Restricting Auctions To US Only

[union-hill]

Good afternoon.  Nearly 100% of the time, I restrict bidding/shipping on bulk lots to the US only.  I do this when preparing the listing; a shipping method and price for the US...while leaving the International section blank. And yet, I have received a couple of bids from overseas buyers. I am quite careful and don't know what is happening here. I have a suspicion that this new eBay international shipping program might be the culprit.

I am quite certain that no international buyer will pay for this exorbitant shipping fee. I have contacted the bidder, but they have not responded by retracting their bid...really no response whatsoever. I could cancel the bid, but I'm trying to handle this in a courteous way. There is also the possibility that the buyer is actually residing in the US but lists their location as being overseas. (This happened one time). I appreciate your suggestions on how to handle. Thank you.

[slippinjimmy · Accepted solution]

Your listings offer eBay International Shipping. This means you will be shipping to a depot in the US (Illinois) and eBay takes care of shipping it on to the buyer, they charge the buyer for that portion of the shipping.

While the shipping costs to the buyer are no great deal there are benefits for the seller because the International fee does not apply and eBay handles any and all returns regardless of the reason.

If for some reason you do not wish to use this service you can remove it in your account preferences.

You can find all the details here:

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

[southern*sweet*tea]

Your bidder may have a US shipping address - many do use freight forwarders based in the US.   Did you ask them?

To block international buyers,  go to the shipping preferences page>exclude shipping locations. https://www.ebay.com/ship/prf/excludeRegions This is where you can block anywhere you don't want to ship to. To block, make sure the box is checked off (filled in).

If the box is filled in, the area/country is blocked. You can apply it to your live listings, just check the box. Be sure to select save. This will keep buyers in areas you don't want to ship from seeing your listings.

If you want shipping to the lower 48 states only, be sure to block AK, HI, the territories and protectorates and APO/FPO/DPO.

IMPORTANT:  Also go here: https://www.ebay.com/bmgt/buyerrequirements and block buyers whose primary shipping address is in a location I don't ship to. This will NOT block overseas buyers with a US SHIPPING ADDRESS.

When you set up your listings, in the shipping section make sure not to select worldwide or any other international options.

By setting your shipping preferences this way only buyers with a US SHIPPING ADDRESS should be able to bid/buy from you.

[dryophelia]

@union-hill 

Sellers can block international shipping but they cannot block international buyers. 
Online shopping is worldwide. On eBay, international buyers just need a USA shipping address. A friend or family member or even a company that forwards packages to foreign buyers. 

If you discover ANY bidder in an ongoing auction that you don’t want to sell to, cancel their bids and add them to your blocked bidder list. 

[union-hill]

@slippinjimmy - I must thank you immensely for your reply.  I could not figure out how I got enrolled in this thing with the International shipping appearing. These negative decline options, while not sinister, I really don't care for.  Again thanks for the help....

[union-hill]

Thank you for your reply/ suggestions. The bidder responded, but I politely declined their request to ship overseas. At that point, I canceled the bid and added them to the list.