Selling options use SHIP address logic, but FEE logic uses Registration address logic?

[chris13]

Some top notch posters inadvertently hijacked a thread that I would like to continue in a proper context.

@kathiec re: As for the use of a freight fowarder causing problems, exactly what problems would those be? 

Background: I learned today that use of 'USA' in a buyers info & shipping address legitimately can represent a freight forwarder being used that should be 'no problem' for a seller, even if I have set my listing to not support international sales which translates to "not shipping to a non-US address" I am told.

How can you prevent buyers registered in another c... - The eBay Community

(quote from that thread)

"buyers who are registered in another country but use a US ship to address can still buy your item. You do not find out until the sale is complete and you look at your payout details and this is what you see:

(This is MY unexpected charge for a US sale for an item marked 'no international shipping', not from post above)

International Fee

Charged because the buyer’s registered address is in Japan. Final amount: $290.00. -$4.79

Rate$290.00x1.65% =-$4.79

I would suggest that when I specify no International shipping, and as you point out I am NOT shipping internationally, that being charged an International Fee is in fact a problem when it is something I have intended to prevent and cannot predict as an expense.

Fees use 'registered address' but policies use 'shipping address' <<< This is poor policy logic

I understand completely there is overhead for a foreign currency transaction, but this transaction is one that is between eBay and the BUYER by permitting freight forwarding and not allowing any reasonable way to prevent the charge except onerous workaround of snooping a buyer after a sale and cancelling an order.

OK, got that off my chest. Fire away and tell me how I am wrong on this one.

Best wishes.

[nobody*s_perfect]

---

@chris13 wrote: ... when I specify no International shipping, and as you point out I am NOT shipping internationally, that being charged an International Fee is in fact a problem when it is something I have intended to prevent and cannot predict as an expense.

Fees use 'registered address' but policies use 'shipping address' <<< This is poor policy logic ..

---

I won't argue about the logic of it.

I have shipped to a Japanese buyer through a forwarder in Oregon with no problems.

[itscalledapostingid]

If you are that concerned about the fee just raise all your prices by 2% to cover potential international fees. When you get a domestic order you make a little extra.

(ebay is not going to change their policy because you post bout it here.)

[ckimodog]

@chris13 

Me again Chris.  There have been numerous posts on this particular subject.  Many are getting international orders, even though they state they do not ship internationally.  Ebay has auto enabled this option, which I personally don't appreciate as I'm sure you don't either.  I'll post a screen shot of what I mean:

Okay, this is what I discovered a few months ago. Not only is ebay auto enabling shipping locations, they are also enabling pricing for our items.  Had I not noticed this little feature, I could have lost a lot of money.  I do not post best offers.  I do not want volume pricing, I don't need to sell in a lot, nor do want ebay choosing my prices for me.  It's the same for shipping.  In your shipping area, look to the right and you'll see "see all options" click that and that's where you'll find that you actually do ship internationally and not by your own choice.  Slide those toggles to meet your criteria.

Another thing, make sure the auto returns features are not enabled either.  Meaning a customer can file a return for what ever reason and you will automatically give them their money back.  Boom! No chance to appeal or even ask for the item back to re sell.  Several of us here found that "feature" was enabled on our sites thanks to another poster here who pointed it out.  Sneaky, huh? 

I don't know why ebay feels this is necessary and it certainly doesn't support a sellers choice in my opinion.  It doesn't make me feel terribly confident either. I feel for the new sellers as well.  Many are unaware of this feature and it could make for some negative impact. Just my thoughts

Just a heads up, friend.  Always be on the watch here.

Have a great night.  A hui ho. 

[chris13]

Thanks @ckimodog As you suggested I did just go turn off my global shipping prefs, but that wont block this problem. And I *have* noticed there is a nasty bug where several defaults and settings change in particular when you use drafts, copies of drafts, etc, especially the one where it resets 'EIS'. 

I assure you that this listing was sold with EIS/GSP turned off, since it has to do specifically with the buyer using a USA freight forwarding address, but still getting International Fees.

@itscalledapostingid I know eBay Dev / PM isnt going to fix something from my post. HOWEVER, once I really get my teeth into something that represents hidden fee charges that have no way of being managed... I have no problems reaching out to my old QA manager employee who has 27 current eBay QA employees in her Linked-In profile and feeding them a set of 'One of these cant be correct - you pick' scenarios. My wife will probably not let me talk to her colleague who was a PM for the SYI team that is now a Director of PM over at HP...but I may try. We live in Campbell, CA...its a seven block walk for me to be in the front lobby of eBay HQ for coffee with some old friends.

And...being retired, I have all the time in the world.

[joliztoyco]

Huh?
Raise the prices on everyone to pay for the shipping to buyers you have specifically excluded from your auctions?
You DO know how insane that sounds, right?

