Will eBay International Shipping Trap Authorized Resellers?

by: Rexford

@Marie

There is a big difference in choice versus force.  I am unclear as to why you just don't get that and continue to respond with with "read the email" "read the email"  "read the email" like an overly excited parrot.   It clearly shows that you are either being obtuse or that you just aren't so great at reading comprehension.  Most of us know that it's your life's mission is to defend eBay.

It's really easy Marie:  eBay should allow sellers to opt in, not automatically opt them in.  I feel pretty sure that you know this but again, it's all about defending eBay's every action.  

by: Marie

@jack

You are absolutely correct about GSP, but that isn't what we are discussing here.  EIS is not being handled like GSP was.  And I agree with you, there were unnecessary problems with GSP because of how Ebay handled it.  No argument here.

I can't address the feedback thing as I have no knowledge on that at all nor have I seen it.

by: Marie

@rexford

Always with the insults.  

The email provides for that weeks ahead of when they are due to enter the program.  I get it, many would prefer it was the other way around.  Instead of filling out a form to decline entry into EIS, many would prefer it was a form to enter EIS.

There are good points to both.  My personal preference would be the latter too, but then when I was discussing the email, that is what I was doing discussing the email, not my personal preferences.  Which is very difficult for many here to accept or even recognize.  When I voice my personal preferences on most anything, I state that.  

But then it would not be so much fun for some to attack whatever it is I've said, as so frequently happens here.  Often it seems impossible for some to realize I did not write the rules or email in this case, nor do I have any impute in either processes.  

by: Rexford

Marie says : Always with the insults.

What is insulting is when a poster condescends to sellers who have 20+ years of experience selling on eBay especially when it is done to constantly attack their points of view about eBay and eBay's motives.  You have a huge bias towards anyone who says anything negative about eBay.  

As far as I know, all points of view are welcome at ecommercebytes (or at least that is what I have observed over the years) but for some unknown reason you have taken it upon yourself to be the self-appointed monitor of opinions here, all in the defense of eBay.   Just expect that due to that, people will continue to disagree with you and will not allow you to stifle their view points.  That is not insulting or attacking, that is them defending their view points.

by: COVID-19

@Rexford and Marie. Now now. Don't fight. Kiss and make up, OK? 😘 Smooches.

by: Marie

Thanks Covid-19.  I'm not fighting with anyone.  I think it is a sad thing indeed that some people feel the need to call others Names.  There is simply no need for that.  We are all old enough to do better than that.  Afterall we aren't children here.

by: iheartjacksparrow

@Marie: If, as you state, we aren't children, then why do you treat everyone else who posts here like a child?  

by: David Steiner

Get back on topic.

by: Working It

I was automatically enrolled yesterday. I did not receive any prior email offering the opportunity to "opt out" ahead of time. The email I received yesterday stated:

"SUBJECT: You have been automatically enrolled into eBay International Shipping
[My Name]
You’ve been enrolled in eBay International Shipping to enable your eligible listings to be available to buyers around the world. You don’t have to do a thing - create your listings as usual and eligible items will automatically update.
eBay international Shipping includes the following features:
Ship to our US domestic hub
We prepare custom and tax forms, and we label your package for its final destination.
Expanded buyer pool
Your eligible items are shown to millions of buyers in more than 200 countries.
No International Returns
eBay manages returns, pays for refunds and protects you from common claims at no cost to you.
/See more details/ [link]
If there’s an item you don’t want to sell internationally, you can manage your listing settings. To opt out of all the program benefits on all your listings, learn how to unenroll from eBay International Shipping.
eBay"

I read all of the terms and conditions of the program, and there are several problems for me with the program. Some of them are:

1. The vast majority of items I sell are those that cannot legally be exported from the United States. Some can be exported to some countries, but not all countries.

The terms state: "eBay reserves the right to expand or limit the countries eligible for the Program at any time, without notice. (i) all EIS Items will automatically be made available to Buyers in the additional countries and (ii) your existing, live listings that offer EIS Items will be automatically updated to permit sales to Buyers in the additional countries."
"If eBay determines that one or more of your listings is eligible for sale to certain countries, but not to certain other countries, you authorize eBay to exclude the listing from being available to Buyers in just those ineligible countries."

I don't trust eBay to know which of my items is eligible or ineligible for sale to "certain countries".  eBay has no skin in the game until the "hub" actually ships it forward to the buyer. Even then, if it is rejected by the receiving country's customs officials, the responsibility shifts back to ME.

