eBay.com Web Site Technical Questions and Answers

[Mark Twain]

Ebay 12/19/20 Update. I've bolded what I think is most important. One of the mods might want to pin this: https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/Seller-Protections-extended-for-shipping-delays-and-Northeast/ba-p/31444414

Further complicating carrier delays from record-breaking shipment volumes, a major winter storm has hit the Northeast and could impact some deliveries. We are continually monitoring carrier networks, shipping performance, and are also closely following the inclement weather paths. To those sellers who may be affected by severe weather, please stay safe.

 

We are extending estimated delivery dates and are adding additional time to receive an initial carrier scan for all sellers. This additional time for the first physical carrier scan will be applied to transactions from November 15th through the end of the year. Because the December standards evaluation period is this weekend, we will review and adjust your standards as needed retroactively to mid-November. 

 

A reminder of how you and your business are protected during this time:

eBay will acknowledge your products were shipped on time when any one of the following happens:

• Tracking shows a physical carrier scan any time within your stated handling time.  Effective November 15, this includes an additional 2 days  from the standard handling time window you’ve committed to in your listings to accommodate extended delays 
• Buyer answers “Yes” to item arrived on-time when leaving feedback
• Tracking shows a delivery scan within the latest delivery date for the shipping service selected  

Even in cases where a buyer may see a faster delivery estimate, your shipment will be considered on time if it arrives by the latest day for the shipping service. For example, if you use a standard shipping service with a 1-5 day delivery time plus your stated handling time of 2 days, the item needs to arrive within 7 working days. If your package is delivered any time during this period, we recognize that you shipped on-time.

  

We will automatically remove any defects, and associated negative or neutral feedback for “item not received” cases closed without seller resolution when: 

• Tracking was uploaded and has a physical scan from the carrier before the case was opened.
• A delivery scan shows the item was delivered after the case was closed. 
• In addition, these cases will not impact your service metrics rating.   

We continue to monitor and evaluate carrier transit time and delays and we’ll make adjustments where necessary.

[iahawks550]

2 minutes ago, Brad W said:

As long as the fees stay below the threshold they are now, I'm ok with it.

It appears they won't be less, unless the purchaser is from the very few states that don't require sales tax collection. (or the sales tax collected is a relatively small amount).

Plus, with everything in house, Ebay has the ability to raise fees and costs whenever they want with no recourse.

[Brad W]

I currently pay about 3.7% fees with PP. 13.7% overall. You think fees will be more than that? That sucks.

[BrickLegacy]

To be fair, this is the only problem I have had since September.  Everything else works more or less like Paypal, except I do not have to login to Paypal to transfer money, deal with disputes, etc etc

Same here.

[Darth_Raichu]

1 hour ago, Brad W said:

I currently pay about 3.7% fees with PP. 13.7% overall. You think fees will be more than that? That sucks.

With MP + eBay store, total fees is 11.5% for most categories.  Since the % is applied to total purchase including tax, you likely pay more fees overall.  There should be a math formula to figure out the difference and the thresholds, but I am too lazy to come up with one right now

1 hour ago, iahawks550 said:

Plus, with everything in house, Ebay has the ability to raise fees and costs whenever they want with no recourse.

Same with Amazon 

[brickvoyeur]

19 minutes ago, Darth_Raichu said:

With MP + eBay store, total fees is 11.5% for most categories.  Since the % is applied to total purchase including tax, you likely pay more fees overall.  There should be a math formula to figure out the difference and the thresholds, but I am too lazy to come up with one right now

Same with Amazon 

After wasting much time doing math. It seems they picked their 12.35% fee very carefully.

I used a sales tax rate of 5%  for my calculations. 

Anything sold where you receive $15 or more will technically save you money. But that 12.35% fee straddles that line like they expect you to straddle their fees. 

In the end, your fees will remain pretty much the same, saving pennies per transaction. You'll save more money shipping to states with lower or no sales tax... and pay more shipping to states with a high sales tax. 

