Ebay Buyer requesting delayed despatch - how to avoid a defect, please?

ih8stress

Hi

As per the title, someone has just bought and paid for an item. They are requesting that I delay sending it until week commencing 23rd September.

I am concerned about getting a defect if I do this - does this affect my account as a private seller?

I am also reluctant to do this as the last time I delayed something for a few days (they wanted combined postage for an item ending a few days later IF they won the auction) the 70% offers stopped for a while - maybe coincidence but they'd only just started.

I'm considering asking them if they can cancel their bid instead and I'll relist it later. I know I might lose the sale entirely this way but could do without the stress of messing about delaying it and possibly having to phone Ebay to remove any defects?

Sorry for the long post .............................  (laughed at the unintended pun as I typed this out)

goodfella66

I'm talking as a business seller, not a private seller, but the only way round it as I see, is to mark the item as despatched now and then send as the buyer requires but don't fill in the tracking. Obviously, this means not using Ebay for posting. If it's low value, just send it  via the Post office. If it's high value, just tell the buyer you can't do that, explaining the defect system. The buyer should have used the click & collect if offered, or changed the postal address.

soolin

Personally I would politely decline and explain that eBay oblige sellers to post within their stated despatch times. The trouble with marking despatched and not posting it is that it doesn’t stop the claim window for INR so you conceivably could be hit with an INR as soon as item is sent with no hope of it arriving before buyer is refunded. 

If buyer can’t wait then cancel it using the option ‘buyer asked to cancel’. 

Edit, this might seem an over reaction but on various US eBay groups this is a reasonably common scam, if a buyer chooses a slow postage method they ask to delay postage then on the day when they know it has been sent  they slam in an immediate INR. 

Olinda99

when this happens to me I simply market as dispatched and post it at the post office when requested

Mark_d

Has the buyer said why they want you to delay?

I would simply tell the buyer that you are required to send the item within a certain timeframe.  It's then up to the buyer to work around that.

The buyer agreed to the eBay delivery timeframe at the point of agreeing the purchase.  I don't think you need to solve any issues the buyer is now having around the delivery arrangements.

ih8stress

Hi,

Thank you to everyone for your quick responses and advice.

I will get back to the Buyer and explain that I cannot delay it because of the risk of a defect and other issues.

If I ask them to cancel it - is it best if I cancel it or if THEY cancel it?  Thanks

I have sold on and off on Ebay for years and only found out very recently about INR / NAD claims if it is even one day late due to postal issues.  I have extended my despatch times by one day to hopefully account for this and try to send them the day after the buyer has paid.

ih8stress

soolin said:

Personally I would politely decline and explain that eBay oblige sellers to post within their stated despatch times. The trouble with marking despatched and not posting it is that it doesn’t stop the claim window for INR so you conceivably could be hit with an INR as soon as item is sent with no hope of it arriving before buyer is refunded.

That is one of my concerns, especially as it is over £100 and I could lose the item AND money

If buyer can’t wait then cancel it using the option ‘buyer asked to cancel’.

 Can I do this without the buyer saying they want to cancel?

Edit, this might seem an over reaction but on various US eBay groups this is a reasonably common scam, if a buyer chooses a slow postage method they ask to delay postage then on the day when they know it has been sent  they slam in an immediate INR.

Scary

Thanks for the advice, @Soolin

soolin

ih8stress said:

Hi,

Thank you to everyone for your quick responses and advice.

I will get back to the Buyer and explain that I cannot delay it because of the risk of a defect and other issues.

If I ask them to cancel it - is it best if I cancel it or if THEY cancel it?  Thanks

I have sold on and off on Ebay for years and only found out very recently about INR / NAD claims if it is even one day late due to postal issues.  I have extended my despatch times by one day to hopefully account for this and try to send them the day after the buyer has paid.

I usually message the buyer first with a comment that sounds like a question but should cover me if I cancel and they complain. I'm not good with clever wording, but basically apologising that I can't do what they want, I give a valid reason (none of the daft made up stuff some sellers try) and explain that if they really would need it delayed then it is probably best for both of us if I cancel and then relist and allow them to buy again when they are ready. I then cancel a few hours later, with or without a response, using the option that buyer requested. That doesn't give a defect to the seller, although you do lose the 30p fixed payment charge.

I am always very apologetic make sure they know I am doing this for their benefit as well.

ih8stress

I messaged the buyer saying that Ebay required me to do it within the timescale, and suggested they might be best cancelling so I could refund it.

Have read loads of ebay stuff on defects and seller performance and requirements, most of which don't mention this scenario

The Buyer has JUST replied (2 days into my 4 day despatch time) saying to send it anyway, they will check it later.

I am thinking of sending it tomorrow the 18th  (day 3) - I don't have a local Post Office so have to use RM collection service instead.

The EDD shown on the Order is 19th-21st.

Do you think I will be covered if it does arrive late as I have the Buyer's message as proof that they are okay with this?

Would I still be liable for any INR or NAD claims if they chose to go down that path afterwards?

I have read the FULL POLICY section:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/selling-policies/seller-performance-policy/seller-performance-defect-removal-policy?id=4352

which says: :

Can defects or late deliveries be appealed?
Manual review
In cases where there is an attempted delivery, we consider this to be delivered for the purposes of adjusting the late delivery rate

Thanks

It would be SO much easier and less stressful if the Buyer had allowed me to cancel or not requested the delay. 

What would you guys do?  Thanks

soolin

You have no additional protection against an INR or SNAD claim but if you get a late defect a single one doesn’t harm a private seller.

RedImp_2

I had this exact scenario a while ago, I marked as despatched but didn’t send until the buyer requested.  Unfortunately as I bought online postage without thinking about , the tracking updated with the actual despatch date.
Was marked as late despatch so my OTD stats dropped below 100% but can’t say it had any other effect and not sure how many people look at that stat for private sellers, I know I don’t, so I don’t think it would have been too harmful for the OP