why is ebay penalising sellers during covid-19 parcel delays refund buyer & billing sellers account

[maranock]

It is up to sellers to take the extra shipping times into their calculations. If you are not sure that your item is going to get to a buyer in a good time them extend your handling time to compensate. Most customers understand about the delays caused by COVID-19 but there will always be those who demand that their items arrive by the estimated date.

Sellers have to compensate for that. Ebay is mostly just a computer program and is not able to take a sellers hardships into consideration.

[sandypebbles]

Seems to be more and more buyers commenting here in the past couple of days,demanding to know why there items have not arrived within a couple of days of them paying 

And the one who was 'apparently' told the vurus was not causing any mail delays 

[whoisbiggles]

When I sell something - I'm sending the buyer a message asking them to track through the Australia Post website for a more realistic delivery time and more detailed info on where their item is.

To date no issues, tomorrow who knows.

[11dustyattic]

---

@maranock wrote:

It is up to sellers to take the extra shipping times into their calculations. If you are not sure that your item is going to get to a buyer in a good time them extend your handling time to compensate. Most customers understand about the delays caused by COVID-19 but there will always be those who demand that their items arrive by the estimated date.

Sellers have to compensate for that. Ebay is mostly just a computer program and is not able to take a sellers hardships into consideration.

---

I disagree regarding handling time. Handling isn't delivery time, it's the time taken to post, and most buyers know that, so extending that out further wouldn't sit too well with them, potentially delaying postage further. 

I'm starting to take mine back from 5 days handling to 2 for that very reason. 

I sat back and tried to put myself in the buyer's chair, how would I feel if I were buying from me (assuming they got past the negs haha). Would a 5 day handling time concern me given how slow the postal system is anyway at the moment. If I bought something on a Thursday, would I be happy if the seller didn't post until the following Wed or Thursday? The answer was probably not.

Just my opinion that may not be shared by others but handling time is different to delivery time. I believe it makes it worse and would potentially slow sales atm

[davewil1964]

The point of extending handling times is not to post later, but to extend eBay's estimated delivery dates.

Given most buyers can't even read descriptions, it is unlikely many will look at handling time. What they look at, maybe, before purchase is estimated delivery. If things are slow, that's an extra 3 days before they start to panic.

[digital*ghost]

---

@11dustyattic wrote:

I sat back and tried to put myself in the buyer's chair, how would I feel if I were buying from me (assuming they got past the negs haha). Would a 5 day handling time concern me given how slow the postal system is anyway at the moment.

---

Except very few buyers will look at handling time, and only look at the ETA. eBay don't seem to be adjusting ETAs on the listing page, only advising of delays and adjusting after purchase (which is wrong of them to do, IMO. It needs to be shown at the point of sale, which in turn is why sellers increase handling times; to manage buyer expectations before they commit to the purchase). 

[11dustyattic]

---

@digital*ghost wrote:

---

@11dustyattic wrote:

I sat back and tried to put myself in the buyer's chair, how would I feel if I were buying from me (assuming they got past the negs haha). Would a 5 day handling time concern me given how slow the postal system is anyway at the moment.

---

Except very few buyers will look at handling time, and only look at the ETA. eBay don't seem to be adjusting ETAs on the listing page, only advising of delays and adjusting after purchase (which is wrong of them to do, IMO. It needs to be shown at the point of sale, which in turn is why sellers increase handling times; to manage buyer expectations before they commit to the purchase). 

---

Okay yeah that's a good point

[11dustyattic]

Off to change them back to 5 days now. I had nothing better to do 😉

Damn you lol

[digital*ghost]

---

@11dustyattic wrote:

Damn you lol

---

I sell on eBay - I'm already damned.