topic Re: Guaranteed Delivery 3 Day Delivery in Selling

Guaranteed Delivery 3 Day Delivery

meliquidation — Sun, 17 Jun 2018 11:46:28 GMT

I'm curious to hear from anyone who has opted in...

We havn't. I could probably do it for Brisbane Metro Area and possibly Sydney & Melbourne but it really depends on couriers and Australia Post. Every couple of months something invariably goes wrong and an item doesnt get delivered on time or gets lost. I just dont know how we could possible guarantee delivery within 3 days... And what happens if it doesnt arrive? You end up with an angry buyer and that's never good. And sometimes Ebay's delivery areas (ie surcharge areas) dont actually match up with courier surcharge areas so you'd have to go and select each suburb individually which would be a huge pain.

Our motto is under promise and over deliver - I can't see the guaranteed delivery working for us.

Re: Guaranteed Delivery 3 Day Delivery

digital*ghost — Sun, 17 Jun 2018 13:57:12 GMT

I won't be opting in to guaranteed delivery, so I'm not the kind of responder that you're looking for, however I do think that the concept is being interpreted a little too narrowly (which is largely eBay's fault, because they are not really advertising what happens when a delivery is later than the 'guaranteed' timeframe).

Most guarantees are not a promise that X is 100% certain, no exceptions, rather it is a promise that X is almost certain to happen, but if it doesn't, the business will do Y. (Take Australia Post's Express Post delivery guarantee for example - the slogan is Guaranteed next-day delivery*, but when you look at the fine print, it's only between specific areas, and if posted by a certain time, plus they reimburse the postage cost or provide a free satchel of same value if the package isn't delivered the next day when the conditions have been met. In other words, they acknowledge that the guarantee isn't met 100% of the time, but offer compensation in those cases).

In the case of Guaranteed Delivery, the promise is that delivery within 3 days is almost certain to happen, but if it doesn't, the buyer's postage costs are refunded (paid for by the seller), or if postage was free, they get a $10 eBay voucher (paid for by eBay).

Re: Guaranteed Delivery 3 Day Delivery

the4masters2013 — Sun, 17 Jun 2018 19:39:35 GMT

I will not opt into this little circus at at all. Not one of ebays most well thought out plans.

I can't see this working for anyone unless you live in a capital city and you only post to other capitals in Australia.

Otherwise, as Digital*Ghost says.

Re: Guaranteed Delivery 3 Day Delivery

springyzone — Sun, 17 Jun 2018 23:21:15 GMT

I know of one person who has opted in. But only about 1% of his stock is ever posted, mostly it is pick up, so he doesn't face many problems.

With the items posted, he has a courier service he regularly uses and he only opted in to 3 delivery areas (I think it was) to be eligible for 3 day delivery. All of those areas are metro areas where he knows his courier has routinely delivered within 24 hours in the past.

I think if I used Aust post or didn't have a reliable courier service, I would not opt into guaranteeing anyone 3 day delivery. I don't actually like the system anyway-would prefer guaranteed postage within 24 hours, with a comment that goods under the banner will then normally be delivered within 3 days.

Re: Guaranteed Delivery 3 Day Delivery

Anonymous — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 04:40:51 GMT

The odd person has said in the forums that they've opted in, but only for specific areas.

There are sellers who only ever use express post and I think for a lot of them it'd be good. I'm in country Vic (outside the express zone) and I posted an express satchel on Friday to another country Vic town and it was there early this morning. I'm not in the express network but I'm told the PO puts express items in a separate bag and as soon as the truck gets to Geelong (by about 8pm the day I post) the bag joins the express network. My buyer isn't in the express network either and they're about 80 kms north-west of Bendigo, yet when I tried the tracking before it arrived it showed that it was expected to be there the next day.

Re: Guaranteed Delivery 3 Day Delivery

Anonymous — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 05:01:14 GMT

I would'nt touch it with a plastic one

Re: Guaranteed Delivery 3 Day Delivery

Anonymous — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 05:03:19 GMT

I just had a look at AP's list for their express network and all of Victoria is included in it, with expected 1-day delivery from Vic to Vic, but no 'guarantee' for rural areas. The guarantee used to mean that if it wasn't delivered within 1 day you'd get your postage money back, or something along those lines, but I don't know what it means now. It appears that express post has definitely improved to all areas, while standard post is generally slower.

What I found interesting was that they now have "express post metro satchels" for Sydney and Melbourne where you can send an express parcel up to 1kg for $8.85 within the same metro area - only 35c more than a standard 500g satchel, but considerably cheaper than a standard 1kg satchel. A lot of the slowest parcels seem to be the ones going to a different suburb in the same city so this would be a really good alternative for those who already use 500g or 1kg satchels, and definitely worth opting in to 3-day guaranteed delivery.

https://auspost.com.au/expresspostmetro

This gives all the details and maps for the areas in Sydney and Melbourne that are covered by the Express Post Metro satchel. It doesn't apply to me but I thought it might help a few others.

Re: Guaranteed Delivery 3 Day Delivery

imastawka — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 05:08:40 GMT

I wouldn't touch it with yours.

Re: Guaranteed Delivery 3 Day Delivery

countessalmirena — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 09:48:12 GMT

A circus indeed.

I would not wish to be a seller providing a delivery guarantee which is the purview of Australia Post or other delivery/courier service, and having to refund postage cost if the deliverer doesn't do his/her job by the promised timeframe.

