topic Re: Lichfield Hub Delays in Buying

Lichfield Hub Delays

chipbutty1 — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 13:35:29 GMT

I purchased two very similar objects from two different sellers in the UK both send via Royal Mail to the Lichfield hub. Tracking is weird. The first item was 'delayed' then 'resolved' then 'delayed' again and has sat there for about 5 days now. The other has been marked as sent to the destination country.

I figured different batches/containers for shipping, but no explanation of what this 'delayed' business is all about. Ebay says ' oh thank you. Wait until the expected delivery time...' (the usual guff) and Pitney Bowes are just plain idiots who simply will not assist.

This is why I hate the slow, expensive, baffling system Ebay uses to ship small items. Yes, I asked the seller to use a better postal service like Royal Mail signed, but nah. Too much trouble. I won't go into the seller's rationale (they all say the same thing anyway) but my question is: what the heck is this problem we have all read about with the Lichfield hub? What are these alleged 'delays'? Does anyone really know?

Re: Lichfield Hub Delays

*casey* — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 14:22:36 GMT

"The first item was 'delayed' then 'resolved' then 'delayed' again and has sat there for about 5 days now"

"What are these alleged 'delays"

It may or may not be true, but a response two days ago regarding a parcel that was delivered to the Litchfield hub

on 20th April and has been sitting there for 8 days was:

" The delay is due to the Easter Bank holidays in the UK. The staff in the hub are catching up with the volume"

Re: Lichfield Hub Delays

chipbutty1 — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 23:35:45 GMT

Yet I bought a very similar item a day after the first one, and that second one went through the Lichfield hub and is on its way. So, that can't be true. They don't help themselves by providing no information or issuing information arbitrarily. Unless they work backwards and upside-down. Or don't actually have a system to manage flow. Lichfield has a lousy reputation.

Re: Lichfield Hub Delays

twyngwyn — Thu, 01 May 2025 02:09:17 GMT

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Ask-a-Mentor/HLEP-Tracking-not-updating-after-reaching-LICHFIELD-SERVICE/td-p/34173911

from the U.S. boards 2023

Re: Lichfield Hub Delays

*casey* — Thu, 01 May 2025 02:39:14 GMT

@chipbutty1 wrote:
"Yet I bought a very similar item a day after the first one, and that second one went through the Lichfield hub and is on its way. So, that can't be true. They don't help themselves by providing no information or issuing information arbitrarily. Unless they work backwards and upside-down. Or don't actually have a system to manage flow. Lichfield has a lousy reputation"

It's probably the same as a couple of postal black holes we have in Australia.

My response was taken from this UK thread, given by an eBay rep a few days ago.

Plenty of complaints about Lichfield but look at the last post and screenshot reply

https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Business-Seller-Board/UK-Global-Shipping-Programme-Issue-Tracking-Delays/td-p/7656084

Re: Lichfield Hub Delays

chipbutty1 — Thu, 01 May 2025 07:54:43 GMT

Yes, but how can the one arriving at the hub a day LATER get through if there is a backlog? That's what's baffling. There may be a Bank Holiday, but the logic of an earlier one getting stuck and not moving through while a parcel getting to the hub a day later gets through doesn't make sense. It's reverse logic. I have made enquiries (of course) and promised an explanation - more than once - by the eBay ahem "specialist" team. I won't hold my breath, but if I do get an explanation, I'll post it here.

Re: Lichfield Hub Delays

chipbutty1 — Thu, 01 May 2025 08:03:41 GMT

Lichfield is a mess, by the sound of it. It might be down to a couple of incompetents in the ranks. We've all met them in the workplace. Or there is simply a poor logistics and tracking system. Needs sorting, good and proper.

Re: Lichfield Hub Delays

chipbutty1 — Sun, 04 May 2025 02:48:49 GMT

"Delay at the Global Shippping Center Lichfield" (25 April 2025)

Note the date above, and that they spell "shipping" with three Ps, the idiots.

Today's date? 4 May. Nine days delayed at Lichfield.

No explanation. Nothing. Enquiries got me nowhere.

Re: Lichfield Hub Delays

twyngwyn — Sun, 04 May 2025 04:15:27 GMT

From the U.K. boards:

https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Postage/Two-items-delivered-on-separate-days-to-GSP-Lichfield-not/m-p/7799367

Re: Lichfield Hub Delays

twyngwyn — Sun, 04 May 2025 04:21:07 GMT

…and another:

https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Business-Seller-Board/UK-Global-Shipping-Programme-Issue-Tracking-Delays/m-p/7656084

Re: Lichfield Hub Delays

chipbutty1 — Sun, 04 May 2025 10:24:57 GMT

Ebay help promises help but doesn't deliver. At all.

Re: Lichfield Hub Delays

chipbutty1 — Wed, 07 May 2025 06:35:01 GMT

Still nothing. Ebay hasn't been in touch even though they promised and assured they would.

Re: Lichfield Hub Delays

sandypebbles — Wed, 07 May 2025 06:39:15 GMT

They say that to everyone (promises they will do something/look into something/escalate something)

The usual telling people what they want to hear from their pre-written scripts to get rid of them

It means nothing, I'm afraid

They aren't doing anything

Re: Lichfield Hub Delays

twyngwyn — Wed, 07 May 2025 06:44:27 GMT

I believe they still have a Facebook page where you can complain publicly

Re: Lichfield Hub Delays

chipbutty1 — Mon, 12 May 2025 05:29:49 GMT

Still "delayed" at Lichfield hub. All promises of assistance by way of the 'specialist shipping team' contacting me by email have been broken. Not a peep. Ebay claims everything at Lichfield hub is its usual, efficient self. It isn't, quite obviously.

Ebay simply won't admit there is a problem. Delusional until the end. And the end will be a lost object, a disgruntled seller who swore by the shipping program (all alternatives like Royal Mail too risky...) and my being refunded.

Unless sellers can offer a cheaper, efficient mailing alternative to Ebay's rubbish shipping service, I won't buy. Why would I?

I'd advise all buyers (and sellers) to NOT go with the international shipping program. Too risky. A million complaints all over the internet, and Ebay still has its head in the sand. Fools.

Re: Lichfield Hub Delays

twyngwyn — Mon, 12 May 2025 06:15:59 GMT

OK. When is the expected delivery date?

If it has passed, lodge an INR claim……they will pull their finger out then

Re: Lichfield Hub Delays

chipbutty1 — Mon, 12 May 2025 06:35:55 GMT

Ebay admits liability. Refund coming.

"Please allow me to share, yes, this is a failed transaction and I have mentioned this in notes and passing your complaint to global shipping program as well as details about your experience"

And there you have it.

Global Shipping Program failure.

I don't trust it, and if sellers won't ship using an alternative, no sale.

Thank for the input all.

Make of all this what you will.