01-2015

@mjwl2006 wrote:

And the following isn't directed specifically at you, rose-dee, but all sellers: I won't presume to tell others how to manage their sales flow but I would strongly encourage people to think twice before extending their handling time as a guard against unfair judgement at the hands of The Question. As an online consumer, I can tell you that there are a number of factors I consider before making an online purchase. The first test is: is it exactly what I am looking for? The second is of equal weight to the third: how fast can I expect to get it for the price I am willing to pay? An extended handling time might save you grief at feedback but it will be pointless if no one buys what you're selling or goes into it with trepidation because they already expect to wait an eternity to receive it. What if, despite your efforts, all they remember at leaving feedback is that gut worry and not the date by which they actually got your untracked order? An extended handling time won't make any difference. They might still mark it 'no' because they don't remember, they check the longer handling time on the order, and figure it must not have come by then anyway....?

While I understand fully the reason that sellers are making the switch to extending handling times, my fear is that those sellers will all be shooting themselves in the foot to meet the anticipated demands of an increasingly fickle master. Remember, eBay is merely our venue, not our boss. Customers are top priority. Consider looking OUTSIDE ebay to see how fast competitors promise their orders dispatched and delivered, and please ensure you're not withdrawing from the race with new, extended handling times. Especially at this time of year when time is of the utter essence. We are not selling to and from a fishbowl here on ebay; there is a world outside of it, we are competing too with all of those venues and sellers on those venues as well.

Best of luck to everyone here. I mean that.

This is a good reason to NOT change handling times. For myself it's just not an option. It is one thing I look at when shopping. I am more likely to go with a seller that ships within two days then one that is five. As to changing shipping methods to extend the delivery estimate time I haven't done so but I most likely will do so soon. I could very well be wrong but I don't think buyers pay as much attention to the type of shipping listed as much as they do the handling time.

gemaddict · ‎11-01-2015

@mjwl2006 wrote:
You're in a small town in rural Saskatchewan? Did you know that the delivery estimates provided by ebay do not accurately reflect point of origin OR receipt? If it takes your parcels a day or even two of extra handling time to make it to a major urban centre and then a weekend hits and then your order goes to customs where it sits again and then to a buyer outside a major urban centre itself, you are doomed from the start.

If you have the time and inclination, check some 'remote or rural' delivery estimates via Canada Post versus your own listings using postal codes that are readily available here: https://www.canadapost.ca/business/tools/ds/default.aspx?ecid=murl08002548

I tried to make as big a stink as I could about this when the Update was announced but was told there was too much programming required to fix it and that 'it wouldn't matter for the few buyers and sellers affected' but if you are shipping from a remote location yourself.....

http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Updates/2015-Fall-Seller-Update/td-p/312578/page/4

It's at the top.

Thank you. I checked the links you provided. Your post is very clear, concise as well as very disturbing. I realized that living in a small place my orders would have an extra step or two for shipping though I didn't think about the "whole" picture. To be honest my ship times haven't really been a huge issue until lately. Perhaps buyers just didn't complain or point it out before. Now dates are being hammered home to them and it's all I hear. There truly needs to be a better system that reflects extra shipping times that correlate with the area orders are being shipped from and to. No matter how one looks at what is going on it's just incredibly unfair in my opinion!

momcqueen · ‎11-01-2015

It is unfair, I agree completely. Your recent difficulty has been weighing on my mind and there simply must be a reason for it so perhaps here it is. At first, I thought it might be something Canada Post was suddenly doing poorly behind the scenes for you but maybe not. Maybe it is this.

The part of the set-too-short delivery estimates that I find most disturbing is the fact that ebay is aware of these shortcomings and will not (or cannot) do anything to rectify them and, yet, are holding sellers affected to the same standards as those not. Plus, the very fact that as a buyer one has to enter a postal code to gain a shipping cost on a listing leads one to expect that data is actually being used to calculate a delivery estimate. This is not the case. No matter where the item ships from or to in Canada, it shows the same time frame (seller's handling time plus one to seven business days if it's a weekday) and that is simply NOT correct in many cases.

As I understand to from my research and experimentation, any Canadian seller outside a major urban centre will have incorrect delivery estimates displayed to their buyers. This grows exponentially worse if the buyer too lives outside a major urban centre in or outside Canada. While this codicil is made very clear on a delivery estimate shown by Canada Post itself, there is not enough emphasis placed on ebay for those who are affected.

sylviebee · ‎11-01-2015

@gemaddict wrote:

I refuse to change my handling time as I do believe buyers pay attention to that and if I list a longer handling time my business will become even slower then it is.

