eBay

rev-2u · ‎24-10-2025

Hi everyone, I could really do with some help here with a buyer that's being an absolute nightmare.

I sold an item last Saturday and the buyer paid late in the evening, I had my listing set to dispatch time for three days. The item in question was free postage and requires an adult signature - so there's actually slightly better tracking than my usual 48h postage.

I dispatched the item on Tuesday, took it to the post office same day and it was courier scanned Wednesday as obviously the post office don't have a man sat there waiting for me dropping off items!

I got an angry message last night demanding I refund this buyer on the basis that they didn't get the item in 48h or Saturday. Stating the original listing promised it would be there Tuesday (impossible). I checked the tracking and can see it is with RM, it's travelling currently as I speak through their system.

Yet this buyer has expected it would be 48h from their payment. I've explained politely that I actually sent said item snap bang in the middle of my allocated three business dates and I'm well within eBay's dispatch and estimated delivery. Explaining that it's upto three days from the first working day to send and then expected 48h from their point etc.

They've completely ignored me and just now requested a full refund on the basis that they haven't received the item? Ranting on in that information about how the item never arrived.

I feel like I'm loosing the plot. The tracking information states it's on its way. It states right now that it arrived in their area this morning. It was always going to be at the earliest delivered either today or tomorrow. I could have waited until Wednesday before even bothering but got it sent on Tuesday.

I've just checked the original listing and it states "expected delivery Mon 27th - Wednesday 30th of October. Yet they're trying to say it stayed 48h, I thought at first eBay's delivery info was wrong but even their own information states next week at the earliest.

I can see it's actually going to be delivered today too when I look.

eBay are stating my options are to refund or update tracking but the tracking is already on there - nice and clear to see.

My information always states the correct delivery slots and after checking, I can now see it's actually days before eBay even anticipated it would be delivered, yet he's been able to submit a not received request?

I don't even charge for postage, I have never encountered this and he's purposely ignoring when I've contacted him.

Is this now going to have a negative impact on my scoring?

smarts-gaming · ‎27-10-2025

They dont take weekends or bank holidays into account. You state 48 hour delivery. 48 hours from Saturday is Tuesday at the latest. Its not done by working days. Yes the post office is closed on Sundays but you can use many other couriers that arent. If you only use Royal Mail then you cant promise 48 hour delivery because this issue will arise whenever somebody orders on a weekend. The simple fact is you are only able to provide 48 hour shipping on 4 days of the week with Royal Mail. Because even if someone orders late on Friday, it still wont get to them until Monday. More than 48 hours.

You need to use other couriers or not promise 48 hour delivery. Im not saying you are the issue sorry if it comes across that way, im just stating how ebay works. It is stupid I completely agree with you, but ebay will probably side with the buyer in this case because you did not get the item to them within 48 hours. They arent going to care that the post office was closed because royal mail arent the only courier available.

rev-2u · ‎27-10-2025

As I've said several times my dispatch is three working days. eBay's own system states when I go to dispatch the "dispatch by" and that is always three days from the first working day.

When I schedule all my listings to end at weekends - that are auctions - Wednesday is the final time to post. No one else has had this happen with eBay's times.

If something is listed to end at 18.01pm on a Saturday and I have three working days set for dispatch, then obviously that shows as Wednesday. I post either Monday evenings or Tuesday morning, always well before my notifications timeline. That always states 23:59 on a Wednesday, even so, no one can post on a Sunday. I don't have my own fleet of drivers and there isn't a single courier that do Sundays.

So it will never arrive for Tuesday regardless, even sending Monday when places are open, it will always be Wednesday if you're lucky.

Only next day - picked up on a Monday - can technically fulfill that timescale. However that would be next day postage not 48h , but then you'd have people expecting it Monday from Saturday.

eBay is displaying time frames to buyers which are wrong. This isn't a buy now either. I know when the item ended in auction, I've not confused someone buying now and just dilly-dallying for three days.

The item sold Saturday 18.01pm, it wasn't even paid for until close to midnight Saturday & it was posted Tuesday. The majority of Post Offices don't even have late collections. So dropping off half the time won't even get a courier scan until the next day, yet they've been dropped off well within the timescales.

You say Royal Mail aren't the only courier? People don't get the option on my sales as I offer free postage and I decide who it's going with. It's upto me who I send with, that is stated on the listing and always has and always will be.

