Seller says ''there is no tracking available for your item'' ''I use a local courier company.

[adlife0]

Hello all,

Today is the first day of the Ebay estimated delivery window for a bicycle I purchased on Ebay.

Estimated delivery Sat, 18 Jul - Tue, 21 Jul

I was suprised to not see any tracking details - I have since emailed the seller and they have responded that they use a 'local courier'
- The courier has my details including mobile number so they will probably make contact before attempting delivery.

I'm sat here on Saturday now realising that I have to possible watch out for the delivery of this bicycle for the next 4 days.
I feel a little bit aggrieved that I have no idea when to expect this delivery - the listing was Buy it now, Free Economy Delivery, Dispatched within 1 day
Estimated within 4-5 working days.

Am I simply being grumpy about this, I understand that as I bought a bicycle with a combined price for the item and postage the seller would most likely
choose the cheapest/easiest courier to make maximum profit - Perhaps that was my error not double checking 1st. I have found out recently though
that paying a large postage fee does not necessarily translate to a good courier company, a few sellers will just switch to a cheaper courier anyway or
use a middleperson like ParcelHero who will then use any number of couriers.

Still this is one of the first times I have ever bought a large item and been out of the loop when the delivery is going to happen, it's flustrating but
maybe I should have been more careful when purchasing.

Below is the replies from the seller after asking if they had any tracking information

"there is no tracking available for your item, I can phone up and get the courier company to track it for me but there is no website or physical tracking number I can provide for you. I use a local courier company for my large/heavier items which I have done so for your bike. I use a 3-5 working day service, your item was collected by them yesterday.''

''Most cases, as I have provided all your contact details and phone number, they tend to phone the receiver up before delivery, obviously to make sure that you will be there to receive it and not be a no show for when they turn up. Once successfully delivered, I get confirmation by them.''

[arkwebus · Accepted solution]

Also if it does not [ever] turn up and when you open a non-receipt case the seller will lose as he cannot show tracked delivery!  All should be well but if not you can - and in my view should - open a non-receipt case on Wednesday.  Do not discuss the matter with the seller.  

Tracking is really for the seller's benefit, not the buyer's

@adlife0 

[adlife0 · Accepted solution]

Thanks for all your comments, this was re-assuring.

I don't necessarily agree with the person who said that pushbikes should always be collection only. It can be that there are limited auctions for what you are looking for and nothing in your locality.

In this case I was in the Market for a Fixie Bike as I wan't to learn to cycle backwards and all that other good stuff.

Anyway I waited paitently with a little apprehension, the weekend came and went and the courier delivered today (Monday) - I was out but luckily a family member was in and took the delivery.

The courier didn't text, phone or email - I'll take a lesson from this and ask the seller if they will be providing trackable information saves all the guessing and prognostication with the ancient runes etc...

[rusticrye]

You paid for an item with an untracked, economy delivery service, so yes, it seems to me that you're being unreasonable. Not least because the seller seems to have chosen wisely by not shipping with one of the big, national companies, meaning that you're far more likely to get delivery within Ebay's estimated timeframe (estimated, note, not guaranteed - at any time, let alone now) . The major couriers are struggling in this current climate, and deliveries are sometimes suffering huge and understandable delays. So I would be thanking him for his informative message, and heaving a sigh of relief. 

@adlife0 

[pixiesen2012]

not all sellers use tracked services,

the seller hasn't done anything wrong

you will just have to wait for the courier to call or turn up

[adlife0]

Thanks for all your comments, this was re-assuring.

I don't necessarily agree with the person who said that pushbikes should always be collection only. It can be that there are limited auctions for what you are looking for.

In this case I was in the Market for a Fixie Bike as I wan't to learn to cycle backwards and all that other good stuff.

Anyway I waited paitently with a little apprehension, the weekend came and went and the courier delivered today (Monday) - I was out but luckily a family member was in and took the delivery.

The courier didn't text, phone or email - I'll take a lesson from this and ask the seller if they will be providing trackable information saves all the guessing and prognostication.

[arkwebus]

From eBay's point of view tracking is to prove delivery not simply to provide a clue to the buyer as to where the item may be.  There are couriers who do have a system where the buyer can actually see where the courier is and where they are in the delivery list. 

I suspect they are the top-of-the-range couriers.  I very much doubt if sellers will welcome messages as to who they use.  Most [business] sellers have a set routine as to how they deal with things. 

@adlife0  

[m25jet]

To be honest for something like a pushbike you really ought to have collected and paid for it in person, otherwise if the bike turns up and it is not as descibed in the listing how are you going to post the bike back to the seller should he advise you that he will issue you with a full refund once he has received the bike back again?  If you'd collected the bike in person then you would already have it by now unless you'd found something wrong with it during inspection and had subsequently changed your mind and decided not to go ahead with the sale.