International orders
Summary: bravoindustrial shared a cautionary experience about selling on eBay internationally, where an item shipped to the UK was destroyed after not passing inspection at eBay's shipping hub. The participant was unable to obtain further information or compensation from eBay or USPS, leading to a decision to opt-out of international sales. eoma689485 and other participants provided insights into eBay's International Shipping Program (eIS), explaining that eBay typically takes responsibility once an item reaches their hub. However, complications may arise if an item is deemed unacceptable for international shipping. mam98031 advised contacting USPS for reimbursement and reassured that eBay protects sellers after items are received at the hub. bravoindustrial expressed frustration with eBay's lack of customer service and decided to avoid international sales, offering their story as a warning to other sellers.
I am relatively new to Ebay and have a bone to pick with them and a precautionary tale for others.
I received an order from England for 1 of my items.
Overseas orders ship to a central Ebay shipping center and then ship overseas.
My item was new and carefully packaged
Just received notice that my order "Did not pass inspection". Furthermore, it's been destroyed. What the hell does that mean? Ebay AI can't tell me nor send me any pics or information therefore can't file a claim with USPS. I suspect either USPS or Ebay damaged it/destroyed it, don't know who to point the finger at. Ebay says I have to take it up with USPS and USPS requires more details about shipment.
Item sold was a little over $100 bucks but can't recover from either EBay or USPS.
I found this cop-out from EBay unacceptable and agree with others comments' that not being able to speak with someone if off-putting and their AI nonsensical chat is pathetic.
SOLUTION:
a. Opt-out of selling overseas.
b. Try using other venues like V1nted which is up and coming although it's not really geared for non-clothes and houseware items but it's expanding
bravoindustrial
OPSep 16, 2026 at 9:17 PMThanks for responding tracking inofo tell me following. Step 1: delivery to Ebay hub was done, I'm assuming okay. Step 2 Ebay HUB received it and for whatever reason got "liquidated".
At Hub (Step 2)
Tue, Sep 15
3:11pm
Item liquidated
Tue, Sep 15
11:32am
Item arrived at hub
You to Hub (Step 1)
USPS: 9434608106245547073750
Tue, Sep 15
12:00am
In Transit to Next Facility
Mon, Sep 14
10:02am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
CAROL STREAM IL DISTRIBUTION CENTER, 60199
So USPS delivered to Ebay hub at 11:32 am, at 3:11, Ebay "liquidated" item in Hub.
It was in Ebay's hands when it was determined that it "Did not pass inspection" and furthermore it was "liquidated". Why?
Tried the link and as far as the link, it just leads to series of endless prompts which go around in circles leading back to your chat AI which I tried before even posting anything. Tried your specific link and nowhere is there an option to receive a callback or option to request chatting with a human agent. Amazon does offer that feature to get a callback (you enter your number, it will put you in a cue and it tell you approx,. how long it will take for them to call you back).
albertabrightalberta
·Sep 16, 2026 at 10:22 PM@bravoindustrial
I don't think it looks like you use EIS.
On the listing for the curtain rod opener, your shipping only shows US shipping.
Did the buyer contact you to ask for you to ship to him?
Just so you know, if you use EIS (ebay international shipping), you are protected in cases in which your items are disallowed in the buyer's country. In such a case, ebay refunds the buyer from their funds (you keep your money) and they sell the items to a liquidator who then resell it.
If you did indeed use EIS, you didn't lose money.
bravoindustrial
OP3 weeks agoAs a side note, I have my own business and buy from overseas suppliers and sell domestically and internationally. New to Ebay selling some new industrial items we have as surplus and some personal stuff since last year. The Ebay international thing, if my memory serves me right, kicked in and was automatic (I didn't have to opt-in) and decided to try it. This was my 1st international sale thru Ebay and welcomed it. I have more expensive items than this $100 item but now I'm out of the sales AND the product. Eh, $100 bucks, not chump change but it could've been worse and decided to just post about this as a cautionary tale.
For some of the industrial items, a better platform is going to be one that focuses on automation, pneumatic, hydraulic components and started to look into some.
RE this Ebay issue, just to clarify:
Item never left the USA. Damaged and "liquidated" at Ebay hub center (USPS did its job and delivered to Ebay hub, what happens at ebay hub center stays at ebay hub).
I opted out of international sales per my own condemnation and my initial post was to inform sellers of my experience and to recommend opting out of international sales to you folks as a cautionary tale.
Not looking for a seller to solve the problem, Ebay has not responded and eh, lesson learned. I attempted to contact a human agent from ebay for about 2 hours with no luck to have someone explain what happened when they received item and no response. AI chat agents are there to dissuade any human interaction and it excels at that. AI chats work for relatively simple Q&A functions.
Again, sell internationally at your own risk If you have sold with no issues great , congrats, kudos but just like gambling, be ready to lose the item at Ebay hub. My loss was a $100 sale (and a possible bad review from my customer) and the item itself (it was brand new). If you can afford losing more than $100, more power to you and damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead, go for it.
