Managing eBay Handling Times

This document provides a detailed process to extend handling time for eBay sellers during situations like holidays, vacations, or unexpected events, ensuring smooth operations without disrupting the selling process.

Step 1

In situations when you are unable to ship items promptly, such as during holidays, vacations, or due to unforeseen events, it's advisable to extend your handling time on eBay instead of using the "time away" feature. This ensures your seller metrics remain unaffected.

Step 2

To adjust your handling time using eLink, navigate to the "Listed" tab and display the filters.

Step 3

Locate items that are currently set to one-day handling time.

Step 4

Select the filter "Shipping Preset is equal to 1-Day Handling." If you have multiple shipping presets for one-day handling, you can layer this filter.

Step 5

For simplicity, select a single preset. Click "Apply." If you have a large quantity, such as 9,500 listings, select all, then choose "Bulk Change," navigate to "Business Policies," select "Shipping Preset," change to "2-Day Handling," and click "Update."

Step 6

Upon clicking "Update," you may encounter an error message.

Step 7

This error occurs because eLink has searched for one-day handling items, which you have just switched to two-day handling, resulting in no items remaining with the one-day handling time.

Step 8

Adjust your search criteria to "2-Day Handling," click "Apply," and the relevant items will display.

Step 9

Select all relevant items and click "Revise."

Step 10

If a two-day handling option is unavailable, click into a listing.

Step 11

Expand the "Business Policies." Next to "Shipping Preset," click "Modify" to access your eBay Business Policy page. From there, select "Create Policy," choose "Shipping," and establish the necessary policy.

Step 12

Use a descriptive policy name for easy identification in eBay or eLink, such as "Free Standard Shipping with Two-Day Handling." If you offer two-day handling and need to extend it further, opt for three-day handling.

Step 13

Confirm the shipping method as "Standard Shipping," with a flat cost applicable to all buyers.

Step 14

Add the "Primary Service." If not using a specific service, select "Standard."

Step 15

Alternatively, choose a specific service like UPS, USPS, or FedEx. If you vary services based on package and destination, select "Standard."

Step 16

After finalizing options, click "Save." Decide on offering free shipping and whether to include international shipping or local pickup.

Step 17

Ensure your handling time accurately reflects your needs.

Step 18

If transitioning from one-day to two-day handling, click "Save." Refresh the page in eLink to see the updated business policy, then select it, save, and revise as necessary.

Step 19

During holiday seasons, vacations, or sick leaves, remember that if you use auto-list preferences, they retain the original policy.

Step 20

Disable auto-list preferences if active, and upon return, manually list any items not auto-listed during this period.

Step 21

Ensure to disable auto-list settings. When resuming work, manually list items that weren't auto-listed.

Step 22

When you return, revert your items to the original shipping policy to benefit from faster handling times and improved search visibility. For assistance, contact ebay@hollandrevarts.com.