If you’re looking to eBay to buy your next Android phone this summer, your purchase can arrive in three days or less thanks to eBay’s Guaranteed Delivery program. The service, designed around instant gratification, will launch this summer and could be seen as a direct rival to Amazon Prime.
Unlike Amazon Prime, Guaranteed Delivery is available to shoppers at no additional cost, and eBay claims that more than 20 million items on its site qualifies for the service. Many of those already come with free shipping, and the new program basically gives a guaranteed date for when shoppers can expect their purchases to arrive. If a Guaranteed Delivery item misses its delivery date, buyers can have their shipping costs refunded, eBay said. If shipping for the item was free, then you’ll get a voucher that can be used for your next eBay purchase. If that doesn’t work for you, you can also opt to return your item at no cost.
In addition to a guaranteed three-day delivery window, eBay will also allow shoppers to filter search results with one or two-day delivery options. The main difference between eBay’s program and Amazon Prime is Amazon Prime’s $99 annual subscription, qualifying items ship at no added costs. eBay Delivery Guarantee doesn’t come with any subscription or membership fee, but instead, you’re responsible for any shipping costs that are associated with the item. The Delivery Guarantee program just ensures that your products arrive in three days or less. eBay claims that 67 percent of purchases already ship free, and 63 percent are delivered in three days or less.
eBay is marketing the Delivery Guarantee program to sellers by saying that it will attract new buyers and that existing customers will be happier. According to eBay, a guaranteed delivery window is the second most important thing to eBay shoppers, right after free shipping. Additionally, sellers can also set regional delivery rates and cut-offs for handling time when they join the program. There is no cost to sellers to join, but “sellers must meet a required set of shipping standards to participate,” eBay said. To prep for the summer rollout of Guaranteed Delivery, eBay’s redesigned homepage, available today to buyers and sellers, highlights items with fast and free shipping across a broad variety of product categories.
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