Sellers marking items as dispatched when not

[doorengineer]

My gripe is, frequently when ordering online with eBay I seem to get an automatic “Dispatched” and often a tracking number as if the seller is on autopilot, yet it seems days before the parcel is in the care of the delivery firm/couriers, is this due to the courier not collecting in a timely manner? or the seller not dropping the parcel off at the courier's collection point for days? or really the fault of the delivery firm? should courier protect their reputation if the delay is due to the seller by stating on the tracking information the reason for the delay??? my thought is that sellers raises a dispatch invoice, postage, and tracking number automatically and use it as a picking sheet next time they go to their storage units which may be many days after the item has been marked as dispatched.

[tech-and-tools]

Generally speaking I find that you encounter this issue far less than
cheaper items. The reasoning you are getting a dispatch message is how
the integrated print label system works but after well over 10 instances
of sellers marking items as dispatched even though not only have they
printed the label but due to potentially numerous reasons they have no
intention to actually send the item out within their stated dispatch
times. Its such a simple fix. Force sellers to manually mark or agree
that if they print labels and repeatedly end up with disputes due to
items not being sent/received they will face punishments starting with
things like loss of perks of various seller ranks and progressively
getting worse with the latter end being loss of access to the ability to
print labels on eBay and ultimately banning them for good. The reason
why this won't happen is money. eBay has long moved away from caring
about the buyers and now very clearly leans towards keeping sellers
happy and more and more inticing big business to come and use the
platform. A stark difference from the eBay I remember. Its such a simple
fix that a few simple changes would make it very hard, impossible and as
I mentioned potentially risk the seller completely losing their
accounts. I don't see why if you print a label eBay shouldn't every 6-12
hours scan to  see if item has actually been posted and if they reach x
time over their stated dispatch times they should have a request that
requires them to upload proof the item has actually been posted and not
just printed a label while they build up more orders or as I suspect in
some of these cases wait for new stock to come in. This is main reason I
only use eBay when I really have to as it happens on over 30% of my
orders from big sellers now. All good feedback

[nigel_paul_wright7557]

I am not convinced  ebay has a link into all the tracking systems.

On many occasions I have left feedback only to immediately get a "your item has arrived" email from ebay !

[kittysteen]

I've had sellers say they have sent the item when they haven't. In my latest case, a bag of dog food was said to have been sent. At just a few pence under £20 for the bag I felt it was just a little too cheap to have a two day delivery period. I was refunded immediately when I didn't ask for that, was told, "it most likely got lost in the post" - a 15kg bag - and that they didn't carry enough stock to send a replacement. I checked their advert again and they were showing more than ten in stock. I believe they didn't send it because they were losing money on the product. 

Now I'm left with nothing and will have to wait until next week to get a replacement.

[bearrub2]

Totally agree. In my experience as buyer, I have more instances of sellers doint his - otherwise known as 'drop shipping' where the seller has no governance over the picking and despatch of orders. In other words these sellers do not have the stock, but accumulate orders for the warehouse to despatch. I am waiting on two items from a seller based in England which are purchases which would/should have taken around 2 to five days to arrive. I received a despatch notification, however, the courier is still waiting to receive the item five days later (and counting).  From a buyers point of view, this just amounts to a poor experience.

[tech-and-tools]

Yeah I think a lot is likely drop shipping but I'm sure plenty are
probably receiving new stock but not always actually maintaining the
levels so the result is the same and a lot of the blame falls on the
feet of eBay it wasnt that long ago when you would suffer as a seller
doing this if you wanted to drop ship or sell stuff you dont actually
have you had to list longer dispatch/delivery time or get hammered in
the feedback. Now it seems like eBay has totally stopped caring about
the customer experience but instead making as much as possible. Seems
short sighted because eBay is what it is today because of that decade
plus of building loyal customers. A group I no longer see myself in. I
actively use eBay as little as possible and will continue to do so until
something changes which I doubt. I dont see it as unreasonable to expect
all sellers big and small to display accurate dispatch and delivery
times and if automatically marking things as shipped once the label is
printed well maybe it is about time you either make them confirm it has
actually been shipped and that there is an expectation of hitting
delivery times. I remember when eBay was pushing feedback and seller
performance hard and hitting delivery windows, feedback % etc made a
difference to how many views, sales etc items got. Now they couldnt give
a ....!