As a buyer, I certainly hold sellers to their guaranteed or promised despatch time and despatch method, but I would think it ridiculous to expect a seller to guarantee me a delivery time. When I get delivery updates, it's AP / Fedex / UPS / DHL etc who notify me by email or SMS - not the seller.

Re: Guaranteed Delivery 3 Day Delivery

ejholdenguy — Tue, 19 Jun 2018 11:57:17 GMT

Is it even running yet? I have opted in as I’m curious to see how it works but there seems to be very little information on it. Questions to EBay go to their international Centre who haven’t got a clue about it.

Re: Guaranteed Delivery 3 Day Delivery

padi*0409 — Tue, 19 Jun 2018 12:33:46 GMT

Yes it's running, the icon is at the top of any search page, but depending on where you are you may not get very many hits on it.

Re: Guaranteed Delivery 3 Day Delivery

transport-posters — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 01:35:09 GMT

I recently sent a letter which had to go two suburbs away in Melbourne and it took a week. Couldn't believe it.

Someone told me also that their express next day satchels from their work office often take about 3 days to another suburb in Melbourne.

eBay needs to let all this silly postage marketing stuff go and just leave it up to us sellers and the actual postal/courier companies to do our thing. Too many expectations are placed on sellers and once eBay stops involving sellers in this stuff the buyers will stop expecting so much from us and learn to live with the unpredictable, erratic shipping provided by the postal services.

Re: Guaranteed Delivery 3 Day Delivery

toysandthings12 — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 03:24:16 GMT

Its a silly idea, sometimes takes Aus post to deliver registered insured tracked parcels

4 days from Wollongong to places in Sydney, I can drive the delivery in 2 hours easy.

Does the guarantee consider attempted deliveries, or waiting for pick ups etc...

Also depends on time of day parcel is innitially sent. If after 2pm it just sits there

until the bnext day before being collected and moved on to the sorting centre.

Plus who wants used items or damaged packaging(opend ripped) etc sent back for full refunds,

then what are you meant to do with the unsellable items....

Then theres this,

I buy a fair bit on ebay and have noticed,

the buying experience is sort of ruined by their

silly ebay plus, n guaranteed delivery additions.

Normal delivery times have vanished.

The sort order doesnt seem to work either

so locked on best match which I never use.

oh well.

Now to see what as a buyer my own products look like.

Re: Guaranteed Delivery 3 Day Delivery

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 04:00:49 GMT

I also buy on Ebay through another ID, and I'm a big fan of delayed gratification. This instant gratification scenario of guaranteed delivery in 3 days, does nothing for me psychologically, but I imagine those seriously addicted to internet shopping are living the dream with the idea. I received my latest Ebay purchase 7 days after ordering it - worth the wait and the discipline to be patient in the long run.

On the other hand, the guaranteed 3 day delivery would be an appropriate option and important for a hard-to-get item that is required urgently, for those living in regional areas where access to certain items, e.g. in healthcare for instance, might be unavailable, but genuinely required urgently. It's OK for me in this sense, being in a capital city, as I can easily go out and buy the item if urgently required.

Just a few thoughts/musings on the subject. Thank you!

Re: Guaranteed Delivery 3 Day Delivery

lyndal1838 — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 04:25:10 GMT

Three day delivery will only apply to a limited area.....it is not 3 day delivery to anywhere in Australia.

Sellers will only offer it to areas where they have reliable delivery methods such asa good courier service.

Re: Guaranteed Delivery 3 Day Delivery

davidc4430 — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 06:17:37 GMT

it seems an idea that can only bring trouble to a seller as once the items handed to a delivery service its no longer in the sellers control for how long it takes to arrive.

the delivery company has no responsibility to get the thing delivered in 3 days.

Re: Guaranteed Delivery 3 Day Delivery

davidc4430 — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 06:21:01 GMT

i have a much better idea, how about ebay do a deal with Piney Blows to deliver an item within 2 weeks from anywhere in the world?

thats from the day the item is paid for!

Re: Guaranteed Delivery 3 Day Delivery

clubesquire — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 12:50:10 GMT

We’ve been watching mail pretty closely lately. The standard seems to be about 4 days, some 3’s and some 5’s, and of course the odd blowouts, but never consistent 3’s. Generally, I think AP do a pretty good job. I’ve spoken with our local PO about this three day guarantee and there are so many variables; what time of day the item is lodged, how many collections per day a particulat PO is registered for, because not all have two or three, technology, machinery and staffing issues at distribution centres, and unforeseen overloads. And, that’s just for starters and at the receiving end only.

With respect to intra city we’re in the same boat as Transport-posters. It’s a mystery. To be fair it’s not all the time, but 4-5 days is prevalent enough to be a concern.

I know the guaranteed three days is within certain parameters, but even so I think it’s an opt in to guaranteed strife and more work somewhere along the way and confrontation with some customers, especially those who don’t read he fine print, and that’s the last thing we need.

Under promising and then exceeding customer expectations still seems to be the safest route for us. Opting in we won’t be.

Melina.

Re: Guaranteed Delivery 3 Day Delivery

countessalmirena — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 16:14:07 GMT

@davidc4430 wrote:
i have a much better idea, how about ebay do a deal with Piney Blows to deliver an item within 2 weeks from anywhere in the world?
thats from the day the item is paid for!

Re: Guaranteed Delivery 3 Day Delivery

tazzieterror — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 00:35:08 GMT

This will get interesting come Christmas time when AP gets bogged down with the extra load and everyone wants their stuff yesterday.