💬 Weekly Chat with the eBay Community Team- 07.12.22 @2pm

[community-team@ebay]

Hi everybody!

The Community Chat will open at 2pm and will remain open until 3pm on Wednesday. After that it will be closed for further questions. Of course, we will continue to take care of answering any questions that may still be unanswered—We’ll get to everything as quickly as possible. 

Please ask your questions in the thread below. In order to be able to answer your questions as quickly as possible, we ask you to have one question per post. Of course, you can make as many posts as you like in the Chat- the more the merrier!

Our eBay Community Team is made up of kat@ebay , dave@ebay  and katie@ebay . Between us, we have knowledge in Buying, Selling, ProTrader, Fulfilment, Parts & Accessories, Payments, and the Community itself. Anything we aren’t sure on we’ll know the people who will be! Please ask us any questions you may have and we’ll do all we can to support. 

To ask your question, click Reply in the lower-right corner of this post, type your question, and click Reply between 2pm and 3pm. The community team will answer each incoming question in chronological order, and will quote the original question in each answer. 

Please note that any reply without a question to the community team or discussion replies may be removed from the chat. We want to keep on track to get through as many questions as possible. We welcome all discussion to be moved to the discussion boards. 

If you missed the weekly chat time, please ask your question in the community boards and tag us or we will be back next week with another chat! 

Many thanks,

Your eBay Community Team

[kat@ebay]

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@n.e.stickers wrote:

I think it would be good if eBay could have the same system as other sites, where you type your postcode and then choose your address from  a list of options. 

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Hi @n.e.stickers ,

Appreciate the feedback and we will share it with the relevant team.

Thank you,

Kat

[truly-personalised]

Along with many others here on ebay, I am inundated with INR cases. In your recent communication you state:

Tracked: Please respond to your buyer and let them know that the tracking shows the parcel is still in transit and should be with them in due course, or has been delivered. 

Untracked: Please remember that you need to respond to the case and the buyer. If the item doesn’t arrive with the buyer within 3 business days of them opening the case, you’ll need to refund. 

I use a RM service which shows despatch and delivery, so is this classed to you as tracked or untracked?

I would also like to know why you have not extended the timescales in which we have to deal with an INR case. So if a customer opens a case today because the item was due to be delivered today (which they shouldn't really be allowed to do as on Amazon they aren't allowed to open a case for 3 days after it was due) then that gives me 3 days for it to arrive before they can ask you to step in, then if it isn't delivered by then they get a refund. We all know that some post is taking weeks to be delivered but yet you are asking us to refund them when itis 3 days overdue. This is out of our control as you are giving them ridiculous EDD's and RM are taking weeks. I am told to despatch by the 12th and you are telling them it will be there 10th to 13th. You need to extend the timescales for INR cases. 

Also why on earth are you sending customer emails to say that you can see that the item hasn't been delivered? I have got at least 25% of my deliveries not showing as delivered due to RM not bothering to scan them at the door so then you are basically telling them that it isn't showing delivered when they didn't look on their account they wouldn't know it wasn't showing up delivered. This is just opening us up to even more fraudulent INR cases. 

Seriously, you should be helping us thorugh all this mess, not making it worse.

[bravergrace]

Thank you, Katie.  I've sent you a message with an example item number.

[ukhaberdashery]

What does a seller do when a buyer opens a case because the item does not arrive on time and then asks ebay looks at the case 2 days later and grants a refund to the customer because tracking shows it as not delivered.   An then 2 days later the seller receives the item as it was stuck in the post?

I take it we claim off ebay as they granted it knowing there are delays.

[katie@ebay]

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@lord_and_lady_m wrote:

So basically, ebay tells US SELLERS to set accurate dispatch times etc, ebay then overrides it with their own ideas of estimated dates. Often telling buyers they will potentially receive it before the seller has posted it. Then a buyer can open a request straight after that date despite it being possible the seller is only just posting it within their own chosen timeframes.

When will ebay start listening to sellers, that are doing as they are told by ensuring their dispatch times and postage choices accurately reflect things, to then allow the algorithm to do its own thing and leave the sellers in a INR situation that cannot be resolved as quickly as ebay allows?