[doorengineer]

<meta charset="UTF-8" />

Yes, just had a seller message me to say he was out of 32gb SD cards after I ordered a CCTV camera with a 32gb SD card, he offered just charge me for the camera, asked him how much is he going to refund, and he replied £3, told him to cancel the order, half an hour later the postman arrived with the parcel, It is unopened and I do not now want it as I can get one similar for £10 cheaper without an SD card, they should not play games bet that is going to hurt as he will have to pay the return postage.

[gallovidian]

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Many sellers would consider this excessive, and I think a buyer should allow a few days extra, unless there is actual evidence of bad service by the seller. But it is in the Money Back Guarantee Policy, and late arrival is a far more sensible criterion than possible imagininings about time to dispatch.

As to applying for removal of feedback, any kid of seller can do it. I haven't seen evidence that volume os sales makes a great difference.

Sellers are warned in policy against excessive use of removal requests. Like many a thing we see complained of.I very much doubt if it is a regular enough business practice to seriously degrade the feedback system.

[gallovidian]

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@doorengineer wrote:



<meta charset="UTF-8" />

Yes, just had a seller message me to say he was out of 32gb SD cards after I ordered a CCTV camera with a 32gb SD card, he offered just charge me for the camera, asked him how much is he going to refund, and he replied £3, told him to cancel the order, half an hour later the postman arrived with the parcel, It is unopened and I do not now want it as I can get one similar for £10 cheaper without an SD card, they should not play games bet that is going to hurt as he will have to pay the return postage.

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Open the package and check in case he has somehow managed to obtain the right card. One reason is that if you admit to returning the unopened package, he can appeal the eBay decision by saying "How did he kn ow?"

It is far better to take delivery and open a Not As Described case than to negotiate a partial refund without one. When a partial refund is formally offered by the seller in tghe case, and agreed by you, it becomes as binding as a full refund.

As you can buy the right camera cheaper elsewhere, though, a full refund is obviously what you need. I would not mention that cheaper alternative. Your real grievane is the misdescription, admitted by the seller, and will win the case on its own. There is no need to hand him anything he might be able to appeal into a change of mind return.

If the camera does contain a card, check that it isn't a much loer capacity one, which is just as much of a misdescription.

[tech-and-tools]

Why exactly as a buyer should I be allowing a buyer 4 days sometimes these drag on for literal weeks when they list 1-2 days dispatch on 24-48 hours deliveries. Amazon works on literally the same principle and although far from perfect they have not allowed massive abuse of dispatch times even for all their other ills. If you want 4 days to dispatch then list it because its not even close to 1-2 days. This is only compounded given its far from just a little laziness but *bleep* poor business practices (dropshipping, poor stock management) and is a literal endless battle on eBay.

The last 5 years AT LEAST eBay has become nothing more than all but the very few good sellers often big businesses who actually value customers from product to service. Instead the norm is a product which should at the very most if ordered Monday should 90%+ if not more of the time be here by Thurs/Fri but instead will often take until the end of the week after. You CANT SERIOUSLY be defended this as excessive. Are you using a totally different site. Im long past relying on eBay for anything anymore. Until it changes eBay is nothing more than an ABSOLUTE last resort and for sourcing not easily found parts which thank god are often not businesses who somehow manage to far exceed in every area even while often being more expensive.

eBay is already on the way down give it 10 years and it will be but a tiny shadow of its former self as it shows no will to actually hold sellers to even basic standards I can get from literally the worst of businesses directly why add a middleman, pay more for less.