It's a $100 lesson and have bigger fish to fry than to spend hours trying to get a response from Ebay and as such, the response and feedback from other Ebay sellers is MUCH better than Ebay's, Mad respect for the other sellers in here, after all we're all here trying to make a couple of extra bucks with our surplus that might help someone else. My tale is just to alert other sellers like myself.
Blessings to y'all.
a_c_green
·Sep 16, 2026 at 10:49 PMMy best guess, assuming that we're talking about the automatic curtain-rod device, is that the packaging references a lithium battery inside.
bravoindustrial
OP3 weeks agoGood guess, if so, why did Ebay decide to "liquidate" it and chose NOT to return it (it was factory sealed and brand spanking new). Only Ebay knows and no explanation from them to me was deemed, "what happens at Ebay hub stays at Ebay hub"
Just saying, I've opted out of international sales and I'm just sharing my experience, if you trust Ebay hub shipping your $100+ item, more power to 'ya, I'm just warning y'all.
Blessings to y'all.
a_c_green
·3 weeks ago · EditedWhy they cannot return it if they decide to not send it on to the destination, I don't know, but that is one of the rules if you use eBay International Shipping. (It is spelled out in print somewhere; I don't have a link for it at this moment but someone posted it recently.)
My best guess (just a guess) is that they don't want the extra work and expense of repackaging it and shipping it back to you. Instead it is sold off to one of two (I think) resellers here on eBay, and they will use your photos and description when reselling it. It would be nice if they would explain their reasoning for blocking your particular shipment, but they don't.
As they reimburse the buyer and let you keep the original payment, they consider everyone to be made whole (if not happy), and their reselling it is their method of recovering the cost of refunding your buyer without making you do it.
The big advantage in using eIS (assuming that you are invited to sign up) is that eBay takes all responsibility for the shipment once they receive the package, which includes handling damage claims or return requests from the buyer, or (in this case) finding that the item cannot be shipped to that particular country for whatever reason.
I'd be wary in future about international sale of anything advertising a lithium battery inside due to this kind of grief, but otherwise I use eIS routinely as none of my items seem to be either dangerous or controversial AFAIK.
christworks
·Sep 16, 2026 at 9:07 PM@bravoindustrial I'm assuming the automatic curton rod opener is the item in question?
Did you have to refund the buyer or did eBay refund the buyer? If the latter, then you cannot claim any insurance. If you did refund the buyer, then you would save the email you got as a PDF along with the order showing that you refunded the buyer. Upload those to the USPS insurance claim form.
Since eBay does not say the item arrived damaged, there are no promises they will pay out to you. Worth a shot.
Regarding Vinted, I sell nothing but non-clothing over there. BUT, Vinted buyers are yard sale buyers. They are the cheapest among buyers from all the selling platforms in my view. You won't get nearly what you get here.
bravoindustrial
OPSep 16, 2026 at 9:49 PMYou are correct, most items (not all) are cheap and can score some good items to resell on ebay.
I won't complain as I just signed up about 1 month ago and made about 8 sales already : books, auto parts, tshirts, sporting eqpt. Items move fast because the shipping costs are very low. I transferred some item from ebay and sold over there. Who'd want to pay 4-6 bucks in shipping on a book on ebay while shipping on V (which buyer pays) is about 1-2 bucks, so if you have books, sporting stuff, clothes you want to get rid of, I highly recommend V.
Thanks for feedback and comments Christ. Happy selling !!
mam98031
·Sep 16, 2026 at 7:47 PMAs too contacting Ebay, here are your options. If you drop all the way to the bottom, there is a link so you can ask Ebay to call you. However for your particular situation, it would be a waste of time as Ebay can not help you with this, you must work directly with USPS to resolve your issue. But save this info as it will likely come in handy sometime for you.
Here are your options for contacting Ebay Customer Service. Please be aware that for social media CS, you send them a Private Message and briefly explain what your problem or issue is. Feel free to leave your Name, address, phone number and/or your email address in this message. It is private and secure and it may help to speed up the response for you.
https://www.instagram.com/ebay/
https://www.instagram.com/ebayforsellers/
Your options will be on the left. If you use the link below you can only get to the Automated Assistant or Chat box type AGENT or ask an Agent to call you, in the box and hit enter. You will then get more options. Not all options are available 24/7. It will depend on staffing available. So sometimes you can request a call back and sometimes you can't. Sometimes you have the Chat option available and other times it won't me. If it is important to you to use one of those options, just try back later.
If you use a cell phone or other mobile device, you may need to turn off your Spam filter so that Ebay can call you.
If you are a seller outside of the US or Canada, you will need to use the Chat Option.
https://www.ebay.com/help/eua?id=5275&mkevt=1&mkpid
From this link you can request Ebay to call you in the USA. The option is available when Staff is available to respond, so NOT 24/7/365.
https://www.ebay.com/help/home
mam98031
·Sep 16, 2026 at 7:45 PM@bravoindustrial Sometimes when learning something new, like selling here, we mistake a problem we run into with it being someone else's fault, not one that we actually had control over because we didn't learn the policy governing the function.
