Late Defect Even Though Not My Fault Cant Poor eBay Customer Service

[123gonesold]

So guys here’s my situation, been selling on eBay for over 18 years and received a barrage of late delivery defects.

1. Item sent within 6 hours of buyer paying up via Parcelforce 48 Packlink eBay receipt obtained from Post Office 20/3/2024 proof of postage. For whatever reason item didn’t start to scan until 5 days later and even then, item was delivered 6 days after that. Constantly stayed in contact with buyer and even open a Parcelforce complaint on their behalf. No issue with buyer very understanding and happy with item.

Now tried to appeal late defect via new system and was rejected so called customer service after several weeks multiple times calling, I finally got through to an expert adviser that deals with these issues who said it was my fault? Only because tracking scan showed item first scan was over 1 day late and delivery was supposed to be within 5 days? Again, I explained that I had a receipt from the Post Office showing the tracking number service paid for and date time of dropping it off.  But the expert adviser stonewalled me and said it was still my fault…

Tue 2 Apr

1:29pm

Consignment Fully Delivered.

Sat 6 Apr

12:00am

Consignment has been invoiced.

Tue 2 Apr

5:43am

Out for delivery.

Fri 29 Mar

12:06am

Received at delivery depot

Fri 29 Mar

12:06am

Parcel Tracked in to building.

Thu 28 Mar

10:25am

On route to processing facility.

Thu 28 Mar

10:25am

Sorted

Wed 27 Mar

6:53pm

On route to hub

Wed 27 Mar

6:53pm

On route to processing facility.

Wed 27 Mar

4:09pm

Collected

Wed 27 Mar

4:09pm

Export item accepted into network.

Mon 25 Mar

5:49pm

Parcel Seen in Network.

Mon 25 Mar

5:49pm

Collected

Wed 20 Mar

12:00am

Pre-Advice received by Parcelforce.

Wed 20 Mar

9:15am

Tracking number provided

1. Proceeded onto the 2nd defect.  This time we used the Royal Mail Centre in Sheffield to drop off the item using a tracked48 small parcel service via Packlink on 08/04/2024 these items fit directly into the red parcel boxes unlike the first item above which was a medium sized parcel.  Buyer purchased on the 08/04/2024

Obviously, you don’t receive a printed receipt but we have never had a problem with the item getting lost so thought nothing of it.

Item was posted before last collection time. The buyer was located in the same city of ourselves. Again, no issue with buyer and thought nothing of it.

Several days later we received a late delivery defect.

Again, expert adviser advised me yet again this is my fault as the item tracking didn’t show up until the 9th of April and the item was delivered again 5 days after it was purchased. I really couldn’t believe I was hearing this as the first scan was on the 9th  in NW Super Hub that afternoon and then back to Sheffield MC Centre in the evening that day so obviously its missing its first scan on the 8th @ Sheffield MC . I tried to explain to the adviser how could I had posted the item 1 day late if the item has already got the sorting office miles away from where I had posted it that same day if I indeed posted it late and that it wasn’t 5 days late getting delivered you can clearly see the scans show the item was Collection Picked up at a service point. It never went out for delivery .

He wasn’t listening to this at all and simply without any warning just put the phone down so I couldn’t even explain the other 3 defects.

I cant believe what’s going on here and the customer service is appalling.

Saturday 13 April 2024

09:43

Collected and Signed at Your Customer Service Point

Dinnington DO

Tuesday 09 April 2024

22:57

Item Received

Sheffield MC

22:36

Item Received

Sheffield MC

17:44

Item Received

North West Super Hub

Monday 08 April 2024

14:59

Sender has despatched item

[technthread]

Because you have same day dispatch you need an item scan the same the day at a Post Office / Parcelshop to cover yourself.

Using a Royal Mail Parcel Box on sold items advertised as tracked with a same day dispatch (before your cut off time) will almost always lead to eBay defects. All eBay care about is the tracking ticking the right boxes on the right days. They won't apply common sense on how a parcel could have got to a depot by a certain time or take any other evidence into consideration. 

