Does eBay add countries to your excluded list based on the item?

[#1]

Question:

Does eBay add countries to your exclusion list based on what you're selling?

I sell internationally with NO exclusions what so ever.

However today when relisting an item and checking over the page for errors and what not I saw the following:

Excludes: Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Bulgaria, Latvia, Thailand, Romania, Russian Federation, Vietnam, South Africa, China

I double checked the listing and I have NO EXCLUSIONS listed.

The item in questions is a video game. It is "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2".

I checked other video games I have listed and haven't found any that have exclusions of then that particular game.

Does anyone know anything about this?

[#2]

Can you tell if an item uses the GSP?

Yes.  Near the top of each listing, above the shipping, delivery, payments, returns information - there's a text box with a globe and box graphic and the statement "No additional import charges at delivery! This item will be shipped through the Global Shipping Program and includes international tracking."

Can you show me an example of this?

Here is an example of a seller who is opted into Global Shipping: #300662123626 - BUT, in order to see this you have to go to the shipping tab and change your country from US to somewhere else.  Excluded countries in this listing are only: Africa, Central America and Caribbean, South America.

To find a book seller who is not opted into GSP, just see post #50 of this thread.

The response you attached from ebays CR person Olya is utter nonsense, especially with regards to media.  ebay restricts only a handful of books/media from sale overseas and those restrictions are well documented on this site. 

Because of this "glitch", that ebay seems to be indicating is "not a glitch", thousands of buyers in China et al are banned from buying books.  Books that are in no way restricted by any government, or organization other than by ebay.  

I doubt this is by design, but ebays pretending there is nothing wrong will only make matters worse, especially when more people figure out something is very wrong.

[#3]

Perhaps this is their underhanded way of forcing all International Sellers to join their miserable Global Shipping Program (GSP?) X-(

That's probably why they're letting this so called "glitch" survive. It may not be a glitch at all.

There's absolutely no doubt in my mind what I wrote before is the TRUTH!

eBay are doing their best to force ALL international Sellers to join their screwed up money grabbing GSP! X-(

[#4]

I doubt this is by design, but ebays pretending there is nothing wrong will only make matters worse, especially when more people figure out something is very wrong.

I'm sorry, but I beg to differ with you on this. I think eBay knows precisely what is going on, and this is their way of forcing ALL international Sellers into their screwed up GSP.

We all know GSP is an additional money grab for them, so this is the only way they can try to force us to join.

[#5]

This is not site issue but working as designed.

Correct. eBay is using this so called manufactured/designed "glitch" to forcefully shepherd ALL international Sellers into their money grabbing GSP. 

[#6]

Can you tell if an item uses the GSP?

Yes.  Near the top of each listing, above the shipping, delivery, payments, returns information - there's a text box with a globe and box graphic and the statement "No additional import charges at delivery! This item will be shipped through the Global Shipping Program and includes international tracking."

Can you show me an example of this?

Here is an example of a seller who is opted into Global Shipping: #300662123626 - BUT, in order to see this you have to go to the shipping tab and change your country from US to somewhere else.  Excluded countries in this listing are only: Africa, Central America and Caribbean, South America.

In addition, I've found that near the top of each listing, on the "Ships to" line, listings which use Global Shipping have the following text...

"Ships to: United States and many other countries"

[#7]

Yesterday I was unable to print a shipping label to China through either PayPal or eBay. It was not a media item, nor a restricted one for China.

According to an eBay rep, it was because China is one of the countries that the USPS now says can't have an online label. But he then read the exact same list of countries that people are seeing added to their listings as excluded as a ship to location, which he thought was the "no online label" list. I now think he was wrong.

This list of countries clearly is a list eBay has in the database, since that's where the rep found it. But I don't know if it was in the database because of a known glitch or for some reason.

My problem printing a label certainly looked like a glitch. When I tried to print it in PayPal, it was rejecting my phone number, even though it was the same one I always use, and wouldn't let me get past that point. When I tried to print the label on eBay, it wouldn't calculate the shipping cost and the "continue" button was grayed out.

Very weird stuff, and I hope it's fixed quickly.

[#8]

I am mortified.

While I have complained about many eBay price increases and various screwin's, I know in my heart it's their sandbox and most companies, including my own, charge the absolute most they can get for their product. Even while complaining, I accept that free commerce works that way.

I am generally skeptical of every conspiracy theory I have ever heard. I am generally skeptical of every evil intention assigned to eBay. Most turn out to be misunderstandings by the accusers.