They raised the fee for most categories from 11.5% to 12.35% in July once they figured out that people were actually saving money versus PayPal. Now it's all even across the board. 

[KShine]

I would say that MP has resulted in a smidgen less in total fees than before.

[Mark Twain]

eBay has updated their late delivery policy for December: https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/Helping-buyers-understand-shipping-delays-and-what-you-need-to/ba-p/31412134

“We are aware shipping is causing concern for both buyers and sellers this holiday season and we are working to reduce frustration where we can. While there is some unpredictability in delivery reliability, most items are still arriving on time. We’re managing estimated delivery dates, continuing to give sellers credit for meeting their stated handling time, and advising buyers to anticipate potential delays.

How we’re protecting you during the holidays

Late deliveries this holiday season will not impact your seller performance rating as long as you continue to meet the expectations you set in your listings. You receive credit for shipping on time when any one of the following happens:
Tracking shows a physical carrier scan any time within your stated handling time
Buyer answers “Yes” to item arrived on-time when leaving feedback
Tracking shows a delivery scan within the latest delivery date for the shipping service selected
Even in cases where a buyer may see a faster delivery estimate, your shipment will be considered on time if it arrives by the latest day for the shipping service. For example, if you use a standard shipping service with a 1-5 day delivery time plus your stated handling time of 2 days, the item needs to arrive within 7 working days. If your package is delivered any time during this period, we recognize that you shipped on-time.

If you meet one or more of the above requirements, we’ll automatically reflect on-time shipping for the transaction. You will not need to contact eBay customer support. We continue to monitor and evaluate carrier transit time and delays and we’ll make adjustments where necessary.

We’re updating estimated delivery dates to set expectations

We’re updating estimated delivery dates to provide buyers with the best information possible, and we ask that you meet your handling times, do your part to ship as quickly as possible, work with your buyers when an issue arises, and keep your inventory up to date.

We encourage you to check each carrier's alert pages (USPS, FedEx, UPS) for the most up-to-date information.

When a buyer makes an “item not received” request

A buyer can only open an “item not received” request after the estimated delivery date plus 1 day. When a request is opened the seller has 3 business days to respond before the buyer can ask eBay to step in.

If tracking on the item shows movement within the past 10 calendar days and the parcel is in the destination country, we’ll keep the request open for 10 more days from the time the buyer asked eBay to step in to allow additional time for the item to be delivered. After that time, if there is no updated activity, eBay will consider the item lost and we’ll ask the seller to refund the buyer.

What we’re telling buyers

Through onsite messages as well as in the eBay app, we are letting buyers know there may be some delivery delays, encouraging them to be patient, to pay attention to estimated delivery dates on listings, and to continue supporting small businesses.

12.8.20_Buyer_Shipping_LP_Desktop_Shipping SNA.png
As our sellers and carrier partners face record-breaking e-commerce orders, COVID-19 closures, and weather events that may lead to package delays, eBay continues to monitor and evaluate the environment we’re operating in and will make adjustments where necessary.

We appreciate your commitment and patience. Thank you for selling on eBay”

[zaphoid]

I've had to start standing in line at the PO to get them to scan my items because items just dropped off had been taking 3+ days to get scanned in.

[exracer327]

59 minutes ago, zaphoid said:

I've had to start standing in line at the PO to get them to scan my items because items just dropped off had been taking 3+ days to get scanned in.

I had one postal employee tell me I can leave it on the counter and it has to get scanned into their system as opposed to the "bin" in the lobby which may never get scanned into their system.  She seemed a bit insulted when I insisted, "No, I would like to get a receipt that it has been dropped off.  Thank you."

 

EDIT: I just looked.  A package which was checked into USPS system on 12/9 with 3-day priority shipping still shows "in transit" with no movement from drop-off location on 12/14.  This is worse than last April/May.  *sigh*  This could be a very bad year for getting hammered on shipping delays.

