Late Delivery Defect -- Ebay refuse to Remove

[clarry100]

On our other seller account a late delivery defect has suddenly appeared from back in October 2015.

This was before the new system came into effect.

This account has slipped back to a 12-monthly review cycle due to the slow sales that has hit everyone.

I requested ebay to remove this defect because of this reason and they refused to because it's more than 90-days since the transaction and they cannot review it. Or so they say. Even tho this system was not official at the time.

I have asked for this to be reviewed by a supervisor. Will see what happens next.

[*tippy*toes*]

I'm lucky in that my PO is only 2 minutes away (by car). I do have a red box around the corner, about 4 minutes walk, but it's been set on fire more than once, so I don't risk it any more.

My PO is the opposite to yours. The red box gets emptied at 5 (or 4.30 in a lot of cases, even though it says 5 on the front) and parcels collected from inside. Then the 6.05 pick up is inside only. The red box doesn't get emptied again then. If I have large letters to post after 5, I take them inside because I know they'll get collected with the 6.05 pick up. I tend to go in after 5.30 because there's no waiting. Although sometimes it still takes longer than when there's a bit of a line up because they all want to stand there and have a chat!

[lane-ends]

It is all about conveience vs margin for defects. Work out the best compromise for you. eg  increase handling time so you dont need to go to PO as often, it also increases the chance of a sorting office scan within your handling time for any street box lodged items. If you do get the odd defect its not crucial. monitor this if it gets critical.

ie minimize your risks but there comes a point where eliminating them alltogether is either not worth the cost or time.

It does hurt the pride getting a defect for something you didn't do , ie post late, but it still comes down to a whats best for business decison that you can control.

Ebay call this system evidence based, when in fact it is lack of evidence based.

Ironically Ebays own instructions on using ebay label system still promotes street box lodging, with no mention on how they can defect you for doing exactly as they instruct.

My own experience is that some box lodged items get scanned in state sorting office, and some dont.

Ebays direction here is that they want buyers shipments trackable by the buyer from payment all the way through shipment to delivery. It is the online standard now. pay and hope it turns up sometime is old school for buyers now. The current street lodgement is not realy tracking for buyers but merely proof of delivery for sellers. So going the extra yards is not just to comply with Ebay, but part of providing a better reassuring service to buyers.

Ebay wont come out and say this as they know AP doesn't have the systems in place for your average small seller. The future will be in improved access to scanned lodgement rather than reducing the requirement. Its all just a bit halfe assed at the moment, Ebay are trying to sneak it in by default

Avoiding full tracking will be like holding back the tide of paypal payments over bank deposit was.

[mbselections00]

Thanks lane, I'm hearing and understanding you.

One of those situations where I feel damned if you do and damned if you don't.  Most of my orders go as Large Letter  & Unregistered at that. 

So a while back, I decided, whenever I had orders to post if there weren't any Registered ones and if I was not going to work or anywhere near the PO that day, I would use the local Red Box.  All of a sudden I had orders going missing, which had never happened previously.  Sure, they weren't worth much in $ value, and I could send replacements, but I didn't want buyers doubting my honesty, nor did I want them to be disappointed by the delay in receiving their orders.  So I switched back to the daily trip to the PO and touch wood, I think I have only had one item go missing since.

I know it's not quite that simple and straight forward though.  Firstly, (and not pointing the finger here) it could have been a dishonest AP worker collecting from that particular Red Box (and they may be gone by now as I did report my suspicions). OR  It could quite easily have been a simple coincidence.  It could also have been dishonest buyers - my theories with lodging over the counter are a.)  I don't use stamps - I get a label (well 99% of the time, won't try & explain) which I think looks more official and therefore may act as a deterrent to would be dishonest buyers, but also, I take a list with me of all the recipients & addresses & have it stamped, so on the very rare occasions a buyer says they have not received, I at least have that as proof their order was posted and I send them a copy - that is really more for my conscience - and ask them to check with neighbours, PO etc - but it also serves well to call their bluff, so much so, that in almost every instance, the item miraculously turns up.  Mind you, I have no issue sending replacements if the order has been lost.

Sorry, I reeally have waffled on, and I know eBay are trying to force us all to use Tracking, and I'm not saying anything that hasn't been said already I know, but on low value items it's just not viable, nor necessary, well at least not from my experience anyway - my point being, rarely do any of my orders go missing so it is not warranted.

Probably also coincidental, but since I extended my handling time from 1 to 2 days, sales have almost come to a complete standstill, but from many of the comments on the boards, that probably has nothing to do with pushing out the handling time - although, I have received several messages from buyers when they have paid, asking could I post ASAP and I have never received messages like that before   Mind you, of course none have wanted to pay for Express.  I thought I'd be nice and paid the extra for Priority on a couple, never got so much as a 'Thanks'  let alone feedback, so won't waste my money doing that again !  That said, it would be very helpful if Priority could be offered as a Postage Option