If someone wants next day - they can contact me and I can send an invoice for that service. They get free postage from me and the service I use is 48h royal mail.

No couriers are even open Sunday, even those that collect Monday or allow dropping off cannot get an item there next day with 48h as the postage.

I can't even find you on eBay so I'm guessing you're a private seller?

4_bathrooms · ‎27-10-2025

@rev-2u wrote:
As I've said several times my dispatch is three working days. eBay's own system states when I go to dispatch the "dispatch by" and that is always three days from the first working day.

When I schedule all my listings to end at weekends - that are auctions - Wednesday is the final time to post. No one else has had this happen with eBay's times.

If something is listed to end at 18.01pm on a Saturday and I have three working days set for dispatch, then obviously that shows as Wednesday.

No, it doesn't. The estimated delivery date eBay shows to buyers is fluid and does not necessarily align with the handling time and service selected by the seller. There is a long thread about the subject here that was started last year. In short it doesn't matter what handling time nor what delivery service you specify - eBay will ignore all that information and show the buyer different EDDs even during the purchase process.

The only EDD that matters is the one you haven't taken a screenshot of. You need to look at the EDD found in the sales record under "Order details". The latest EDD shown there is the one that was shown to your buyer; your buyer should only have been able to open an INR case the day after the latest date shown there.

Give me ambiguity or give me something else.

rev-2u · ‎27-10-2025

I've gone into the sales record and when I click the original listing it shows as next week from today. So it states from Weds 29th to Monday 3rd?

If I click view order details, it's showing from today (same page). I'm going through the performance section as that's the only area which show "sales". Where do I find the original?

4_bathrooms · ‎27-10-2025

@rev-2u wrote:
I've gone into the sales record and when I click the original listing it shows as next week from today. So it states from Weds 29th to Monday 3rd?

Clicking that link just takes you to the listing.

The EDD shown to the buyer is shown underneath that but I've just noticed that if tracking shows the item has been delivered the EDD that was shown to the buyer - the one eBay held the seller to - is replaced with "Delivered on <date>" with "Great. Your order was delivered." in a smaller font underneath.

The one way you might be able to see the latest EDD that was shown to your buyer is to check your late delivery report here. Does the transaction show up there?

Give me ambiguity or give me something else.

4_bathrooms · ‎27-10-2025

Here's an order I didn't upload tracking for to demonstrate where the EDD shown to the buyer is displayed. Note this listing states a 1 working day handling time and a 3 to 5 working day delivery window:

The buyer paid on 13th September (a Saturday) and I despatched the following Monday (15th) despite stating a 1 working day handling time. Yet, eBay told the buyer the EDD was Tuesday 16th to Friday 18th September - this is despite the fact eBay has "extended" my EDDs due to previous "late deliveries" that were caused entirely by eBay's completely made up EDDs!

Give me ambiguity or give me something else.

rev-2u · ‎27-10-2025

I don't have a report showing at all now as he closed the claim same day (when it was delivered). The only thing I have, stating delivered shows my dispatch time frame from it being posted.

On the Friday, the original information I replied to the buyer with was this -

I think I posted that on the previous page. That was taken on at 8.30am, that shows estimates up-to the following Thursday. So theoretically if he had just been ordering then - at 8.30am Friday - It was still estimating Mon - Thursday the following week, which is 3 days handling and 48h, so correct.

Friday at 8.30am would count as one working day, Mon two, Tue three and then Weds and Thurs being the 48h.

The only other thing I can find - which shows it took 48 hours to arrive from being scanned is this.

It was dropped off Tuesday, scanned next morning on the Wednesday when they collect, Thursday being 24h and Friday being 48h and that's when it was delivered.

The fact is anyway this guy could see the tracking, he could see when it was going to be delivered. His number would have also been receiving the updates I was via email. He completely ignored my responses from first contacting on Thursday evening, would have received confirmation it was due to be delivered the same day he filed; he managed to file, eBay are providing different information from what sellers have set and I did mention on the previous page that I'd read eBay are ignoring if you're typically fast with dispatching.