Edited December 14, 2020 by exracer327

[Shortbus311]

I had one postal employee tell me I can leave it on the counter and it has to get scanned into their system as opposed to the "bin" in the lobby which may never get scanned into their system.  She seemed a bit insulted when I insisted, "No, I would like to get a receipt that it has been dropped off.  Thank you."
 
EDIT: I just looked.  A package which was checked into USPS system on 12/9 with 3-day priority shipping still shows "in transit" with no movement from drop-off location on 12/14.  This is worse than last April/May.  *sigh*  This could be a very bad year for getting hammered on shipping delays.

I dropped off 2 packages of the exact same item at the exact same time on 9 Dec. One of them shows delivered on the 11th, the other hasn't even been scanned yet Both were Priority, same box size, same everything. One going to Ohio (further) delivered, one going to NJ (closer) no info. Very frustrating.

[brickvoyeur]

1 minute ago, Shortbus311 said:

20 minutes ago, exracer327 said:

I had one postal employee tell me I can leave it on the counter and it has to get scanned into their system as opposed to the "bin" in the lobby which may never get scanned into their system.  She seemed a bit insulted when I insisted, "No, I would like to get a receipt that it has been dropped off.  Thank you."
 
EDIT: I just looked.  A package which was checked into USPS system on 12/9 with 3-day priority shipping still shows "in transit" with no movement from drop-off location on 12/14.  This is worse than last April/May.  *sigh*  This could be a very bad year for getting hammered on shipping delays.

I dropped off 2 packages of the exact same item at the exact same time on 9 Dec. One of them shows delivered on the 11th, the other hasn't even been scanned yet Both were Priority, same box size, same everything. One going to Ohio (further) delivered, one going to NJ (closer) no info. Very frustrating.

FFS, same issue. Dropped 6 packages off on the 7th. 3 have been delivered, 3 haven't had any update.

I stopped by the post office this morning and was told that the regional distrubution center as a large backup. I was told they are prioritizing smaller packages, to larger ones, as they can move more of them faster. 

$700+ in sales in those 3 packages. Haven't had an item hold like this in over 5 years of doing this. Thankfully the buyers have all been responsive and understanding. 

 

[lodibricks]

47 minutes ago, Shortbus311 said:

1 hour ago, exracer327 said:

I had one postal employee tell me I can leave it on the counter and it has to get scanned into their system as opposed to the "bin" in the lobby which may never get scanned into their system.  She seemed a bit insulted when I insisted, "No, I would like to get a receipt that it has been dropped off.  Thank you."
 
EDIT: I just looked.  A package which was checked into USPS system on 12/9 with 3-day priority shipping still shows "in transit" with no movement from drop-off location on 12/14.  This is worse than last April/May.  *sigh*  This could be a very bad year for getting hammered on shipping delays.

I dropped off 2 packages of the exact same item at the exact same time on 9 Dec. One of them shows delivered on the 11th, the other hasn't even been scanned yet Both were Priority, same box size, same everything. One going to Ohio (further) delivered, one going to NJ (closer) no info. Very frustrating.

I've had 3 or 4 package go MIA for weeks. At least 2 were also to Ohio. When I finally caved and refunded, it delivered the next day (21 days Priority Mail). Go figure.
I'm feeling the pressure for one more outstanding, been contacted that it's the only thing on a grandkid's list.

[BillyBricks]

19 minutes ago, lodibricks said:

I've had 3 or 4 package go MIA for weeks. At least 2 were also to Ohio. When I finally caved and refunded, it delivered the next day (21 days Priority Mail). Go figure.
I'm feeling the pressure for one more outstanding, been contacted that it's the only thing on a grandkid's list.

I have been having problems with Ohio, too (I live in Northern Illinois, so not exactly a coast-to-coast affair). And the number of people who have mentioned how concerned they are because what they bought from me is their kids' only Christmas present makes me think I must be rivaling Santa at this point for the number of children relying on me for a good Christmas.

"The stockings were hung by the chimney with care

In hopes a scumbag reseller's items would show up there."

Luckily, I think the items should make it fine as the ones that are still held up are from November. During the first week of December, I started warning people who wanted to ship with USPS, so hopefully they remember those conversations come December 24th. 