Carriers from time to time do damage a package for one reason or another. Ebay neither has control over that nor did they cause the issue, the carrier did. And YES, when a carrier damages your products, you need to take it up with that Carrier.
Why can't you recover your money from USPS? Have you filed a claim with them and they denied it? Give us the details of what you did and maybe we can help guide you.
IDK why you feel that Ebay is responsible for how a Carrier handles your package. Ebay does not have anything to do with that nor have they ever.
So tell us what steps you took to file a claim with USPS and then we can better help you.
FYI, Ebay's EIS [Ebay international Shipping] is an excellent program and one that protects the sellers better than any other program ever has in the history of Ebay. Once the item is received and accepted at the Ebay processing center, Ebay then takes full responsibility for that package, even if the buyer ultimately decides they want to return it. The seller will NOT be out a penny. BUT, it has to be accepted at the center FIRST, unfortunately your package arrived damaged. This is all outlined in the policy for EIS.
eoma689485
·Sep 16, 2026 at 7:28 PM · EditedWere you forced to give a refund?
Under the eBay International Shipping Buyer Terms, if an item is restricted, violates export/import laws, or is severely damaged upon arrival at the hub, eBay reserves the right to dispose of, destroy, or liquidate the item.
You generally do not need to refund the buyer, and you are supposed to keep the buyer's payment for the sale. So, again, were you forced to refund the buyer.
As for contacting USPS - sounds like you contacted eBay's Customer Service and received an incorrect answer. The USPS delivered the item to eBay's Hub - after that, it is eBay's responsibility, and eBay more than likely has already refunded your buyer out of their pocket.
Read here: https://pages.ebay.com/internationalshippingprogram/buyer/terms/
christworks
·Sep 16, 2026 at 8:58 PM@eoma689485 I cannot speak to whether the OP had to refund the buyer, but if it arrived damaged at the hub then the eIS seller protections do not apply, meaning eBay does not refund buyers in that case.
bravoindustrial
OPSep 16, 2026 at 9:38 PMSELLER BEWARE : INTERNATIONAL SALES
Yes, buyer got a refund. Item got to Ebay hub and NEVER left the USA (never shipped to Englad). Buyer SHOULD get 100% refund without a doubt I contacted them and apologized for the non-delivery.
As a seller, I'm the one that takes the hit out of a sale (and the product loss) since I was notified item would NOT be returned and furthermore, it had been "liquidated" (no explanations, documentations given at all). I'm new to Ebay but NOT new to selling directly to customers and WE always hold ourselves accountable if the item is damaged or lost while in our possession.
Needless to say, lesson learned and I've opted-out of international shipping and would NOT recommend it. I have some items for sale on V1nted and have actually sold some items to England WITHOUT any issues. Buyer was happy and gave us a good rating.
At the least, I would NOT recommend Ebay for international orders for items with a sale price over $100 (hell, I'm not going to trust ebay international orders for ANY amount), you'd be risking loss of your product and bad taste in buyer. I hope the buyer understands and doe NOT give me a bad rating through no fault of our own.
SELLER BEWARE: At this point, we'll take a hit and chalk it up to our learning curve with Ebay on international sales.
fern*wood
·Sep 16, 2026 at 11:14 PM · EditedDid eBay refund your buyer with their money?
monroe67
·3 weeks ago · EditedI realize I'm arriving a little bit late to this party BUT
What you've described is precisely
The Way eBay's International Shipping Program Works.
eBay International Shipping program = eIS or EIS
Apparently there was something -- perhaps a lithium battery -- that may not have been allowed to be sent into England, where your buyer was sitting when he/she made the purchase.
You haven't given the eBay Item Number, so nobody can verify that a lithium battery was the factor for non-delivery to your buyer.
You state:
"As a seller, I'm the one that takes the hit out of a sale (and the product loss) since I was notified item would NOT be returned and furthermore, it had been "liquidated" (no explanations, documentations given at all)."
I never studied Business in high school or college but, having lived in this world for more than 75 years, it seems to me that the SELLER is always the person/party who takes the risk, who may take, as you say, "the hit" and/or "product loss."
You also may not have read everything that eBay makes available to sellers who enroll in the eIS.
You continue:
"I'm new to Ebay but NOT new to selling directly to customers and WE always hold ourselves accountable if the item is damaged or lost while in our possession."
Yes, that is the proper way to handle sales transactions that you sell and send directly to your buyers.
But, you see, when you and your buyer use eIS, you, as the seller, are no longer required to hold yourself accountable if an item is damaged or lost.
Using eIS, eBay sellers do not send items directly to their buyers.
When a transaction is shipped using eIS --
eBay, Inc., takes on the risks of damage or loss on your behalf.
As the eBay seller in an eIS transaction, what YOU are left with is AN eBAY SALE.
Always. That should not be a bad thing.