WARNING: there is ZERO customer service available for issues with the new international shipping

[thelatelydeal]

I’ve had an international return open since October 1. I’ve had many issues that I’ve needed to deal with regarding this. Just so everyone knows I’ve called and chatted with eBay about 20 times for this issue, and NONE of the customer service representatives have a clue about how international returns work. They keep telling me the “international team works offline” and I will receive a follow up. Well, after I chatted 20 times I’ve received NO FOLLOW-UP in 10 days (Which is pretty on brand for eBay). In fact, every representative asked ME if I refunded the buyer or if I’ve accepted the return. So they don’t even understand their own program; eBay is supposed to completely take care of this international return. I even have an email stating this. It’s a nightmare. I don’t recommend using this program because as always, ebay rolls programs out and then they don’t have the support or customer service to deal with the issues. 

[vintage-camerastuff]

I’ve had an international return open since October 1. I’ve had many issues that I’ve needed to deal with regarding this. Just so everyone knows I’ve called and chatted with eBay about 20 times for this issue, and NONE of the customer service

You've called CS 20 times.  Why are you wasting your time?   Ebay EIS will take care of it.  You don't have to do anything.   When I am contacted by the buyer I tell them to open an item not received case and ebay will take care of it.   Ebay has always paid or eventually delivered the package.   This is no longer your problem.   Just STOP, BREATH, RELAX.  It will be taken care of.   

[mam98031]

If you are using EIS, you don't handle an international return.  Your responsibility stopped as soon at your package was accepted at the Ebay processing center.  From there is it all Ebay's responsibility, to include processing a return.  You won't get the item back, Ebay gets it.  And Ebay refunds the buyer, the seller doesn't.

If you take a moment and explain what exactly your problem is, it is likely one of us here can help you.

If you still want to contact Ebay I would suggest that you contact Ebay for Business on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for the better trained CSRs.

Here are your options for contacting Ebay Customer Service.  Please be aware that for social media CS, you send them a Private Message and briefly explain what your problem or issue is.  Feel free to leave your Name, address, phone number and/or your email address in this message.  It is private and secure and it may help to speed up the response for you.

https://twitter.com/askebay

https://www.facebook.com/eBay/

https://www.instagram.com/ebayforsellers/

Your options will be on the left.  If you use the link below you can only get to the Automated Assistant or Chat box type AGENT in the box and hit enter. You will then get more options.  Not all options are available 24/7.  It will depend on staffing available.  So sometimes you can request a call back and sometimes you can't.  Sometimes you have the Chat option available and other times it won't me.  If it is important to you to use one of those options, just try back later.

If you use a cell phone or other mobile device, you may need to turn off your Spam filter so that Ebay can call you.

If you are a seller outside of the US or Canada, you will need to use the Chat Option.

https://www.ebay.com/help/home

[just-me]

I think it's great, aside from how slow it is and the terrible tracking.  However, the returns my customers have initiated have all been handled by eBay, I have not had to click a thing, accept, refund, etc.  It seems that it also takes a long time, but I have had zero issues on that front for myself.  I have been pleased with it for the most part.  I'm sorry you are having a different experience.

[reallynicestamps]

Your responsibility stopped as soon at your package was accepted at the Ebay processing center.

To be more precise, your responsibility for delivery stopped as soon at your package was accepted at the Ebay processing center.

You may or may not be responsible for a Not As Described dispute.

But generally, stay away from the phone reps.

Stick with the Chats with eBay employees on social media who are better trained and have some authority.

And you get a transcript so you can check if what you heard is the same as what you were told.

[trendsandfriends]

