Estimated delivery dates (yes again)

[darth_baggins]

I know this has been done to death and eBay staff just repeat the 'working as intended' mantra but this simply can't be right.

I bought something from a seller I get supplies from more than a week ago and it's still not arrived. I realise delays are inevitable at this time of year but I thought I'd just check the EDD and I'm gobsmacked by the disparity between his and mine.

Ordered on November 27, seller has a 1 day / same day handling time and posts 1st class, yet the EDD for my order is December 5th - 8th.

I compared one of my listing to his.

Seller - as above - same day dispatch before 3:30pm, sent 1st class. EDD is December 12th to 15th, so basically at least a week to arrive.

My listing - five working days handling time and I send 2nd class. EDD is December 8th to 13th. So eBay as usual are telling buyers they may get the item before I even have to post it.

So a seller with same day dispatch and 1st class post gets longer EDD than a seller with 5 day dispatch and 2nd class post.

I know they're supposed to be 'dynamic' but there's just no way that this can be described as 'working as intended'.

[pg_kicks]

Hi,

Yeah I had mine yesterday, as I use Authentication my EDD isnt really effected like others but the bank holidays not being seen as bank holidays always screwed me over. I've sent over the details of that as he said he's sure they should be. 

I also mentioned how it would have saved him/eBay so much time if he just came into a weekly chat or read the forum as all the evidence to prove there is an issue is on here, I've said this on the weekly chat and was told it was a great idea and will be passed to the team, to my great shock he agreed but said nobody has ever approached him about it and doesnt know how he could join, but will look into it. Seems like we are being told stuff is being passed to relevant teams and there are no issues but after a year they are finally admitting there is an issue.

I know the weekly team can only copy and paste but if they actually chased up issues it wouldnt just save you and I time fighting issues but might actually make eBay run a bit better, who'd have thought your customers knew what issues your site were having.  Might even be a good idea if they actually passed the issues on as a company wide platform, that way the top brass might know their site is broken instead of standing infront of us at events saying how great it is.

I'll certainly not stop asking them questions when I know and have proof of issues, even if they do want to unplug my keyboard for a few days if you dare to question the copy and paste replies.

[bojangled]

@pg_kicks 

Thanks to you and @lincolnshiremarine to keep going with this. 
Like you I've asked on the weekly chat several times if we could have a 'guest' from other departments, always met with positive response as an idea but never actioned.

I have actually given up on those weekly chats, think the team are restricted in what they can say and let's be honest an hour isn't enough.
I'd like to see a business seller forum Q & A session. 

Jo

[pg_kicks]

They are 100% restricted but the bigger issue is there just keep copy and pasting the same thing even if it doesnt answer the question or if they have already said that and its been proved wrong. The time is certainly not long enough, we are all trying to run a business so have multiple jobs but if we want to ask a question (PM's seem to be ignored like tagging) we have to basically stop everything and have an hour to get a question in and it seems a lot get answered after the hour when the thread is locked.

I wont ever give up though, hopefully I'm free this Wednesday as I have questions after the Roadshow but was driving last Wednesday so couldnt ask.

[bazinga-games]

Morning everyone,

I think something may have been done behind the scenes regarding this.

This is the info that is being shown today.  Both these orders have been purchased today, 30th.  I advertised a 2 working day dispatch window and 3-5 day postal service, so these estimates seem about correct:

1/   Dispatched on 30 Apr
Estimated delivery date shown to buyer: 3 May 2024 - 8 May 2024

2/  Dispatch by 2 May at 11.59pm BST
Make sure you send your order within the dispatch time you specified in the listing.
Estimated delivery date shown to buyer: 3 May 2024 - 9 May 2024

Hopefully eBay have taken note at last and this will continue - fingers crossed, anyway!

UPDATED:  I've just checked my calendar.  Order 1/ seems fine, but with order 2/ I think it should be 10th, rather than the 9th. 

It's a massive improvement, anyway!

[best-range]

---

@bazinga-games wrote:

Morning everyone,

I think something may have been done behind the scenes regarding this.

This is the info that is being shown today.  Both these orders have been purchased today, 30th.  I advertised a 2 working day dispatch window and 3-5 day postal service, so these estimates seem about correct:

1/   Dispatched on 30 Apr
Estimated delivery date shown to buyer: 3 May 2024 - 8 May 2024

2/  Dispatch by 2 May at 11.59pm BST
Make sure you send your order within the dispatch time you specified in the listing.
Estimated delivery date shown to buyer: 3 May 2024 - 9 May 2024

Hopefully eBay have taken note at last and this will continue - fingers crossed, anyway!

