eBay's false estimated delivery dates, now several messages from buyers not happy.

[lincolnshiremarine]

I have been going on about this issue like a broken record.  I have reported it several times and even been on the community chat several times.  Ebay claim the EDD's are working fine.  They are not.

Ebay are giving buyers delivery dates as same day deliveries, next day deliveries.  Even when buyers have  have selected the free, three day delivery, they are including non working days as delivery dates being Saturday and Sundays.

I know that other sellers are being affected by this too, and have reported it too.

However, I am now spending hours replying to buyers whom think their parcel is late based on ebays estimated delivery dates. 

This leaves my business open for negative feedback and the issue of asking ebay to remove it.

The messages I am getting from buyers are:

" Hi not to pleased due to the fact I ordered this part from your company because of the delivery time and it’s not happened! Hopefully this item will turn up soon"

"parcel not arrived yet ??"

Both of those cases where when they purchased over a weekend, and they were dropped of at the parcel shop for collection the same day of purchase. However, this was over the weekend.  Ebay tracking has said to expect the delivery on Monday, which is wrong, as they included weekends as the courier collection and delivery days.

When you look on the couriers webiste the delivery dates are correct and ebays are incorrect.

We have had the same issue with Royal Mail tracked on ebay too.

How many more sellers are now getting messages like this on a daily basis, and what are you telling the buyers.?

I have been selling on ebay for 16 years and we dispatch the items on time, but, this ebay EDD are on another level now.

We look like we are fabricating delivery dates just to obtain a sale, and although we have tried tweaking the postage days etc, it does not help.

marco@ebay

Katie@ebay

Dave@ebay

[theelench]

Well done for trying to get some sense out of ebay, but CS has a long reputation for telling callers whatever gets them off the phone quickest.

e.g  in my case, ebay has been telling my buyers their parcels will arrive the day after my handling time ends, or the day after, with a 2-3 day delivery service  --  all last year and is still doing so this year.

Evidently a long term glitch then and STILL NOT SORTED by ebay???  Frankly I don't believe a word of it, the madness is deliberate.

On a different aspect of the farce this crossed my mind and perhaps someone with more expertise in postage might know?

According to ebay most of my items must arrive late using RM 2nd class (usually small / medium parcel @ £3.49 / £5.49.)

In the real world is there actually any delivery company that will deliver my stuff the day after I dispatch it or one day after at most, to anywhere in the UK??  So that I can get stuff to buyers within ebays fantasy DDs??

and what would it cost my buyers?  

[litp*records]

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@vintagechinashop wrote:

I have a 5 day despatch on my listings however I normally post within 3 days. I've noticed that as soon as you mark as despatched eBay tells the buyer to expect delivery within 3 days of posting.  I have had messages 5 days after a sale, in mind I had 5 days handling time, asking me where the item is. 
it's impossible to manage also the date shown to sellers of when the buyer is told to expect the item is different so it makes the whole thing a farce. Basically eBay are trying to force sellers not only to use a faster service but to fail miserably on delivery dates and therefore fail on service metrics which could see a reduction in your seller rating. As we all know eBay hoodwink buyers who merely wish to ask for an expected delivery date to be forced into opening a inr case which in my experience most people are unaware they are doing   Goalposts are moving all the time 

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You forgot to add - a reduction in seller rating means paying higher fees.  So it's in Ebay's interest that you fail the ever-moving targets.

All I could suggest is change your delivery service to "other courier 3-5 days" and see if that makes a difference.  I bulk edit all my listings to that when things are getting hairy with EDDs (I have RM tracked 48 as default).  That will add another day at least to the timer.  

[station13thirteen]

Off topic slightly, but while we're complaining about ebay's lack of common sense with these ridiculous EDDs, and their refusal to do anything about it, there is something else that really riles me.

Ebay allows China sellers to use false UK addresses to fool buyers into thinking that the item is in the UK or they are a UK business, then the buyer wonders why it can take 3 weeks to be delivered... why don't  ebay clamp down on this?  I'm sure if we misrepresented ourselves they would be on us like a tonne of bricks.

Something else that us UK business sellers have to compete with is the fact that a buyer can purchase something from China and get it delivered for FREE - from China! It is just crazy... how are we supposed to compete with that when our postage costs alone are often higher than the cost of the actual item sent from China?

I have to stop typing now as I can feel my blood starting to boil...

[qualitycardsandgifts]

Another unhappy customer.   Ordered a card at 7 pm on 21st, posted at 9am on 22nd.   eBay promised them it would arrive 23rd to 25th and tomorrow will be too late.    Another one refunded and added to the blocked list.  

