topic Re: How are people offering 3 day Guarenteed Delivery?? in Selling

How are people offering 3 day Guarenteed Delivery??

retrogamestoreau — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 10:41:59 GMT

3 Day Guarenteed delivery is completely unfair to sellers. No one can guarentee a delivery time when Australia Post (a company that received over 1 million complaints last year) has a monopoly on the Australian Postal service. It's even worse if you live in rural Australia like I do. eBay wants to compete with Amazon, fair enough. But it's best-match algorithm is obviously punishing sellers that have chose not to opt in because they'd rather be honest with their customers! My impressions have dropped significantly since the introduction of this, yet sales through my website sales are at an all time high..

I see people offering a 3 day guarenteed delivery on items less than $5, which means they would have to be sending the items as a large letter without tracking and any guarenteed delivery date... If this is happening there must be a greater benefit to being dishonest with your customers than there is risk of negative feedback or returns?

Should I be lying about my delivery times in order to help my best match ranking?

Re: How are people offering 3 day Guarenteed Delivery??

lane-ends — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 11:10:08 GMT

If you cant prove it was delivered on time then you cant say no to a return.

Re: How are people offering 3 day Guarenteed Delivery??

digital*ghost — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 12:15:50 GMT

@retrogamestoreauwrote:
3 Day Guarenteed delivery is completely unfair to sellers. No one can guarentee a delivery time

Sellers who opt in know that they can't guarantee it in a literal sense, just that there is a high enough probability of a package being delivered within the specified timeframe, and are prepared to offer compensation (refund of postage) to the buyer if it doesn't happen, or are prepared to let eBay give the buyer a $10 credit if postage was free - the buyer has to keep the item for this to be available. (Sellers who opted in by 1st April and complied with all of the requirements won't have to fund any compensation or return postage if it's delivered late and the buyer wants to return it, until after June, so you may see a lot of sellers withdraw mid-year, especially if they do not offer free postage).

Sellers are also able to specify which areas they want to guarantee delivery to, so some will only do it for orders going intrastate or to major metro areas.

Not sure about the low-cost large letter stuff, ebay require that 95% ofGD orders need to be delivered on time and have tracking uploaded, and if GD transactions fall below that, the seller is no longer eligible to offer it, so if sellers are using letter post, they won't be guaranteeing delivery for very long.

Re: How are people offering 3 day Guarenteed Delivery??

melbourneclearance — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 12:23:42 GMT

I think it is premature for ebay Oz to introduce GD. US Mail has every letter tracked, therefore ebay US can do this GD thing. In fact, to be a Top-Rated Seller in the US the seller needs 90 or 95% of their items uploaded with tracking.

We in Oz are not ready for GD stuff.

Re: How are people offering 3 day Guarenteed Delivery??

digital*ghost — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 12:41:24 GMT

Agreed - I also think your average Aussie seller is a bit more resistant to the idea of compensating buyers for this kind of thing, whether they or eBay fund it. I know I am, anyway.

Re: How are people offering 3 day Guarenteed Delivery??

jfmgray — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 12:53:49 GMT

In reality very very few are offering guaranteed delivery. As an example if you search "Elvis Presley" in music you get 9225 items. If you filter with the 3-day guaranteed delivery option this is reduced to 6 items, and all 6 are from the one seller (one of the largest music sellers on eBay). Results may vary in other categories.

Re: How are people offering 3 day Guarenteed Delivery??

countessalmirena — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 14:46:42 GMT

Many in Australia cannot even get a pizza delivered on time.

I would agree; this Guaranteed Delivery thing doesn't seem to me to be fair or realistic at this stage, and it's going to put ideas into eBay buyers' heads about what they are entitled to expect in terms of delivery time, and the compensation they deserve if the delivery time is not met.

Re: How are people offering 3 day Guarenteed Delivery??

springyzone — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 20:19:27 GMT

I know of someone who has opted in & it is for items that I assume are well over the $5 mark, in fact most likely range from $50 into the hundreds (though I am guessing based on the product, haven't actually asked or checked).

But from what I have been told, that person was able to strictly pick their areas. They chose 3 metropolitan areas, from memory.

They also do not use Aust Post. They have a regular courier service they use where delivery to those areas is pretty much always assured next day. So for them, this option was really about business as usual to those 3 areas.

For the occasional seller or anyone routinely using Aust Post it could be a lot riskier business.

