EIS Program

[traditonalproducts]

Here are my questions concerning the EIS program:

1) If I opt in, will all of my listings be eligible for the EIS program?

2) Am I responsible for knowing what items will not pass customs in different countries? An example, I know that extracts, since most contain alcohol will be prohibited from all countries. 

3) What are the major disadvantages of the EIS program?

4) What are the major pros of the EIS program?

Thanking you in advance!

[buyselljack2016]

1) yes, unless you have exclusions. (eBay honors any country exclusions that you have set)

2) NO

3) some things that can be sent internationally directly may not be shippable by EIS

    No combined international shipping (at this time)

    Shipping service may be more costly for a buyer deterring sales.

4) eBay covers any problems after the "hub". (returns, refunds,) (no neg feedback) (also have read no seller responsibility for chargebacks)

[slippinjimmy]

Regarding #3

The major disadvantage in my eyes is that it will result in higher costs for buyer and lower profits for me. EIS rates are a bit better than USPS direct but quite a bit more than what I pay using other carriers. I charge buyers rates comparable to EIS but make a tidy profit (I'm not paying to ship from me to EIS plus what.

EIS charges $20 for I can ship for $14 or less)

This is all moot if you otherwise don't ship international and can only use USPS regular shipping service.

Re #4

The BIG advantage of the rock solid Seller Protection from pretty much ANY type of issue that would normally cost you money. The protection EXCEEDS what you get on a regular domestic sale.

[stainlessenginecovers]

#2- no.

a.) Certain items are not allowed.

b.) Certain $ amounts are not allowed.

c.) Certain $ amounts, even though they are allowed, are NOT included until you've 'proven' yourself that, basically, the 'higher $ amount items' will NOT bite this program in the behind...so they are 'cautiously' allowing things....

[bergenline]

I opted out of the EIS program. About 99% of what I sell internationally goes into an envelope that doesn't require customs stuff. For larger domestic shipments, the few that I do, regular USPS package services are sufficient for that.

With regards to your question #3, there is an issue that has been widely discussed here about EIS, but not mentioned here; that is ... a buyer buying multiple items. The discussion, as I recall it, noted that eBay did not have a satisfactory work-around for this type of shipment. That is, how the customs form(s) would reflect multiple items. Again, my memory is not that great, but I recall one jewelry seller was very upset about this. Maybe others have more timely information on this particular EIS hiccup.

[dbfolks166mt]

1) If I opt in, will all of my listings be eligible for the EIS program?

     There are items that are not eligible for the EIS program based on the type of item, size, weight and/or value. You can find some of the restrictions in the policy. 

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/setting-shipping-options/ebay-international-shippin... 

2) Am I responsible for knowing what items will not pass customs in different countries? An example, I know that extracts, since most contain alcohol will be prohibited from all countries. 

     The policy is not real clear but eBay has some filters in place to prevent international buyers from purchasing some items and the EIS program also has some filters that will block certain items from being EIS eligible. Since EIS provides an unprecedented level of seller protection they have a major incentive to stay on top of import and export laws.

3) What are the major disadvantages of the EIS program?

     It depends on your perspective on this one. From the sellers side there are limits on the size and weight of packages that are EIS eligible that are lower than those imposed by USPS or UPS. There is also a maximum dollar threshold at the moment of $2,500. It used to be the seller was limited to the 1 pound limit for USPS first class when shipping to the EIS hub on the domestic leg whereas if the seller had been shipping directly they could have used USPS first class international for packages up to 4 pounds. I am not sure how this is effected with the new USPS ground advantage. At present eBay and EIS are not collecting customs fees and/or taxes in advance for all countries but that is an eBay issue that should not impact the seller.

      From the buyers perspective there is the possibility of increased costs due to the cost for the domestic leg to the hub as well as the international leg out of the hub to the buyer. The dual hop also adds  bit to the shipping timeline. 

     From both the seller and buyer perspective at the moment the EIS program does not support combined shipping but this was also an issue with the GSP program. There are ways to work with the buyers to get around this by creating custom bundles as long as it can be done within the constraints of the EIS program. 

4) What are the major pros of the EIS program?

