Buyer opened a case before delivery window ends

GadgetGuru

I didn't think a case could be opened before the deadline at all - is this another change thats been implemented?

eBay really need to review this - especially with the Xmas rush coming up. They need to factor in that couriers are not always on time and can be late, quite often in fact. 
Personally I think eBay should allow all the way up to when postage compensation can be claimed by the seller. At that point a refund to the buyer should be made. Otherwise the seller is first left out of pocket due to an early refund before compensation can even be claimed, and secondly if the item arrives after the refund but before compensation can be claimed, then the seller loses out as few buyers would cough up and re-pay. 

hubb

I will just claim off the RM as I have the ref number. 

Rantband

hubb said:

I will just claim off the RM as I have the ref number. 

Problem with that is you have no proof of dispatch because you put it in a "letter box"

soolin

hubb said:

I will just claim off the RM as I have the ref number. 

What reference number? Without POP and as Rantband said, they are unlikely to pay out as buying postage is not proof it was sent. 

hubb

No response from Ebay so far. 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

eBay has this to say on ETAs:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/posting-items/estimated-delivery-dates-sellers?id=4086

The estimated delivery date shown to buyers.... takes into consideration your past delivery performance (on the aspects of delivery that you can control) and other criteria such as carrier performance, the location of your item and your buyer's delivery address. The calculation of the estimated delivery date is dynamic and allows for a better estimate of the delivery date. 

Sold something today with 3 day handling and 2nd class but because I've marked as dispatched and uploaded tracking for RM Tracked 48 the ETA to the buyer is 23/24 (as in the first ETA is the day I had to post it by).

The ETA shown to the buyer is now stated on the view order details page (on desktop, don't know about the app), a buyer shouldn't be able to open a case before the ETA but the ETA might not be as long as some sellers expect due to the above. 

Regarding claiming, RM have an option on the claim form for post put in a post box and if the letter/parcel has been scanned somewhere in the network you'd hope they'd be honest and pay the claim. 

soolin

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

I think that's the likely explanation the ebay EDD are nonsensical. I have posted several times moaning about the EDD dates as have others. I have a 2 day despatch set and default is 2nd class, yet if someone buys something this morning, as they have, it shows EDD from Wednesday 23rd - which is still within my despatch period ! 

GadgetGuru

I used to buy the postage label via eBay as soon as the buyer paid, that way I knew the package was labelled up and ready to go. 
Now I purchase the postage and label anything up on the same day I'm dropping it off! I only sell the odd item here and there so not a big deal, but eBay doesn't seem to register the fact the the PO can be closed on weekends etc and just assumes the item is dispatched and in the postal system as soon as the label is generated!

hubb

Still nothing from Ebay. 

soolin

hubb said:

Still nothing from Ebay. 

I doubt whether you will hear anything and am not sure exactly what you are really waiting for. If there is a case open, and frankly I can't recall the beginning of this thread now, then you will have to deal with the refund before the date on which ebay do it automatically. If you are raising a separate complaint about the timings, that won't affect the timing out of the case in any way and at best I suspect there will just be a woolly response about EDDs being based on a number of factors.