In the past, buying on eBay often left shoppers in the dark about when their item would arrive. Depending on the seller and local fulfillment services, eBay’s estimated delivery dates could differ widely from actual delivery.
Online shopping appeals to customers for its convenience and speed. Amazon Prime blazed the trail for fast shipping programs, so when eBay launched their Guaranteed Delivery service mid-2017, it was to the great delight of shoppers.
The aim of this service is to provide shoppers with faster, more precise delivery dates, and the ability to shop with confidence. However, what does eBay Guaranteed Delivery actually mean for customers? Let’s delve a little deeper into this recent eBay addition with the most common eBay Guaranteed Delivery FAQs we’ve seen.
1. What exactly is eBay Guaranteed Delivery (eGD)?
eBay Guaranteed Delivery is eBay’s fast shipping program, similar to Amazon Prime and Walmart Free 2-Day Shipping. It ensures delivery and allows sellers to commit to a specific delivery period, spanning from 1- to 4-day shipping.
Sellers have two options; Handling and Door-to-Door.
- If you select the handling time option, eBay will calculate delivery dates and handle refunds and returns as long as you prepare the order within one day, use an eligible carrier service, and add eBay labels to ensure tracking. This is more convenient, but comes with less opportunity, since not all carriers will be able to qualify your items for eGD, and some of your listings won’t get fast shipping tags.
- The door-to-door option gives sellers more control and responsibility. You are responsible for determining your own delivery dates, and ensuring items are delivered on time. Although you’ll be responsible for returns and refunds if an item is late, you can also ensure all of your listings get fast shipping tags, which help boost conversions.
2. How much does eBay Guaranteed Delivery cost?
There is no additional cost for opting into eBay Guaranteed Delivery for your items. To figure out how much fast shipping for your items is, work with your fulfillment provider to calculate your costs.
Use our fulfillment cost calculator and see how much you would pay for 2- and 3-day shipping
3. Which items are eligible for Guaranteed Delivery on eBay?
Currently, this service is only available in the United States. According to eBay, over 20 million items are eligible for Guaranteed Delivery. Sellers in the US are responsible for setting the rates and speeds of shipping per region.
Note for Deliverr clients: All items fulfilled by Deliverr are eligible for eBay Guaranteed Delivery if you opt in via our seller portal.
Listings must meet the following requirements to display eGD fast shipping tags to buyers:
- Set same-day or 1-day handling time.
- Use eligible carrier services.
- Add a postal code to your item location.
Tip: Use the Guaranteed Delivery bulk editing tool to see which of your listings meet the requirements.
4. How do I opt in to eBay Guaranteed Delivery?
If you fulfill with Deliverr, we can whitelist sellers so you don’t have to meet the criteria below. Just go into the fast tags section in your Deliverr dashboard to activate it.
Activate your eBay fast shipping tags today
If you don’t fulfill with Deliverr, only sellers who have at least 100 annual eBay transactions and a late shipment rate of 5% or less are eligible.
To get your items listed with eGD in the door-to-door option, navigate to Account Settings > Site Preferences > eBay Guaranteed Delivery Setting. Click “Show,” then “Edit”. In the opt in screen, click “Learn More” and select “Door-To-Door Guarantee.” Lastly, click “Count Me In.”
After opting in, you’ll need to create rate tables to set your regional shipping speed and costs. You will also need to activate your listings using the bulk editing tool.
To activate eGD with the handling time option, you must list your items with same or 1-day handling, an item location postal code, and use eligible carrier services. eBay will then determine which items are eligible for eGD based on shopper location.
Once you’re on eGD, you must meet the following performance requirements to stay eligible;
- A minimum of 97% on-time handling on Guaranteed Delivery transactions.
- A minimum of 95% on-time tracking upload on Guaranteed Delivery transactions.
5. How do I opt out of eBay Guaranteed Delivery?
Opt out of eBay Guaranteed Delivery at any time by navigating to Account Settings > Site Preferences > eBay Guaranteed Delivery Setting. Click “Show,” then “Edit”. Lastly, select “I want to opt out of eBay Guaranteed Delivery,” and click “Continue.” According to eBay, you may opt back in at any time.
6. When does the Guaranteed Delivery period begin?
Once a customer has proceeded to checkout and payment clears, the clock starts ticking for the seller. You must ship orders within one business day at the latest to be eligible for the handling time option.
If you’re doing door-to-door, your responsibility is the date the package arrives instead, so it’s best to concern yourself with the overall shipping process instead of when the timer starts.
7. What happens if your eBay Guaranteed Delivery item is late?
Even with eBay’s Guaranteed Delivery, things can go wrong. If an item is late, your responsibility will differ based on which option you selected, and the compensation option the buyer chose.
Buyer options for late delivery: | Seller responsibility if door-to-door commitment or handing time not met or eBay shipping label not used in case of handling time commitment: | Seller responsibility if handling time commitment met: |
|---|---|---|
| Return the item (If seller offers returns) | Refund for item price and any outbound and return shipping costs | Refund for item price. eBay to cover outbound and return shipping costs |
| Keep the item if shipping fee paid | Refund the shipping cost | None - eBay to refund shipping cost |
| Keep the item if free shipping | None - eBay to issue a voucher towards next purchase | None - eBay to issue a voucher towards next purchase |
Table source: eBay
Avoid late deliveries with Deliverr
8. What happens when a buyer makes an eBay Guaranteed Delivery claim?
In order to make a claim, the buyer must let eBay know within 30 days of the original guaranteed delivery date.
The buyer can contact eBay in two ways:
- Using the order email – under Guaranteed Delivery information, buyers can select Let us know. This will open the order details page, where it will be possible to Report delivery issue.
- My eBay – When logged in, navigate to Purchase History. Using the drop-down menu, search for More Actions to find the Report late delivery option.
Once here, buyers can choose from the applicable forms of compensation:
- Get a refund on the shipping costs, if shipping was paid for.
- If shipping was free, the buyer may be entitled to a voucher for use on a future eBay purchase.
- Buyers can return the item for free for a full refund (if the listing offers returns).
- eBay will let the seller know that the buyer didn’t receive their item.
The request is processed by eBay immediately, and if a voucher was awarded, it will be available on the buyer account at checkout.
Overall, eBay Guaranteed Delivery is an efficient and reliable way to increase sales and keep customers happy. However, there will be penalties if you fail to meet performance requirements, so sellers shouldn’t opt-in to this service unless they are certain they can deliver. eGD ultimately allows customers to shop with more confidence and reassurance, which will boost your listings’ conversion rates.