[dennugsmello]

Add me to the list of people with multiple packages dropped off with no scans at the post office. Two elves and one technic. All high value sets of course.  

So I've cursed off the post office and switched most of my shipping Fedex Home when applicable. Its been a god send for large packages in term of price and speed.  

[Fcbarcelona101]

5 minutes ago, dennugsmello said:

Add me to the list of people with multiple packages dropped off with no scans at the post office. Two elves and one technic. All high value sets of course.  

So I've cursed off the post office and switched most of my shipping Fedex Home when applicable. Its been a god send for large packages in term of price and speed.  

If you have the right box size most of the time you can get Fedex 2 Day shipping for close or the same price as Priority. 

[exracer327]

44 minutes ago, Fcbarcelona101 said:

If you have the right box size most of the time you can get Fedex 2 Day shipping for close or the same price as Priority. 

That is not my experience.  Every time I have tried Fed Ex, ebay sends me a bill the following month doubling the price of shipping. 

I have even tried using the "dimensional weight calculator" for the size box I'm using. 

I'm clearly doing something wrong when it comes to using Fed Ex but ebay has been no help trying to figure it out.

[Fcbarcelona101]

15 minutes ago, exracer327 said:

That is not my experience.  Every time I have tried Fed Ex, ebay sends me a bill the following month doubling the price of shipping. 

I have even tried using the "dimensional weight calculator" for the size box I'm using. 

I'm clearly doing something wrong when it comes to using Fed Ex but ebay has been no help trying to figure it out.

I have read about this issue in the Ebay community forum so you are not the only one. Can’t remember reading about what the explanation could be, but oddly enough my recent experience is the opposite. For the Winter Village sets in particular I tend to be quoted $1 more than what the actual cost ends up being for the 2 Day service

[brickvoyeur]

On 12/14/2020 at 12:54 PM, lodibricks said:

I've had 3 or 4 package go MIA for weeks. At least 2 were also to Ohio. When I finally caved and refunded, it delivered the next day (21 days Priority Mail). Go figure.
I'm feeling the pressure for one more outstanding, been contacted that it's the only thing on a grandkid's list.

 

On 12/14/2020 at 11:59 AM, Shortbus311 said:

On 12/14/2020 at 11:40 AM, exracer327 said:

I had one postal employee tell me I can leave it on the counter and it has to get scanned into their system as opposed to the "bin" in the lobby which may never get scanned into their system.  She seemed a bit insulted when I insisted, "No, I would like to get a receipt that it has been dropped off.  Thank you."
 
EDIT: I just looked.  A package which was checked into USPS system on 12/9 with 3-day priority shipping still shows "in transit" with no movement from drop-off location on 12/14.  This is worse than last April/May.  *sigh*  This could be a very bad year for getting hammered on shipping delays.

I dropped off 2 packages of the exact same item at the exact same time on 9 Dec. One of them shows delivered on the 11th, the other hasn't even been scanned yet Both were Priority, same box size, same everything. One going to Ohio (further) delivered, one going to NJ (closer) no info. Very frustrating.

My friends with unscanned packages that were left on the counter. What is your long term plan for this issue?

First I'll say, sign up for email/text updates for the items just so you know if it randomly starts moving. 

If you refund, and then the package finally updates, quickly file a package intercept if the item is worth intercepting. 

If it never updates, file a report with the USPS Office of Inspector General. Your assumption at this point is that your package was stolen either by another customer or by the staff itself.

Good luck to us all through this mess.

Bonus question: What would happen if you voided a label that was never scanned? If found would the item be returned to you?

[exracer327]

5 hours ago, brickvoyeur said:

If it never updates, file a report with the USPS Office of Inspector General. Your assumption at this point is that your package was stolen either by another customer or by the staff itself.

The last time I had a USPS 3-Day Priority pkg go missing for a week (no updates), I called both USPS destination and sending POs.  Both were clueless where my pkg was.  I asked about filing a claim and was told it has to be missing for 30 days before any claims can be filed.  In the end, it took just over ten days for my 3-Day priority pkg to arrive at its destination.

