eBay offers an international shipping option called "eBay International Standard Delivery," and we're seeing reports from sellers who are experiencing issues that are costing them time and money.
On January 12, a seller wrote to us explaining he had three packages returned to him by eBay's international Consolidation Center in Cincinnati with no explanation as to why it was returning the packages.
"eBay's merchant support has no idea either," he said, "so, I am out $13 for each label and have to refund the international buyers for the items purchased."
Another seller wrote today about a case in which eBay decided an Item Not Received claim in the buyer's favor, citing as the reason: "We didn't receive valid proof of delivery from you." But in the notification, eBay includes its own tracking number for the shipment sent via eBay International Standard Delivery that shows the item was received at eBay's US facility.
"In 90% of the cases, eBay eventually refunds me and admits their error, apologizing that their "system didn't catch it", when in fact the system NEVER catches it." She said she believed eBay was relying on the fact that sellers would either not understand their rights or would not take the time to send an email each time they encountered the problem.
The seller said it was just one example of what she claimed was a pattern of eBay removing money "fraudulently" from her account in the past 6 months since she said eBay forced her into the Managed Payments program.
A search of eBay's discussion forums shows those two sellers aren't the only ones who've had problems with eBay's international delivery option - here are a few recent threads:
"Problem with international shipping/item returned to me" (2/2/2021) -
Link to thread
"eBay international item not received, item out of system" (1/27/2021) -
Link to thread
Another
thread indicates buyers are perplexed by the tracking system and get nervous when they see a domestic address on eBay International Standard Delivery orders. In the thread, "Order sent to wrong address&country," the buyer wrote:
I am in the UK, I ordered an item from the US. The seller sent me a tracking number which when I entered it looked odd, as though it was for a domestic package rather than an international package. According to the tracking number it was delivered to a PO Box in the US a couple of days ago. Seller has said that despite my order having the correct UK based address on it, it has in error been sent to the aforementioned location in the US.
- Is possible that the correct address on the envelope was ignored? If it was on there how was it bypassed and sent to a totally dissimilar US address
- Is there any chance I'll get the envelope? Either to my UK address or to the sellers return address
Any advice appreciate(d).
ParcelsApp.com has a way to track eBay International Standard Delivery tracking numbers as far as the US, at which point, it seems eBay provides no way to track packages beyond that point.
Some buyers and sellers also confuse eBay International Standard Delivery with a different program, eBay Global Shipping.
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Sellers Thwarted by eBay International Shipping Option
by: COVID-19 
by: cfrphoto 
by: Rexford