If you’re an eBay seller, you must know how soon you have to ship orders to customers on eBay. It’s crucial to know this, especially if you’re a new eBay seller, because the shipping and delivery of items primarily impact most of the customer experience.
Therefore, you must know the shipping policies when selling on eBay to obtain positive customer feedback. In this case, you have up to 30 days to ship orders to buy on eBay.
Shipping an item quickly is good for business since you can boost your store performance and attract more potential buyers.
The 30-day period is called the handling time, or the time it takes for a seller to prepare the items for shipping. It does not include the actual shipping and delivery times yet.
You must state your handling times on the eBay listings, prices and product descriptions to promote transparency and honesty with your buyers.
With our years of experience in eBay dropshipping and extensive research, we’ve collected the best guide to help you be informed on how and when to ship orders on eBay. We do our best to stay informed on the latest eBay policies to ensure we provide the latest information you can use as a guide.
Before shipping orders on eBay, it’s best to read this extensive guide, especially if you are a new eBay seller. You can always reach out to eBay customer service for further questions.
They have a responsive customer service team available to address any questions you have about shipping orders from your eBay store.
Article Overview:
Key Takeaways
How Long Can a Seller Take to Ship on eBay?
What Happens if Seller Never Ships Item?
Why Does it Take So Long for a Seller to Ship on eBay?
Tips for Buyers Involving Handling and Shipping
Conclusion: When to Ship Orders on eBay
FAQs
Key Takeaways
- Always review eBay’s shipping policies to stay updated on the latest shipping options and policies.
- Shipping experience is one of the most significant factors that affect your seller rating on eBay, along with competitive pricing and value for money. Therefore, you must ensure orders are shipped on time to deliver excellent customer service.
- Manage your inventory levels and keep stock levels updated to avoid delays in shipping orders.
- Be transparent and honest. When listing handling and shipping times on eBay, ensure it is realistic to avoid disappointments and unexpected delays.
How Long Can a Seller Take to Ship on eBay?
The first rule of thumb to start selling anything is to read eBay’s shipping policies to know when to ship items once a buyer finalizes their purchase. As per eBay’s policy, you must ship the items within the specified handling time on the associated eBay listing.
Also, you must ship the items using the selected shipping service that the buyer specified upon completing their order.
But exactly how many days must you ship the items? According to eBay, you have up to 30 days to prepare and ship the order to customers. The time frame starts the moment the buyer has paid for their order.
Please note that the handling time is different from the shipping time.
For example, the handling time is up to 30 days, and the shipping time can take 2-5 days, depending on the shipping address. If you combine the handling time and the shipping time, the buyer can expect the item to be delivered to their address within a maximum of 35 days.
This estimated shipping time varies according to the item type, buyer’s location, and shipping method.
Therefore, buyers must ship the items within the allowed time frame for handing orders based on eBay shipping policies.
What Happens if Seller Never Ships Item?
There are serious consequences if eBay sellers fail to ship an item within the allowed timeframe or handling time. It is also especially detrimental if an item sells and a seller fails to ship the item.
Late shipping can negatively affect your eBay store seller rating. eBay values customer satisfaction, so any negative feedback severely affects a seller’s rating and feedback.
When you have a low seller rating, your listings will rank lower on the search results, and potential buyers will look for alternative options when buying online. Late shipping associated with orders on your seller account can negatively impact your seller rating.
If you want to maximize your eBay sales, you must diligently handle and ship items to customers. You must maintain your credibility as an eBay seller by being transparent and honest when listing handling and shipping times for each listing.
It will help you sell faster and attract more sales because you’re trustworthy. Positive feedback can make you more competitive on the eBay platform, especially with the high competition.
Why Does it Take So Long for a Seller to Ship on eBay?
As mentioned, eBay’s shipping policies require that sellers ship out the items to buyers within one to 30 days from when the order is completed and paid for. So, buyers are curious why it takes so long for sellers to ship out their orders.
As long as sellers ship out orders to customers within the 30-day time frame, it is perfectly acceptable, and there is nothing much that buyers can do but wait.
But why so long?
There are many reasons why sellers can maximize the handling time eBay allows on its shipping policies. However, it is rare for sellers to reach 30 days for the handling time, and some can ship out after a few days or less than a week.
Several factors can impact seller shipping times, such as the following.