UPDATED:  I've just checked my calendar.  Order 1/ seems fine, but with order 2/ I think it should be 10th, rather than the 9th. 

It's a massive improvement, anyway!

---

The original EDD's were usually OK most days apart from weekends sales as ebay treats Sat & Sunday as normal working days unlike RM, that's only a minor issue .

The major issue is that once you dispatch & add tracking numbers to your orders the EDD will change ( shorten) from the original EDD shown to buyer to "same/next day delivery" for 2 class post, followed by messages such as "running late " the day after you post the item.

It does not affect people who dont use or add tracking to their orders but the EDD will still get shortened 1 day as compared to the original EDD shown to buyer after you mark the item as "dispatched". 

Try & see for yourself.

[bazinga-games]

The dates always changed whether you added tracking numbers or not.

It has definitely changed today - for me, at least.  Perhaps it's something they're rolling out..?

[whole-green]

wrong post, ignore

[best-range]

---

@bazinga-games wrote:

The dates always changed whether you added tracking numbers or not.

It has definitely changed today - for me, at least.  Perhaps it's something they're rolling out..?

---

Adding tracking never changed the original EDD's last year, I only noticed this happening in January since they started to add messages & communicate on your behalf with your customers in your order & track details page, but others noticed this much earlier in Autumn 2023.

As per my post above, if you add tracking it "shaves" 2 days from the original EDD shown to buyer, if you dont add tracking but only mark as "dispatched" it will "shave" only 1 day .

Many users dont understand that now you have 3 sets of different EDD's for the same order depending where you look  & if you did or did not add tracking & think there is only 1 problem with 1 EDD yet there are several problems with EDD's that I described in many posts already.

It's only after the dispatch that all the problems starts.

Which page are you looking at ? as depending where you look you'll see 3 different EDD for the same order "shown to buyer" ;

1. pre-dispatch main Item Page ? postage info specific for buyer postcode ? one set of EDD,
2. post-dispatch no tracking ? - different  EDD's - now shorter 1 day then the original EDD shown to buyer ,
3. post-dispatch tracking added ? - another set of EDD's - now 2 days shorter then the original one no. 1 that usually will have ebay message stating: "arrives today" or "same/next day delivery" for 2 class post you only posted 5 minutes ago....

[4_bathrooms]

---

@bazinga-games wrote:

It has definitely changed today - for me, at least.  Perhaps it's something they're rolling out..?

---

If your EDDs have been slightly lengthened it's likely due to Monday being a bank holiday.

Mine are still incorrect, just a little less incorrect. Large (pallet) deliveries are specified as 1 working day despatch with a 3 to 5 working day delivery time. However, todays orders inform me that I need to despatch by 11.59pm on the 1st May (correct) and the EDD shown to buyers is 3rd May to 8th May. That isn't going to happen; despatched tomorrow the earliest delivery date is 7th May and the latest is 9th May. Without the bank holiday eBay would likely be showing 3rd to 7th May; the 7th being the earliest date the item would actually be delivered.

I can only assume eBay are either blind and deaf or these fantasy EDDs are deliberately engineered to punish sellers by encouraging buyers to open INR cases thus negatively affecting seller's Service Metrics.  

[bazinga-games]

Oh dear, upon checking again just now, it appears it is not all rosy  ☹️

I have different dates showing on my orders.  Here is a quick snapshot of what I'm seeing:

1/  This item I listed today, it shows:

Free 3 day postage
Estimated between Thu, 2 May and Fri, 3 May

2/  This item I sold this morning - not yet posted:

Dispatch by 2 May at 11.59pm BST
Estimated delivery date shown to buyer: 3 May 2024 - 9 May 2024

3/  These items I sold today and they were both posted today - tracking NOT uploaded.

a/  Dispatched on 30 Apr
Estimated delivery date shown to buyer: 2 May 2024 - 3 May 2024

b/  Dispatched on 30 Apr
Estimated delivery date shown to buyer: 3 May 2024 - 8 May 2024

So, basically, different orders are showing different timings, and yet all have the same turnaround times listed, as I noted on my original post.

