eBay Puts Handling Time Back On Listings
Handling times have been a sore spot for sellers since eBay removed reference to the handling time the seller actually selected from the listing in favor of showing "estimated delivery dates" based on the seller's historical shipping times and carrier transit data instead.
For several years now, eBay has only shown the handling time if it is an "extended handling time" as shown from this community thread from 2019.
eBay's official policy is to show a handling time only for longer handling times (either 4 or 5 days or more). For shorter handling times, eBay wants buyers to rely on the estimated delivery date.
I always liked that stated on my listings too, but Ebay removed it without notice a very long time ago.
Yes I suspect ebay did this deliberately without notice to prepare themselves to implement this dumb functionality here in message 71 by Trinton
They don't want to show the seller's handling time setting on the listing so they can play around with it themselves and basically "veto" your handling time if they want to.
The "dumb functionality" referenced by the seller was eBay's policy of ignoring the actual seller selected handling time and instead using the seller's historical shipping time plus carrier transit time ranges to calculate the estimated delivery date.
While there has been no official announcement from eBay that's I've seen, it does appear they may have finally taken all those years of feedback into consideration and reversed course on this - many users are now reporting handling time is consistently being displayed on listings even when it is less than 4 or 5 days.
Just noticed on my recent listings that "Handling time" is again being listed in the "Shipping and handling" tab on active items. Any one else seeing this?
I just went to the listing of an item I recently bought but has no tracking yet, hoping against hope that maybe 'handling time' has been restored to view and know if the seller is still in their expected timeframe to ship. And LO AND BEHOLD IT IS BACK!
It's not on the listing's main page; you have to click the 'See Details' next to the Shipping line, and look about halfway down the ensuing page.
I've tested multiple random listings in multiple browsers and can confirm, I'm seeing seller selected handling times displayed in the shipping and payments tab on all listings at this time.
Are you seeing handling time on listings again? As a buyer or seller do you prefer having handling time specifically states on the listing? Let us know in the comments below!
As many of the items I sell are £10 or less, this makes it not worth the bother and I'll probably have to give it away to the charity shop.
Add that to the "buyer protection" fee they've added on - and the costs are making it untenable for people trying to clear the house, or make a few bob from old bits and pieces. Not happy at all and there doesn't seem to be a way of opting out.
The sooner these sleazebags at the top can be got rid of, or some community-run buy/sell/swap sites come up - the better. We don't need ebay.