Him expecting it Tuesday though is completely bonkers, it was a bladed item and eBays own system makes you use choose the specific postage - which is clearly displayed - when listing.

smarts-gaming · ‎27-10-2025

Read the thread the other guy posted. Again not saying youre in the wrong at all because I agree that ebay is pretty much broken. All im saying is, your customer was told the item would be delivered on Tuesday so when they didnt get it, are they not right to be annoyed? Checking the tracking would have just annoyed him more, he wanted the item on Tuesday, end of. Again, its not your fault, its how ebay states delivery times. And I suspect they are relunctant to change how this works because they are trying to compete with Amazon etc who will deliver next day. Customers dont want to order things and see a 5 day wait time in 2025. I dont think ive ever had a single order turn up in the timeframe ebay stated. Just this weekend i won two auctions that were stated to be here tuesday/wednesday. Ive just now had the notification through "your parcel is expected to be delivered by Sunday 2nd of November". Its extremely annoying but just something ive had to get used to, and obviously many people understand this and wont leave negative feedback or complain because of it. However you cant blame customers for ebays fabrications. He was told Tuesday. Didnt get it Tuesday. End of the matter on his end.

Not sure why you need to see my shop but its easily viewable. Hopefully you can buy a few bits 🙂

rev-2u · ‎27-10-2025

"However you cant blame customers for ebays fabrications" - and neither can you blame a seller.

Again, it was never going to be delivered Tuesday regardless. It states, "Postage Free Royal Mail Tracked 48 with Age Verification" No postal services exist on a Sunday. If it was posted Monday, it would still be Wednesday at the earliest a package would ever be delivered. Only an imbecile would expect a package before a service exists. Which is what he'd originally stated he expected.

Even when buying from pretty much every single major retailer online (bar amazon). If you purchased anything at the weekend, you wouldn't get it by Tuesday when it states 48h.

"Not sure why you need to see my shop but its easily viewable. Hopefully you can buy a few bits"

Your account doesn't exist - you do know that? that's why I asked. Clicking your account shows nothing, no info, no listings and no feedback. This is what happens when clicking you -

smarts-gaming · ‎27-10-2025

Nothing you stated changes anything I said. The customer was told Tuesday and didnt get it Tuesday. How does that make him an imbocile? You are the one being silly and strangely defensive. Couriers do operate on a sunday. Evri, DPD, Parcelforce, all pick up on Sundays.

My page is here if you must see it :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?sid=smarts-gaming&_pgn=1&isRefine=true&_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l494...

I have an auction ending tonight at 8pm, and the delivery still states it will be delivered on Wednesday despite this being physically impossible on a 48 hour delivery because nobody picks up that late. All im telling you is yes, the delivery times are wrong. No that is not the fault of the customer. Its really simple.

4_bathrooms · ‎27-10-2025

@rev-2u wrote:
I don't have a report showing at all now as he closed the claim same day (when it was delivered). The only thing I have, stating delivered shows my dispatch time frame from it being posted.

On the Friday, the original information I replied to the buyer with was this -

I think I posted that on the previous page. That was taken on at 8.30am, that shows estimates up-to the following Thursday.

You're missing the point. The EDDs supplied by eBay are fluid - whatever was showing on the listing the day your buyer ordered is not necessarily the same EDD that was given to the buyer when they completed checkout. eBay holds sellers to the EDD that was given to the buyer when they completed checkout - not the EDD that was shown on the listing which could have been (and likely was) different.

Have a look at the example I gave - the listing stated a handling time of 1 working day and the service selected by the buyer was 3 to 5 working days. This was probably reflected correctly on the listing prior to the buyer purchasing but it is not the EDD eBay chose to give that particular buyer when they completed checkout. In the EDD given to the buyer eBay expected the item to be delivered the next day following despatch - which was impossible as was the second day - or by the third day at the latest. The latest EDD eBay gave the buyer was therefore the earliest day the buyer could have realistically expected delivery.

Give me ambiguity or give me something else.

rev-2u · ‎27-10-2025

Right and I'm trying to explain something to you; your items can be shipped with a multitude of couriers. We're going around in circles here -

"Couriers do operate on a sunday. Evri, DPD, Parcelforce, all pick up on Sundays" not when an item is specifically listed for adult signature. You cannot sell a dangerous bladed item on eBay without FIRST choosing a company that are LEGALLY allowed to deliver that item when it's a dangerous item.