Using a Parcel Box should be ok for items sold after your cut off time where they still get collected the same day as you will usually get the next day scan on the RM system and eBay can't defect you for it. 

Re the other one: 

I don't use Parcelforce but it is weird how it took so long to collect it, do you see that often with other parcels? It is also odd to me why the tracking doesn't have the Post Office scan on day 1, is that normal? If this isn't an anomaly and you can't get the same day scan with confidence of quick collection I think a courier change may be needed to protect your eBay seller metrics. 

[123gonesold]

Thanks for the reply,

I am trying to highlight that the appeal process is through the seller's dashboard which clearly states it can not be appealed. 

However, having initially spoken to CS, I could put my case to the expert advisor. The whole point of speaking to someone when something goes wrong is that you can plead your case.

In this instance, it felt like I was just getting stonewalled.

The principal facts here are that if you post your items via RM MC red box you don't obtain a proof of postage receipt and that tracking doesn't necessarily display until the item gets to the main sorting center in my case from Sheffield MC over to NW Super Hub. It will be impossible to prove when you post your item.

If your customer opts to collect their item then this could count against your late delivery standings as in my case it was posted out on a Monday but they collected it on a Saturday on the 6th Day.

Finally, if you have proof of postage as in my second case from the post office that shows you did indeed post your item on time CS won't accept this.

[123gonesold]

Using a Parcel Box should be ok for items sold after your cut off time where they still get collected the same day as you will usually get the next day scan on the RM system and eBay can't defect you for it.

No, as what I am currently seeing is that the first scan isn't ALWAYS at the local MC but at the main regional sorting hub the following day. 

I don't use Parcelforce but it is weird how it took so long to collect it, do you see that often with other parcels? It is also odd to me why the tracking doesn't have the Post Office scan on day 1, is that normal? If this isn't an anomaly and you can't get the same day scan with confidence of quick collection I think a courier change may be needed to protect your eBay seller metric

No, it's not normal hence why I thought CS would look at this as an isolated instance.

[technthread]

I know that other sellers have questioned eBay on the weekly live chat about removing late dispatch defects by providing post office proof of postage and I don't think anyone has been successful.

I think the issue is if they opened the floodgates to sellers being able to plead their case their customer services would be overrun with cases to review. So probably for your own sanity I'd have to let it go as they have stonewalled everyone unless the tracking ticks the box. 

Ironically with same day dispatch, a seller who takes a parcel to a courier like Evri / InPost etc at 11:59pm and is actually late in sending, they won't get stung with late dispatch (they may for late delivery), yet someone who uses a Royal Mail parcel box in time earlier in the day will get an eBay defect. I think it is just one of those eBay things where you have to play the game and be prepared to change courier depending on the time of the day you are able to post an item and how a courier is performing. This is why when buyers complain about why sellers don't state who the courier is in their listing irritates me as eBay put us in the position where we have to be flexible to protect our accounts. 

You know on the Parcelforce one it sounds like the post office have messed up badly there and Parcelforce didn't even know it was there for collection.

Just wanted to say as well, I have never seen anyone with the postage option like yours where you offer an economy Parcelforce 48 option for free and an upgrade to 24 that is also free. Do you find many buyers upgrade and go with 24 or do most still choose 48?

[rjwilmsi]

I think that effectively, eBay have a simple system for "late dispatch" based on tracking and only tracking, and it's too simplistic. In my view eBay are trying to push sellers to use faster/fully tracked services to compete with (the perceived service of) Amazon, so these dispatch and delivery metrics are designed to push sellers towards what eBay want / what eBay think buyers want.