     Without a doubt the major pro of the EIS program is the breadth of the seller protection that is offered. There have been a number of postings on this forum that shows eBay and the EIS program are standing behind that protection. Since I have opted into the EIS program I now sell to countries that I would never have sold to previously due to the risk. That risk is now being born by eBay and the EIS program. 

     For EIS items they have eliminated the international fee which has been a thorn in the sides of some sellers for years.

     FVF's are not applied to the shipping for the international leg only the domestic one. 

Thanking you in advance!

[traditonalproducts]

"With regards to your question #3, there is an issue that has been widely discussed here about EIS, but not mentioned here; that is ... a buyer buying multiple items. The discussion, as I recall it, noted that eBay did not have a satisfactory work-around for this type of shipment. That is, how the customs form(s) would reflect multiple items. Again, my memory is not that great, but I recall one jewelry seller was very upset about this. Maybe others have more timely information on this particular EIS hiccup."

I am very familiar with this subject via my regular job. When a manifest is completed, it is a dedicated form meaning that when a person/company sends in a purchase order (PO), no matter how many items are on that PO, the manifest stipulates that reference number, and a list is created that has to perfectly match each item & description of the issued P.O. thus there is a manifest for each P.O. When multiple P.O.'s are shipped together they are separated by their own box or package and marked with the reference number &/or the PO number. You can ship multiple reference/P.O. numbers but each still must have its own separate manifest & packing. 

I suspect Ebay cannot combine shipments because the seller would then have to provide multiple packages marked with each different Ebay reference number that comes for each order. Considering must people here have not had that experience it would be a mess for us & Ebay to send out multiple orders to combine on one shipment in one package. Ebay would then have to unpack the one shipment to verify that each order was in the shipment & repack. By unpacking & repacking, this is why items can get misplaced or rejected by customs etc. Plus, the fact that multiple orders in one package just added more processing time to the one shipment. 

Bottom line here, I doubt this ever happens, so we are stuck sending out each order separately. 

[dbfolks166mt]

"With regards to your question #3, there is an issue that has been widely discussed here about EIS, but not mentioned here; that is ... a buyer buying multiple items. The discussion, as I recall it, noted that eBay did not have a satisfactory work-around for this type of shipment. That is, how the customs form(s) would reflect multiple items. Again, my memory is not that great, but I recall one jewelry seller was very upset about this. Maybe others have more timely information on this particular EIS hiccup."

I am very familiar with this subject via my regular job. When a manifest is completed, it is a dedicated form meaning that when a person/company sends in a purchase order (PO), no matter how many items are on that PO, the manifest stipulates that reference number, and a list is created that has to perfectly match each item & description of the issued P.O. thus there is a manifest for each P.O. When multiple P.O.'s are shipped together they are separated by their own box or package and marked with the reference number &/or the PO number. You can ship multiple reference/P.O. numbers but each still must have its own separate manifest & packing. 

I suspect Ebay cannot combine shipments because the seller would then have to provide multiple packages marked with each different Ebay reference number that comes for each order. Considering must people here have not had that experience it would be a mess for us & Ebay to send out multiple orders to combine on one shipment in one package. Ebay would then have to unpack the one shipment to verify that each order was in the shipment & repack. By unpacking & repacking, this is why items can get misplaced or rejected by customs etc. Plus, the fact that multiple orders in one package just added more processing time to the one shipment. 

Bottom line here, I doubt this ever happens, so we are stuck sending out each order separately. 

     Combined shipping has often presented issues for domestic as well as international orders. The alternative, or workaround,  is to work with the buyer to cancel their individual orders at their request and create a custom bundle that contains all the items they are interested in provided it can be done within the restrictions of the EIS program. I have done this for international as well as domestic orders without any issues. 

     Doing so as I mentioned in an earlier response reduces the shipping cost to the buyer as well as the seller since only one bundled package is being sent through both the domestic leg as well as the international leg as opposed to multiple packages all going to the same destination. 

     Even if eBay/EIS were able to support combined shipping I suspect there would still be issues especially with BIN IPR sales where the buyer has made individual purchases as opposed to using the cart function which doesn't always work that well when it comes to calculating the combined shipping. I just  sold several items on auction to the same buyer and while eBay handled the combined shipping it added up and charged shipping based on the rates for each item. I wound up refunding the buyer about $20 in excess shipping charges.