I agree, The EBAY international (no Hassles)!!  program does not work, the systems do not communicate with each other or the buyer or seller, NO ONE know a thing about it when you reach out... I have been told Many different procedures for the same question. none have been the correct answer.  It just not working-   I am going to end all international shipping on my listings, my items make it to the Ebay hub, then 50% of the time or more, they are in tracking Lala land, and a month later I must Give a refund, then I try to get the  extra charges paid to eBay back, as I refund more than my Net, Yesterday I was hit with a $23.00 charge for International shipping, but the Buyer Paid 16.00 I paid 9.99 to ship to HUB, Ebay said it would be $13.00 Total, buyer paid 16, the I paid $9.99 Plus another  $23.00 (sorry, Didn't pay they TOOK it out of my sales fund without explanation) I did get a real person on Chat at Ebay, they said they will refund something like $12.00 ,- I'll put that with the other 3 refunds they have told me I would get for international issues  and never saw- all for an item that I sold for $35.00, The post office weighed the item , so it was not overweight,  so I lost $28.00 on this transaction alone, I have 3 items that Ebay HUB said would be returned to me, I refunded the International buyers,  still 3 months later have not seen the items returned back to me from the USA Ebay HUB,  I am not notified that anything even has an issue, I usually find out 2 months or so later when the buyer  puts in Item not received,   - so I immediately  offer a refund to keep my 100% rating,   Then today, an Item shipped to Brazil in mid-august, that still shows in -route, The buyer without reaching out to me left feedback that the item arrived damaged, it's been in the possession of USPS, Ebay HUB, Customs, half a dozen agencies between USA and Brazil, I  added up all my international NET sales Vs. added cost such as fees on those international sales, Plus and international Selling fee and all those unexpected charges and refunds, I have received  $2397 in international sales and lost $490 on those one all added up and deduct the losses, it's NOT worth it. 

[trendsandfriends]

, I absolutely am using the HUB that's when I have the issues, if I circumvent and send International direct to buyer, I have had ZERO issues, except it cost more to ship and there are no seller protections, I add insurance and signature with no issues.  

[robbie31415]

Because you don't understand the program and customer service doesn't know how to direct you properly because the EIS team is completely separate.

There is literally 0 loss from using the program.

For some reason YOU are refunding when that isn't your place. Stop refunding. EBay will refund eventually out of their pocket.

With eIS you literally do NOTHING.

[dbfolks166mt]

To be more precise, your responsibility for delivery stopped as soon at your package was accepted at the Ebay processing center.

You may or may not be responsible for a Not As Described dispute.

     From everything I see in the policy you NOT responsible for a NAD chargeback. 

• When you ship internationally using eBay International Shipping, you're responsible for getting packages safely to the US shipping hub. If a buyer reports that an item was lost or damaged during international shipping or it is damaged at the hub, we'll work with the buyer to resolve the issue. You're protected from:
  • the obligation to refund the buyer
  • eBay Money Back Guarantee cases
  • payment disputes
  • open ‘Not as described’ returns in your service metrics

[dbfolks166mt]

I agree, The EBAY international (no Hassles)!!  program does not work, the systems do not communicate with each other or the buyer or seller, NO ONE know a thing about it when you reach out... I have been told Many different procedures for the same question. none have been the correct answer.  It just not working-   I am going to end all international shipping on my listings, my items make it to the Ebay hub, then 50% of the time or more, they are in tracking Lala land, Not your problem or concern that is eBay's issue to work and a month later I must Give a refund, You should NEVER have to refund if you are using EIS if you have been the buyer is getting double their refund since eBay is also refunding them.  

then I try to get the  extra charges paid to eBay back, as I refund more than my Net, Yesterday I was hit with a $23.00 charge for International shipping, You don't pay the international leg the buyer pays that directly to eBay

 the Buyer Paid 16.00 I paid 9.99 to ship to HUB, Ebay said it would be $13.00 Total, buyer paid 16, the I paid $9.99 not unusual buyer generally sees and pays retail you buy the labels at discounted rates 

Plus another  $23.00 (sorry, Didn't pay they TOOK it out of my sales fund without explanation) Check your account history and you should be able to find out what the $23 was for. 

I did get a real person on Chat at Ebay, they said they will refund something like $12.00 ,- I'll put that with the other 3 refunds they have told me I would get for international issues  and never saw- all for an item that I sold for $35.00, The post office weighed the item , so it was not overweight,  so I lost $28.00 on this transaction alone, I have 3 items that Ebay HUB said would be returned to me,  If this is a buyer requested return the hub does NOT return items to the seller they keep them and dispose of them. They are also the ones that refund the buyers. 

I refunded the International buyers, not sure why 

still 3 months later have not seen the items returned back to me from the USA Ebay HUB,   And you probably never will that is how the program is designed to work

I am not notified that anything even has an issue, I usually find out 2 months or so later when the buyer  puts in Item not received,   - so I immediately  offer a refund to keep my 100% rating,   You fail to understand how the program works. 