But at the same time lengthening your handling time is one very easy thing to do and might ease things for you.

I have NEVER even glanced at a seller's handling time when buying and I'm pretty sure that's true for all but a very very few buyers.

reallynicestamps · ‎11-01-2015

Switching from one day to two days handling shouldn't cause any concern to a buyer.

Five days would be a reason to backbutton for many, perhaps most.

But you are right, perhaps arrival dates should be connected to postal codes, with an extra day or two added for those with "0" codes-- the ones that indicate rural or isolated locations. (A0P 1S0 is Happy Valley-Goose Bay for example).

Better might be stating outright that weekends and holidays are NOT business days and shouldn't be counted towards delivery time by the buyer.

But then, BDR.

Buyers Don't Read.

momcqueen · ‎11-01-2015

It's not only buyer expectation to be concerned about as I see it, it is the date on The Question when feedback is left on an untracked item by domestic lettermail. What date does that buyer in Nunavut see if they're ordering from a seller in Conception Bay? If you've shipped a tracked item with your acceptance scan within the agreed time, you're fine. But that is the kind of service most readily available to sellers who live places where postal agents are open to 9 pm. Sellers in small towns with post offices that close at 5pm are again discriminated against.

pjcdn2005 · ‎11-01-2015

I agree that most buyers do not look at handling time as it really isn't front and center. I do think that they are more likely to look at the estimated delivery dates and if changing the listed shipping method...such as from standard to economy gives you a few extra days...that helps to manage the buyer's expectations.

momcqueen · ‎11-01-2015

*The following is my opinion only*

I realize it might seem pig-headed of me to say this but I'll come right out and say it anyway.

As a buyer, I absolutely check the seller's handling time. An ebay seller with a handling time of 2 or more days, to me, is a potential red-flag that I might be looking at someone who does NOT put their priorities in selling here. To me, that means my item may or may not be mailed on time; it may or not be mailed in an empty cereal box; it may or may not have gotten lost or dog barf on it since it was listed, and it may or may not be as described.

I'm not saying that I expect everyone to sit wide-eyed in front of their computer 25 hours a day but an extended handling time makes me nervous. Virtually every crummy experience that I have had as a buyer on ebay came from casual, part-timers who folded my item in half to make it fit into a too-small tissue box and left it on the dashboard of their truck in the rain for a week before it found its way into a mailbox.

Remember, this is my opinion only. And I am grumpy today.

*The preceding is my opinion only*

ricarmic · ‎11-01-2015

I would say that I probably would be less enthusiastic about a seller with more than 2 days handling time. Certainly 5 days I would take notice of.

Having said this, I've purchased from a seller that had stuff I wanted and their handling time was long, but they had stuff I wanted so I got it anyway...nobody else had what they had. If they did, I'd certainly have gone with the shorter handling time....

rose-dee · ‎11-01-2015

Yes, 'mj', but probably unlike the majority of eBay buyers, you actually read listing information.

I think 'reallynice' and 'pj' are right that most buyers don't make a point of noticing handling time, and those who do likely won't get too concerned over 2 days as opposed to 1 day or same day handling. I figure that if I say 2 day handling but actually get most orders dispatched within 24 hours, that will actually impress most buyers -- especially since I always send a post-sale email to confirm that I've dropped the item off at the P.O.

I'm certain most eBay buyers must realize that smaller eBay sellers don't have a 24/7 shipping department just waiting for the orders to come down the tube, day or night. Now if I were buying from a large retailer, well, yes, I would be rather cranky if it took them 2 days to get the parcel out the door.

That isn't to say that there is no limit. My own view is that anything over 2 days is too much, and for buyers who do happen to notice the handling time, may be a turn-off. On the other hand, if a buyer really wants a particular item, it may not matter to them at all, especially if the seller actually does get the parcel on its way within a day (and lets the buyer know this).

Now your buyers, who are purchasing for kids, may be in a perpetual state of 11th hour panic, I don't know. But if you can forgive me for offering unsolicited advice, I think you may be setting yourself up for more stress and strain than is absolutely necessary (and exposing yourself to a higher risk of defects under the new rules), especially in view of the disconnect between eBay's own domestic delivery estimates and those of Canada Post.