2. If eBay determines that an item is eligible for EIS, and the item is sold to be exported, and the "hub" determines that it cannot be exported, eBay will reverse the payment to me to refund the buyer and return it to me at MY cost. eBay also retains the right to destroy or liquidate the item, in which case they don't reverse the payment to me.

3. "Packages must meet or exceed 7.25 inches in width and 10.25 inches in length"  Many of my packages do not meet that requirement.

Immediately after reading the terms and conditions, I found the "opt out" area in my account shipping preferences, and opted out. A pop-up informed me that it would take 24 hours for my "opt out" to be processed.

Fortunately. I should be covered during that processing time, as my preferences already excluded all international shipping, country by country. eBay did not change any of those settings.

For what it's worth, that is my experience with eBay opting me into EIS without any advance notice.
The "Seller Terms & Conditions" can be found here:

https://pages.ebay.com/internationalshippingprogram/seller/terms/  

by: Marie

@Working It

If you don't want to be in EIS, go to your Site Preferences and Opt out.  

1.  You bring up some very good concerns here.  IDK how good Ebay will be at doing this and I share your concerns.  If you decide to stay in EIS and if Ebay allows a buyer from a country to purchase something from you that will ship to that country, and that country is not one that you are legally allowed to ship your item to, you can Cancel the transaction using the reason as problem with address.  Which doesn't hurt your account.

2.  Typically if Ebay is going to destroy your item it is because it was dangerous for some reason or not authentic.  This concern however can be completely avoided if you know it can't ship to a certain country to just cancel the transaction.  

3.  This is where having your information in your listings correctly is very important.  There is a spot in the listing set up to put the size and weight of the item in the listing.  If you have that info in your listings, this should not be a problem for you.

The time it takes to update your listings that you have opt'd out is not unusual.  They system has to update and that is not done on real time.  However it doesn't usually take 24 hours, it is less.  Just keep and eye on it, you will see.

IDK why you didn't get the email to tell you that you were scheduled to enter EIS.  Certainly problematic that they aren't consistent with it.  I hope everything is fixed for you in a short period of time.

by: Working It

@Marie
It's been more than 24 hours since I opted out, and I just checked my settings and it is still showing ''Opt out being processed''. I definitely opted out. Because the vast majority of my items are not legal for export, it would simply complicate the listing process. Also, I honestly don't want to spend the time to update all of my existing listings to include or exclude them from EIS, nor to add the weights and dimensions. Since I don't use eBay shipping, I have never filled in the package size and weight sections of the listing.

For a little bit, I did consider allowing my eligible listings to be included in EIS, but decided that it would probably not be worth it.

One other concern that I didn't mention earlier. From some of the discussions I've seen, it seemed that the destination country was not always evident in the sales record. It seems that someone said that the registration country was listed, but that shipping could be to a different country. If I remember correctly, that person found out when their item was rejected at the 'hub'. That's also troubling. Unless they somehow overlooked the information.

by: railady

I got the email also, that I had been enrolled, but I was flabbergasted that eBay actually included instructions on how to opt out and it actually was very easy.  Yes, my account is showing that opt out is still being processed. I'm fine waiting to see what happens.  For others, I hope it works as smoothly for you.

I resent being ''opted in'' to anything, eBay or otherwise, without the courtesy of first being asked. But that's eBay and there are too many other significantly more important things to get my knickers in a knot about.

I don't sell internationally through eBay anyway, with a rare exception selling to Canada.  I happily make international sales on my own website but not eBay., hearing too many horror stories about lost packages and return demands.  

by: railady

After opting out I think we should check our new listings to make sure the countries we checked that we won't ship to are still clicked/checked ..........
don't forget !  

by: Marie

@Working It

I got no answer for you as to why it is taking so long.  Hopefully it will be handled in short order.  Otherwise about your only option is to contact Ebay and find out why.

"...it seemed that the destination country was not always evident in the sales record."  You as the seller are NOT responsible for that.  You are only responsible for the item to the address in which you ship it to.  Not beyond that.  If the item then shipped to a country in which it should not, that is on the shipper and you would NOT be the shipper.

by: Marie

@raillady

"too many horror stories about lost packages and return demands."  If you read through the policy page on EIS, you'd find that Ebay would handle this if your package had shipped out from their hub.  Meaning you are responsible for the package from you to the hub.  From the hub to your customer, Ebay is responsible and will handle all missing packages, refunds and claims.

by: Working It

@Marie - The pending Opt-Out finally cleared.
Thanks for your patience, and many helpful facts!

by: Marie

@Working It

You are very welcome, I'm glad I could help.  And thank YOU for the updates.  That is helpful for all of us.