Whether you sell or buy items on eBay, you have likely noticed the “expedited shipping” option. Aside from meaning that it is faster than regular shipping, it involves specific modes of transportation that ensure a quick delivery.
Here we will look at the modes of transportation used to make expedited eBay shipping possible. We will also look at how long expedited shipping takes on eBay, and everything else you need to know about getting your items when you need them.
General Expedited Shipping vs eBay Expedited Shipping
Contrary to popular belief, expedited shipping is not the same for every company or store. At eBay where there are sellers and buyers from all over the world, expedited shipping times can vary widely.
General: In general, expedited shipping simply means that items will be given priority over other items. For most companies, standard shipping typically takes around 5 to 10 business days.
eBay: However, eBay’s standard shipping is between 11 and 23 business days. Sellers on eBay will either charge for standard shipping or they will include the cost in the item price.
Expedited shipping is almost always an upcharge to the buyer. However, this is likely to take around 10 business days which is significantly less than the upper end of the standard shipping time.
How are Expedited Items Shipped?
Expedited items are almost exclusively shipped via truck or plane. Train and boat transportation is rarely fast enough to deliver within the expedited shipping window.
Should you Offer Expedited Shipping on eBay?
Yes, you should always have an expedited shipping option available. While the cost might be high and many buyers may choose to wait for free standard shipping, those who need expedited shipping will really appreciate it.
You could, potentially, bake in the price of expedited shipping into the cost of your items and offer it for free. Whether or not this is a good tactic will depend on your audience and how much that would raise your price.
Why Does eBay Shipping Take so Long?
If you have ever had to wait a long time for items on eBay, you are not alone. However, this is not likely the fault of eBay itself. Ultimately, eBay just provides a platform for buyers and sellers to meet. If an item takes longer to ship it is either an issue with the individual seller or the carrier service they chose.
What Affects Shipping Times on eBay?
eBay shipping times are a bit more unique and varied compared to other sites for several reasons.
Who is Shipping: On eBay, both established companies and individual persons can be sellers. While a company is likely to have standard protocols for how and when items are shipped, individual sellers may not. When ordering from an individual, make sure to check ratings to see if slow shipping is one of the issues they may have.
Location: eBay has sellers and buyers around the globe. With many sellers offering international shipping, delivery times can be quite long depending on location. Shipping could sometimes take weeks or even months. For example, standard shipping from China to Canada could take up to 40 days or possibly even more. However, expedited shipping could cut this to as little as three.
Carrier Delays: A shipping carrier can be delayed for any number of reasons. High package volumes during the holiday season, unexpected weather issues, delays caused by customs for international packages are all common reasons a carrier may not be able to deliver within the expedited delivery window.
Customs Delays: If you are sending items internationally, getting through customs can prove difficult. One way to help reduce the chances of a customs delay is to ensure you are correctly labeling your items when you fill out the shipping documentation.
Incorrectly identifying items will sometimes lead to extra inspections at the airport where customs agents will need to take a deeper look at items in a shipment. This not only causes time delays but increases the possibility that items will get damaged as they are removed from their shipping container.
If you are sending large shipments, a customs broker can help make this process smoother. With expert knowledge of customs declarations, a broker can ensure your documents are filled out properly.
Is Expedited Shipping Worth it?
If you need an item quickly, expedited shipping is your best, if not only, option. On eBay, though it really depends since expedited shipping may still not be that fast. Generally, if you want anything from eBay, especially from an individual seller, it is best to order with time to spare. Factor in at least a few extra days beyond what you think the arrival date may be as well, even with expedited shipping.
What Kind of Guarantee Does eBay Expedited Shipping Have?
For the most part, this will be up to the seller themselves. eBay may be able to step in and help with a refund if a seller does not send the item or the item is not as described but they do not offer a strict guarantee on delivery times.
If you order from eBay and an item arrives late, the seller may offer a refund on shipping costs or possibly on the item itself. This is is not a guarantee and is something you will need to contact the seller about.
How to Offer Expedited Shipping on eBay
Before offering any kind of shipping on eBay, you should consider which carriers are available in your area. Do they offer international shipping? What are their rates? How fast is their expedited vs standard shipping?
Once you have a better idea of this, you can create a shipping policy for your items. Decide whether you plan to offer free shipping, standard shipping only, expedited only, or both.
Things to Consider When Creating your Shipping Policy on eBay
One thing to consider when designing your shipping policy is how buyers can filter search results. For example, buyers can choose to only have “free shipping” options shown. Offer at least one free shipping option in order to take advantage of this.
Similarly, there is also an option to sort by price. When sorting by price on eBay, the price is the total of the product plus the shipping costs. This means setting a low item price with a high shipping price will not gain you any advantages in terms of where you are placed in the price-based search results.
There used to be an advantage to this when eBay would only take a cut of the item price and not the shipping price. However, this policy changed several years ago and eBay now takes a cut of the total price including shipping.
Expedited Shipping with RoadLINX
Need a reliable way to get your items to your customers quickly? RoadLINX has you covered. With standard shipping between the United States and Canada taking only 2 days, we provide a way for you to bring your items to customers fast. Choose our expedited shipping for even faster 1-day shipping in the U.S. and Canada!
We also offer temperature-controlled shipping containers, cross-border shipping, warehousing solutions, and everything you need to successfully ship on eBay. Get started today by contacting the RoadLINX team at 905-760-1141.
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