I just did many searches as a buyer from China, where the GSP ships, and Saudi Arabia, where they do not, and I am speechless. As very many media items are GTC listed before April 4th, only a search by Newly listed is relevant, and cuts to the chase.

My items that are involuntarily blocked from China and Saudi Arabia, are fully available to China from sellers using the GSP, and are fully available to Saudi Arabia from European sellers.

This affects every Video Game I searched, listed after April 4th.

This has to be the most low down thing eBay has ever done, and I am speechless.

[#9]

That reply is BS. I'm from Indonesia and I know full well that my country doesn't restrict media item (except for pornography), and especially not games and audio CDs. Yet those are blocked. 

[#10]

"My items that are involuntarily blocked from China and Saudi Arabia, are fully available to China from sellers using the GSP, and are fully available to Saudi Arabia from European sellers."

They did it with PayPal, strongarmed everyone into using it.

They'll do it with GSP, if they can.

And they'll do it with Managed Returns if they can.

When companies get big (and go public), many turn into the corporate equivalent of schoolyard bullies.

[#11]

I contacted one of the sellers I frequently buy music CDs from and they said they're aware of the issue and have contacted eBay. eBay said they're working on the issue and hopefully can get it fixed over the weekend. That better be true. They also said at first it only affected some listings and then they "fixed" it and now it affected all listings. Go figure.

[#12]

I am mortified.

While I have complained about many eBay price increases and various screwin's, I know in my heart it's their sandbox and most companies, including my own, charge the absolute most they can get for their product. Even while complaining, I accept that free commerce works that way.

I am generally skeptical of every conspiracy theory I have ever heard. I am generally skeptical of every evil intention assigned to eBay. Most turn out to be misunderstandings by the accusers.

I just did many searches as a buyer from China, where the GSP ships, and Saudi Arabia, where they do not, and I am speechless. As very many media items are GTC listed before April 4th, only a search by Newly listed is relevant, and cuts to the chase.

My items that are involuntarily blocked from China and Saudi Arabia, are fully available to China from sellers using the GSP, and are fully available to Saudi Arabia from European sellers.

This affects every Video Game I searched, listed after April 4th.

This has to be the most low down thing eBay has ever done, and I am speechless.

Up until last week, I had a potential buyers from around the world.

Today, my buyers from Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Bulgaria, Latvia, Thailand, Romania, Russian Federation, Vietnam, South Africa, and China are blocked.

There are only 26 countries eligible for the GSP per ebay website: Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, Taiwan, Thailand, and United Kingdom.

Something just doesn't add up. If I join GSP, I retain my buyers from China, but what happens to my buyers in France and Belgium and like MOST OF THE REST OF THE WORLD???

I hope this is a glitch. Shipping to only 26 foreign countries is NOT worldwide, it's a major step backwards that accomplishes nothing.

Still waiting for the ebay announcement . . .

[#13]

ebay is BANNING the sale of books to Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Bulgaria, Latvia, Thailand, Romania, Russian Federation, Vietnam, South Africa, and China.

TODAY, ebay is blocking the sale of books/music from U.S. sellers who ship worldwide, and are not opted into the GSP.

These are not excluded items, these are ALL the BOOKS & MUSIC listed on ebay by a large group of sellers.  

Ebay is banning the sale of books with the explanation that those effected listings are for books which are illegal to sell in foreign countries.  

Since when has the Bible, Charles Dickens, Emily Bronte, books on the New York Times best sellers list, and jazz records been banned for sale in these countries?

All of my new book listings STILL have these selling exclusions.  

How can ebay get away this?  

[#14]

I wonder if as this thread grows more people will open their eyes. I'm actually surprised it has been allowed to live this long.

The puppets always come into these threads with comments like "It must be you..." "I'm sure it is because something is wrong with the item you are selling" but now that we know this virtually effects all media items, from all media sellers, their is no excuse.

Granted the excluded list of countries only represents a small percentage of my international sales it is still effecting me as today I had a regular buyer from russia asked if I put them on my blocked list because they weren't able to purchase the item from me anymore.

It is a shame that eBay isn't working to resolve this. How long ago did I make the original post in this thread? 

I should file a chargeback on the ~ $3,000 worth of fees that eBay will try to collect at the end of the month

AND then file a chargeback on all the postage I paid through USPS as they promised additional FCI E-DELCON tracking on 19 countries in April-----and that was a major justification of the postage rate increase that took place on January 27th.