In any case, I think in most buyers' minds, there's little real difference between "same day" and "1-day handling". In many instances I would think that it realistically only works out to a difference of a few hours, but for the seller it will soon mean the difference between being run off your feet in a mad dash to get to the P.O. in time to get that acceptance scan, or being able to arrange your P.O. trips in a more orderly way.

(All also offered only in my opinion).

pjcdn2005 · ‎11-02-2015

I would also take notice of a seller who had a handling time of more than 2 days but I wonder how many buyers that are not sellers even click on the shipping tab and then scroll down to see the handling time? I suspect that more buyers look at the cost of shipping and estimated delivery date at the top of the page under the price and don't ever click on the shipping tab.

ricarmic · ‎11-02-2015

Hi PJC!

I actually noticed it because it is very apparent in the listing main page: (it has a yellow flag and the bolded text is in yellow as well....). The seller usually delivers much quicker than the estimate. As I mentioned I purchased because they were the only seller that had what I was looking for.....

Estimated between Wed. Dec. 2 and Tue. Dec. 8

This item has an extended handling time and a delivery estimate greater than 16 business days.

sylviebee · ‎11-02-2015

I buy antiques and I'm always very concerned with Item as Described and shipping cost.

(I'm amazed at the number of sellers who intentionally try to conceal damage.)

Those are biggies for me and handling/shipping time is not a concern for me whatsoever.

In turn, my customers are the same.

Other categories may be different.

momcqueen · ‎11-02-2015

I understand the reason they're telling us to extend handling times (to compensate for inaccurate estimates caused by programming deficiencies) but an orange flag simply CANNOT be good for business. The delivery estimates need to be fixed at any cost, period.

pocomocomputing · ‎11-02-2015

@mjwl2006 wrote:
I understand the reason they're telling us to extend handling times (to compensate for inaccurate estimates caused by programming deficiencies) but an orange flag simply CANNOT be good for business. The delivery estimates need to be fixed at any cost, period.

The orange flag only occurs for handling times of 4 days or longer.

gemaddict · ‎11-02-2015

mjwl2006 wrote:
*The following is my opinion only*

I realize it might seem pig-headed of me to say this but I'll come right out and say it anyway.

As a buyer, I absolutely check the seller's handling time. An ebay seller with a handling time of 2 or more days, to me, is a potential red-flag that I might be looking at someone who does NOT put their priorities in selling here. To me, that means my item may or may not be mailed on time; it may or not be mailed in an empty cereal box; it may or may not have gotten lost or dog barf on it since it was listed, and it may or may not be as described.

I'm not saying that I expect everyone to sit wide-eyed in front of their computer 25 hours a day but an extended handling time makes me nervous. Virtually every crummy experience that I have had as a buyer on ebay came from casual, part-timers who folded my item in half to make it fit into a too-small tissue box and left it on the dashboard of their truck in the rain for a week before it found its way into a mailbox.

Remember, this is my opinion only. And I am grumpy today.

*The preceding is my opinion only*

As a buyer I always check handling time. Anything over 2 days makes me wonder how dedicated the seller is as well. While it has been said that many buyers don't read (and that is quite true in many cases) I can't take the chance that they are ignoring handling times as well.

As for being grumpy that has been my constant state for the past few weeks. Anyone who knows me personally often accuse me of being too optimistic so that might tell you how consistently bad my experiences have been lately. Especially today when I looked at my dashboard and found that I have yet another defect for cancelled due to being out of stock when instead an order was cancelled due to my inability to contact a buyer whose order was returned due to "no such address". I was on hold for over 30minutes and finally just hung up. I'm thinking they might be busy as I have been trying to list and cannot as I am getting tons of errors. So I am assuming this problem is eBay wide. Or perhaps it is only for me...since I seem to be so special lately!...Hrrrummph!

dutchman48 · ‎11-02-2015

Why did you not cancel due to address problem. You don't get a defect.

momcqueen · ‎11-02-2015

I believe Original Poster did. There are several threads lately where sellers have gotten defects for buyer issues when ebay has incorrectly logged them as Out-Of-Stock. The subsequent pleas to have it fixed fall on deaf CSR ears.

momcqueen · ‎11-02-2015

That matter with the extra defect is extremely unfortunate. If it were me, I'd call back.

When ebay leaves me on hold for 30+ minutes, I take the phone into the bathroom (because you know by then I'm doing that special dance people do because they drank yet another cup of coffee to stave off thoughts-of-suicide provoked by that wretched muzak) and, sure enough, at the most inopportune time possible, the rep will miraculously surface. It works. Every. Single. Time.

Too much information, I know.