I still don't get why there is this obsession by ebay with guaranteeing delivery in 3 days. No other retailers do it. I suppose there might be the occasional emergency product people are after, but for me, I am pretty impressed with any seller who says in the ad that they post off within 24 hours. Some even say same day postage if bought before noon or whatever. As long as they follow through with that, the item will generally be with you within about a week in any case, if you are both in metropoltan areas. If you're not, then you're unlikely to find too many sellers guaranteeing 3 day delivery to your area anyway

Re: How are people offering 3 day Guarenteed Delivery??

padi*0409 — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 22:57:16 GMT

@springyzonewrote:
As long as they follow through with that, the item will generally be with you within about a week in any case, if you are both in metropoltan areas. If you're not, then you're unlikely to find too many sellers guaranteeing 3 day delivery to your area anyway

.............so long as the parcel doesn't go through Chullora, Underwood or Sunshine West springy...............

Re: How are people offering 3 day Guarenteed Delivery??

springyzone — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 23:38:28 GMT

True, but it is the posting away bit that counts with me. If i can see something was posted quickly then that's the main thing.

I suppose at least people who use a regular courier service though don't have to worry about the parcel getting held up in the Aust post system.

Re: How are people offering 3 day Guarenteed Delivery??

clubesquire — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 23:52:19 GMT

Truly, given the nefarious background to postage generally and the countless variables, I wonder how these ideas in all their incomprehensible glory, gather in the minds of the movers and shakers?

It's a good thing to be able to promise and then follow through with great customer service, but to fail on a promise and disappoint a buyer is simply asking for trouble. I know it's on an opt in basis at the moment, but seriously - opt in to trouble you can well do without?

The underlying agenda, the true and tangible agenda, has me totally confuzzled. If AP and carriers opted in with their own guarantees and indemnities, sure, go for it, but as it stands, why leave yourself open to the obvious risks?

Its an idea already in the 'dead chook' position, isn't it, surely? Or, is it just like a deliberate Govco leak, designed to condition us to something that will perhaps become something other than an option?

Theres so many other worthy and 'tangible' initiatives that could be undertaken to improve the eBay experience. Why is this dead chook so palatable to eBay when it will obviously create more confrontation and widen the abyss between buyer and seller?

Melina

Re: How are people offering 3 day Guarenteed Delivery??

brerrabbit585 — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 03:51:32 GMT

Please don't talk about dead chooks. Brer Fox visited me on Saturday afternoon and again this morning (in broad daylight and in town). Now why couldn't he have chased that bunny rabbit I saw hopping across the vacant block next door?

I just hope ebay have to pay out for a lot of parcels, but that probably won't happen (just because it's what we need).

I suppose for anyone who regularly uses express post it's a good thing. There are quite a few sellers who only use express satchels and don't post any other way. Some who use large letters have probably opted in without realising the ramifications.

Re: How are people offering 3 day Guarenteed Delivery??

springyzone — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 04:58:34 GMT

@brerrabbit585wrote:
Please don't talk about dead chooks. Brer Fox visited me on Saturday afternoon and again this morning (in broad daylight and in town). Now why couldn't he have chased that bunny rabbit I saw hopping across the vacant block next door?

I just hope ebay have to pay out for a lot of parcels, but that probably won't happen (just because it's what we need).

I suppose for anyone who regularly uses express post it's a good thing. There are quite a few sellers who only use express satchels and don't post any other way. Some who use large letters have probably opted in without realising the ramifications.

I looked into my crystal ball & this is what i saw. Ebay will hardly have anything to pay out. That's because in the main, the sellers who opt in will only do so if they are pretty sure it will work for them, and they will limit the areas. At the moment, the majority of sellers are probably not included in the scheme.

Plus of course, ebay will only step in and pay for a limited time.

The system will be judged a huge success, a brilliant idea in fact. It will be pushed more widely, maybe even in time it might be more difficult not to opt in. They may even introduce a second tier of guarantee within the week. There will be incetives for opting in but the downside will be that eventually all the risk will be with the sellers & none of the responsibility with ebay.

Buyers will like it but if they are guaranteed something, you won't be able to blame them if they don't claim for their freebie if they don't get it.

Re: How are people offering 3 day Guarenteed Delivery??

brerrabbit585 — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 07:17:50 GMT

@springyzonewrote:
@brerrabbit585wrote:
Please don't talk about dead chooks. Brer Fox visited me on Saturday afternoon and again this morning (in broad daylight and in town). Now why couldn't he have chased that bunny rabbit I saw hopping across the vacant block next door?

I just hope ebay have to pay out for a lot of parcels, but that probably won't happen (just because it's what we need).

I suppose for anyone who regularly uses express post it's a good thing. There are quite a few sellers who only use express satchels and don't post any other way. Some who use large letters have probably opted in without realising the ramifications.
I looked into my crystal ball & this is what i saw. Ebay will hardly have anything to pay out. That's because in the main, the sellers who opt in will only do so if they are pretty sure it will work for them, and they will limit the areas. At the moment, the majority of sellers are probably not included in the scheme.
Plus of course, ebay will only step in and pay for a limited time.

