International shipping hubs

[randomchans]

Hi there, can anyone explain what exactly happens at the ebay international shipping hubs when they receive an item (assuming they all have standardised processes)?

Does ebay simply slap on a new shipping label over the new one and send it off without opening the package?

Or does ebay open the package and jazz it up with new (branded) mailers / boxes?

Related to this, if they do open up packages, are they verifying item descriptions and conditions before sending it off? I would assume so since they are taking on the responsibility of managing returns...

Just wondering so I can determine how much effort to put in when shipping to EIS hubs. Mostly soft goods for me so it's typically kraft paper in a poly mailer or poly bag in a box. In any case, I'd rather reserve my nicer shipping supplies for domestic sales, or at least skip on the internal packaging, if EIS hubs are trashing mine in the bin when it arrives.

Thanks!

[ebooksdiva]

Not to sound like a smarty pants. But the only way to know is to stand there and watch. Lol. 
But all kidding aside, they do attach an international label and customs forms to the package. Whether they change packaging I don’t think so.  

[toomuchstuffagain35]

There must be certain items they open to verify if it can be sent or not, but the sheer amount of manpower needed to open and inspect every single package makes that highly unlikely.

[randomchans]

True haha. I suppose I was hoping an ebay employee would chime in or maybe the process has been explained at one of those ebay conferences

[xadexane]

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@randomchans wrote:

Related to this,

1. if they do open up packages,

2. are they verifying item descriptions and conditions

3. before sending it off?

I would assume so since they are taking on the responsibility of managing returns... 

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Yes, the EIS hub has been known to

1. unpack,

2. does not verify against the listing,

3. and repacks ... sometimes causing disasters.

In this example, EIS had the customs paperwork for twin statues, but broke them apart, repacked, and shipped only one of the statues.

[stainlessenginecovers]

Under the EIS information; sometimes they will use package you send; sometimes they will pack your package in another; sometimes they will 'repack' in a new package. All just 'depends'......

[gloryglorygifts]

From what I understand, watching youtube videos, with the old international shipping, they do sometimes open them to make sure they have the correct tariff code for the product, or to check if banned products are being shipped. I would think they would use a similar reason to continue that practice under the EIS.  They also will provide new labels to send them on and also sometimes repack if the originals are damaged during their process.  When you print an international label you will see two tracking numbers. One is for USPS and the other for DHL or whatever shipper is used in the destination country. Sometimes I ship from other locations and just upload USPS tracking. It leaves the EIS hub with another number, like the DHL one. They have done that, and the customs form, not me. 

I think the opposite of you when it comes to shipping internationally. I will send something in a box rather than a bag. It's passing thru more hands and conveyor belts, so the sturdier the packaging, the better. 

[wastingtime101 · Accepted solution]

You're the second person to ask this today so I'll copy/paste what I wrote earlier:

eBay x-rays all packages to examine contents, verify nothing hazardous, etc.

If the packaging is damaged when it arrives at the hub, or deemed insufficient, but the item is still intact then eBay will repackage before forwarding.

Most packages are unopened and forwarded as-is. Of course eBay puts new labels on top of the domestic label because the package needs a label for the international leg of shipping.

If the item is valued $1K+ eBay will open, inspect and photograph, then repack (I believe in original packaging when possible) before forwarding.

[cdaiber6]

So I am still confused.  Say my item sells.  Person is international.  When I go to put a shipping label on it at my house is it getting sent to an Ebay hub? Meaning the shipping label is NOT going to have the address of the person overseas but a shipping hub instead?  I assume this is not the USPS that does this. They do not like doing anything more then they need to.  And where pray tell are these hubs?  Do they want you to drive your package to them?  Because I know of NO hub in my State. 

[brightlightbookseller]

If you sell to an international buyer, via the EIS, then yes, your shipping label will have a US address to a hub contracted out by eBay (nothing to do with the USPS, though I don't recall who does operate it), not the final customer's address in another country.  At that hub, they will either simply relabel the package, or for reasons I don't know to spell out here, they may occasionally open it and inspect it or even possibly repackage it (not sure on that part) and it will be sent via another carrier typically to the destination country with a label on it that does now have the customer's final address on it.  The good news is, once you get it to that hub, your part is over!  You don't have to deal with any return requests, Item Not Received/Not As Described claims, etc, because eBay takes full responsibility once you get it to their hub.

No, you would not be able to nor expected to drive you package to the hub, nor would you be expected to know where is, it's likely just a big warehouse somewhere.

[duffy4444]

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@cdaiber6 wrote:

So I am still confused.  Say my item sells.  Person is international.  When I go to put a shipping label on it at my house is it getting sent to an Ebay hub? Meaning the shipping label is NOT going to have the address of the person overseas but a shipping hub instead?  I assume this is not the USPS that does this. They do not like doing anything more then they need to.  And where pray tell are these hubs?  Do they want you to drive your package to them?  Because I know of NO hub in my State. 

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@cdaiber6:

   You're really overthinking this and being too concerned, or curiosity has simply gotten the best of you.

    If you're concerned for any reason at all, just pack well for international destinations, attach the label to EIS, send it off, and forget about it. eBay handles it from there. There's nothing else you have to do, and you don't have to drive to any location.

    I've used EIS with ZERO problems since its inception. It's really cool to let them handle it, including any problems that may come from the shipping side of the transaction.

Cheers, Duffy