I think it's okay if a buyer emails and ask when I will ship something. Of course, this is only good if they ask in a polite way. I think it's rude if someone takes 3 or more days to pay and then they demand for it to be shipped right away. I personally ship my items out the next business day. This is because if I have their money, then the product belongs to them.

Originally Posted by mrscurvy

Wow this thread is interesting.. I guess I'm different.. Whenever I sell items I always have the item ready to go out once they pay.. I figure if I have their money, I'm sure they want their package. If you pay me today before I leave home then yes your item goes out the same day. If is after I left home then it def goes out the next morning. Once I receive payment I automatically send an email letting them know when the item will go out and reassuring them i will update with tracking!

I'm the same way.

On the other hand, not everyone offers same day or next day shipping, so it's difficult for some to drop everything just for them.

I've noticed a very large uptick in these sort of requests recently and it's down right irritating because they normally come from the buyers that you have to open an UPI case for (at least mine have been). As a buyer, sometimes I'm excited to get items and say so in a note but I always try to leave enough time. Such as, if I pay for an item on Sunday or Monday, I just make a comment that it would be awesome to have it by the following weekend but no biggie if it's not possible.

I think eBay is wanting to put pressure on sellers to ship in similar time frames as Amazon Prime (yes, I'm guilty of growing accustomed to the almost instant gratification lol) while not necessarily doing a good job of managing the buyers' expectations. Yes, there's the handling time & estimated delivery dates but I think it needs to be much more obvious than it is. It's scary how much buyers don't read.

Also combined with the problem that USPS tends to be faster shipping than UPS but doesn't offer nearly the same degree of protection for sellers.

Ok, end of rant.

If you sell more than an item at a time, it's worth it to buy a postage scale for $20 or so and have a supply of boxes and bubble wrap around. Then you can package stuff at home (while you wait for payment even), weigh it and print out the USPS label. The scale will eventually pay for itself because postage is cheaper if you buy it online than if you go to the post office, and it's faster for you and the buyer.

I think you do have "within 3 business days" option. If they are slow in paying, well...I won't break my neck. I will mail the next day. If you pay for a high-ticket item and it's in the middle of the day, then it's on its way! I always ship Priority Mail.
Right now I work nontraditional hours. People do have unrealistic expectations. Online retailers have spoiled them.
They really should think of the Bay as a virtual flea market or garage sale. Or they should try selling themselves. Then they will get it.

Originally Posted by Speedah

I think eBay is wanting to put pressure on sellers to ship in similar time frames as Amazon Prime (yes, I'm guilty of growing accustomed to the almost instant gratification lol) while not necessarily doing a good job of managing the buyers' expectations. Yes, there's the handling time & estimated delivery dates but I think it needs to be much more obvious than it is. It's scary how much buyers don't read.

Originally Posted by starbucksqueen

I think you do have "within 3 business days" option. If they are slow in paying, well...I won't break my neck. I will mail the next day. If you pay for a high-ticket item and it's in the middle of the day, then it's on its way! I always ship Priority Mail. Right now I work nontraditional hours. People do have unrealistic expectations. Online retailers have spoiled them. They really should think of the Bay as a virtual flea market or garage sale. Or they should try selling themselves. Then they will get it.

That's a great point. Online retailers/wholesalers give people fast and often free shipping nowadays. This could be part of the reason why buyers have higher shipping expectations now.

I buy and sell on E-bay, so I've been on the other side of this. If your auction states that the item will be shipped within 3 days, I don't mind if it's not shipped until the third day. But if it says that handling time is one day and my item isn't shipped for a few days(in one case, 8 days!), we have a problem :)

I constantly have buyers asking "how long will it take to get here" immediately after paying - yet I have the estimated delivery time right in the ad! I guess I don't mind responding but I tell them to please read the ad next time. However, several times I've been messaged & was told they needed it "for a trip" or "for a special occasion" and all I could suggest was pay extra for a faster service, which they did. Some people are a little impatient, while others genuinely need their item on time. I just get to the post office whenever I can, to be honest. As long as it's within the handling time I stated in the ad, I have every right to :)

Originally Posted by Jira

Recently, I've had some buyers send messages immediately after paying saying things like: I need this for a trip this weekend - please mail ASAP, thx! I paid this morning so you should be able to ship today. Let me know when it's shipped. You're shipping priority, right? Do you think I can get it by Thursday? I swear I'm not selling time-sensitive stuff! It's just some clothing and accessories. Ebay listings clearly show the estimated delivery window based on the shipping info I've entered. It doesn't help the package go out any faster to send me a Paypal note then another message or email soon after. Is it just a coincidence that I've had several buyers like this recently? Or are other sellers experiencing the same thing? Buyers just want their stuff faster?

I JUST got an email from a buyer this morning, moments after the auction (non-designer bag... sold for $20 including shipping) ended, saying she was leaving town on the 28th and "Please make sure it's delivered to me by that." I told her I was sending it Priority today (I had other packages going out) but that I have no control over how fast the post office actually delivers it. Sheesh.

Originally Posted by NCC1701D

If you sell more than an item at a time, it's worth it to buy a postage scale for $20 or so and have a supply of boxes and bubble wrap around. Then you can package stuff at home (while you wait for payment even), weigh it and print out the USPS label. The scale will eventually pay for itself because postage is cheaper if you buy it online than if you go to the post office, and it's faster for you and the buyer.

This is true for those that do sell often, however, even if I had the bubble wrap and boxes at home I will not package until payment has been received in case the buyer needs more photos or they do not pay and you need to re list, thus running into the possibility of needing more photos.

You can do everything short of tape up the box. At least then you know the weight of the whole package, and it's a quick matter of printing a label and taping it up once you do receive payment.

The postage is cheaper, DC is free, and you save a trip to the post office...

Yes, I've been getting a bunch of these irritating requests too. But in my case, they demand that I sell it to them below the starting bid, and right away because they need it for a "trip" or "event" Of course I refuse. Or they put in an offer on BO listings which I decline, then they throw a fit and state they need it right away. I swear they put in the lowest price possible then work their way up...when the 3 offers are exhausted they start messaging me with even more offers. This is not an infinite bargaining game!!!

I think these people are just making up deadlines to cut in line before other buyers...so that other buyers don't have the chance to bid up the price, or offer a more reasonable price I'm happy with.

Buyers' new perceptions seem to be:
Auction or fixed listing with no BO: message seller & offer 20-30% below price
BO listing: offer 50-80% off price

I guess there are many "trips" and "events" this time of year.

Originally Posted by Jira

Recently, I've had some buyers send messages immediately after paying saying things like: I need this for a trip this weekend - please mail ASAP, thx! I paid this morning so you should be able to ship today. Let me know when it's shipped. You're shipping priority, right? Do you think I can get it by Thursday? I swear I'm not selling time-sensitive stuff! It's just some clothing and accessories. Ebay listings clearly show the estimated delivery window based on the shipping info I've entered. It doesn't help the package go out any faster to send me a Paypal note then another message or email soon after. Is it just a coincidence that I've had several buyers like this recently? Or are other sellers experiencing the same thing? Buyers just want their stuff faster?

I try not to do that, but as a former eBay seller myself, I would ship on a certain day. So if I need something for a specific date, I'll ask, but intellectually, I know I might not receive it. The one time I absolutely needed something, I paid for expedited shipping. I really didn't think it was rude. I guess I didn't think.