topic Re: Shipping in Buying

Shipping

minx_ie — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 05:13:18 GMT

I bought a product from a seller on the 19th of August. They said it was posted on the 20th of August, but when I use the tracking number the provided to track my package on Aus Post, it says its being prepared. Nothing has changed for over 12 days and I'm not sure if I should be worried. The package was estimated to be delivered on the 31st of August - 1st of September, but I still haven't reviewed a package and it's the 1st. The seller also says that they have send with Couriers Please, but the tracking number is for Aus Post. Should I be worried yet?

Re: Shipping

jellybirddesigns — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 05:46:43 GMT

I have purchased from a couple of big volume sellers and the status can show that the item is being prepared for shipment over a several day period. Having said that, it does seem to be taking a bit longer than expected to get an update.

Where was the seller REGISTERED? Or do you have the item number?

Re: Shipping

minx_ie — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 07:41:47 GMT

It says that the seller is registered in Victoria, which is why it is weird it is taking some long. It's a package that I needed very soon and it has been supposedly sitting at Aus Post for 13 days, which I doubt. Not sure what I should do.

Re: Shipping

davewil1964 — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 07:51:17 GMT

Why do you doubt?

Victoria, NSW and the ACT are in lockdown. Australia Post has over 500 staff off pending negative COVID test results.

Why would you consider a pandemic wouldn't impact delivery times? Are you aware that AP don't always scan everything? I have parcels from last year showing only 'initiated' in tracking, but I know they have been delivered. Even more showing 'in transit', ditto.

Today is only just the end of the window. Give it until at least this time next week.

As an aside, if you're buying time sensitive items in these times, maybe reevaluate your buying options.

Re: Shipping

jellybirddesigns — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 08:38:39 GMT

If you go to the Aus Post website - at the top of the page there is a yellow block with a link to current situation for deliveries - I think there is a massive backlog of packages on the east coast.

It's just possible that it's close to being delivered, but hasn't been scanned - sometimes it seems like it hasn't moved for days and days and then suddenly it's at the post office.

I find that contacting Aus Post with a polite, friendly message through their FB page has been very successful in the past. Do it tomorrow when support staff are back on duty.

Re: Shipping

minx_ie — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 10:19:38 GMT

Thank you. I wasn't really worried about Aus Post, more worried if it was scam or something from the seller. I'll take your advice and wait a little longer and see if it pops up

Re: Shipping

lynsh84 — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 10:35:13 GMT

I think I would be a bit worried when the seller says it was sent with Couriers Please but gives you an AP tracking number which appears to be invalid.

Re: Shipping

imastawka — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 11:00:57 GMT

Australia Post is buckling under the pressure. - The eBay Community

https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/eBay-Announcements/Australia-Post-Temporary-suspensions-of-Parcel-Post-pick-up-and/ba-p/2428683

Re: Shipping

springyzone — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 23:14:14 GMT

Things are running a bit slowly at the moment so your parcel is probably going to arrive late. If the ETA was 31st Aug-1st Sept though, I think, if I have it right, that you have till about the end of this month to make an item not received claim.

So you don't have to rush it.

I realise you wanted the item quickly but there's not a thing you can do about that.

Keep checking the tracking but if nothing has arrived before the end of the month, then you'll need to open your ebay claim. Not yet though.

Re: Shipping

minx_ie — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 01:08:11 GMT

I just google "it's being prepared", as that is what comes up on my tracking number, and apparently that means that the label has been created, but not sent? Would that be unusual for a seller to not send the package after almost 2 weeks? I'm just hoping that there is some issue and this isn't a scam 🤞

Re: Shipping

jfmgray — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 03:01:17 GMT

I have had this situation a few times when a seller is based in Oz but the item is coming to them from China. Once the item arrives with them they then send off the parcel and the tracking starts moving. Not sure if this is your scenario.

Re: Shipping

jellybirddesigns — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 03:19:23 GMT

@jfmgray - I think you have a good point.

