Changes in shipping time?

[val2525]

What in heavens name does this mean?


Sellers: Our Continued Commitment to Improving Delivery Accuracy

We know that one of the most important drivers of buyer confidence is that their purchases arrive when expected. For this reason, we measure seller on-time shipping performance using both seller handling time and the carrier’s delivery timeframe.

We work closely with our carrier partners to reflect their delivery promise. Ahead of the holidays and as a result of this work, effective September 1, 2016, we are updating the estimated delivery date for seller on-time shipping performance for USPS First-Class Mail® to three days and USPS Priority Mail Express® to one day.

If you use these services and are shipping within your stated handling time, you should not be impacted by this change. Shipping outside your stated handling time increases the risk that your item may arrive late, which can impact your on-time shipping and overall selling performance.

As always, you can check your seller dashboard anytime to view your current late shipment rate, download your late shipment report, and use them to make any necessary adjustments to your selling practices. For more details on how handling time works, how it’s calculated, and how to set it, be sure to visit our handling time page.

To learn more and ask questions about this update, please visit our community board.

[val2525]

community.ebay.com/t5/2016-Fall-Seller-Update/Delivery-Accuracy/td-p/25956773

[Shirley U Geste]

It's ebay speak, and I don't know or understand ebay speak. And I doubt anyone at ebay understands it either.

[val2525]

The comments on the eBay forum topic are interesting. And the fact that the topic has been closed by eBay is also interesting.

If I understand correctly, eBay is now giving First Class Mail 3 days + shipper handling for delivery. Of course we know how well eBay pays attention to shipper handling time.

What's annoying is FC is not guaranteed 3 days by USPS. Locally, it's been taking 2-5 days for delivery. And that's just in town. Plus 1 day for Express is just plain wrong. USPS won't even guarantee their own Express product for one day delivery.

[Shirley U Geste]

Their totally unrealistic delivery times is why I have 2 day handling on my listings. 99% end up going out the same day or the next day, but I like having that extra cushion built in if the PO is slow for whatever reason.

Come the holidays I may change to 3 day handling just to add another day because of weather and holiday volume really slowing things down.

[zoesam]

Exactly. Ebay is guaranteeing things that the USPS doesn't. It's just wrong! They closed our sort center, so all my in town mail goes to Denver first. It takes AT LEAST 2 days for in town mail now. I haven't looked at the comments, I think I'd get too pissed reading them.

[val2525]

I read the first two pages, they were quite civilized. Blunt, to the point, but polite and civilized. I don't think ebay really understands the shipping time angle at all.

[kritter]

Sept 10, 2016 0:47:54 GMT Shirley U Geste said:

Their totally unrealistic delivery times is why I have 2 day handling on my listings. 99% end up going out the same day or the next day, but I like having that extra cushion built in if the PO is slow for whatever reason.

Come the holidays I may change to 3 day handling just to add another day because of weather and holiday volume really slowing things down.

I have been doing exactly as Shirley does.  I have 2 day handling but ship out same day or next day.

[Deleted]

On time shipping and on time delivery are two separate things. Why do i feel like they're saying one thing and meaning the other?

[Deleted]

Hmmm, sounds to me like they are wanting sellers to go to more than 1 day handling in order to reduce the TRS discounts on fees, just like when they upped the anti to 30 day returns.

[SA]

It sounds like they are tracking us on our DELIVERED time. I looked on my dashboard and I have two % for shipping:

Tracking uploaded on time and validated 98.72%
Late shipment rate 0.53%

What the heck? I don't have the option to see what items are in the .53% to look at the tracking.

[SA]

Zoe, they closed the post office on base so I've been using the one on Galley on my way in to work.
I haven't noticed any of my stuff taking longer. My stuff might sit in Denver for no longer than 12 hours, most of them being just a couple hours.

[zoesam]

How does it help to have 1 or 2 day handling? The delivery dates given to buyers are the same for 1-2 & 3 day handling & they are the delivery dates that Ebay suggests, they do not add in any handling time until you go to 4 days or more. I guess it would help if someone opened a case, but I don't see how it helps when the dates that Ebay gives the buyer don't count your handling time. We've done numerous experiments showing that those dates stay the same until you go to a minimum of 4 day handling. Unless of course that has changed recently? I haven't tried it for 9 months or so.

[pyrexandpearls]

I have 5 day handling time and ALWAYS ship within that time, yet it says I have 2 that didn't go out on time??

Also, I have a really high return rate (since I have so few transactions) when I have not accepted a return. Buyer bought a shirt, asked to return using the "changed mind" option, put a note in there that it smelled like perfume (it didn't), I denied and never heard another peep. Why is that showing as a return when I am no returns??

[zoesam]

IDK, maybe that's why I have a return percentage with a value on 1 screen, even though I've never had a return & my returns quantity says 0. I've always wondered why it always says 0, but I have a value in the percentage. However, I haven't wondered enough to check into it at all LOL.

[Deleted]

ebay counts it in your return percentage if a buyer opens a return request, regardless of whether they actually return the item.