eBay

ottoman68 · ‎02-10-2025

OK maybe I'm just an idiot but I rarely sell things on eBay, so when I saw the following message when I was about to list an item, I thought that any international buyers wouldn't be any additional cost.

"Your listing will show up for buyers worldwide, where applicable. Ship to our domestic shipping hub, and we’ll handle the rest, including customs and returns—at no extra cost to you."

I recently sold a vintage watch for $34. The domestic U.S. shipping was only about $4 (tiny light package) but I was charged an additional $15.61 on a separate shipping label (obviously the international label).

So the whole sale was a loss, and I never would have listed it if I knew I would be charged a lot extra for the shipping.

Is the above quote from ebay, mentioning "at no extra cost to you" not correct? Am I somehow misinterpreting what it's saying? Does the no extra cost only apply to customs and returns? If so, that is worded in an INTENTIONALLY misleading way, that I'm angry beyond belief

Of course, I can't easily find a way to contact customer service on Ebay, and I don't want to chat with an AI chat bot, i just want an e-mail address, or method of sending a message to customer service to see if they can reverse the $15.61 fee. So my only recourse is to vent here

Thanks

ebooksdiva · ‎02-10-2025

Did you opt into eBay's International Shipping program? If not that is why you where charged for an international shipping label. See shipping preferences

If you are opted in you would see it in your shipping preferences as shown below if it says opt in, click opt in to ship with eBays International Shipping Program, then selling internationally would be no cost to you.
Since you probably didn't opt into the program, it is doubtful that eBay will reverse the international shipping charge.

aproudparent2010 · ‎02-10-2025

I was going to post pretty much the same thing as poster above......good info

ottoman68 · ‎02-10-2025

Thanks for the reply,

No, I guess I did not "opt in" to international shipping. I really hate this. I think it's intentionally confusing. Again I go back to the following statement:

"Your listing will show up for buyers worldwide, where applicable. Ship to our domestic shipping hub, and we’ll handle the rest, including customs and returns—at no extra cost to you."

It doesn't say, "ONLY if you first opt in", it says "your listing WILL show up............at not extra cost to you"

I call **bleep** on this, and I'd like to see if ebay can reimburse the $15.61 shipping fee as a one time thing. Do you have a customer service link to email, or message service?

EDIT: I take it back, I clicked on the link you provided, and I AM opted in to international shipping. So now I'm really confused why they charged me $15.61 for a second shipping label.

ebooksdiva · ‎02-10-2025

Elgin watch that ships with eIS https://www.ebay.com/itm/205244987913

Aristo watch that looks like you didn't ship with eIS but does https://www.ebay.com/itm/205239952936

But when I place a country to ship to you did ship eIS. Yup looks like you need to speak to customer service, there is no email to contact them you would need to use Help &Contact.

ebooksdiva · ‎02-10-2025

@ottoman68 wrote:
EDIT: I take it back, I clicked on the link you provided, and I AM opted in to international shipping. So now I'm really confused why they charged me $15.61 for a second shipping label.

Wait"?..... you bought two labels? You should have only received one to the domestic hub in Glendale Heights Illinois.

ottoman68 · ‎02-10-2025

Ah ok, Here's what I'm seeing now. The whole reason this alerted me, is because I received an email from ebay saying they sent out my payment of $8.75. I said to myself what? I sold the elgin watch for $34.

but the problem is, the webster dictionary books I sold. I was charged $15.61 for the shipping, but the proceeds of the sale, for some reason, are on hold. so the shipping of the dictionary was deducted from the proceeds of the elgin watch.

Not sure why funds are on hold, but I guess that explains why I only received $8.75 from ebay

OK, I guess we're all set. (for now lol).

Thanks for the replies everyone

ittybitnot · ‎02-10-2025

@ottoman68

For purposes of discussion, I made a screenshot of the "shipping" dropdown that an international buyer would see for example from France.

On this listing, your shipping (to the hub) is "free", so whatever the Ground Advantage label charge is on you to pay. Note in the photo, a buyer is to pay $15.89. Though it is not $15.61, it is close enough to draw attention, but should not be a charge to you if it is for shipping.

Since we cannot see your individual breakdown of charges to you, can you look and make sure the charge is not for something else? or if indeed it is for a shipping label to the destination country? I doesn't make sense that you would be charged for that label.

The only other thing I can think of is that perhaps in the spirit of paying fees on the "total payment of the buyer" their payment from the hub to their country is temporarily added to the total just for the purposes of charging you fees on it, which it not supposed to happen either. So do recheck and let us know.

In the meantime you can send a message to eBay through one of the social media portals. These are not yet robots, and are eBay employees based in the US:

https://www.facebook.com/eBay/ (use the blue message button)

OR one of these:

https://www.instagram.com/ebayforsellers/

https://x.com/askebay