As soon as a shipping label is created, it actually gets marked as "sent", even if the item is not physically in the system. It is entirely possible they are awaiting arrival of the actual product. It's a bit of a seller cheat though, as technically they should not be selling an item they do not have in stock, but this is one way to avoid getting a defect on their account.

OP - since we don't know for sure what is going on, whether it be a backlog of parcels, or the seller waiting on the item to arrive from China or something else entirely - I would open a case for "Item Not Received", as soon as Ebay allows you so that you get your funds back. You can always repurchase it when you feel more confident.

Does the seller have good feedback though?

Re: Shipping

domino-710 — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 03:27:19 GMT

@minx_ie wrote:
I bought a product from a seller on the 19th of August. They said it was posted on the 20th of August, but when I use the tracking number the provided to track my package on Aus Post, it says its being prepared. Nothing has changed for over 12 days and I'm not sure if I should be worried. The package was estimated to be delivered on the 31st of August - 1st of September, but I still haven't reviewed a package and it's the 1st. The seller also says that they have send with Couriers Please, but the tracking number is for Aus Post. Should I be worried yet?

Yes.

Re: Shipping

minx_ie — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 03:46:03 GMT

The seller has like 95% positive feedback. I'd understand if it was coming from China and they didn't have the stock but they replied to a question of mine saying my stuff had been sent and should have arrived. I have opened a case with ebay so I'm hoping that will figure this stuff out once and for all. They are based in VIC, so it's not saying it's coming from China, even if it is. I'm just really not sure what to do about it all.

Re: Shipping

sandypebbles — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 03:50:15 GMT

The seller's feedback is really pretty average, including comments items were sent from China

Quite possible they are dropshipping

Re: Shipping

padi*0409 — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 03:55:47 GMT

If it's the buyer that left feedback for you with 95.6%, all their responses to negs suggest a Chinese seller.

I would have been very hesitant about buying from a seller with that level of feedback, normally for a high-volume seller my limit is 99.5%.

Re: Shipping

minx_ie — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 11:53:31 GMT

Thank you. At this point I'm just waiting and seeing what happens. The seller has gotten back to me saying that my adress is correct and that my package is in transit. Not sure if their definition of "transit" is that it has yet to be sent, but I guess we'll see. I will definitely pay closer attention to the feedback for sellers from now on.

Re: Shipping

countessalmirena — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 08:49:07 GMT

Do not close the eBay case.

Once you close it, you can't re-open it.

All of the assurances from the seller about its being in transit, all of the soothing words, all of the pleas to close the case - they may simply be delaying tactics. As the seller claims to be in Australia (yet writes without native English-speaking syntax), and claims that the items are in Australia, the fact that the items appear to be sent from China has me agreeing with the other posters here, in particular with sandypebbles about this being a seller dropshipping from China.

Strictly speaking, claiming that the items are located in Australia is a no-no. I'd be wary about the seller just for that detail.

Re: Shipping

papermoon.lady — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 09:15:12 GMT

I have checked some random items in that seller's store and they all say Couriers Please.

What did *your* listing say? Maybe you can check the Couriers Please tracking site, just in case... The seller might live in Australia, but I agree that he or she is Chinese, not because of his or her poor language skills, but the typical "dear buyer" to reply to negative feedback.

As for "it's being prepared", it usually means it has not been scanned yet, either because it has not been posted or because it has been posted in a red mailbox and won't be scanned until it arrives at a sorting centre.

However, once I had been given a wrong tracking number (by mistake, it was not a scam) and it said "it's being prepared"...

Re: Shipping

sugar249 — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 09:12:10 GMT

@minx_ie wrote:
The seller has like 95% positive feedback. I'd understand if it was coming from China and they didn't have the stock but they replied to a question of mine saying my stuff had been sent and should have arrived. I have opened a case with ebay so I'm hoping that will figure this stuff out once and for all. They are based in VIC, so it's not saying it's coming from China, even if it is. I'm just really not sure what to do about it all.

Wow 95%, and you purchased, did you actually check their feedback before you hit the big lets commit myself to purchasing this. If you think 95% is ok, maybe get used to delays and issues.