You are simply wrong about it not degrading the feedback system it is very easy for the big sellers to have literally hundreds of these but we are still talking large numbers this very issue has become a regular occurance just another nail in the coffin and a very obvious contradiction because tell me where exactly you have access to this performance anywhere? Dispatch time used to actually be based on real sellers real time on getting it out not just set by sellers and then creating a make believe date by purchasing a label. So we lost this vital tool and on top we dont even see any feedback regarding it. It they dont want it negative it should be a sale failed feedback and be truthful

[tech-and-tools]

I am suggesting sellers are punished for selecting 1-2 days dispatch time (it is no longer automatically selected on performance unlike in the past) it is seller set and then not actually dispatching the item which very often after it drags on to a item should arrive in 4-5 working days absolute max on good tracked delivery yet is taking 10 working days. Or are you defending this as an acceptable business practice and if so why are sellers not marking the true dispatch time. Why is because they wouldnt get any where near the sales and with eBay and their obsession with striking deals with couriers making deals great or at least better for sellers while actually passing on these massive negatives to the buying experience. There was a time where sellers were expected to uphold their word and standards and would be hammered rightly so when they didnt. eBay is partly to blame for allowing parcels to be marked as dispatched even though they know full well this is far from the truth and is instead just a courier service purchase. Its fine to say seller brought x service then next step is marking when it is actually on the move. Lastly it comes down to the seller to be honest with what their dispatch policy is. If what you read is to be believed will be 1-2 day dispatch but you got buy 10 and see how many take literally double plus and thats just to get moving not to actually arrive.

[tech-and-tools]

This is not correct at all. The dispatch time for parcels is 100% set by the seller dont believe me go make a listing you to will be given the option to select dispatch times. Listings now actually show a message much like Amazon does only on Amazon most of the time you actually get it within if not earlier a massive difference.

It will take the dispatch time 1-2 days plus delivery service time and that is your magic non dynamic number. Way over 50% of the time these dates mean nothing at all and is wishful thinking at best and complete lies most of the time.

[tech-and-tools]

I have no problem with the business model itself I order from many businesses that run like this (all outside of eBay now thank god) the difference is they dont blow smoke up my *bleep* and lie about dispatch notice when label purchased says so then will get another just as its going to RM or whichever service then they take over. Its not even a massive issue to fix but eBays obsession with selling labels seem to have clouded their judgement and standards. There would be a time sellers would lose all kind of perks for operating like this if not made clear this is how long dispatch takes. A shame I built my very first businesses on eBay at 15 and am disgusted at what it has become. I hate Amazon but god damn at least they understand what a dispatch time is. eBay is just big business now behind curtains and eBay allows the behaviour thus encouraging it for their own profits

[tech-and-tools]

You must be mistaken and are a very poor buyer who should not expect an expensive item to be dispatched within the 1-2 days listed on the site and god you better not say that sellers should not be punished for playing such BS constantly these days. This is the type of conservations with a little bit of flair added that seems to be the arguement. I dont blame you for being annoyed. I would happily wait an extra day or two for honesty and a good service. I used to pride myself when I first started businesses on eBay about 15 years ago now you simply could not lie and expect to maintain eBay seller perks, feedback was everything and made the site a joy now I would rather turn to the terrible Amazon and not deal with having smoke blown up my *bleep*

[bennotbill]

This is one of those threads that's crying out for an eBay rep to answer and explain once and for all how it's eBay that marks the item as dispatched when it isn't. That just the label has been bought. And how eBay's estimated delivery date EDD completely ignores the seller dispatch time.

If the reps are so sure the EDD is "working as designed" then answer the questions raised on this thread, and explain the "design" that clearly upsets buyers, and the sellers are sick of hearing about.

Where are they?

[bearrub2]

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@tech-and-tools wrote:
Yeah I think a lot is likely drop shipping but I'm sure plenty are
probably receiving new stock but not always actually maintaining the
levels so the result is the same and a lot of the blame falls on the
feet of eBay it wasnt that long ago when you would suffer as a seller
doing this if you wanted to drop ship or sell stuff you dont actually
have you had to list longer dispatch/delivery time or get hammered in
the feedback. Now it seems like eBay has totally stopped caring about
the customer experience but instead making as much as possible. Seems
short sighted because eBay is what it is today because of that decade
plus of building loyal customers. A group I no longer see myself in. I
actively use eBay as little as possible and will continue to do so until
something changes which I doubt. I don't see it as unreasonable to expect
all sellers big and small to display accurate dispatch and delivery
times and if automatically marking things as shipped once the label is
printed well maybe it is about time you either make them confirm it has
actually been shipped and that there is an expectation of hitting
delivery times. I remember when eBay was pushing feedback and seller
performance hard and hitting delivery windows, feedback % etc made a
difference to how many views, sales etc items got. Now they couldnt give
a ....!

