What Do You Think of Changes to On-Time Shipping Metric?

by: lessthanthreerecords

This is insane!  First-class mail routinely takes a week after shipment to be delivered.  Sure, there is a rare case when a package is delivered on the "estimated" delivery date, but that is a rare occurrence.  I even have Priority Mail that takes a week, or close to it.

by: tkg

UNREALISTIC Expectations!  First Class Mail is NOT a 3 day service.  While it can arrive in 3 day many times it takes 4-7 business days.  And Priority takes 2-3 business days (or longer)...so where did they come up with 1 day??! And neither of these services are guaranteed delivery. The worst part is the moment it doesn't arrive on ''their'' estimated delivery date the buyer can open an item not received case.  Especially bad timing with the holidays approaching & winter weather.

by: lessthanthreerecords

tkg - You're absolutely right about first class.  However, for the 1 day, they are talking about Priority Express, not regular Priority.  That is a guaranteed service, and it is guaranteed in 1 business day MOST of the time.  The problem is, there are cases depending where it's shipped from/to where the handling time is longer than 1 business day.  I shipped Priority Express 4 times in my life (it's not a service I offer, but if a buyer insists and wants to pay the high price, I will comply).  Out of the 4 times, it was late 3 of those times.  The only positive thing I can say is that USPS did pay me the cost of shipping back in-person at the post office with little to no run-around.  But, that won't get you off the hook with eBay, of course!

by: tkg

Ah, I missed the ''express'' part. I generally post most of my listings with Flat Cost Shipping using Economy Shipping as I completely DISTRUST ebay shipping estimates.  Had a buyer last winter open a case immediately after he didn't get his item on Ebay's estimate.  The item was in transit but buyer didn't care & wanted his money back.  We shipped it on time, but his area had recently been hit with a big snowstorm causing the delay.  If it weren't for my awesome local USPS he would have gotten a refund & the item for free (which I'm sure was his complete intention).  So I try my hardest to use the longest delivery timeframe.

by: tango

where is this On-Time Shipping Metric - the one that gives the exact travel days - Link Please, thank you.

by: iheartjacksparrow

The First Class handing time is crazy. I live in Los Angeles County, and from the day I mail, it takes two more days to go across the county (things seem to spend a lot of time at the sort facilities). So three days to make it across the entire U.S. is unrealistic.

by: Trying-My-Best

Another twist of the 🔪 for all TRS.  

by: Ric

Where do they come up with this stuff?

Has anyone at eBay read the details on a Priority Mail Shipping label?

New Jersey to the West Coast states on the label that deliver is expected in 2 and sometimes 3 days depending on the zip code.

As such, eBay's new on time shipping metrics completely ignore the times stated by the carrier making eBay's expectations and promises to buyers totally unrealistic and unreasonable!!

This fall and holiday season will be dedicated to liquidating my existing inventory and end my relationship with this poorly managed company.

Stick a fork in me...I am done!!

by: aim04744

And why I have a 5 day handling time on all my listings.  

by: pace306

When you have an ecommerce company thats run by MORONS (Burke - come sue me if you dont like it) THIS is what happens!!

1) USPS under the best of circumstances is never on time

2) USPS times are ESTIMATES and NOT GUARANTEES

3) Long lines at USPS locations during the holidays and the unwillingess of USPS employees to scan items "acceptance" means damages to sellers for no reason!

4) There is no way to know about inclement weather or other issues - making promises like this is just STUPID (GRIFF, BURKE ETC)

Once again, eBay is trying to compete with Amazon by laying it all on the sellers - when they KNOW FULL WELL - some of these things are impossible.

Just when you think eBay cant invent a new more stupid idea - they prove you wrong!

by: mcposty

Ebay isnt trying to compete with amazon, they are forcing us to compete and we dont have a warehouse in every state.

Usps should sue ebay actually, ebay is misrepresenting the postal delivery times and it could very well impact the usps reputation that buyers expect first class to be 3 days.

