Thrown into international shipping????
Woke up this morning with an international sale. Shocked. I never do international. And I didn't even know this was going on.
well- it is what it is now.
goes to a hub in il. ebay does it all.
question.
should I put the order receipt in the box? customs usually opens the box.
I may opt out. but not until this order goes thru.
Thanks in advance.
38 comments
tobaccocardyahoo
·3 years agoYou can put the invoice or packing list in the box. Ebay will replace it with a new invoice which qualifies for customs in the destination country and shows Ebay as the exporter of record when it leaves the hub.
ia_dane
·3 years agoRelax and ship the item with perhaps a little extra packing as you would a domestic sale and enjoy the profits!!!
mam98031
·3 years agoThe OP already did this a couple days ago. But great advice.
dbfolks166mt
·3 years agoEBay did a less than optimal job of informing sellers that they were being transitioned into EIS, I actually received notification before they transitioned me, most did not. I initially opted out of the program to see how it shaped up and if eBay was going to stand behind the stellar seller protections they were offering under the program. I have since opted back into the program based on several postings that indicate that eBay is standing behind their seller protections.
There were a few minor glitches when eBay modified the sellers listings and not everything you have may have been transitioned into EIS based on some restrictions associated with the program. It is also important that you have the correct size and weights in your listings as the program does have some size and weight restrictions that are smaller and lighter than what would be allowable if the seller was shipping directly.
Based on recent reports over 50% of eBay's transactions are now international so this opens up a broader market base for sellers that they may not have ventured into before due to the risk with international sales. Others have already provide information on how you can opt out of the program but you may want to take a look at what EIS is before you elect to do that.
Personally, although I utilized the GSP which was one of the programs EIS replaced I have greatly expanded the countries I will sell to given the reduced seller risk.
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/setting-shipping-options/ebay-international-shipping-program?id=5348
slippinjimmy
·3 years agoFYI - The 50% of transactions involving cross border has been the norm on eBay for as long as I can remember, it was probably higher at some point but the increase in shipping costs and the more recent imposition of VAT collection put a damper on it in recent years. In the smaller eBay territories the number far exceeds 50%, sellers in countries like Canada, Australia much of Europe and all of Asia have always sold internationally and depended on those sale for the overwhelming bulk of their business. The US and the UK have always been way behind in this area. I used to do over 65% of my sales Internationally but many of those buyers gave up on eBay entirely because so few US sellers would sell to them. This is just one reason amongst many why eBays GMV has been stagnant for the past 10 years (not counting the Covid bump).
eBay made an attempt with the GSP program to stimulate US exports but GSP was a flawed system that did not quite live up to expectations, didn't help that US sellers to put it bluntly are xenophobes (not all of course).
dbfolks166mt
·3 years agoFYI - The 50% of transactions involving cross border has been the norm on eBay for as long as I can remember, it was probably higher at some point but the increase in shipping costs and the more recent imposition of VAT collection put a damper on it in recent years. In the smaller eBay territories the number far exceeds 50%, sellers in countries like Canada, Australia much of Europe and all of Asia have always sold internationally and depended on those sale for the overwhelming bulk of their business. The US and the UK have always been way behind in this area. I used to do over 65% of my sales Internationally but many of those buyers gave up on eBay entirely because so few US sellers would sell to them. This is just one reason amongst many why eBays GMV has been stagnant for the past 10 years (not counting the Covid bump).
I have actually watched it increase slowly over the years but don't have the energy to go back through of the reporting to find the history but in 2022 just over 62% of the GMV was the result of international transactions I would venture to guess that a lot of that comes out of China. Totally agree on your assessment of the US buyers shying away from international sales due to the risk associated with a lot of foreign countries and the lack of seller protection. While I have always sold internationally the countries I would sell/ship to were limited.
eBay made an attempt with the GSP program to stimulate US exports but GSP was a flawed system that did not quite live up to expectations, didn't help that US sellers to put it bluntly are xenophobes (not all of course).