[sagr2519]

Why have you already refunded them if it could have still arrived today? They can't claim INR until a day after the FDD.

[qualitycardsandgifts]

It didn't arrive today.  Tomorrow would be too late 

[sagr2519]

That's your choice. If it would be me I'd wait another day, in case it arrives tomorrow. Though I haven't read their message so it could be clear from their wording that they're the sort of customer who wants a refund even if it's a day late 😠

Just reading the last part of one of your descriptions, it's clear that you've had some really bad experiences with this. Looking at the EDDs if I buy it now (which would almost certainly change after purchase) it's 27-30 March. While 30 isn't totally unrealistic, they definitely wouldn't deliver it tomorrow!

The EDDs are not working as intended. We need staff to fix it now. Dave@ebay this is evidence of a problem with the EDDs. 

[bigboystoys4u2014]

Hi,

I have the same problem, the estmated delivery dates seem to ignore the days given to despatch and assume the item is posted at the same time order is received, I have contacted eBay several times and have raise a query but know ones comes back with an answer.

[sagr2519]

Just realised 29 March is Good Friday. 30 March is wrong even before the change of dates after purchase.

[qualitycardsandgifts]

So yet again, a bank holiday not being recognised 

[theelench]

Yes, a Bank Holiday, then Saturday (a normal working day), then Sunday and then Easter Monday  --  another Bank Holiday.  I wonder how wrong ebays 'Dynamic' calculation will be this BH week-end, how many sales will be given delivery dates on BH's and how many FDDs will not be 'dynamically' extended to exclude them??

And will ebay be scrambling to assure sellers, after the event, that their accounts will be protected from unwarranted Defects due the FDDs being all over the place YET AGAIN?

IMO every account should be protected against every defect resulting from this flawed "Calculation" until it can be demonstrated by ebay to be working correctly and giving answers that are logical, achievable or  just make some sort of sense in the real world.

[qualitycardsandgifts]

Despite being told I would cancel and refund, the buyer has opened an INR case, so that's another defect.    The card was posted on Friday, and the case opened this morning at 7 am.    The bank holiday this weekend is going to cause more problems.  

[roverviews]

So basically, as I see it the Estimated Delivery dates arent workng for buyers, or sellers, there are hundreds of complaints and hundreds of refunded sales. Ebay are not really doing anything about it as they maintain that their dynamic system is working correctly.

Its so bizarre, why would you not want to have a system that makes sense and works for everyone? I dont get it. It feels like they would rather upset lots of buyers and sellers and  employ a team of people to field complaints, than actually address the issue.

If half of Ebay sellers went on 'holiday' for a month, they might be more focussed. Though that is probably not realistic.

Maybe it would be worth putting a note at the top of each listing to explain the 'glitch' in the system and that ebay are  'looking into' it. Maybe that might at least help to "Mangage Buyers Expectations"  (as we are  encouraged to do) in the meantime.

[best-range]

Friday's after the cut off time is the worse for RM48 economy 3 days postage as ebay completely ignores the cut off time for the day & the weekend's days.

I had items bought on Friday evening, hours after the business cut off time  & ebay promised my customers delivery Sunday the 24th or same day as posting Monday ???! yet the next posting day was Monday the 25th ! 

So according to ebay's EDD items meant to arrive 1 day before even posting it or the latest same day as posting it ! - impossible without Time Machine.

I wish they advertise such postal service in their postage section so I can use it but they dont, as when you go to buy postage label on ebay it states economy post 2-3 working days & not a day before it's posted, nor same day as posted.

Just an idea for all those affected that use tracking economy service or Delivery Confirmation RM48 services to use that order tracking page to communicate your frustration by simply copying & pasting the link to this thread in there, maybe they'll get the message that way ?, as asking ebay reps did not work .

It's impossible to use faster service as such service does not exist, how can you deliver an item 1 day before even dispatching it? what is that service ? it must one that delivers goods before the buyer even bought it ?! 

I's like ebay to recommend that service so I can fulfill their fantasy EDD's but the reps refuse to advise what service is that as it's not the RM48 I use.

I only use RM48 simply because RM24 usually shows as a slower or same service as RM48 .

[qualitycardsandgifts]

Another INR yesterday, so no sales until 8.30 last night, one card total value £1.99.   Ebays EDD tomorrow to Saturday so that will be another INR.    That's it, I'm putting my holiday settings on until after Easter. 

[theelench]

I'm experiencing something very similar as a buyer.

