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

[ett1954]

Sorry, I wasn't aware the poster was on a business account - I don't have the volume myself to warrant one.  I guess they have levelled up then, in which case is there any benefit having a business account?

[knit-in-styles]

For me personally,  no, I closed my Royal Mail business account just this week as there is now no benefit at all. In fact some of the heavier large letters are now cheaper non business than business mail.

Plus it was very tying as I took my mail to our local sorting office but they are only open 8am until 10am so very restrictive. 

[qualitycardsandgifts]

I totally agree.    I have a business account, but after realising that the cost is exactly the same via eBay postage, I will probably let my account go and just pay for postage through eBay and take up Tommy local post office.   At least I then get proof of postage.  

[jlovie]

For smaller volume sellers, the RM parcel postboxes are great if you have one near you. They take parcels up to approx. 44cm x 35cm x 16cm.

You don't get proof, but I find the hassle of getting proof not worth the bother.

If you send tracked, I find they're scanned a few hours after being collected from the boxes.

[momamakes]

I wouldnt bother with proof of postage its worth nothing. In their small print they say they aim to deliver in a certain amount of days but its not guaranteed so unless they actually lose the parcel you can’t make a claim. The only succesful claim i had was for a tracked 24 item that took over a week to arrive. Ive had tracked 48 sitting at the depot for 5 days before it even gets sorted. I dont understand how couriers have different rights to sellers they should have to deliver in the time frame if thats what we paid for!

[lucy_farmer]

'The RM parcel postboxes are great if you have one near you. They take parcels up to approx. 44cm x 35cm x 16cm.

You don't get proof, but I find the hassle of getting proof not worth the bother.'

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This may change in the near future!

I've just spotted a news story re; the post office trialling 'Parcel post boxes' with solar panels on the top and a scanner!

They'd be useful...😃

[ojewellery]

There's another proof of delivery option using GPS stamp of a postbox via the ap.  Not sure if/ how this links to eBay but has potential:

Using the Royal Mail app, customers can select 'proof of posting' and, through GPS and the customer's phone location services, the postbox they are at will appear. They then scan their barcoded label, select 'post now' and will receive their proof of posting confirmation message.

[technthread]

I created a new policy today for heavy but low value items. I’m going to use InPost Home Delivery bought direct from their app as it is £3.99 for a 15kg parcel in a medium locker with a 4-5 day estimate. 

This is what eBay will show to buyers, it is absurd:

[jlovie]

---

@lucy_farmer wrote:

'The RM parcel postboxes are great if you have one near you. They take parcels up to approx. 44cm x 35cm x 16cm.

You don't get proof, but I find the hassle of getting proof not worth the bother.'

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This may change in the near future!

I've just spotted a news story re; the post office trialling 'Parcel post boxes' with solar panels on the top and a scanner!

They'd be useful...😃

---

I just heard about those on the radio minutes after I'd posted that!

They look handy but the slot doesn't look as big as the current parcel postboxes.

I post vinyl LPs in mine, those new ones don't look big enough for that.

[bazinga-games]

Today I've just received a medium sized parcel which, I presume, was posted in one of those postal boxes - the tracking has not updated since the sender presumably purchased the label on eBay.  It still shows the following (I have starred out the tracking code myself):

" We're expecting it
The sender has advised they have despatched your item to Royal Mail.
More information will be available once we have received your item and scanned it into our network.
Tracking number: ************
Service used: Royal Mail Tracked 48™ "

After seeing this, I, personally, wouldn't use one of those post boxes 😡

[insidethe93]

No proof of posting is issued at the box itself; tracking begins when the parcel is scanned at the Royal Mail depot, so you need to trust that RM will scan every one of your parcels (for any service, RM's success rate is under 100%). I'd rather wait and see how successful it is. (I'm not an eBay seller but I send quite a lot of parcels per month.)

It's one remove from you seeing it being scanned, and straightaway!, in front of you at a post office counter, and I think I'd prefer that for now, but I am one of the lucky ones in that I can reach a post office (at some inconvenience for opening hours and distance).

[knit-in-styles]

The same sometimes happen when you hand into a PO. In March I sent an item signed for tracked. The only reason I know it has been delivered is thankfully the buyer left me feedback. According to the tracking it is still at the PO I handed it in to.

[bazinga-games]

Agreed.  The parcel I referred to above still shows the same message, so it didn't even update later on yesterday.

So, the sender has sent £200 worth of items and has no working tracking information.  Not good is it?