When you list said item, you cannot proceed with the listing at all unless the courier is one that is legally allowed to ship the item. Now regardless Evri are the worst company on the planet for losing items or damaging packages anyway, also they can't ship that order even if I wanted to use them as they're not an option for an adult signature via eBay with 48h. You might not have to care who you send with but I'm not dealing with a company that have lost several of my items in the past. Both as customer from other businesses and shipping myself.

Also - not in my postcode have I ever been able to arrange a collection on a Sunday. I've sent items with UPS, DPD, DHL and DX multiple times, I've had people told they'll deliver on Sundays, only to find out from their own customer services that they don't actually work Sundays for residential senders. I also btw change my postage to other couriers depending on what's being shipped. If something is over 60cm it goes through DX, if it's over 30kg it goes with Parcel force and so on.

That leaves one option on my list, which is Royal Mail. That's the only option for an Adult Signature with 48h delivery. UPS do adult signature but there's is 24h and that costs more than this specific listing we're talking about here, so I'm not really going to select a courier, pay more to ship with than what I'm likely to make am I?

Last year before Christmas - I had a guy message kicking off that my postage was too high on a projector (£14), telling me how Evri was half the price and I should use them. I had to explain to him over and over that you cannot ship a projector with Evri and have damage covered, so the postal charge was to cover UPS (as they will ship and allow you to insure projectors). It was actually £19 odd which it cost to insure and ship, so I was actually putting to for the shipping, but their payment covered the insurance side. You cannot send items with glass lenses with pretty much every single courier in the UK and have cover. If you do and the items are damaged or lost - they won't cover the loss.

I lost out on nearly £500 with a projector using DPD last year thinking it would be ok, but they of course broke it and then when they saw it was a projector on my claim - they directed me to their prohibited list with their middle finger up.

With all due respect, you are selling items which fit in an envelope and not electrical. I am not; the majority of items I sell are medium to large packages, they are electrical, they need cover for damage, shipping boxes, wrapping, UN34 certificates etc. Nothing I sell fits in an envelope, and we are not selling the same stuff, so the couriers you use for your items will be within your profit margin and correct for your shipping. I have items which contain specific batteries or are prohibited with most companies, the weight of the items I sell alone can push postage with certain couriers to more than what's made.

I am not going to keep going around this, with you stating that different couriers are available. Yes, when you're selling items which fit in an envelope and aren't needing to pay for several KG in weight or to cover internal damage - there's a multitude of choices.

However, If I was offering next day with 0 days dispatch - I would obviously use a next day service and post within that timeframe. I have my handling set to three days for a reason; the whole reason we have the ability of handling times on there is because that is when we can send.

I'm not being strangely defensive at all; it's a fact that we have days set for handling so as to accommodate when we can fulfil those timescales, my issue is that you're telling me when I should post - when I have handling set for a reason - I will post within the times I decide and set, I don't work for eBay and I'm not their employee. I set those times to when I'm able and willing. Then there's also the fact that you're talking about couriers' availability on the basis of what you sell. As I said we don't sell the same items.

smarts-gaming · ‎27-10-2025

Thats fair enough, but just be aware that ebay will still tell people it will be delivered on Tuesday if ordered on a Saturday. I know thats wrong and *bleep*, but thats just how it works on here. Maybe I worded it poorly I dont think you should have to change your postage it was just a potential solution to the issue. As ive said many times im not saying this problem was your fault its fully on ebay and how they work out the estimated delivery date. I usually send a message just to let customers know the day im shipping so there are no disapointments.

rev-2u · ‎28-10-2025

It's stupid how they're doing this, but I do have a disclaimer on each listing which states -

"I will aim to have collections done within 48 hours of completed payment. There will be no collections on Bank Holidays and weekend days. I use DPD & Royal Mail primarily for collections but larger items also Parcel Force, DX & UPS, I have had problems with other companies in the past, so use them as they provide a quality service. Any adverse weather conditions are outside of my control."

Had two orders over the weekend and checked their estimation before dispatching yesterday which showed the correct timeframes - checking now it's still the same. Just had an order now too which states "Estimated delivery date shown to buyer: 30 Oct 2025 - 1 Nov 2025", I'm going to see if it changes once I've dispatched because I'm sure the issue is that I'm dispatching quicker than the three days and the 48h is locking in from that tracking being provided.

If that's the case, I'll put off updating the tracking in until the next day when it's confirmed as scanned. It's going to complicate things, but I keep copies of both the postage receipts and proofs. I'll just have to change how I'm updating.