Estimated Delivery Dates - What is working as intended?

[lord_and_lady_m]

We're always going on about the dates being incorrect from a sellers point of view and we always get the answer from ebay staff of the weekly discussion that they are working as intended.

So what exactly is ebay's intention with these dates? Do they intend to mislead? Do they intend to penalise us f for more money / less chance of the premium service discount?

Example, we're told it's based on a number of factors, such as location, past performance, current delivery network.

On Friday after I had dispatched all outstanding orders, I decided to switch off Mondays and Tuesdays on my postage days. I knew today (Cyber Monday) would mean the postal network has an influx along with tomorrow no doubt, and then delays .... so i'll send stuff from Wednesday onwards in an effort to avoid things being in a pile of late stuff. Clever idea right?

No, because ebay's genius dynamic delivery dates thing, knows in the past I have posted on Mondays and Tuesdays, and thinks therefore that my effort to switch off some days was for s#7ts and giggles. In fact, on Black Friday weekend, the busiest time of the year (although not me all those on another thread for lack of sales), this weekend and my changes won't be an issue for customers receiving items in the post.

Royal Mail told us at the Ebay open, to under sell and over deliver. They would never tell customers they can get 2nd class deliver any quicker than their 2-3 days target, especially at this time of the year. However Dynamic EDD has different ideas.

Dynamic EDD thinks I may be pretending not to post on Monday 2nd and Tuesday 3rd, and the customer could indeed receive their second class letter as early as a day before my next despatch day. I'm sure if I asked Royal Mail, they would say 2-3 days target FROM 4th so maybe nearer 6th - 7th December. Well yes I couldn't argue with that estimate albeit, every year there are delays so surely Dynamic EDD should know that there are always delays and factor that in.


Maybe Dynamic EDD isn't that dynamic after all and it's not so dynamic Mythical MUD that's doing it. (Made Up Dates).

Sales after midday today have a change of estimate. Dynamic EDD woke up and nudged Mythical MUD, oh maybe the Lady isn't working today afterall. Dates have updated to between 5th and 10th. An improvement, but still a little bit of over promise there, which goes against what Royal Mail want to do.

It's all the sellers fault though! 

dave@ebay

[wyntersemporium]

You got a longer date for arrival.

mine is buy 1st December and should arrive the second and that’s second class. 
they’re taking the P.

[insidethe93]

"Mythical MUD" and the MUD acronym - great!

eBay's MUDs are why, I suspect, that a lot of sellers feel it helps to send buyers a quick "thanks for your order, will post [date]" and/or "have just posted". It cost sellers time & effort, maybe brief if you automate/copy&paste, but it could help by pre-empting buyers unaware of the Mythical nature of eBay's dates.

My shortest message from a (regular) seller: "Hon, posted". Means you don't have to remember or look up the buyer's name! Also works if your buyer's name actually is "Honey".

[technthread]

I’m seeing major delays this week. Royal Mail Tracked 48 parcels I sent on Sunday, collected Monday are either not yet scanned or the ones that have been scanned are showing an estimated delivery as late as the 6th. 

I’d suggest getting Royal Mail parcels out asap and even upgrading to 1st Class/ Tracked 24. 

Also seeing eBay GSP parcels that have been there for a week showing an update that they are delayed at the GSP centre. 

[phauto-parts]

I'm sure these have gotten worse recently. 

Again using 2nd class post and I've had a sudden uptick in INR cases and complaints from customers about items not arriving on time and comments in feedback about it with items arriving 3-5 days from dispatch when sent with the basic 2nd class option (which is free to the customer) on items worth less than £10.

The other day I checked one such item on a Saturday, a day that I do not and never have dispatched a parcel for an eBay sale. The item was £8.99 and sold with Royal Mail 2nd class postage. 

The EDD was showing as Tuesday to Thursday. 

Considering that item would not be dispatched until Monday, Thursday is the first day they could realistically receive it, with Friday or Saturday being equally (if not more) likely.

I feel this is eBay trying to compete with Amazon and hoping that all sellers will start sending items on a 24 hour service for free and stomach the costs to avoid the INR cases and being bumped down from being a top rated seller.

[jlovie]

It's annoying that when items do eventually turn up after and INR refund, there doesn't seem to be a way for buyers who want to pay to do so.

Don't even get their emails to do a PayPal invoice, well dodgy trying to get payment details via messaging as eBay monitor them for keywords.

[johnwash1]

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@jlovie wrote:

It's annoying that when items do eventually turn up after and INR refund, there doesn't seem to be a way for buyers who want to pay to do so.

Don't even get their emails to do a PayPal invoice, well dodgy trying to get payment details via messaging as eBay monitor them for keywords.

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Phone them?

[lord_and_lady_m]

Ebay is intent of annoying our customers and landing us with the trouble.

It's Christmas and it's the weekend of the storm. Ebay thinks RM 2nd class will arrive really quick, so it's not even a week since posting and i'm getting the where is my item emails.

I asked a RM account director at the ebay open if they would be happy seeing 2nd class and 1st class advertised with the same estimated delivery time. The woman said absolutely not, because we try to under promise and over deliver and would want customers to pay to upgrade to the most suitable service if they needed their item sooner.

Well I've looked at the estimates today. It doesn't matter what service my customers chooses, they all show the same estimate so customers are never going to upgrade.