The system will be judged a huge success, a brilliant idea in fact. It will be pushed more widely, maybe even in time it might be more difficult not to opt in. They may even introduce a second tier of guarantee within the week. There will be incetives for opting in but the downside will be that eventually all the risk will be with the sellers & none of the responsibility with ebay.
Buyers will like it but if they are guaranteed something, you won't be able to blame them if they don't claim for their freebie if they don't get it.

A lot of buyers would be honest enough not to claim anything even if they could. They'll be the ones who don't need it yesterday but that's what was on the listing anyway, or else buyers won't be told they can claim if it doesn't arrive last week.

Re: How are people offering 3 day Guarenteed Delivery??

joztamps — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 08:12:39 GMT

@springyzone
I still don't get why there is this obsession by ebay with guaranteeing delivery in 3 days. No other retailers do it. I suppose there might be the occasional emergency product people are after, but for me, I am pretty impressed with any seller who says in the ad that they post off within 24 hours. Some even say same day postage if bought before noon or whatever. As long as they follow through with that, the item will generally be with you within about a week in any case, if you are both in metropoltan areas. If you're not, then you're unlikely to find too many sellers guaranteeing 3 day delivery to your area anyway

I strongly suspect that there's a little bit of panic setting in about Australian Amazon and, in particular, the persistent rumours that it will use Australia as a testing and development ground for its drone delivery service.

Re: How are people offering 3 day Guarenteed Delivery??

hobby_cds — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 09:47:00 GMT

I had a buyer buy an item off us on Friday night and emailed me yesterday (Tuesday) asking for me to either post it or for a refund. Even though the delivery time is estimated at Thursday or Friday this week. We have a pretty quick postal service from our area but still buyers seem to have no idea when it comes to delivery times.

Re: How are people offering 3 day Guarenteed Delivery??

digital*ghost — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 10:15:14 GMT

@springyzonewrote:

I still don't get why there is this obsession by ebay with guaranteeing delivery in 3 days. No other retailers do it.

That's pretty much why, I would say. I think there are some retailers who are prepared to in some cases (eg Vistaprint actually does guarantee the express delivery service), but it's not overly common.

eBay's issue now, more than ever, is getting buyers to shop here over anywhere else, they need something that sets them apart from other retailers. Their other problem is they can't seem to think of anything truly unique, so just keep trying to capture the magic from elsewhere - but they only bring over the idea, not what rests at the core of the implementation (eg when they introduced collections - something very much like a Pinterest board, or the similar but now defunct option on the handmade site), they failed to connect the dots to what made those features so successful and worthwhile on the other sites. Same with GD, it borrows from Prime, with none of the supported infrastructure or membership services, they just throw it out at the sellers and either hope or expect they'll get the results they want without offering any of the real support that's needed for it to be widespread and successful. (Prime costs members money for a reason, though there are a lot of benefits above and beyond access to very fast shipping services).

The government is giving buyers a reason to shop elsewhere when it comes to international items, with the introduction of GST on OS purchases, that due to it being applied selectively, means that the same seller on eBay will have an item with GST added, but not if sold on their own website. If the security fee also comes in, I think they will suffer a bit from lowered international sales, so they would then need to look at bolstering domestic sales (and probably in a way that doesn't overtly tick off the other "local" sellers, IYKWIM) .

Retailers are everwhere online, often cheaper than eBay, or has some other benefit. So I think many of eBay's time is spent trying to answer the question "how do we keep buyers shopping here".

They're like a wannabe Mythbuster with sub-par knowledge, skills and experience. They have a question or problem to solve, and rather than looking for elegance and / or simplicity in the solutions, they often try to impress with convoluted schemes and structures that ultimately don't function, or at least they only function well enough to simply confirm a bias, leading to more skewed and outlandish - but ultimately disappointing - experiments.

Re: How are people offering 3 day Guarenteed Delivery??

clubesquire — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 11:16:08 GMT

Love the last para Ghost 🙂

Melina.

Re: How are people offering 3 day Guarenteed Delivery??

countessalmirena — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 11:17:43 GMT

@digital*ghost@ wrote:

They're like a wannabe Mythbuster with sub-par knowledge, skills and experience. They have a question or problem to solve, and rather than looking for elegance and / or simplicity in the solutions, they often try to impress with convoluted schemes and structures that ultimately don't function, or at least they only function well enough to simply confirm a bias, leading to more skewed and outlandish - but ultimately disappointing - experiments.

The Cardenal Cisneros Pedro Ximénez nearly went all over my grilled salmon.

Re: How are people offering 3 day Guarenteed Delivery??

clubesquire — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 11:19:45 GMT

You're roughing it ternite 🙂