[Bug] Incorrect estimated delivery date - "may arrive late"

[MonaMauve]

Hello,

I wanted to highlight a reoccurring issue I've observed as a seller. A few months ago I started noticing that when I purchase shipping labels, there is a large portion of them that says they "may arrive late" despite me posting them on time and with correct shipping method selected. For example, today, out of 42 labels I purchased, 14 had the "may arrive late" warning. It is estimated that the orders will arrive anywhere from 1-3 days later than the customer is expecting them, which may not seem like a lot, but I've been noticing an increased amount of customer messages due to orders arriving slightly later than they expected.

It seems to me that there is a discrepancy between the algorithm that is used to calculate the estimated shipping date which is displayed to customers on the product page, and the actual shipping time calculated at the time of me purchasing a shipping label. I hope this can be investigated and fixed in order to make the shipping times more transparent for customers, and to help sellers prevent unnecessary customer complaints.

Thank you!

[UNIQEBYGURKANDESIGN]

Although I set the shipping time as 3 days, this time seems longer for some of my products.

[hhjewelrydesigns]

I have been experiencing this exact same issue the past few days.  I have my shipping times set to 1-2 business days.  I use ground advantage which is usually estimated as 2-5 days delivery time.  I had a customer purchase yesterday the 23rd.  I need to ship by the 26th, or the 27th at the latest.  If I create a shipping label the red warning comes up saying this package may be late.  The estimated delivery is the 27th -march 5th and the buyer expects the package Feb 27-March 1st.  How is that possible since I don't have to ship until the 26th or the 27th? The estimated delivery and the buyer expectation are set wrong since there is no way there will be 1 day delivery anywhere in the US, even in my home state.  I had several packages that had this warning yesterday and it didn't seem to matter where they were shipping as far as location.

[michellepatterns]

This just started for me too in the last few days.  Seems like a glitch. So many glitches on Etsy lately!  

[TheFaithfulNest]

I am experiencing the same issue! I ship even earlier than my processing time says I will, and I still get the message. 

[hhjewelrydesigns]

it seems like the system thinks ground advantage is 1-3 days and or 0-4 days, both of which are wrong. even on the usps website ground advantage is estimated at 2-5 days.

[ElevationImaging]

This is getting really out of hand. I give my items 3 business days to ship. Even if I'm shipping the SAME DAY the order was placed, Etsy tells me it may arrive late. Etsy, fix your estimates!

[BagmakerSupply]

@ElevationImaging: Do you use Etsy labels? If yes, then this appears to be a glitch in the user interface for Etsy Labels, not a real issue with repercussions.

[JDTotesnDolls]

oh darn did not see the date.  Sorry.  Zombie thread,

[cutebutton]

I’ve had this happen a lot lately but it’s really a non issue because the packages have been arriving in plenty of time (not late) and I’ve had no complaints so I 100% ignore that message. 

i did think it was funny though when I got that message on an order when I was shipping it on the day it was ordered lol. I guess I was supposed to read their mind and ship before they ordered hahaha. 

[nineteen27]

etsy just added this to the sellers handbook.

a few days ago.

https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/1033992214516

The Etsy Shipping team shares insights on how estimated delivery dates are calculated, and why they’re an important signal for shoppers.

[PenelopeVintageitems]

So, I don't know if this is part of the issue but Atlanta just opened a new place to sort things.  It is creating issue for me.

But just before Christmas this was starting and Etsy was putting all my shipping to Proiry so that it would be "on time" even when the customer did a lower cost shipping.

But Etsy just added Saturday and Sunday to my shipping days which I don't add because of Monday Holidays and if I am not available that weekend.

[DesignsByDruffel]

I'm having the same issue for a while now on every order.  It is annoying because if I do have a customer whose order needs to have priority shipping, it is getting buried in the wrong message alerts to me as a seller.  The days to arrive is being calculated differently on the order to the buyer than on the postage page to the seller.  Software bug that needs to be corrected.

