How Long Can An eBay Seller Wait To Ship? (Explained)

How Long Can An eBay Seller Wait To Ship? – eBay shipping policy mandates all sellers to ensure that items purchased and paid for are shipped within the time stated in their listing.
That being said, there is a maximum time eBay allows a seller to delay shipping, failure to ship within this period may get the seller’s account limited or even banned.
There are several other policies guiding sellers’ operations on eBay, this and many more are going to be discussed on this article.
eBay is one of the top online marketplaces in the United States, the platform boasts of sellers in their thousands, these sellers are guided by policies which are essential to the continuous offering of excellent services to customers.
Amazon shipping policies are strict and they are applicable to all sellers on the marketplace. No matter your account level, the policy applies to everyone, no seller is favored or exempted.
As a seller, you should understand that shipping goods to a customer promptly is one of the best ways to have more loyal customers and grow your business, you shouldn’t be compelled to make this a norm.

However, we know that unforseen circumstances may delay you, this is why you should set up your business properly to avoid these hindrances. How Long Can An eBay Seller Wait To Ship? It depends on the handling and delivery time stated in the listing, continue reading to learn more about this.

How Long Can An eBay Seller Wait To Ship?

An eBay seller should ship out an order anytime from 5 minutes to 3 days after purchase, it all depends on the handling time provided in the listing. Failure to ship the order within the agreed handling time is a violation of terms.
We understand that unforseen circumstance may delay an order from being delivered, this is entirely different from when the seller shipped the order. In case of delay in delivery, the delivery company would be responsible for that, but the seller must ensure that the order is shipped out within the given handling days.
Lots of sellers on eBay do ship orders within 10 minutes, this has helped them to grow their business and have lots of returning customers.
eBay instructs sellers to ensure that orders are shipped within the handling time that is specified in the seller’s listing.
A seller isn’t permitted to delay shipment once a payout initiation notification has been received.

Can A Seller Use A Shipping Service Different From The Buyer’s Choice?

eBay doesn’t permit a seller to use a different shipping service from the buyer’s choice. Every seller is urged to make use of the shipping service selected by the buyer during eBay checkout. This is contained in eBay’s shipping policy.
Sellers are prohibited from using a slower shipping service than what their buyers selected, items must be shipped through the shipping service selected by the buyer. At all times, eBay wants to maintain an excellent customer service experience, the company understands that prompt delivery of orders is essential to the growth of the marketplace.

How Long Should You Give A Seller To Ship?

To allow for proper handling and packaging, a buyer should give an eBay seller up to 3 days to ship an order. This is recommended to avoid rushing that may result in item damage or wrong packaging.

Except the unusual happens, 3 days are enough for a seller to sort an order, package it, and ship out.
However, if your order is urgent, you may give the seller between 24 to 48 hours to ship, ensure you communicate with the seller and let them know how urgent you need the order.

It is advisable to iron this aspect out before ordering an item, this will give you right to open a case if the seller fails to work based on the agreed terms.

How Long Should I Wait Before Contacting eBay Seller?

You should allow the estimated delivery date to elapse before contacting the seller. This isn’t a law, you can contact the seller even after two days if you have reasons to be worried over your shipment.

You can always contact the seller to inquire about your order delivery status or the tracking number. It is advisable to urge the seller to purchase online viewable tracking, this will help you also monitor the delivery status of your order.

In summary, a buyer should wait till the estimated delivery date passes before they contact the seller.

What Happens If Seller Doesn’t Ship Within 3 Days On eBay?

If a seller fails to ship a purchased order within 3 days after it has been paid for, the seller will receive seller defects on his or her record. These defects can lead to serious restrictions on listings.

Additionally, a buyer can request for a refund if the seller is unable to ship the order within the estimated delivery time provided in the order details page.

But then, it must not always end this way, the seller can always reach out to the buyer to explain why there is a delay in shipping, this will calm down the buyer. Communication is vital while handling online sales, a good seller will find ways of reaching out to their customers in case of any shipping delay.

Not giving your buyer a sufficient information regarding the delay in shipping can cause a lot of damage to your business on eBay.

How Long Does It Take eBay To Ship?

