Shipping label bar code problems

[gandjrarities47]

Around Aug. 1, eBay changed something in its shipping label programming, perhaps to enable QR coding and smart phone use. The result was that after seven or eight years of using eBay labels, the formatting is now wrong and it's not my printer. The address label looks right on the screen and prints as usual except that now the bar code scan itself is enlarged to the point it doesn't fit inside the scan window. The optical info in the little box at the top is also distorted. The label has the address and other info correct, as always. But without the bar code it cannot be scanned in at the post office, nor tracked at centers along the way. I've voided three labels and requested refunds from USPS now because I've had to purchase new labels at the counter that can be tracked. I've tried to tell eBay but, of course, there's no consumer-friendly avenue set up to handle that. I hope someone reads this that can offer a solution and not just suggest it the consumer's fault. John

[lamber9347]

My labels are still printing the same exact way as they always have. The bar code on all of my labels is exactly where it's always been. I've had to make zero adjustments and not understanding what you are claiming is different. Can you upload a screen shot perhaps? 

[itsjustasprain]

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@gandjrarities47 wrote:

I hope someone reads this that can offer a solution and not just suggest it the consumer's fault. John

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Hate to say this but it is the consumers fault. I have printed multiple labels in my selling account as recently as this morning with no differences noted. 

It sounds like your printer drivers may have gotten corrupted and are not reading the font information correctly. I would delete your existing printer from your list of printer devices - then reboot the computer - then install your printer again as a new device. That should trigger a fresh reload of the drivers. Then see if the problem is still with you.

[simply-the-best-for-you]

No problems here either.   Carrier scanned 6 labels this AM, that I printed last night.  

I printed another this AM, everything looks fine.  This is something with your setup. 

[myplacetoyours]

This is NOT consumer error! After having no problems whatsoever (and not changing anything on my end), the same thing started happening to me about the same time—and I haven't found a workaround. Have you?

[a_c_green]

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@myplacetoyours wrote:

This is NOT consumer error! After having no problems whatsoever (and not changing anything on my end), the same thing started happening to me about the same time—and I haven't found a workaround. Have you?

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Whenever my printer goes off into Stupid-land (which is, like, hardly ever), I'll start by unplugging it, waiting a half a minute or so, and then plugging it in again. If that doesn't help, I'll delete it from my computer's list of printers, reboot the machine, and then reinstall the printer as a new device. This is using a Windows 10 machine driving an older HP Deskjet 5650.

Give us a bit more detail on what machine you're using and what model of printer you have, along with whether any of the above steps make any difference to your output, and someone here may have some more specific suggestions.

P.S. Just as a data point, I did two new shipments just this morning and nothing unusual was seen.

[gandjrarities47]

I've found one work-around -- taking a screen shot of the correctly formatted label and printing that. If I use eBay printing the scan code is blown u inside the box and cannot be read by the post office.

Here's now the correct label looks next to the eBay printed label. It has nothing to do with the printer, and labels printed from othewr sites do not have the same glitch. Thanks.

[dhbookds]

Suggestions to try

Check your browser to see if there is an update

Try a different browser.......

Reduce the size of the label

[stephenmorgan]

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@gandjrarities47 wrote:

I've found one work-around -- taking a screen shot of the correctly formatted label and printing that. If I use eBay printing the scan code is blown u inside the box and cannot be read by the post office.

Here's now the correct label looks next to the eBay printed label. It has nothing to do with the printer, and labels printed from othewr sites do not have the same glitch. Thanks.

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Try contacting one of the eBay Staff that monitors this site and see if they can forward your picture to the Shipping Department.

Also if you post this on the Shipping Board sometimes someone from shipping will reply.

[prestigewoodmodels]

Based on the picture, this appears to be a font-read error on either the PC or printer.  Check for updates on the PC first, it will be a non-essential update but best to download any still in the queue.  

PC update first to be safe as it will help the PC read the driver updates for the printer.

Go to the printer manufacturer's website for any/all driver updates. Suggest you not try to load a driver that is already in the printer queue, that machine has already tried and missread. 

If the update for printer errors out, delete the printer from the PC and reinstall it. this will force the update but takes a little more time. 

Hope this helps. (I used to sell tech at a big box store and had this issue probably once every two or three  months.)

[lasvenus]

This is happening to me right now. Has been going on for about three weeks. I couldn't figure out why all my packages were getting lost and not scanned. Now I can I am having the exact same issue that you are. My label looks perfect on my computer and them the bar code is giant and messed up.

[lasvenus]

Same thing is happening to me!

[tealt]

@gandjrarities47 

Around Aug. 1, eBay changed something in its shipping label programming, perhaps to enable QR coding and smart phone use. The result was that after seven or eight years of using eBay labels, the formatting is now wrong and it's not my printer. The address label looks right on the screen and prints as usual except that now the bar code scan itself is enlarged to the point it doesn't fit inside the scan window. The optical info in the little box at the top is also distorted. The label has the address and other info correct, as always. But without the bar code it cannot be scanned in at the post office, nor tracked at centers along the way. I've voided three labels and requested refunds from USPS now because I've had to purchase new labels at the counter that can be tracked. I've tried to tell eBay but, of course, there's no consumer-friendly avenue set up to handle that. I hope someone reads this that can offer a solution and not just suggest it the consumer's fault. John

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Exactly.

It's nice to feel that I am not alone.  Thank you for the good pix of what I am seeing (and I did save a few samples).

I am on a MacBookPro with Firefox, both up to date, and this is what happens when I now try to print labels.  It started about 4-5 weeks ago, maybe.  I have not changed printers or setting.  Like you, I have had to void labels, etc.

Try to report a limited tech problem to eBay and get it fixed?  Forget it.

Now to print labels via eBay what I usually do is:

1) Go to Print Label or via bulk label printing and buy (only, just buy, don't print--why waste) a label/labels using Firefox. 

2) Go to Safari, and do Reprint Label.  That creates scanable labels.

3) There is no Print Scan Form option via Reprint Label, so no scan sheet if I need one.  Scan sheets printed on Mac Firefox are not scanable, as my nice carrier pointed out to me.

I suppose I could do the whole label buying thing on Safari, but I am afraid of further foul-ups.

I have used the Tell Us What You Think option on the label printing page, but I'm sure that will not accomplish anything.  As above, getting almost any glitch fixed on this site is often a long and uphill battle.

[tealt]

devon@ebay 

elizabeth@ebay 

Since there are now four of us posting on this thread with the same problem, could you please get in touch with the Label/Shipping/Whatever team and inquire about why this is happening to us.  Thank you.

[gandjrarities47]

I've been buying the label from eBay and instead of printing from there I take a screen shot, adjust the size and print that out. The scan codes are preserved and the USPS post office can read them. It's a couple of extra steps to get what I had before. I compensate my time by posting and selling less often on eBay. Well done, eBay!