Thrown into international shipping????

[dollocity]

Woke up this morning with an international sale.  Shocked.  I never do international. And I didn't even know this was going on.

well- it is what it is now.

goes to a hub in il.  ebay does it all.

question. 

should I put the order receipt in the box? customs usually opens the box.

I may opt out. but not until this order goes thru.

Thanks in advance.

[inhawaii]

Treat this like any other sale.

[dbfolks166mt]

     EBay did a less than optimal job of informing sellers that they were being transitioned into EIS, I actually received notification before they transitioned me, most did not. I initially opted out of the program to see how it shaped up and if eBay was going to stand behind the stellar seller protections they were offering under the program. I have since opted back into the program based on several postings that indicate that eBay is standing behind their seller protections. 

     There were a few minor glitches when eBay modified the sellers listings and not everything you have may have been transitioned into EIS based on some restrictions associated with the program. It is also important that you have the correct size and weights in your listings as the program does have some size and weight restrictions that are smaller and lighter than what would be allowable if the seller was shipping directly. 

     Based on recent reports over 50% of eBay's transactions are now international so this opens up a broader market base for sellers that they may not have ventured into before due to the risk with international sales. Others have already provide information on how you can opt out of the program but you may want to take a look at what EIS is before you elect to do that. 

     Personally, although I utilized the GSP which was one of the programs EIS replaced I have greatly expanded the countries I will sell to given the reduced seller risk. 

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

[slippinjimmy]

FYI - The 50% of transactions involving cross border has been the norm on eBay for as long as I can remember, it was probably higher at some point but the increase in shipping costs and the more recent imposition of VAT collection put a damper on it in recent years. In the smaller eBay territories the number far exceeds 50%, sellers in countries like Canada, Australia much of Europe and all of Asia have always sold internationally and depended on those sale for the overwhelming bulk of their business. The US and the UK have always been way behind in this area. I used to do over 65% of my sales Internationally but many of those buyers gave up on eBay entirely because so few US sellers would sell to them. This is just one reason amongst many why eBays GMV has been stagnant for the past 10 years (not counting the Covid bump).

eBay made an attempt with the GSP program to stimulate US exports but GSP was a flawed system that did not quite live up to expectations, didn't help that US sellers to put it bluntly are xenophobes (not all of course).

[dbfolks166mt]

FYI - The 50% of transactions involving cross border has been the norm on eBay for as long as I can remember, it was probably higher at some point but the increase in shipping costs and the more recent imposition of VAT collection put a damper on it in recent years. In the smaller eBay territories the number far exceeds 50%, sellers in countries like Canada, Australia much of Europe and all of Asia have always sold internationally and depended on those sale for the overwhelming bulk of their business. The US and the UK have always been way behind in this area. I used to do over 65% of my sales Internationally but many of those buyers gave up on eBay entirely because so few US sellers would sell to them. This is just one reason amongst many why eBays GMV has been stagnant for the past 10 years (not counting the Covid bump).

     I have actually watched it increase slowly over the years but don't have the energy to go back through of the reporting to find the history but in 2022 just over 62% of the GMV was the result of international transactions I would venture to guess that a lot of that comes out of China. Totally agree on your assessment of the US buyers shying away from international sales due to the risk associated with a lot of foreign countries and the lack of seller protection. While I have always sold internationally the countries I would sell/ship to were limited. 

eBay made an attempt with the GSP program to stimulate US exports but GSP was a flawed system that did not quite live up to expectations, didn't help that US sellers to put it bluntly are xenophobes (not all of course).

     I utilized the GSP but still had a limited list of countries I would sell to since the seller protection under GSP was also very limited. With EIS the seller protection has greatly increased and I now sell to most foreign countries. I will be interesting to see if the program changes the dynamics with regards to international sales. 

[mam98031]

I would disagree.  They sent emails out to sellers.  Some seller ignore those emails and/or just delete them.  That is on the seller, not Ebay.  

Granted Announcements on the announcement board is not seen by all sellers because not everyone subscribes to the announcement board, although they should.  But there are many sellers that never venture into the Community here.

What did you want Ebay to do?  How do you suggest they communicate changes to sellers?

[dollocity]

Mam9? i have every item weighed now. All use the same size box. 

last question.

Should I have calculated shipping checked on the right ( because i had been using just the  flat rate)

because of this international stuff.

[dbfolks166mt]

I would disagree.  They sent emails out to sellers.  Some seller ignore those emails and/or just delete them.  That is on the seller, not Ebay.  

     I can tell you personally I never received an email notifying me of the transition and I do read my emails and messages. Other sellers have indicated the same. 

Granted Announcements on the announcement board is not seen by all sellers because not everyone subscribes to the announcement board, although they should.  But there are many sellers that never venture into the Community here.

Agree and understand that. 

What did you want Ebay to do?  How do you suggest they communicate changes to sellers? 

     The email or message approach was fine for those that actually received it. I can totally understand that they may have missed a few notifications during transition or that some sellers may have simply ignored the message communication is always a factor in any business. There are still the occasional postings about the change in the 1099 reporting threshold. 

[dollocity]

I just checked my emails for kicks.

Only 5 pages. Nothing. Going back to this January only.

That's why I was shocked.😊 Or i would have been a little bit ready. 

I used to hang out here on the forum years ago. And always come if i have any questions.

[mam98031]

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@dollocity wrote:

Mam9? i have every item weighed now. All use the same size box. 

last question.

Should I have calculated shipping checked on the right ( because i had been using just the  flat rate)

because of this international stuff.

---

Flat rate will be just fine.  You will be shipping to a US Ebay processing hub.  Ebay takes care of the rest to include charging the buyer for the international shipping.  So you will be just fine.

I wish you nothing but the best selling those beauties you sell.

[mam98031]

I'm sorry they missed you.  I personally received two.  Many other sellers reported on the thread they received emails as well.  Either way, the OP is aware now and is informed on the subject so she can make her own decision as to whether to use it or not.

You still didn't answer the question.  What do you think Ebay should have done to notify all sellers?

[mam98031]

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@dollocity wrote:

I just checked my emails for kicks.

Only 5 pages. Nothing. Going back to this January only.

That's why I was shocked.😊 Or i would have been a little bit ready. 

I used to hang out here on the forum years ago. And always come if i have any questions.

---

I'm sorry you were missed.  It does appear some sellers were.  IDK why.  But the bright side is that you know about it now and have the information to make your own decision on how to move forward.  I'm very glad you came here and asked your questions.

Ebay has always had a real communication problem with its sellers.  Self inflicted but a problem nonetheless.

[ia_dane]

Relax and ship the item with perhaps a little extra packing as you would a domestic sale and enjoy the profits!!!

[mam98031]

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@ia_dane wrote:

Relax and ship the item with perhaps a little extra packing as you would a domestic sale and enjoy the profits!!!

---

The OP already did this a couple days ago.  But great advice.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

You can put the invoice or packing list in the box. Ebay will replace it with a new invoice which qualifies for customs in the destination country and shows Ebay as the exporter of record when it leaves the hub.

[dollocity]

Thank you for all your help And patience! 😊