"I'll send it when I feel like"

RFW

I bought something on Ebay yesterday (Tuesday). Not long after I received a message thanking me for payment and saying "I'll try and get this sent by about Thursday".

My immediate thought was why send a message, if I receive it Friday or Saturday I'd not be that bothered.

I send almost all my items on the next day after payment, if they're early enough some go same day. I've no idea if I'm unique any more, it's just what I do.

I'm not that bothered about my Ebay purchase arriving quickly, I just thought it was an odd message and got me wondering about expectations on post. I think my general expectation is 2-3 days, if I don't get by day 3 and haven't been told about it I'd be a bit irked.

So, when do you expect online (UK) purchases to arrive? Does it differ from site to site?

I may be wrong but my perception is that in general expectations have dipped a bit over the last year or two.

I know there is a mix of buyers and sellers on here so I'd be interested to hear your opinion.

HappyMJ

Sounds like a part time Ebay seller. Maybe just selling a few bits.

Personally, I would want to receive it within a week.

forgotmyname

As long as it arrives sort of in the timeframe quoted, it would not bother me whether they posted it slower.

I buy off ebuyer quite a bit and choose the free supersaver within 5 day option, for some odd reason it often takes them 4 days to pick it and they send it next day delivery so it still arrives within the 5 days. Maybe nextday is cheaper than slower postage options for them?

winspiration

I usually would want to receive it within a week too, earlier is a bonus. If I do want something fast, I'd tend to buy it via Amazon Prime, but in general ebay purchases do arrive pretty quickly.

I think that message would irk me more than hearing nothing - just the general vagueness of it, but if it was clearly a part time or non business seller, fair enough.

As a seller I aim to despatch asap - same day if I can, if not, most will go next day. Having said that, I took a break over the Christmas period and left my website (not ebay!) open with lots of information at various stages of the ordering process about when I would be posting out again. My customers seemed to be fine with that, even though it took me a few days to catch up with the volume of orders received. I did offer a discount though, to soften the blow and I've been doing this for a few years now, so regular customers would have been used to it.

Flyonthewall

I always check if the description says they can only post certain days or there might be delays. I also check what they've set the listing to.

So long as it's as they've said on the listing it's fine, whether same day dispatch, next day, 2 days, even 3. Least I know what to expect and by buying it have accepted it.

Mostly, regardless of where from, I hope to get it within a few days and expect it within a week. I wouldn't buy it if the listing suggested it'd be much longer than that.

I wouldn't find that message odd, unless it's completely different to what the listing says. Some people don't read dispatch times so informing the buyer when it will be dispatched lets them know (although that may not always be a good thing).

Flyonthewall

winspiration wrote: »

I think that message would irk me more than hearing nothing - just the general vagueness of it, but if it was clearly a part time or non business seller, fair enough.

I guess it depends how you read it. "I'll try and get this sent by about Thursday" could be taken different ways.

"I'm a private seller who's busy but I'll try my best to send it by Thursday or Friday latest" or "Meh, I'll try for Thursday if I can be bothered but if it doesn't happen it'll be Friday or later."

I'd say it was a message typed quite quickly in an attempt to show they should dispatch it soon but covering for it something happens on Thursday that prevents them posting.

166million

I would always try to send things the next day. I usually send a message when auctions end to give them an I idea of when I will be posting the item.

Rosemary7391

I'd expect to receive something within the stated dispatch time + the carriers delivery time. If 1 of those is missing I guess I'd allow a little over a week before I asked. That's an odd message the OP received though - doesn't send much information apart from sloppiness...

mrcol1000

I think a week is pretty much what it should be, after this I'd be checking the listing to see what the expected delivery date is. After two weeks I would be chasing it up, sooner if I paid extra for fast delivery or the company boasts same day dispatch by 1st class. That is on Amazon and Ebay.

I think the problem is that there are so many different sellers on Ebay that its hard to have a benchmark. Some sellers send the same day, some sellers won't send till they can get to the post office on Saturday.

I think a listing with accurate delivery times and telling buyers what to expect helps. I post three times a week. My Hermes collection normally adds a day or two on. So it can be a week from purchase to delivery for some customers. I always send a message advising it will take up to a week and most people seem happy with this. The only problems I have had, when you check the feedback they have left for others, the buyer has had a problem with everyone they have brought from.

I personally would not send a vague message like your seller sent. They may be a causal seller but it comes over as if thanks for your money but they aren't really bothered about getting the item to you. They probably don't realise that is how they come over though. Really though a lot of sellers (some big) could improve their image a lot with just a few tweaks to how they do business and communicate with customers.

sportsarb

166million wrote: »

I would always try to send things the next day. I usually send a message when auctions end to give them an I idea of when I will be posting the item.

Same here.

I email within a few minutes congratulating them and letting them know I will post it the next day, as I always end listings on a evening where Saturday is a valid posting day given expectations laid out on the listing, as a very low volume seller I've never failed to do what I said.

The only BIN listing I made I went out of my way to carry the item to the post office the day after, despite high winds and storms.

I expect sellers to do what they promise on their own listing, if they can't then they have to let me know. If I've heard nothing and the end of the expected delivery period has passed I would immediately proceed to opening a case against them and leaving negative feedback.

I buy from Amazon a lot, and by and large they are great, I hold people to that kind of standard.

campdave

I look at the estimated delivery date and the carrier being used.

Provided I'm happy with both, I order.

I don't want follow up emails from the seller, I just want them to mark it dispatched when they've done so and provide me with tracking if available.

If they mark dispatched after their whatever their dispatch is, and it arrives late (more than a day or two in tandem with when they mark dispatched), then I do mark it as not arriving on time. If you can't post within the time you say you will, don't list on ebay.