Unable to Build Volume Without Feed API -> Catch 22 Blocking Viable Affiliate Projects
Hi,
I am reaching out as a seasoned web designer, developer and marketer, eBay Partner Network member and developer who has hit a wall with the current API access model.
I have built a fully functional affiliate site designed to drive high quality, location targeted traffic to eBay. The model is simple: users visit the site and browse second hand products available near their area (by region or postcode). To support this, I need to retrieve eBay listings where seller location is known. This is essential to filter and display relevant results. I am using proper EPN campaign tracking and am ready to drive real traffic.
However, here is the issue:
The Browse API does not provide reliable item location data. Most results do not include seller postcode or city, and proximity based filters do not consistently return relevant local results.
The Finding API, which previously exposed item location more reliably, has been removed.
The Feed API, which does contain the needed location data, is only available to partners who have already reached a certain sales threshold.
So I am stuck in a loop:
I cannot build volume because I do not have access to location based product data.
I cannot get access to that data until I build volume.
This Catch 22 effectively prevents anyone from launching innovative, locally focused affiliate projects using eBay inventory. It is particularly frustrating given that the location data clearly exists (visible on live listings), but is not surfaced through the public APIs available to new developers.
I am not asking for elevated limits or unrestricted access. I am asking for a pathway, even a provisional one, to use the data that enables me to demonstrate value. Without it, I cannot even begin.
I hope this feedback is passed beyond automated support responses and reaches product and platform decision makers. This is not just a technical issue, it is a structural block that prevents new growth in the affiliate channel.
Thank you,
D Murray
