eBays Damn Shipping Dates. I Give Up.

[val2525]

I have 3 day handling. I looked at one of my listings just now, says Delivery In 3 Days. Can't miss the red.

I know I'm looking from my zip code, but even so, with 3 day handling and today NOT being a business day, if I mailed to my own zip and used the full 3 day handling, it still won't make it to me in three days.

I just changed everything to 4 day handling.

Damn eBay and their *&#(%&#+$&&^{ stupid ideas.

I wish they'd hire some sellers with a *(&^((^& brain in the corporate office.

[SA]

Mine has been like that for over a year.
I just ignore it and ship wothin my handling period.

I don't have the time or patience to worry about it.

[val2525]

It improved for a bit, but it's back to the stupid wrong dates. I'm going to leave it at 4 days for a bit and see what happens. I ship next day anyway, so the buyer will get it early.

I noticed on my last 'what eBay did for YOU!' email that they said they changed an unusually high number of ratings to 5s, the only thing I can figure is they changed the ship time ratings because I didn't have any dings on the first two, and I don't think eBay does anything to the ship cost star if you aren't FS.

[zoesam]

Yeah, you gotta go to 4 days or more, for it to actually use the days, I've read. Below that it just goes by how quickly you've shipped in the past.

[Shirley U Geste]

But if you set it at 4 days and then ship the next day as usual don't they just factor in the day you ship to come up with the number?

Which would defeat putting it at 4 days in the first place.  

[val2525]

No. For some reason, 4 days and longer, eBay actually respects the handling time. They put a warning on your listing about it having 4 day handling, but whatever. My regulars know I ship fast usually, and I get enough "fast shipping!" FBs that I'm not too worried about buyers freaking out over the "official" 4 day handling in the listing.

I'd rather have longer handling truly showing, knowing I'll ship faster, than eBay completely ignoring the selection I've made and promising a delivery date that just isn't possible.

[Shirley U Geste]

So 4 days is the tipping point?

I have 2, or maybe it's 3 days on mine but I always ship the next day, and sometimes the same day so ebays time estimate never changes.

[Deleted]

Like Liz, I never even pay attention to the estimates. I've actually never had a buyer contact me with the "ebay said it'd be here today" kind of complaint, so I don't give it a second thought. I have one-day handling, though.

Not trying to make excuses for ebay. That isn't right and I understand your frustration.

[val2525]

I'm getting new to eBay & me buyers lately, as in just signed up. I think it might be from Google Adwords I'm running, or maybe there's just a new batch of buyers discovering eBay. Regardless, I don't want newbies given an unrealistic delivery date by eBay.

I still don't see how eBay can legally ignore a seller's selected handling time and give an item an arbitrary delivery date. Seems like that could be taken as trade interference.

[zoesam]

Yeah, Val's correct, 4 days is the magic number. No idea how or why, just that it is. Typical Ebay stupidity.

[Deleted]

Jun 14, 2015 23:27:35 GMT Shirley U Geste said:

But if you set it at 4 days and then ship the next day as usual don't they just factor in the day you ship to come up with the number?

Yes and no. I've been at a 4 day handling close to 2 years. The eBay algorithm still seems to be involved, because my EDDs never total 4 day handling + estimated ship time. But they do include 1-2 days handling + ship time, which is all I ever wanted or required. If I'll be away for a week or longer I just use vacation settings.

I think the difference may be that 4+ days is still based on shipping averages, but over a longer period of time. I ship next day, or second day, all winter and a good part of the summer. In spring we go out of town most weekends. Same in the fall. Thurs. purchases don't get shipped until Monday. But my EDDs stay consistent all year. When I was on the under 4 day algorithm, even shipping next day for just two weeks straight would throw my EDDs off.

So I think 4+ days is calculated differently than 3 days and less. But still similar in that it's eBay's own formula rather than a straightforward handling time + estimated ship time. If that makes sense.

[val2525]

I don't mind if 4 days are on the same stupid calculation, as long as that calculation gives me a day or two. THree days wasn't giving me any.

[Deleted]

That was my problem. I only ever wanted 2 days, max. But I couldn't get it by checking 2 day handling. Then I couldn't get it when I tried 3 day handling. Someone at CAB checked one of my listings once and told me it appeared I Express shipped everything. And I hardly ever even ship Priority. All because of eBay's made up algorithm that doesn't even seem to take the POs own estimated shipping time into account.

You'll get a few extra days using 4 day handling. Even if you continue to ship next day a lot, or even most of the time. Because it doesn't appear to be the same stupid calculation. It's a more lenient stupid calculation.

[val2525]

That actually make sense.

How scary is that?