[Mark Twain]

My friends with unscanned packages that were left on the counter. What is your long term plan for this issue?
First I'll say, sign up for email/text updates for the items just so you know if it randomly starts moving. 
If you refund, and then the package finally updates, quickly file a package intercept if the item is worth intercepting. 
If it never updates, file a report with the USPS Office of Inspector General. Your assumption at this point is that your package was stolen either by another customer or by the staff itself.
Good luck to us all through this mess.
Bonus question: What would happen if you voided a label that was never scanned? If found would the item be returned to you?

You should contact your local post master and tell them the date and time you dropped off the package and have them run down the package for you. This has worked well for me in the past, but this Xmas may be different.

I’m about to refund a lost package mailed on 12/2 with no updates after 12/3. I’ve opened a case and they closed it through USPS within one business day, saying it is still in transit and will arrive. Now the buyer opened an INR case and it isn’t looking good. My local postmaster was more helpful and says it’s likely a major back log at the distribution center but without a scan or movement in the system there’s little that he can do. It’s only five stupid paw patrol characters I picked up for $1 each and resold for $24 but any lose sucks.

[KShine]

18 minutes ago, Mark Twain said:

I’m about to refund a lost package mailed on 12/2 with no updates after 12/3. I’ve opened a case and they closed it through USPS within one business day, saying it is still in transit and will arrive. Now the buyer opened an INR case and it isn’t looking good. My local postmaster was more helpful and says it’s likely a major back log at the distribution center but without a scan or movement in the system there’s little that he can do. It’s only five stupid paw patrol characters I picked up for $1 each and resold for $24 but any lose sucks.

You'd be surprised how many people will pay for it when it does arrive (if you show concern for the buyer, and have good communications).

[Brystheguy]

21 minutes ago, Mark Twain said:

You should contact your local post master and tell them the date and time you dropped off the package and have them run down the package for you. This has worked well for me in the past, but this Xmas may be different.

I’m about to refund a lost package mailed on 12/2 with no updates after 12/3. I’ve opened a case and they closed it through USPS within one business day, saying it is still in transit and will arrive. Now the buyer opened an INR case and it isn’t looking good. My local postmaster was more helpful and says it’s likely a major back log at the distribution center but without a scan or movement in the system there’s little that he can do. It’s only five stupid paw patrol characters I picked up for $1 each and resold for $24 but any lose sucks.

I am in a similar situation. My package has been stuck at a USPS facility since December 3. They just filed a claim, and with the package showing no movement for ten days, I'm outta luck and will have to refund. Not the end of the world at $100, but it still stinks.

[ravenb99]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/12/15/postal-service-holiday-packages-delays/

 

[damnsanders]

I had one postal employee tell me I can leave it on the counter and it has to get scanned into their system as opposed to the "bin" in the lobby which may never get scanned into their system.  She seemed a bit insulted when I insisted, "No, I would like to get a receipt that it has been dropped off.  Thank you."
 
EDIT: I just looked.  A package which was checked into USPS system on 12/9 with 3-day priority shipping still shows "in transit" with no movement from drop-off location on 12/14.  This is worse than last April/May.  *sigh*  This could be a very bad year for getting hammered on shipping delays.

Since probably thanksgiving my Priority Mail 2-Day packages have taken anywhere from four to ten days for delivery. Frustrating indeed.

[stackables]

1 hour ago, KShine said:

You'd be surprised how many people will pay for it when it does arrive (if you show concern for the buyer, and have good communications).

From my experience, you would be surprised how many people will not pay for it when it arrives.  Something like this didn't happen to me but from a guy I bought some items from.  He sold comics to around 12 people and shipping was taking forever.  This is at the beginning of the pandemic.  He just went ahead and refunded everyone.  Fast forward to a month later and his packages started showing up.  He contacted me and I paid him back. He thanked me and said out of the 12 customers, only 2 paid him.