Hi,

I keep seeing posts on here and in the forums about eBays EDD and how it is not accurate and not showing buyers accurate or realistic delivery time frames. However, each time this is raised with anyone the same answer is given which is “there is nothing wrong with it as it is working as designed”.

There are a few issues with this, the first one being that if this is the design of EDD to show inaccurate delivery timeframes then it is extremely poor designing, and I can’t believe someone has signed off on this. If the delivery company are saying items take 2-3 working days to arrive why would eBay think it is acceptable to design a system to ignore this and say it will arrive in 1-2 working days.

The next issue is the denial of this from staff at eBay, usually when a whole community is saying the same thing that it isn’t working this means it isn’t working. However, no doubt as eBay have spent money, time and resources into the flawed system they do not want to admit it is not working and change it. eBay is community led for improvements to the whole system and actively ask for feedback to improve things but seems to be with the exception of EDD it is dismissed straight away and people raising it as an issue are shot down.

We sell on other sites and advertise the exact same processing time with the same postage selections, and they can get the delivery timeframes correct but it is only eBay that can’t do this and want to show quicker delivery timeframes that are even possible.

Take the example I have attached from December; the item is showing to be dispatched on the 18Th December. I have standard delivery set to 2nd class which is a 2-3 working day service, you even say this on the postage options us sellers must choose from that 2nd class is 2-3 working days.

However, as you can see from the attached image the EDD you have given the buyer is 18th-19th December.

Now bear in mind that December is very busy for Royal Mail who openly say and inform customers items take longer, so why on earth would eBay give the buyer an EDD of the exact same day of dispatch for the 1st date and the next day as the last EDD????

This is literally impossible as you don’t even offer a same day service on your postage options, this is a prime example of it not working and proof that it is not working. How can you say “yeah this is how we designed it” to show unrealistic EDD to customers?? There is no way in a million years Royal Mail would tell eBay “oh yeah that 2nd class item sent on the 18th sent to the other side of the country, yeah we will deliver that the very same day but definitely by the 19th” they just wouldn’t. However you say that you speak to couriers to see how mail is moving which is how EDD works, Really? Clearly not.

There is no other explanation than it is clearly not working and needs to be addressed.

If customers are given more realistic delivery timeframes and items arrive within those timeframes, guess what they come back and buy again from eBay. If they are given quick EDD then yes they may buy once but when they realise items come a day or so after your EDD, but within the timeframe the couriers set, there not going to come back are they? It is simple business in managing expectations. You are not giving buyers realistic expectations and making sellers look bad for doing so.

We would all be happy if you would accept it is not working and say it is being looked at and follow what the couriers are saying and not doing what you want.

There is a popular news story going round at the minute about postmasters raising issues again and again with the post office about the computer system when it was introduced was not working, the post office like eBay kept denying it wasn’t working and said the postmasters were lying. Guess what the postmaster weren’t lying, and the system wasn’t working but the post office wanted to save face. Does this sound familiar????