I utilized the GSP but still had a limited list of countries I would sell to since the seller protection under GSP was also very limited. With EIS the seller protection has greatly increased and I now sell to most foreign countries. I will be interesting to see if the program changes the dynamics with regards to international sales.
mam98031
·3 years agoI would disagree. They sent emails out to sellers. Some seller ignore those emails and/or just delete them. That is on the seller, not Ebay.
Granted Announcements on the announcement board is not seen by all sellers because not everyone subscribes to the announcement board, although they should. But there are many sellers that never venture into the Community here.
What did you want Ebay to do? How do you suggest they communicate changes to sellers?
dbfolks166mt
·3 years agoI would disagree. They sent emails out to sellers. Some seller ignore those emails and/or just delete them. That is on the seller, not Ebay.
I can tell you personally I never received an email notifying me of the transition and I do read my emails and messages. Other sellers have indicated the same.
Granted Announcements on the announcement board is not seen by all sellers because not everyone subscribes to the announcement board, although they should. But there are many sellers that never venture into the Community here.
Agree and understand that.
What did you want Ebay to do? How do you suggest they communicate changes to sellers?
The email or message approach was fine for those that actually received it. I can totally understand that they may have missed a few notifications during transition or that some sellers may have simply ignored the message communication is always a factor in any business. There are still the occasional postings about the change in the 1099 reporting threshold.
dollocity
OP3 years agoI just checked my emails for kicks.
Only 5 pages. Nothing. Going back to this January only.
That's why I was shocked.😊 Or i would have been a little bit ready.
I used to hang out here on the forum years ago. And always come if i have any questions.
mam98031
·3 years agoI'm sorry you were missed. It does appear some sellers were. IDK why. But the bright side is that you know about it now and have the information to make your own decision on how to move forward. I'm very glad you came here and asked your questions.
Ebay has always had a real communication problem with its sellers. Self inflicted but a problem nonetheless.
mam98031
·3 years agoI'm sorry they missed you. I personally received two. Many other sellers reported on the thread they received emails as well. Either way, the OP is aware now and is informed on the subject so she can make her own decision as to whether to use it or not.
You still didn't answer the question. What do you think Ebay should have done to notify all sellers?
dbfolks166mt
·3 years agoI'm sorry they missed you. I personally received two. Many other sellers reported on the thread they received emails as well. Either way, the OP is aware now and is informed on the subject so she can make her own decision as to whether to use it or not.
A lot of people also reported that they never received any type of notification. Agree OP should have good insight into the program and there is always the help files that provide the details.
You still didn't answer the question. What do you think Ebay should have done to notify all sellers?
Nothing would have been 100% effective and given the pending shutdown of the other international shipping programs and options they didn't have a lot of choices and they had little time to wait to get confirmation from millions of users that they sent the emails to before converting them.
The one thing they could have done would have been to put a little control into the sellers hands and offered them the option to opt into the program at their own discretion. That will need to be done at some point anyway for new sellers that are initially limited, or are supposed to be limited, to domestic sales.
mam98031
·3 years ago"A lot of people also reported that they never received any type of notification. Agree OP should have good insight into the program and there is always the help files that provide the details. "
You are right. And I said that in my post. I guess it deserves repeating.
"Nothing would have been 100% effective and given the pending shutdown of the other international shipping programs and options they didn't have a lot of choices and they had little time to wait to get confirmation from millions of users that they sent the emails to before converting them."
That is a completely different subject than is being discussed here. And many of those sellers you are talking about have admitted to getting notified of the upcoming changes for them. However it appears Ebay started applying the change a couple weeks BEFORE it was suppose to. It is a complicated issue that only Ebay can fix.
"The one thing they could have done would have been to put a little control into the sellers hands and offered them the option to opt into the program at their own discretion. That will need to be done at some point anyway for new sellers that are initially limited, or are supposed to be limited, to domestic sales."
I would disagree regarding new sellers. It is likely they will do exactly what they do with Managed Payments. EIS is something you auto sign up for and if you later decide you don't want it, you can opt out. But initially it is likely they are in the program.
As for the rest of us, if they don't know EIS exists, it would be difficult to opt in or out. Many are saying they didn't know about the program.