Lets all send an email to the post master general.

by: fredhanbar

65% of our sales are on the other side of Mississippi. We have looked thru our USPS receipts for the stated shipping priority year to date. USPS estimated delivery for 83% of our shipping is 3 days.How is it that eBay is deciding on 2 days when the shipping company is stating something different. UPS is 3-4 days and Fedex Ground is 2-4 days. Why is it that eBay feels it needs to set its sellers up for failure especially when we are coming into a season of heavy shipping and stormy weather which can and will blow eBay's parameters out of the water.

by: phantom

It is all about forcing seller to use a higher cost shipping service.
Since ebay charges final value fee on shipping , it’s a hidden fee increase.
Here is the math:  
16oz first class package $3.65 x 9% FVF = $.033, Priority Mail Flat rate envelope $5.90 x 9% = $.053"
Priority Mail Express Flat Rate envelope, 29.21 x .09 = $2.63.   Even the eBay shipping module shows transit time for Priority Mail Express packages as 1-2 days.
More artificial intelligence at ebay.   Which really means  ebay has their head further  their  a##  than ever before.  

by: sanddogg

"eBay expects sellers to deliver items on time"...uh...sellers 'package and hand-off goods'...to 3rd party who then delivers when they get to it.  

by: bitbybit

I knew eBay was going to pull a stunt on sellers after this Fall Seller annoucement. They always do but usually through revisions, or is this considered a revision already since comments made here didn't think the FS release all too bad.

My take on this is top rated sellers plus are being forced to have longer handling times or lose their FVF discounts. Ebay is making the estimate shorter by a day or two knowing full well every seller will fall short eventually. Ebay doesn't want to look bad (again) by just ending TRSP. It is setting the seller up for failure knowing the one day handling requirement and shortened delivery estimate will become insurmountable. I don't know any other way to look at this.  

by: lamplady

One more reason to avoid selling on eBay. Example: I live in AZ. If I ship USPS Parcel Post to anywhere east, package goes to Bell Gardens, CA. to regional distribution center to get on a truck.It is  380 miles to Bell Gardens from here,  380 miles back to pass starting point and then east. Takes up to ten days. Why would I put up with this nonsense on new rules when I have no control? Not worth it. Other selling sites are more seller oriented. I've found Ruby Lane is better for antiques and collectibles.

by: Ichabod

Somebody, somewhere, has to have Burke or Griff's email and phone. Send the unhappy buyers to those people. If they want to set up the sellers for failure, they shouldn't have any problem at all explaining to each and every unhappy buyer why this happened. Let them fade the heat. The USPS didn't suddenly become more efficient and speedy. It would seem that USPS would be just as unhappy with this as the sellers. This defies logic. To hell with "artificial intelligence". What they need is some genuine intelligence. Maybe that's just me.  

by: cfrphoto

Another dumb eBay move. Twice, now, an item mailed to an address was forwarded. In one case it took six weeks for the package to end up somewhere else, who knows where. Lacking a delivery criterion, like reaching the original address, a delivery metric is not possible. Another reason is that eBay does not validate addresses, so there is no way to know what the US Postal Service will do in some cases. Finally, with fewer sorting centers, delivery commitments can no longer be met, even in the Metro New York region not to mention remote rural areas.

by: handmedownheaven

So even though the post office is cutting back on scheduled hours to save money, even though the post office says to mail early to avoid delays due to increased parcel traffic, eBay waves a magic wand and items will arrive sooner.  What a guaranteed way to piss off customers and sellers deal with it in the end.  Have they not learned you do not make predictions over something you have no control over?  But as bad as our sales have been, it's not like we're going to have to deal with it.

by: comments

If the postoffice does have an agreement with ebay to deliver first class packages in 3 days or priority mail express in 1 day then USPS is failing to honor that agreement. Many first class packages are being delivered in 5+ days and many generated express labels even say on them that they are 2 day service even though printed from ebay. So how does ebay ignore reality and punish us for supposedly shipping late when the postoffice still claims longer delivery estimates? Ebay and USPS are apparently not on the same page at all....and as usual it is us who suffers for it.

The only viable path going forward is to continue to fight postal workers for scans they refuse to do. I know they are required to but they DO NOT CARE and there is no enforcement internally or by ebay. Why do these policies continue to get harder and harder and further out of our control when both ebay and the post office just want to throw their hands up and pass the buck like it is not their problem?