For example, an order placed Saturday afternoon, Apr 6, I'm printing the label Sunday morning Apr 7.  I have 1-3 days processing on the listing.  Etsy says to me to ship by Apr 9th, which is correct.  But when buying the label on Apr 7 I'm getting a notice it will arrive later than expected.  The earliest possible shipping date is Monday Apr 8.  Shipping USPS Ground Advantage, postage page says "Estimated delivery Apr 9-15" and "Buyer expects Apr 9-12".  The bug appears to be the date to the buyer is removing 3 days in duration, perhaps deducting the processing time or another 3 day difference?

[ArtAttackNWA]

I'm having this issue with orders made just a few hours before I print the shipping label. It's clearly incorrect and stresses me.

[BrimstoneHillDesigns]

It is stressing me too!  If it was just a bug I might not be so bothered.  But Etsy kind of has a history of placing unreal expectations on sellers (like pushing them to put their items on a 40% sale, or changing their processing days to include weekends).

[CeeGeeJewellery]

.

[PitterPatterGiftss]

happening to me too.  i ship same or next day, like, i srsly can't work any faster than i am. ... i get the notice that "buyer expects"... the very next day.   smh.    

[ElevationImaging]

There was another thread where sellers were expressing frustration over Etsy displaying its own "estimated delivery" date to the buyers, instead of a realistic shipping date set by the seller. That thread was deleted. Etsy, you are setting us up for failure.

[JDTotesnDolls]

Etsy is not displaying the estimates.  THe information is from USPS and is then based on your processing time frame.

My packages as a buyer are all arriving within an acceptable time frame even when one seller had to mail late ( and she informed me so it was no issue with me).

Problems may be happening where your items need to go for sorting. USPS is consolidating centers and for some this may cause delays.  However it is not causing delays for everyone.  My packages are arriving in the expected time frame.  As I stated items I have bought are arriving just fine even a recent international one.

It may help for you to investigate your post office.  See how they are shipping out your packages and what sort center they go to so you can 1. make adjustments and 2. complain to USPS.

[ShopFleurElise]

Just recently started having this happen more. Have you found a way to resolve it? I had orders come in yesterday, my processing time is set to 3-5 days, yet it's still saying the order may arrive late.

[CustomChic801]

I am also getting a lot of complaints, Etsy is giving very optimistic delivery dates and when a customer orders it adds weeks. It doesn't reflect well on me as a shop or Etsy.

I did raise this issue with Etsy and they say it is correct when a customer buys a item it then changes the delivery date to the expected window, not a good way to do business...

[TheCrownArts]

Want to validate you -- I am having the same issue. Just got an order 3 hours ago, and I have 1-3 days processing time -- yet it says "may arrive late, buyer expects..." even for USPS Priority Mail!! Like... this is absolutely a bug. What are my buyers expecting? Do they see the same bugs and expect faster arrival or what? (I'm not super concerned about this, because most reviews say that they received their items before they expected… But it's super annoying to see this bug and it causes unnecessary anxiety for sellers!)

[BagmakerSupply]

@TheCrownArts: If this is a message you are receiving while purchasing Etsy labels, it seems to be merely a user interface glitch.

There are plenty of reports and complaints about 'miscalculations' of the expected delivery date range that is shown to the buyer where the first date is unrealistic but the second date is essentially correct. This does not appear to be in any way connected to the message shown when purchasing labels through Etsy.

[TheCrownArts]

@BagmakerSupply Thank you! Glad to hear it.

[SimplyInvitingLLC]

I completely ignore it, as I almost always ship the day before it's supposed to really ship unless it's a huge order.  My tin foil hat wonders if it's a push to panic sellers into buying upgraded postage.  I have about 90% of my orders with that red warning message and only 1 order in the last 6 months was late.  But I also want to cover myself because I have no idea what Etsy sends to my buyers, so I added this line to my Shipping Message:

"Your order is expected to arrive at the latest by (insert the last date Etsy gives me)."