Basically ebay is doing what it likes. If a seller extends their dispatch times, because they probably will when it's busier than the norm, the algorithm ignores it. it's literally only time away settings that extend things properly.

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Hi @lord_and_lady_m,

It's not a case that the system is not taking into account what your dispatch time is. It is more so that it's not only taking that into account. It's taking past performance on when items were marked as dispatched, what's happening with couriers, where the buyers are etc.

It uses this and more to create an EDD. It is correct that a buyer can open a request if the last date in the estimated timeframe has passed.

We continue to share feedback on the way the system calculates.

Thanks,

Katie 

[Anonymous]

I agree it has been very disappointing that having stated in an announcement that Ebay would extend delivery times, they subsequently chose not to do so. This has had a major impact on our business with up to 100 messages a day from buyers asking where their order is, directly relating to the time around the Royal Mail strikes of November 24th & 25th and further action on November 30th & December 1st. Buyers requesting refunds stating deliveries days late when they purchase items on the days that strikes were taking place, yet Ebay delivery times stated they would receive 2-3 days later.

[easi-printing]

Hi Katie,

The issue is as follows:

You print out your orders to insert with the item and all it has is the listing information and  standard invoice except the personalisation details. 

I have to go to the orders page and go through each order and write down the Name and Age and anything special by hand.

Printing out what you have mentioned is wasting paper as its on the screen and we try to minimise our wastage. 

I have spent many hours over years on this and have not worked out any method. 

[lord_and_lady_m]

But surely my past performance is totally irrelvant in a situation like now. There is no comparison data for the algorithm to compare with. It cannot compare me sending orders today vs something in them middle of my quietest period when strikes aren't happening.  It's absolutely ridiculous.

Why is ebay setting us up to fail and then encouraging the buyers to open a case. Á further stab in the back.

[katie@ebay]

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@petals-and-paws wrote:

I've had 2 buyers open INRs before the estimated delivery date, both have been reported to eBay and I was told it was a 'known glitch' that eBay were aware of. So unfortunately it would seem that in some cases, buyers can open INRs much sooner than they should be able to.

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Hi @petals-and-paws,

Would you like us to review these cases for you?

If so, please send on the details and we can take a look.

Thanks,

Katie 

[ukhaberdashery]

A lot of the problem was that ebay on its "strike page for sellers " stated they would be indicating to buyer at the time the EDD. This never happened and buyer saw unrealistic dates that were unachievable which is why they are angry. This has now been taken out of the "strike page for seller" for some reason.

[petals-and-paws]

Thank you, but they have already been closed (both in my favour as both were delivered with delivery confirmation). Still on my metrics though, which is frustrating!

[lord_and_lady_m]

Can you clearly show us where in the buying process, the buyers are being reminded /  advised about strikes delays?

i've gone through it myself in last weeks chat, but my screen shot was removed. I found absolutely nothing reminding me about my postage choice being royal mail and there being delays. Please do not answer me with how ebay cannot do more to remind buyers. I want to know where it is. I cannot find it.

[katie@ebay]

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@lord_and_lady_m wrote:

But surely my past performance is totally irrelvant in a situation like now. There is no comparison data for the algorithm to compare with. It cannot compare me sending orders today vs something in them middle of my quietest period when strikes aren't happening.  It's absolutely ridiculous.

Why is ebay setting us up to fail and then encouraging the buyers to open a case. Á further stab in the back.

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Hi @lord_and_lady_m,

The strikes are accounted for in a separate section of the estimated delivery date so your dispatch time won't need to be changed. When we say past performance it is seeing if you typically dispatch at the time you said you would or not, are you earlier, are you later etc. 

We are asking buyers to be patient where possible but we must also allow them to open a dispute if their item has not arrived. We have added messaging to the buyer explaining the situations with strikes to communicate with them as much as possible. 

Thanks,

Katie 

[kat@ebay]

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@bitznbobs4 wrote:

Hi, First time using this as considering closing for forseeable future due to strikes. I use royal mail and do not wish to change as other carriers are flooded with orders and dpd have asked me not to schedule a collection for 10 days at least due to back log. i am concerned that customers will open INR cases as soon as theres a delay with their item and if i have to refund after 3 working days then i cannot make a claim with royal mail for about 10 working days by which time the customer may receive the order and the claim will be void so i will lose product sold and refund. should i just shut shop for a month or is there a way around this without using another carrier?

