eBay Tells Sellers to Ship after EDD

by: etectra

"Looks to me like eBay is making fraudulent promises to boost sales and leaving sellers to take the brunt of customer complaints."

Based on their long history of defrauding their users it would not surprise me.

When you do not have a history of innovation and instead just steal ideas form others your company dies as eBay has been doing for years. Exactly why Meg Whitman's time at HP was a total disaster - she was unable to steal the ideas of others as she did at eBay where almost any innovation was invented by others first.

For the vast majority of eBay's history multiple quantity listings of the same item were billed by adding together the individual shipping amounts for each item. Thus if a buyer ordered three items and shipping on each one cost $10 then the buyer would be billed $30 for shipping. The buyer would then ask for a combined invoice or simply pay and get refund for the overage.

Without making any announcement or sending any type of message to inform sellers they change the method to adding up the weights of the items. Thus if the seller ordered three items that weighed 1 pound each, and the shipping was $10 each item, the buyer would instead be billed a shipping rate based on a 3 pound package.

The danger with that is that eBay is calculating the rate without knowing the size of the package. You need to know the size of the package to know if its subject to dimensional rates instead of the actual weight. The seller could be shorted on the shipping, easily for a great deal of money. But eBay could care as this meant item placed in carts were now much cheaper.

eBay also neglected to inform users to prevent this they needed to go into their account as establish a new calculated shipping rule for combined items that said not to give the buyer a discount (i.e., do not combine weights). eBay also forgot to inform sellers that they needed to apply this rule on any multiple quantity listing.

As I've been saying for years, a company run by sociopaths, that employees sociopaths, who smile while they pick your pockets like any scumbag politician.

by: COVID-19

EDD is solved by chugging Viagra!

by: I Must be Crazy

This has been going on for awhile.  Because I have other commitments I offer two day handling, just in case.  The vast majority of my orders go out next day, some even same day.

Ebay must use my handling history when making their estimates, because the only way I can meet their delivery estimates, is if I ship next day.  The problem comes if I can't get a item out ahead of my stated handling time, then we have the chance of a disappointed buyer.

It is frustrating because that cushion and lead time IS MY TIME.  It is not for eBay to assume and make unreasonable promises.  Somebody did not tell them about under promise and over deliver.

by: Snapped

“ Ebay must use my handling history when making their estimates,…”

They do.  Rather, they claim such.  And then state that they simply add what the given shipper estimates based on whatever variable set applies to the package.

And THAT is concerning on a couple levels.

First - How does eBay know which shipping time estimate from the carrier applies (they vary by item size and weight, and for USPS, class), or even WHICH carrier applies,  for those items that are offered with ‘free’ shipping?  

Next, have they incorporated the most recent shipping time ‘estimate’ ranges from carriers given that those carriers have changed their own ‘on time’ metric calculations, thereby justifying slower actual delivery times, compared to when eBay first began doing this?  Is eBay nimble enough?

Meanwhile, has eBay’s documented track record for ‘successfully’ accounting for holidays, non handling days and pertinent weather delays been clean enough to inspire any confidence that their estimates can be trustet when those elements apply?  

Nexr, what is eBay’s ‘record’ when it comes to meeting their estimates specifically when sellers meet their stated handling time promises?  Have they ever revealed it?  Do they even care enough to compute it?  

And all that - all that - doesn’t even start to touch on the most concerning aspect of all.  What gives them any right to ACT to make any promise for any timeframe of performance for which they have no control over in the first place?  Furthermore, what justifies them then holding a seller responsible for breaking that promise?

After all, it is THEIR promise. On a listing THEY claim control over, from layout to visibility. For items THEY do not have ownership rights to, yet pass judgment on for ‘suitability’.  Items intended for sale to a buyer THEY claim is THEIR customer

It is THEiR promise. THEY should be held accountable for it.  But it wouldn’t be the first time they’ve made a promise and gave no concern for being accountable for it, would it.

by: Timmo

For an item I bought on eBay, the seller had 5 day handling, but eBay said the item would arrive in 2-4 days. As a seller, I didn't notice any crazy delivery dates given to my buyers, but I may not have been paying close enough attention. I received no complaints, though.

by: NYSteve

don't buyers see that unrealistic timing, too?

It is a contradiction in terms to have some imposed timing limit (almost exclusively out of seller's hands, and in carriers hands) and being self employed

by: FOS_SELLER

100% true!  I also set handling time to 2 days just in case, but usually it's same or next day. Just took a brief xmas vaca and changed my settings to 5 days handling time and of course eBay was showing delivery dates of 3-4 days and ignoring my set handling time. I verified by checking from my buyer accounts. They're useless AI strikes again making life difficult for sellers. Been doing this for over 20 years, my backbone philosophy is "under promise - over deliver". I turned down two potential sales as I told the buyers I can and will NOT promise delivery time for xmas on behalf of the USPS. Also just had an order cancel because they wouldn't get it in time, likely due to them seeing eBay's handling time and not mine. It's a constant battle maintaining perfect feedback with their "improvements" working against good sellers. Glad I'm not the only who noticed this timing issue!

by: FOS_SELLER

*THEIR not they're ;)