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Of course, poor stock control can prolong timescales for 'eventual' delivery  - I have also encountered this frequently in the past. As a previous stock controller of goods inwards, dispatch/ outwards, selling is only good from a customers' perspective if you manage your stock efficiently, and they receive their orders correctly, and in a timely manner. Must add that 'out of stock' items should be removed from live listings ( another buyers' complaint !!). 😁

[cheekychippy210]

indeed the seller picks a dispatch time, the op states "Sellers marking items as dispatched when not "

Just looked at an ad now and it says "Delivery:Estimated between Thu, 21 Sep and Sat, 23 Sep" The old days that message read something like seller posts  within x days. That x days is now hidden and clicked reads "Will usually dispatch within 3 working days of receiving cleared payment."  This is all subject to when the sell actually gets of their bottom and to the shop to send. In the days I used to sell on here I posted on day of sale or next if shop had closed. Many now turn to this ebay label system and once purchased item is marked sent when clearly it is not! The delivery time will, as experience, increase the longer the item is not in the hands of postal service. The ebay label system is flawed, item should be marked as sent at first point it reaches hands of postal service povider. If ebay want to be like jeff's amz then they should employ a fleet of drivers!

[tech-and-tools]

Its not just the automark if you read it you would have seen that it
also includes this issue plus sellers claiming 1-2 day dispatch but
other than the few actual good sellers (forestwholefoods great example)
who get this out in the time they claim not 4 days which quite often
turns a before business hours Monday order which should on fast delivery
services arrive Thursday/Friday turning into Monday to Friday the
following week depending on quite how bad the seller is regarding these.

I had to order 10 items Monday and so far around 50% with 1-2 days
dispatch have still not made it to post office funny idea of 1-2 days
dispatch regardless of whether they print label and have it
automatically marked. It is quite reasonable even within the current
system for their to be an expectation of sellers to still abide by their
claimed dispatch times. It certainly doesnt say now you have paid for
the delivery service you can sit on your *bleep* building up orders then
finally posting them out and blaming the service even though we can all
see it was their end that didnt hold up the listings specifics. Amazes
me that customers would ever defend this as if its the norm in eCommerce
it really isnt mate if it were it might make it a little more palatable,
but when Amazon full of rubbish products still manages to far exceed the
more personal experience of eBay is baffling

[tech-and-tools]

The old system where you got true lead times was amazing and alone would
have been enough to keep at least far more of my business which is now
only when I have no other choice but to use them. When I saw 2-4 days
from order to door that was a seller I had faith in and even those with
poor performance in comparison because I knew how long I could decide if
I can wait or if not. Current system robs me of the ability to
effectively choose good sellers from bad as the estimated delivery means
less than nothing and is more like a wishful thinking claim than
anything based in reality. Id have to dig around to see exactly how
Amazon calculates their dispatch windows even for non Amazon supplied
products but the difference other than when buying Amazon products so
bad you really shouldnt I have decent faith that it will come well
within the window often way before and for that not only will I pay a
little extra but will come back.

You raise a very good point and put the flaw of the system in a very
clear way. Im pretty convinced that it is wholly motivated by whatever
deals they have with their label side of things that and the more they
can push the magical delivery times the more sales the more income from
labels.

[fuzzbuttfabrics]

I find that the faster you mark items as dispatched, the more orders you get through that same day.  I just marked an order as dispatched today, 0630 on Sunday morning, but it won't be going out until tomorrow morning, and any buyer who gets a "dispatched" email should know this.  I use PPI for when I have bulk large letter orders and I wait until the end of the day to print all the labels so I can get as many orders in the one PPI batch, however I may mark them as dispatched that day when in reality they go to the Post Office the next day.  Never had any issues with buyers, in fact my feedback is full of "fast dispatch" positive comments as people in general seem to be used to waiting a lot longer to get orders through.  I'm generally terrified of penalties for late dispatch as then my shop reach and visibility seems to get throttled and orders drop.  I never EVER wait days and days to post an order though, it's always same or next day dispatch.

[yardbroom]

I mostly shop with Amazon now , or directly from other websites. The sellers are honest about the actual dispatch times and I can track the orders.