Royal Mail Tracked 48 items, in my experience, when dropped off in a parcel post box may get their first scan that evening, or right up until lunchtime the following day and still arrive on time. If your item happens to get the first scan after midnight and it is delivered late then eBay gives you the blame, even though realistically you would have had to hand it over to RM the previous day, so the delay was due to Royal Mail. But still, eBay also like to assume that a "2 day" service is always 2 days, whereas Royal Mail make it clear that only Special Delivery is a guaranteed service.

I would think that eBay don't want any of their support staff to spend time on late delivery defects, so you will get ignored.

My personal approach is to state my postage services and dispatch times clearly on my listings, deliver what I've committed to, and then try to ignore anything after that - if item doesn't get a scan or is delivered a day late then it was an issue outside of my control. If I have regular problems with a specific courier or service then I stop using them (Evri, DPD). I do get some late dispatch defects on eBay but I ignore them - I have only knowingly dispatched an item late once in the last 5 years.

[123gonesold]

Just wanted to say as well, I have never seen anyone with the postage option like yours where you offer an economy Parcelforce 48 option for free and an upgrade to 24 that is also free. Do you find many buyers upgrade and go with 24 or do most still choose 48?

Would you believe it or not nearly 100% of my customers select Parcelforce 48 and don't notice the Parcelforce24 option...  

[technthread]

Mad that isn't it. I have thought for a while that buyers aren't noticing the option to upgrade postage at checkout. 

[magpiecorner1]

Keep appealing - we had a package shown as delivered, it wasn't.  Spoke to postie next day who agreed he had not delivered, it was name labels so coming in flat C4 - or whatever you put A4 paper into - and he confirmed no deliver, the only item delivered didn't need a signature.  I've my own docket at the sorting office so what I get delivered sticks in the mind, it seems.  He took the tracking number, checked at the sorting office and confirmed it had been delivered - back to the seller. 

Apparently all this week everything is backside over elbow at Royal Mail, heaps of stuff being delivered to wrong address, returned or not delivered, tracking is all to pot.   Luckily the seller is taking our word and sending out another, unless he can find the returned item.

But its not your fault - not even with same day delivery if you have a cut off.  So keep phoning!

[the-nutwood-collection]

@technthread wrote I don't use Parcelforce but it is weird how it took so long to collect it

I've only used ParcelForce once, and the parcel wasn't picked up.  I made a claim, and the postage was refunded because the PoP stated that I had handed it in before the cut-off time.  

I later realised why it hadn't been picked up.  While waiting in the queue at the PO, ParcelForce arrived and picked up a couple of small parcels.  When told by the clerk that there were more (pointing at large parcels), his reponse was 'I haven't got time'.  The parcels stayed where they were. 

[m25jet]

I've just thought of something that may help to get one or more of the late delivery defects overturned, if you haven't already tried it.

If one or more of your buyers of items that you have received a late delivery defect for has left you positive feedback stating that the item arrived on time then contact eBay Customer Services and point that out to them, saying something along the lines of "If the item was delivered late then why did the customer leave positive feedback for the item, saying that it arrived on time?"

Given that eBay must have the capabilities of being able to put a trace on the date that the buyer actually left feedback for the items they bought, in that kind of scenario I would imagine that if you can get through to an eBay rep with an ounce of sense then by putting that argument to them and forcefully arguing that they check the date that the feedback was left confirming that the item was recieved in time, then you ought to be able to blow their justification for allowing the defect to remain right out of the water and end up with the late delivery defect being removed.  It may not work, but if you give it a shot and it does work then you may well end up with one or more of those late delivery defects being removed.

[suelel1968 · Accepted solution]

I have had my late defects removed. The problem lies with the fact that the PO system is not linked to the EBay system. Ebay only picks up the fact that the parcel is in the system when it gets scanned at RM. The despatched date EBay log on the order page is when you purchase the label. So the only hope you have is to get some one from Ireland on CS and ask them to send you an email link so that you can upload the POP to prove you posted on time.

[123gonesold]

Managed to get my late delivery defects after speaking to CS Ireland. 

Dont give up guys ! Many thanks for the advise..