eBay dispatch times and tracking: how to stay on time

What is dispatch time on eBay?

Dispatch time, sometimes called handling time, is the time it takes you to hand the item to the delivery service after the buyer has paid. You set it on each listing or in your postage policy.

Dispatch time isn’t delivery time. The buyer waits for your dispatch time first, then for the delivery service they chose.

eBay recommends a dispatch time of no more than 1 working day, and says shorter is better if you can reliably meet it.

For example, with a 1 working day dispatch time, an order paid for on Monday must be dispatched and scanned as received by the carrier by 11:59pm on Tuesday.

If you offer same-day dispatch, you choose a cut-off time. Orders paid after it count from the next working day. eBay recommends a cut-off no earlier than 2pm.

Your working days are Monday to Friday by default, but you can set your own, including weekends.

How eBay decides if an order is late

Buyers see an estimated delivery date when they buy. eBay works it out from your dispatch time, the delivery service, your past delivery performance, carrier performance, where the item is and where the buyer lives.

If you’ve uploaded tracking, eBay counts an order as late only when the delivery scan is after the latest estimated delivery date and there’s no carrier scan within your dispatch time. So if you post on time and the carrier is slow, it shouldn’t count against you.

Without tracking, eBay asks the buyer in feedback whether the item arrived on time. If they say it was late, it counts.

Late deliveries don’t make you Below Standard on their own, but you need a low late delivery rate to be Top Rated.

How to upload tracking on eBay

If you buy postage labels through eBay, tracking is uploaded for you.

Upload tracking on the day you post. eBay says most carriers only send tracking information for a limited time, so tracking uploaded long after posting may not validate.

Make sure the tracking number matches the one on the carrier’s website, and that you’ve picked the right carrier. A mismatch is a common reason tracking shows as invalid.

eBay’s Selling practices policy says to upload accurate tracking within your dispatch time, and to post using a delivery service at least as good as the one the buyer chose.

1. Go to the Orders section of My eBay.
2. From More actions, select Add tracking number.
3. Enter the tracking number and choose the carrier.
4. Select Submit.

What tracking protects you against

If a buyer says an item didn’t arrive, eBay’s seller protection depends on your tracking. To be covered, you need all of these:

• A tracking number that can be checked on the carrier’s website, uploaded to eBay before the latest estimated delivery date.
• A delivery status of delivered or attempted delivery, with the date.
• An address showing at least the town or postcode, matching the one on the order details page.
• Signature confirmation on orders with a total cost of £450 or more.

Tip If a buyer opens an item not received request and tracking later shows delivery to their postcode, eBay closes the request automatically.

Choosing a dispatch time you can keep

• Set the dispatch time you can hit every time, not your best case.
• If a supplier sends orders for you, count their processing time. You’re still responsible for dispatch time and tracking.
• eBay’s dropshipping policy allows fulfilling orders directly from a wholesale supplier. Buying the item from another retailer or marketplace and having it sent straight to your buyer isn’t allowed.
• Change your working days or dispatch time ahead of holidays or days you can’t post.
• Check orders at the same time every working day, so nothing waits.

Tip OneDS’s Fulfilment Assistant re-checks the supplier price, stock and profit before you buy an order, and you can add tracking there.

What to do if an item is out of stock after it sells

eBay’s Selling practices policy says items must be in stock for the whole time they’re listed. If something goes wrong anyway, act quickly.

1. Check whether you can get the item from a supplier you’re entitled to buy from, in time to meet your dispatch time.
2. If you can’t, message the buyer straight away. Tell them when it will be available, or that you’ll refund them.
3. If you can’t send it, cancel the order from the order page and choose the reason that the item is out of stock. The buyer is refunded to their original payment method.
4. Update the listing’s quantity, or end it, so it doesn’t sell again.

Watch out An out-of-stock cancellation counts as a transaction defect. Don’t pick a different reason, such as the buyer asking to cancel or not paying, to avoid it. eBay says sellers should never select an incorrect cancellation reason.

How to talk to buyers about delays

• Message the buyer as soon as you know there’s a problem, before they have to ask.
• Be specific: say what’s happened and give a new date you can actually meet.
• Offer a choice: wait for the item, or a full refund.
• Reply to buyer messages promptly and keep it friendly and professional.
• Keep the conversation in eBay messages, so there’s a record if eBay needs to step in.
• If a buyer asks to cancel before you’ve dispatched, you have 3 calendar days to respond to their request.