What a f* up!  😠

[lincolnshiremarine]

Hi 

Don't give up reporting it, the more sellers come forward the stronger our case.

Best wishes

[theelench]

.....😭  😠.....

[qualitycardsandgifts]

Wish mine had changed.   Orders today showing despatch tomorrow (1st) with delivery 2nd - 3rd.   All going Royal Mail second class. 

[theelench]

Same as mine.  

Do you have two days handling time, like mine ?

Or does ebay just stick next day / two day delivery on all 2nd class mail ?

Although the calculation is supposed to be dynamic and taking into account the delivery company's past performance, it seemingly hasn't noticed that RM are delivering less frequently in many areas and given the same FDD for over a year.

Or that RM has never  estimated that 2nd class will deliver next day, they've said two - three days delivery for the past ten years (at least).  So of mine  and RMs 2-3 days for delivery ebay gives me one delivery date that is always  impossible to achieve.  The second it counts as 'on time' and ignores the third completely.  To ebay if it arrives on day three it's 'late'.

Working perfectly  --  No it isn't.

Working as designed  --  Possibly, if it was designed to trip-up sellers.

[qualitycardsandgifts]

I have same day despatch with a cut off of 7.15 am, so despatch should be 1st May with an EDD of 3rd - 4th.    Mind you, we have been advised by a buyer that a special delivery item sent 2nd April has not arrived.    Scanned at our local sorting office, then nothing. 

[therma-tec]

This and a few other things are basically set up to screw us sellers.

All my listings once orderd state EDD of my dispatch date to next day delivery on 48 hr courier, yet all my listings state free 3 day postage!

I was a top rated seller last month so looked at how to get the 10% discount on FVF.

Changed my handling time to 1 day. Had 'other' 48 courier' for the free postage option which shows 3 day postage. Changed it to tracked 48, still showed up as '3 day postage'. Changed it to tracked 24 and once again still shows up as 3 day postage. It's impossible to meet the criteria for the 10% discount!

All I'm doing now is sticking to my 2 day and sending tracked 48 as it's the same price as 1st class large letter. Then having to answer the numerous 'my order hasn't arrived' messages. Any negative feedback should (?) be removed as everything is sent on time and tracking shows that.

[classic_car_spares_uk]

This has been a joke for years and will never change. Ebay lie to the customer, The customer gets upset when they don't get it on time and blame the seller, then the seller is upset.

Why is it that ebay seem to think its ok to lie to everyone about EED. It upsets everyone and then breeds mistrust.

I have talked to ebay representatives more times than i can remember over the past 19 years about this and get no joy. (one statement from rep "send it sooner" ???? same day dispatch...We are doing that)

THE BIG PICTURE IS EBAY ARE TRYING TO GET ALL SELLERS TO SEND NEXT DAY, FREE DELIVERY and unless you are doing that you are going to get grief. But i know add the next day price on the item people will not buy. ??????????????????

[darth_baggins]

Just had a sale, 27th December, 11am. My dispatch time is currently set to five working days.

Dispatch by January 3rd. Delivery estimate shown to buyer - 30th December to January 4th.

eBay are saying even if I post today (Friday), second class might get there on Monday, IE next working day. Yes it might, but it's not likely.

There's absolutely no way that these estimates are realistic and I'm sick of eBay saying they're working as intended. They're not and haven't been for a long time.

[bzmotman]

UK Sale Dec 25, sent 2nd class today Dec 27, EDD Dec 30 - Jan 2 !! Working as intended but only if the aim is get me a defect.

[wavesales]

Hi,

Yes it is eBay acting like a load of jokers, displaying and doing the impossible, I would like to see an eBay employer selling on here and experience these issues for themselves, slightly off topic I have been rated "High" as item not received, but as eBay are numb, dumb and cannot read, if you look at my negative feedback the buyer never received it and I refunded him within 1 hour yes you read this right and he still left negative feedback as only 12 days had past from delivery date and he would of got the item for free.  What I would like to ask eBay is WHY is this my fault?. and WHY is eBay still punishing me for this 11 months later?.

Your should punish the buyer who clearly ripped me off!

Something I will also chime in is how can you prepare for peak from eBay experts, you mean people that work at eBay that do not even sell and do not even have an eBay account, but call themselves experts?.

Oh I would also like eBay to explain WHY I cannot contact eBay Customer Service regarding anything to do with a transaction or a buyer you cannot contact eBay, Why is that?.

End of Rant!