How not to Run an Ebay Business

[DontAsk]

Item ordered 3rd May with delivery promised by 15th. No idea why it was so slow given it was supposedly UK stock.
Item didn't arrive so I raised a complaint. The seller claimed it had been sent and gave a "tracking" number. This was just the simple parcel reference rather than an actual tracked service. Complained about this and and the seller refunded.
A different item (similar, acceptable, but not as described) finally arrived, posted 2nd class on the 14th, i.e. leaving 24 hrs for 2nd class post.

I don't think the seller really understands Royal Mail services.

 

[antropy]

I don't think the seller really understands Royal Mail services.

Perhaps not. Why not link to them so we know who to avoid?

Paul.

 

[AmazonGeek]

Wow - how to lose money fast. They should consider politics.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Dropshipper!!!!???

 

[ukweb]

At least you got your money back that is the main thing,
Some sellers are new and may not know the full process until their account gets shut down

 

[boxlot]

If it was sent via Royal Mail it's understandable. I had an eBay shop and posted approx 150 orders every day via Royal Mail 48 (standard and tracked service). Last year every week I had 5-10 delayed orders to do Royal Mail delays and it was getting worse with every month. In eBay the sellers can't specify how many days delivery takes. Only option was to specify the shipping service you use and eBay calculates the delivery time. If there was a problem with Royal Mail, eBay automatically extended delivery time etc.

 

[AmazonGeek]

Yes RM has become a nightmare. We use a widget to connect eBay and the website to Amazon FBA so that any orders are automatically fulfilled from our Amazon inventory. The smaller packages are often subbed out by Amazon to RM and they often just stall. They have tracking but the link just says something ridiculous like "delivery pending" and it stays like that for days. We end up having to send out another order and it is happening more and more.

On a similar note, I was interviewed by the Sunday Times last week about Amazon/Royal Mail. When sellers send out orders themselves (instead of using FBA), they often use RM and upload tracking links at the point of shipping. Amazon then pings these links regularly to make sure the orders have been delivered. If the tracking shows they haven't arrived, Amazon contacts the customer and gives them a refund automatically, which is fine if the tracking info is accurate.

The problem is that a lot of the time, it isn't. The order has actually arrived but the tracking link fails, which is an RM problem but the seller gets stuck with the bill. Amazon then tells the seller that they wouldn't have this problem if they used FBA and the seller who got the Sunday Times involved wrongly thought Amazon was fudging the tracking info to force people onto FBA.

 

[DontAsk]

If it was sent via Royal Mail it's understandable.

The sellers behaviour was certainly NOT understandable.

Despatching 2nd class the day before the end of a 12-day delivery window is never going to work.