Something that may have help is putting a banner on My Ebay and the Seller Hub for all sellers. Notifying us of this change. Just my opinion.
dollocity
OP3 years agoMaybe Ebay should have put a big banner across the top of the page,
Sellers- welcome to the new international shipping program. ?
and a link for sellers to read up on the rules?
I know why they did this. And it may work.
I may stay in and limit mine to Europe and N. america?
but..
I have foreign friends clicking on my dolls- mostly men. looking at my shipping.. 😃
I told them. Thanks guys- you're working for me. hahaha. hired!
mam98031
·3 years agoWhy limit yourself when you have no risk to whatever country what you are selling goes to? I doubt there is any country that restricts what you sell. I'm not sure I understand.
inhawaii
·3 years agoTreat this like any other sale.
dollocity
OP3 years agowell I put the receipt in the box.
I will ship this one and see how it goes.
then I may opt out until I know more.
sounds to good to be true.
I had a flat rate shipping... for US only.
no box dimensions.
scared to opt out right now with this sale in the works.
Have a feeling this may go badly. Or i'll get charged 30 bucks to ship it out.
or
the customer will be charged more and be upset with me.
International is horribly expensive.
Thanks for all the posts. very interesting.
mam98031
·3 years agoIt really isn't too good to be true. Ebay's research shows that most transaction do not have problems. It is a small percentage overall that has Return request or INRs. Ebay taking care of all these problems regarding international buyers opens up a new world for many sellers that previously did not ship outside the USA.
Which means more sellers are selling internationally which should mean there will be more international sales for Ebay to make their fees on. Certainly it is a risk for Ebay to take, but the numbers show them it is worth that risk, which is why they have done it.
Just remember, NEVER ship anything via EIS that is over $2,500.
I hope you will read the links I provided in an earlier post.
dollocity
OP3 years agoI will thank you. It does sound good.
mam98031
·3 years agoIt really does work well. The big thing they have to resolve is that EIS currently doesn't allow for Combined shipping. So us sellers have to get a little creative if this becomes and issue for you.
You are welcome to keep my ID handy for you. Write me anytime. If you run into this issue, I will be happy to help you and your buyer through the best way to deal with it. It can be done, we just have to do a little extra work.
dollocity
OP3 years agoMam9? i have every item weighed now. All use the same size box.
last question.
Should I have calculated shipping checked on the right ( because i had been using just the flat rate)
because of this international stuff.
mam98031
·3 years agoFlat rate will be just fine. You will be shipping to a US Ebay processing hub. Ebay takes care of the rest to include charging the buyer for the international shipping. So you will be just fine.
I wish you nothing but the best selling those beauties you sell.
dollocity
OP3 years agoThank you for all your help And patience! 😊
safan80
·3 years agorobbie31415
·3 years agoRight now with the new EIS program, all returns are paid by eBay if the buyer attempts to return.
As a seller you only ship domestically to eBays shipping hub. They will inspect the item and once it's approved, you are completely done.
This international shipping program is basically safer than shipping domestically. I've had a return for was only 150 dollar item, but ebay completely handled it, and I kept the money.
dollocity
OP3 years agoif nobody picks up your item. Customs will send it back. takes about 3 months.
mam98031
·3 years agoStill in EIS that is Ebay's problem, NOT the seller's. The seller's money will stay with the seller.
mam98031
·3 years ago@dollocity
Before you opt out, make sure you understand what EIS is. It is actually an extremely good program for sellers.
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/setting-shipping-options/ebay-international-shipping-program?id=5348
https://pages.ebay.com/internationalshippingprogram/seller/terms/
ads*and*ends
·3 years agoAlso, if you do decide to stay opted in, you will have to select which countries you may not want to risk dealing with. It all goes to a hub in the USA with EIS, but there may be countries you personally are not comfortable with any sort of eBay transaction.
mam98031
·3 years agoExcept the seller has no risk in EIS. As long as the item arrives at the Ebay hub in good shape and packaged well, Ebay will finish processing the package. From that point Ebay takes all the risk, NOT the seller.