On the average, standard shipping at eBay takes between 11 to 23 business days to be delivered. This is on the average as many orders do get delivered within 2 to 10 days.
Factors like location, weight of order, etc., play vital roles in determining the number of days it will take to deliver an item.
Most times, you’ll find estimated shipping days clearly stated on orders. Free shipping take between 1 – 4 days to be delivered.
In general, delivery dates for orders on eBay varies depending on the seller you are ordering from, the shipping service to be used, location, and weight of order.
Usually, the estimated delivery date providing on listing may not be accurate. You’ll get a more accurate estimated delivery date once you’ve confirmed your delivery address and also selected your preferred shipping service.

eBay Seller Taking Too Long To Ship

eBay doesn’t ship orders, the seller does, this means that any delay in shipping your order is caused by the seller. If your order is taking too long to ship and exceeds the estimated delivery date, you can open a case, if the seller doesn’t provide satisfactory explanation then you can escalate it after 3 days.

A buyer won’t be able to open a case if the estimated delivery time hasn’t passed, if you have reasons to be worried over the delay in your shipment, reach out to the seller to know why.

One major cause of shipping delay is when a seller is drop shipping the item, this takes time because the manufacturers or sellers of the product may take time to arrange the order. In this case, the seller has little or no power to decide when the order will be shipped.

You Paid But The Seller Needs To Ship Your Item

If you ordered an item on eBay and it says the seller still needs to ship, the best thing is to wait for the estimated delivery date to pass, after which you can file the ‘Item Not Received’ claim. Also, you need to check the handling time that was provided by the seller before making any conclusion.

However, the seller may have shipped your item but didn’t mark the item as shipped or uploaded the tracking number. This is why you should request for the tracking number and delivery status from the seller, you can also inform the seller to ensure the order tracking number is uploaded.

Best thing to do is wait for the estimated delivery date to pass before making a move. Read how to Reprint Shipping Label On eBay.

Why Do eBay Sellers Not Ship Items?

It would be fallacious to say that eBay sellers don’t ship items, serious sellers do ship items on time. Some few buyers are just lazym but there are several eBay sellers that ship orders same day or next, it’s an individual difference kind of thing.

Sometimes, when a seller hasn’t shipped an item, it is likely that the seller is drop shipping or the seller doesn’t work on weekends.

If you ordered for an item on Friday, a seller that doesn’t work on weekends will likely ship the item on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, depending on the handling time that was stated.

eBay Seller Responsibility Shipping

Once an order is placed, it is the responsibility of the seller to package the items together and send them to the selected shipping company, it is the shipping company that will deliver the package to the buyer.

The seller must ensure that the package is delivered to the delivery address provided by the buyer. It is also the seller’s responsibility to provide the buyer with the item’s tracking number.

Every seller owes their buyers the sole responsibility of shipping orders within the given handling time. A seller should not use a slower shipping service apart from what the buyer selected.

Lastly, it is a seller’s responsibility to make the item ‘shipped’ once it has been sent, this will keep the buyer informed.

eBay Policy On Shipping To Different Address

eBay Shipping Policy prohibits sellers from shipping items to an address different from the one provided by the buyer.
If this happens, the seller will lose protection if an ‘Item Not Received’ case is filed by the buyer.

Once the seller is unable to provide tracking details showing delivery of the order to the buyer’s address, a refund has to be made to the buyer.

A buyer can actually instruct the seller to send the ordered item to a different address, this can be done as long as the item hasn’t been shipped out. Simply head to the ‘ship to’ filed and change the address to your preferred address, this has to be done while the order hasn’t been shipped.

Does eBay Ship On Weekends

Some eBay sellers do work on weekends, but a few shipping services operate during weekends. This is why a lot of sellers don’t waste their time working during weekends, it becomes less productive to do so since you may not be able to able a buyer’s item.

There is really no eBay policy supporting or against weekend shipping, it all depends on the seller and the shipping services used.

eBay Seller Took 2 Weeks To Ship

It isn’t normal for a seller to delay shipping an item for two weeks. The funny part of this situation is that a buyer can’t file for a refund if the estimated delivery date hasn’t passed.
However, all a buyer has to do is to try reaching out to the seller to actually know the cause for the delay, or just sit back and wait for the estimated delivery date to pass then apply for a refund.