[chris13]

It's not fair of me to gripe about problems that are both 'known' and without any clear recourse. I will take things offline and see what I find out over coffee. I let my feathers get ruffled when several folks suggested that no problems are known with the whole Freight Forwarding thing. I found 11 threads some 7 pages long on this subject. Seems like if it was working out just fine for sellers it wouldnt have such history. It didnt work out well for me AND I found a loophole where you are NOT protected from INRs in some cases - though that is widely promoted by many - and yeah my listing fell into that loophole.

I have written this to include in my listings. Give me some feedback if it seems like I will violate any policies as I use it to control my *choice* to manage my own risk as I see fit.

=====================
Buyer Notice: I will check your registered feedback locale and cancel any orders where it is not USA. I do not intend to ship internationally which also means SELL internationally. This includes doing so via Freight forwarding services which incurs fees from eBay that are not clearly disclosed or within a seller's control. Save us both the trouble and do not purchase if you are using a freight forwarding service. Thanks for understanding, this prevents me from arbitrarily raising prices for everyone to cover unplanned costs.

=====================

[itscalledapostingid]

---

@joliztoyco wrote:

Huh?
Raise the prices on everyone to pay for the shipping to buyers you have specifically excluded from your auctions?
You DO know how insane that sounds, right?

---

I don't sell anything that isn't profitable enough to cover all ebay fees. I am in business to make money. The more the better.

Insane would be not charging enough to cover all the fees and still make a hefty profit.

[itscalledapostingid]

---

@chris13 wrote:

It's not fair of me to gripe about problems that are both 'known' and without any clear recourse. I will take things offline and see what I find out over coffee. I let my feathers get ruffled when several folks suggested that no problems are known with the whole Freight Forwarding thing. I found 11 threads some 7 pages long on this subject. Seems like if it was working out just fine for sellers it wouldnt have such history. It didnt work out well for me AND I found a loophole where you are NOT protected from INRs in some cases - though that is widely promoted by many - and yeah my listing fell into that loophole.

I have written this to include in my listings. Give me some feedback if it seems like I will violate any policies as I use it to control my *choice* to manage my own risk as I see fit.

=====================
Buyer Notice: I will check your registered feedback locale and cancel any orders where it is not USA. I do not intend to ship internationally which also means SELL internationally. This includes doing so via Freight forwarding services which incurs fees from eBay that are not clearly disclosed or within a seller's control. Save us both the trouble and do not purchase if you are using a freight forwarding service. Thanks for understanding, this prevents me from arbitrarily raising prices for everyone to cover unplanned costs.

=====================

---

Abusing the cancellation process infuriates buyers and it's a reportable offense that can negatively impact your account.

[pburn]

---

@chris13 wrote:

=====================
Buyer Notice: I will check your registered feedback locale and cancel any orders where it is not USA. I do not intend to ship internationally which also means SELL internationally. This includes doing so via Freight forwarding services which incurs fees from eBay that are not clearly disclosed or within a seller's control. Save us both the trouble and do not purchase if you are using a freight forwarding service. Thanks for understanding, this prevents me from arbitrarily raising prices for everyone to cover unplanned costs.

=====================

---

devon@ebay 

elizabeth@ebay 

kyle@ebay 

Can you clarify whether a seller is allowed to cancel transactions based on the buyer's use of a freight forwarder? Or is that a misuse of eBay's cancellation policy? Thanks.

[downunder-61]

Okay, I may be wrong, but I am sure I read somewhere that if you sign up to the EIS - eBay International Shipping (NOT the GSP) that as from March 1st the 1.65% international fee is no longer charged??

If this is correct I would be signing on for it and at least you get no surprises anymore and FF will be irrelevant as the OS buyer can purchase direct.

Can someone confirm please?

[chris13]

Notice how careful they are when they say "The "Issue with buyer's address" reason is no longer available to sellers when canceling orders for items sold through Authenticity Guarantee or eBay international standard delivery programs."

Order cancellation policy | eBay

I am either not using EIS and therefore the International fee is invalid, or the 'destination' address is not really in the USA in which case it is an invalid address per my listing configuration choices.

I have no real impact to my life should this be the hill I choose to die on. I kinda like the stuff I have been selling and its just pocket money and reduces some clutter.

[glenvonnie]

They charged me 1.65% for an item that sold this morning

[pburn]

---

@chris13 wrote:

I am either not using EIS and therefore the International fee is invalid, or the 'destination' address is not really in the USA in which case it is an invalid address per my listing configuration choices.

---

I'm interested in your "listing configuration choices." I'm not familiar with what that references.

[chris13]

If you ebay folks are at corporate, Id love to buy you a coffee sometime at Noah's next door or we can cross the street to Whole Foods if you prefer and talk shop, feel free to PM me. Thanks for your advice on this issue.