slippinjimmy
·3 years agoThe ability to be opted in yet still block specific countries is mostly for sellers of products that are restricted in certain countries. Not necessarily illegal but brands that "grey market" imports are not allowed or things like Knives to the UK that can be legally imported in most countries but NOT the UK.
ads*and*ends
·3 years agoHence, why I'm not opting in just yet. I was auto-opted like the OP, though I had all my settings to "no international". It states that in all my listings. (currently changing that aspect) ...I get it, it's a USA hub. But there are still countries I would refuse to deal with for personal reasons, just like it's accepted that our government decides such matters. I have been researching EIS for a couple weeks (after I was opted in) and I have seen posts stating you can still select which countries you do not want to have buyers within.
Is that incorrect?
I don't sell dangerous or controversial products.
mam98031
·3 years agoHave you read the policy on EIS?
Shipping exclusions
If you've created exclusions to states, territories, countries or regions that you don't ship to, they'll still apply to eligible listings under the eBay International Shipping program. You can manage your shipping exclusions through your Shipping Preferences, Business Policies or by revising your listings.
Restricted items and categories
Items included in eBay's hazardous, restricted or regulated materials policy, or that don't follow our International trading policy, can't be shipped using eBay International Shipping.
Due to export limitations and restrictions, items listed in the following categories also can't be shipped with eBay International Shipping. This is not an exhaustive list and it may be updated based on transportation regulations and export laws.
ads*and*ends
·3 years agoI have, and have spent time researching what others are saying in the forum. Fully? To where I understand it completely? No.
I absolutely trust SJimmy. But this wording threw me. It contradicts what I've read previously.
"The ability to be opted in yet still block specific countries is mostly for sellers of products that are restricted in certain countries."
Per policy: "If you've created exclusions to states, territories, countries or regions that you don't ship to, they'll still apply to eligible listings under the eBay International Shipping program."
If I opt in to EIS, yet still can not block certain countries, then what does "eligible listings" mean? That it overrides your country shipping preference only to "banned" or "dangerous" items to that country?
I assumed "eligible items" refers to the items I opt in to sell, and that the blocks I personally set to certain countries still apply.
mam98031
·3 years ago@ads*and*ends
You may opt out of the Program at either an account or listing level by adjusting your account settings within My eBay, or the shipping options within the international postage section when listing your item. Your opt out may take up to 72 hours to process and will not apply to any existing listings restricted from revision (e.g. there are pending bids or a pending best offer).
If you have previously restricted international buyers from purchasing your items by creating and applying a postage exclusion list to your listings, your exclusion list will also apply to EIS Items unless you choose to override your exclusion list. If you do not currently have an exclusion list in place and wish to create one, you must update your account settings within My eBay. If you have any items listed on eBay.com that, for whatever reason, you suspect cannot lawfully post or import to a country eligible under the Program, then you should restrict international buyers in that country from purchasing your items by creating and applying an exclusion list within My eBay.
From the T&Cs for EIS.
https://pages.ebay.com/internationalshippingprogram/seller/terms/
safan80
·3 years agoslippinjimmy
·3 years agoIt's always a good idea to include an invoice/packing slip, perhaps even more so for an International order.
Opt out if you like but be aware that the Seller Protection using EIS is OUTSTANDING.
As far as "customs usually opens the box", that is not accurate, these days with the massive volume of packages and the fact that customs information is relayed electronically and in advance these days means that customs rarely examine anything unless there are red flags.
ads*and*ends
·3 years agoIf you do not want to be in the EIS program, opt out now.
Sellers were auto-approved (some, or all, I don't know) and automatically adopted into the program. You will have to opt out if you do not want to ship internationally through EIS.
Definitely do ship this item though.
Technically, if you opt to remain in EIS (which is an international buyer purchasing an item from you, that you ship to a domestic USA address hub) your package dimensions and weight should be accurate for the listing. That international buyer is charged by eBay for that shipping cost and base it off of what you have entered for the listing.
Good luck to you. Decisions to make! Yes! And from what I've read, it is beneficial to sellers. I'm opting in eventually but also was surprised to see I'd been automatically opted in and immediately opted out because I'm not ready with dimensions in the listings.