I bought a diary on Monday 25th at 6:54 pm. 

The first DD shown on the listing was changed when I paid.

The seller posted (RM 2nd class) on Tuesday 26th and the FDDs kicked in and I'm now being told by ebay

"To arrive by Thursday 28th"   No date range, it WILL arrive BY the 28th, implying it might arrive on the 27th.

I WILL definitely be using the FB question you arrow above as this is the same trick ebay's been pulling on me for over a year.  But as the seller I wasn't aware that ebay was giving my buyers a specific, one day, window for delivery.  I've been shown, as the seller, that delivery would be (i.e) either 28th - 29th.  The 28th (the day after my dispatch window closes) being impossible but the 29th is possible, if RM is not delayed in that area on that day.

If I'm lucky I might get the diary on Saturday but with Bank Holidays this week-end I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't arrive 'till Tuesday.

What a disgrace ebay is these days!!  Actively working to bring down its sellers.

[best-range]

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@theelench wrote:

I'm experiencing something very similar as a buyer.

I bought a diary on Monday 25th at 6:54 pm. 

The first DD shown on the listing was changed when I paid.

The seller posted (RM 2nd class) on Tuesday 26th and the FDDs kicked in and I'm now being told by ebay

"To arrive by Thursday 28th"   No date range, it WILL arrive BY the 28th, implying it might arrive on the 27th.

I WILL definitely be using the FB question you arrow above as this is the same trick ebay's been pulling on me for over a year.  But as the seller I wasn't aware that ebay was giving my buyers a specific, one day, window for delivery.  I've been shown, as the seller, that delivery would be (i.e) either 28th - 29th.  The 28th (the day after my dispatch window closes) being impossible but the 29th is possible, if RM is not delayed in that area on that day.

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This is the most confusing part of the issues with EDD's, they keep changing to different dates, as it progresses - described in my post no. 84 & quoted below.  It must drive buyers crazy as well.

This affects sellers who use tracking or delivery confirmation services from all couriers not just Royal Mail.

There are now 3 different EDD's sets given to buyers for the same order depending if it's pre-sale, post-sale, or post-dispatch/tracking.

The original EDD's shown to the buyers pre-sale ( specific for their location & delivery service selected) keeps changing/shortening a day each time while it's progresses from the pre-sale to post-sale to dispatched/tracking added stage.

So within a single day - if you post same day, for RM48 it progresses from the original pre-sale EDD's stage of 2-3 days ( usually correct) to post sales stage of 1-2 days ( wrong) .

Then once dispatched /tracking added it goes to the crazy stage of showing same day/next day EDD's  or even 1 day before dispatch if bought on Fridays after your cut off time for the day that is ignored.

The next stage is the "Running Behind "message in the Order Details,  as items are never delivered as per ebay's crazy EDD's .

Its most puzzling why ebay wont admit there is a serious problem with their EDD's & simply fix it, as it creates terrible experience for all ebay users as a result. 

[darth_baggins]

Something is very obviously broken with the whole thing. Last week I ordered two items on my private buying account. One was sent by RM and one Yodel. The RM one had an ETA of 21st to 26th March, but for the last 3 days when I click on the tracking in eBay it says 'arrives today'.

The Yodel one has an ETA of 24th to 26th (24th is a Sunday, don't think Yodel deliver on Sundays). This has also said 'arrives today' for the last 3 days.

On the purchase history page, both say 'was expected March 27th' (today 10:35 am so 'was' is a bit premature. Plus this contradicts with the last day of the ETA being 26th.

It's just broken but it's pointless reporting it because we just get fobbed off and say it's working as intended.

[crybuyer]

Have received lots of INR's recently.  Spoke with customer services, the rep acknowledged personally the EDD dates didn't match up with my handling time and the fact Sunday is a non working day for Royal Mail.  However, passed me onto a specialist who seemed to want to just give me advice on how to deal with the INR.

Have just sold this - dispatch instructions take bank holiday into account -  EDD to buyre doesn't.  It's clearly broken.

Ebay just need to acknowledge it's broken and look at fixing it.

[petstation1989]

I was late to a funeral yesterday because I woke up to find eBay had ignored my dispatch time and was promising deliveries for today. So I had to rush into work and pack parcels as fast as possible.

I thought if I extended my dispatch time by a day then it would add a day to the delivery estimates

Needless to say yesterday was very stressful and I won't be making that mistake again

Also the page where it shows you the the estimated date given to buyer said dispatch by 27th March & estimated date shown to buyer 27th.