Then today, an Item shipped to Brazil in mid-august, that still shows in -route, The buyer without reaching out to me left feedback that the item arrived damaged, it's been in the possession of USPS, Ebay HUB, Customs, half a dozen agencies between USA and Brazil, That feedback can be removed based on the EIS policy. 

I  added up all my international NET sales Vs. added cost such as fees on those international sales, Plus and international Selling fee and all those unexpected charges and refunds, I have received  $2397 in international sales and lost $490 on those one all added up and deduct the losses, it's NOT worth it. Had you understood how the program worked you would have never lost anything. The seller protections under EIS are weighted almost 100% in favor of the seller. 

[mam98031]

---

@reallynicestamps wrote:

Your responsibility stopped as soon at your package was accepted at the Ebay processing center.

To be more precise, your responsibility for delivery stopped as soon at your package was accepted at the Ebay processing center.

You may or may not be responsible for a Not As Described dispute.

But generally, stay away from the phone reps.

Stick with the Chats with eBay employees on social media who are better trained and have some authority.

And you get a transcript so you can check if what you heard is the same as what you were told.

---

@reallynicestamps 

The EIS policy doesn't read that way.  Is there something else that is giving you this opinion?  When don't they cover them?

Benefits of eBay International Shipping

As well as making your items available to buyers in over 200 countries, there are several other benefits to using eBay International Shipping:

• When you ship internationally using eBay International Shipping, you're responsible for getting packages safely to the US shipping hub. If a buyer reports that an item was lost or damaged during international shipping or it is damaged at the hub, we'll work with the buyer to resolve the issue. You're protected from:
  • the obligation to refund the buyer
  • eBay Money Back Guarantee cases
  • payment disputes
  • open ‘Not as described’ returns in your service metrics
• Any negative or neutral feedback related to item handling that can be attributed to the eBay International Shipping program during international transit will be removed
• Save on selling fees for your international transactions, including no international fee
• All international returns and refunds will be handled on your behalf
• If you schedule Time Away, the estimated delivery date will be updated to reflect this
• You'll be protected against item not received claims and chargebacks
• eBay International Shipping costs are on average 5% cheaper than eBay's pre-negotiated USPS international rates

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

[blurryrobot]

Och, I knew I was avoiding this new Ebay program for some reason.   

It's a shame.  Ebay International Standard Delivery had gotten to the point where it worked pretty well.  It was a bit cheaper than USPS First Class Package, and at least it had some form of insurance.  Of course that is par for the course, if by some miracle a program starts working, naturally it has to be replaced with something else...

[mam98031]

---

@blurryrobot wrote:

Och, I knew I was avoiding this new Ebay program for some reason.   

It's a shame.  Ebay International Standard Delivery had gotten to the point where it worked pretty well.  It was a bit cheaper than USPS First Class Package, and at least it had some form of insurance.  Of course that is par for the course, if by some miracle a program starts working, naturally it has to be replaced with something else...

---

@blurryrobot 

If you read through the thread, you will see that the title of this thread is not correct.  There is customer service.  Some just don't know how to locate it.  We have help on Social media and on the site.  There are links at the top of every Ebay page and again at the bottom to get you to customer service.

The EIS program is an extremely good program.  Just above your post you can see where I outlined the benefits and gave a link to the policy on EIS.

[blurryrobot]

Well, if it's so good, then why won't they let me try it on just a handful of items? Set it as the shipping method, same as any other shipping method.  

Why the all-or-nothing opt-in?  Hmm. 

A thing that is really good, should sell itself, if you simply present it as an option.  So why the gimmicky deployment? 

[mam98031]

---

@blurryrobot wrote:

Well, if it's so good, then why won't they let me try it on just a handful of items? Set it as the shipping method, same as any other shipping method.  

Why the all-or-nothing opt-in?  Hmm. 

A thing that is really good, should sell itself, if you simply present it as an option.  So why the gimmicky deployment? 

---

Well you can.  Because you aren't aware of how to do something, doesn't mean you can't do it.  It only means you aren't aware of how to do it.  

I respect your opinion that the release was "gimmicky", I don't agree with it, but I respect your opinion.

The key to be more selective in which listings will use EIS and which ones won't will be in the Business Policies you set up and assign to each of your listings.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/business-policy/business-policies?id=4212

Now to be honest, I don't mess with these.  I have all my listings available to ship internationally via EIS.