Weekends
Most eBay sellers do not fulfill orders during the weekend, especially small business owners, who do the order fulfilment themselves and don’t have a staff to help manage orders. Therefore, buyers can expect a slight delay in order fulfillment and shipping when they order on weekends, such as Fridays and Saturdays.
Holidays
Aside from the weekends, holidays can cause delays in the handling times for eBay sellers. Holidays are not considered business days, and so many sellers won’t be able to fulfill orders until the next business day.
The holidays can also differ depending on the sellers’ location, so just because there are no holidays where the buyer is located, it does not mean the same is true with the sellers.
Therefore, sellers need to add their location so buyers know the differences in shipping locations.
Production Issues
Another probable reason handling times are delayed is when there are issues with the production of certain items. These situations can include internal issues with the manufacturing facility or supply chain issues that cause a setback in production.
One example is when the manufacturer’s supplier has stopped producing a particular item critical to producing goods. As a result, it impacts the entire manufacturing process and limits the ability to deliver goods to the seller.
Back Orders
Back-ordered items can cause a delay in the handling and shipping of customer orders. For example, the item is out of stock from the supplier, which means the seller cannot ship any item to the buyer.
Therefore, sellers must update their inventory and stock levels on the listing to prevent the unwanted scenario wherein a customer orders an item from your eBay store only to realize ten days later that the item is out of stock.
If the listing is active, most buyers assume that the item is on hand and ready to ship.
Tips for Buyers Involving Handling and Shipping
While it is the seller’s responsibility to monitor active listings and update inventory levels, buyers must keep a few things in mind before buying items online. Knowing these things can improve your shopping experience and avoid the disappointment of delayed handling and shipping times.
- Always review the handling time as stated on the product description for each listing on eBay. The handling time refers to the days it takes for the seller to prepare the items before they are handed over to the carrier for shipping. It will help buyers estimate when to expect the item to be shipped and when they can receive the order.
- Ask the seller directly. If you need to receive an order at a specific time, you can directly contact the seller about the estimated delivery dates of an item. It will help eliminate any disappointments due to delayed shipping.
Tips for Buyers Involving Handling and Shipping
eBay sellers hold the bulk of the responsibility for handling and shipping orders on eBay. If you want to gain a positive rating and offer excellent customer service, you must follow these top tips and best practices for shipping orders and selling anything on eBay:
- Improve your inventory and stock management. Order delays can occur when products ordered are not in stock. Therefore, you should monitor your inventory levels to avoid the hassle of customers ordering something that you don’t have in stock.
- Pre-package fast-moving items to ship orders quickly. Based on past trends, you can identify fast-moving items so you can pre-package them to simplify the handling and shipping process.
- Ship orders immediately. You should hand the items to the carrier when packed and ready for shipping. Avoid last-minute shipping and unnecessary delays.
Conclusion: When to Ship Orders on eBay
As an eBay seller, one negative feedback can ruin your reputation on the eBay platform. Therefore, you must strive to maintain a positive rating by adopting the best handling and shipping practices outlined above.
However, it is also crucial to be realistic when estimating shipping times. The last thing you want is to over-promise and under-deliver.
Don’t claim you can get the items shipped to customers within 1-2 days, which can take a week. Transparency is vital to sell faster and enjoy more sales. If there are unexpected issues with shipping, communicate them clearly and promptly to the customers.
FAQs
What happens if eBay item is not shipped after 3 days?
Failing to ship an eBay order after three days is within the acceptable limits of eBay’s policies. However, you must respond to your customer and provide updates on handling orders within this period regarding the delivery update or order status.
How long does a seller have to ship on eBay authenticity guarantee?
Items within the eBay authenticity guarantee take longer to ship as they are sent for third-party authentication. The authenticator will receive the item within two days, and they can ship the items within two days from receipt.
The entire process takes 4-5 additional days, so keep this in mind when you order items under the eBay authenticity guarantee.
Who pays for shipping when selling on eBay?
The shipping fee is covered by the buyer or the seller, depending on the price and the fulfillment method.
How do I package an item sold on eBay?
eBay outlines specific guidelines on packing and labeling items sold on eBay. Follow these guidelines, such as using bubble wrap or printing labels, for every sold item to ensure your eBay selling items are in good condition when shipped to customers.