It has not been a good year so far. I feel like I'm getting nickel and dimed all while the service I'm receiving is at an all time low.

[#15]

There;s already some Japanese sellers who I knew that being affected by this "glitch" and many of them has regular buyers from those countries

[#16]

For clarity, it is not just Media items, it is media categories.

Video Games>Video Game Merchandise is Blocked.

Apparently, T-Shirts, Hats, Frisbees, Pencil Cases, and Pens are banned in China.

Also, perhaps a blood and guts war game and the Bible are bad examples, as we have seen suggestions that it may be possible.

The Playstation number game Sudoku is blocked to Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Bulgaria, Latvia, Thailand, Romania, Russian Federation, Vietnam, South Africa, China. The same countries that ban Playstation 3 Pens.

[#17]

If the media selling exclusions for these 12 excluded countries are not a glitch, then perhaps it's a new ebay policy banning the sale of ALL MEDIA items to these countries.

What I don't understand is - if I join the GPS, then I can sell books to China, but since I'm not opted into GSP, I can't sell books to China. 

This is just plain goofy.  Tomorrow is another day - maybe it will get fixed or not . . . 

[#18]

If the media selling exclusions for these 12 excluded countries are not a glitch, then perhaps it's a new ebay policy banning the sale of ALL MEDIA items to these countries.

What I don't understand is - if I join the GPS, then I can sell books to China, but since I'm not opted into GSP, I can't sell books to China. 

This is just plain goofy.  Tomorrow is another day - maybe it will get fixed or not . . . 

I keep telling everyone here that this so called "glitch" is NOT a glitch.

It's INTENTIONAL! X-(

eBay is doing their best to force ALL international Sellers into their money grab GSP!

Why doesn't anyone else see this??:| I'm baffled and amazed everyone thinks eBay is innocent and this is a technical "glitch" they're working on to resolve. No way, no how

[#19]

Well they are available through the Global Shipping Program, so

then perhaps it's a new ebay policy banning the sale of ALL MEDIA items to these countries

can't be true.

Also, while Saudi Arabia is blocked, and the GSP doesn't ship there, if you switch your location to Saudi Arabia and search for your books, you will see them available from non-US sellers.

This is just plain goofy.  

just plain goofy: underhanded or unscrupulous behavior; also : a devious device or trick

Synonyms: chicanery, gamesmanship, hanky-panky, jiggery-pokery, jugglery, legerdemain, trickery (or skullduggery), subterfuge, wile

Related Words: artfulness, caginess, craftiness, cunning, deviousness, foxiness, oiliness, shadiness, sharpness, shiftiness, shrewdness, slickness, slipperiness, slyness, sneakiness, treachery, underhandedness, wiliness; crookedness, crookery, cunning, deceit, deceitfulness, deception, deceptiveness, dishonesty, dissimulation, double-dealing, dupery, duplicity, guile, guilefulness, hypocrisy, insincerity; fakery, humbuggery, imposture, quackery; dirty pool, dirty tricks; design, plotting, scheming, secrecy, stealth

[#20]

eBay had a technical "glitch" that forced me to pay for a large number of items through Bill Me Later.

I've mentioned this on a previous post but I signed up for Bill Me Later and then basically didn't use it except to try it on a couple of small items. I was saving it for a use that was appropriate.

Sometime later, probably because I WASN'T using it, at a time when I was making several hundred purchases a day, suddenly PayPal wouldn't let me pay with bank transfer (no problems with my bank, there was plenty of money in the account) or credit card (no problems with my cards, lots of room on them and all in good standing) and the ONLY way I could pay was through Bill me Later.

I could pay using bank transfer or credit card through PayPal from any other site on the net, but not from eBay.

I am dead sure this was deliberate since I couldn't keep the sellers waiting for hundreds of payments that accumulated while I was trying to get it straightened out. I couldn't risk hundreds of auto-UIDs kicking in, so I bit the bullet and paid with Bill Me Later.

I wouldn't put it past eBay to try to coerce people into the GSP.

[#21]

But none of this makes sense for ebay financially . . .

So, perhaps ebay makes money with their GSP for the 26 eligible countries. But on the other hand, ebay loses the FVF on all the media category items US sellers used to be able to sell worldwide.  

It's like making some absurd choice between being allowed to sell to China or France based on whether you opt-into GSP or not.

Like was stated above - this is ebays playground, albeit a very surreal one.