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Hi @bitznbobs4 ,

I understand the difficulty with the INR's during this period of strikes with the Royal Mail. We are doing our best to provide as much communication as possible to buyers to delay them opening cases but ultimately we can't prevent them from opening a case.  We are not able to advise on whether you should close your shop for the month but looking into other carriers is an good option. There are some some discussion threads here on the boards where other sellers are giving advice on other carriers that might be worth having a look at that could be helpful. Have a look through the discussion boards on business seller board/seller central and the postage board.

Thank you,

Kat

[katie@ebay]

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@easi-printing wrote:

Hi Katie,

The issue is as follows:

You print out your orders to insert with the item and all it has is the listing information and  standard invoice except the personalisation details. 

I have to go to the orders page and go through each order and write down the Name and Age and anything special by hand.

Printing out what you have mentioned is wasting paper as its on the screen and we try to minimise our wastage. 

I have spent many hours over years on this and have not worked out any method. 

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Appreciate your example here. I was hoping to share something that may help but understand it might not.

There is nothing noted here to be changed in this area of the site but I will share this feedback with the team that looks after seller hub.

Thanks,

Katie 

[rainbowjam]

Why do I have a US buyer who bought an item that I couldn't post until 28th due to strike days who has an ebay calculated EDD of 30th-2nd? This isn't even possible without strike days and Christmas. How on earth am I supposed to get them to wait long enough to receive it when the case is already open and the clock is ticking? This was low value, untracked, standard airmail. They've been given an EDD that is shorter than the norm, not longer.

[ducatimondo]

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@spex4you wrote:

Good afternoon,

I, like many other business sellers am suffereing from fallout due to ebay not extending shipping dates in November.

Whilst many customers are happy to wait, some are not, and some are using it as a way of getting something for nothing.

I use Royal Mail for 95% of my orders and use "stamps".

I want my customers to have the best experience they can from me and ebay but I just need a little more support from ebay to help me acheive this.

Many Thanks

Martin.

Spex4you

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Same, getting buried in people asking "where's my stuff, should have been delivered ages ago" all due to eBay not extending estimated delivery dates.

eBay have also don't seem to have done anything to extend the time before a buyer can open a case either.

We asked our posite for some more empty Royal Mail sacks for our collections yesterday and she chuckled "there isn't any as they are all still full"...

That vast majority of sellers are doing the self same, working way beyond what is reasonable to try and ensure the customer has a good experience, we are too. It is all let down from false promises of wholly unrealistic delivery times, like last week we asked why it was showing our items for both shipping and being delivered on strike days...
eBay have contributed the massive problem a lot of sellers are now in and there doesn't seem to be an end to it.

eBay are still showing best case scenario delivery times for items sent, even though there is another strike on 9th and Royal Mail have a ridiculous backlog to catch up on. Items are not going to arrive in a best case scenario as the natural increase in items in the post continues to to being so close to Christmas on top of the huge backlogs Royal Mail already have.

I noticed from the eBay forum post below, that eBay are encouraging sellers to use fully tracked services, etc to help protect themselves. Who is paying for that?

Why are the only encouraging sellers to do something? Why don't eBay also encourage buyers to upgrade their shipping to faster services if they need it faster or just be patient. There is less need for buyer's to be patient if eBay would be more honest about delays in the post instead of still insisting on showing best case scenario delivery times when we are far from best case with the backlog and continuing chaotic strike action.

Regards
Russ

[bitznbobs4]

In my opinion, what ebay could do is allow more time for an item to arrive with a customer during these strike times before a seller is forced to refund or receive a defect for what is most probably a delayed item so it ties in with royal mails claim handling times.

[lord_and_lady_m]

But the ability to open a dispute. Shouldn't that be within a reasonable time? If the estimate is majorly wrong, then surely it is ebay that is liable. Not me, not my buyers, not royal mail?

[lord_and_lady_m]

One of my questions has disappeared.

Why do ebay auto enrol sellers to GSP intermittantly. Sellers may opt out at the product they are selling is only licenced for the UK.

By auto enrolling sellers, ebay are allowing them to be at risk of copyright infringements from  the US, for example.  Why are they doing this?