eBay Admits to Competing With Sellers - Plans to resell eBay International Shipping (EIS) Returns

[mybigsale]

And that is why this quote from Chad Stewart, Director, U.S. Exports at eBay, caught my attention discussing the mechanics of the new eBay International Shipping (eIS) program.

“Those [returned] items come back to our hub in Chicago, at which point we are then preparing those items to be sold again on the site. So those items will not be destroyed unless obviously they’re somehow come back to us destroyed. But the vast majority of these items end up just finding another home with a buyer within the United States as we try to list those items on the site as well.”

eBay Admits to Competing With Sellers (eseller365.com)

[gone.c-33]

This isn’t much different that the former Global Shipping Program:

Whatever items were rejected for any reasons with the seller keeping their money was resold by a specific account on eBay.

If the seller keeps the money, why would eBay try and recoup their cost by selling the items?

[janet9988]

Just think about how much information ebay is gathering from sellers when they hold their money and request documentation showing the sellers supplier and purchase receipts. Now ebay can sell that information to anyone to compete against that  seller.

[buyselljack2016]

Well, sort of yes, and no.

Seems it was clarified on the Monthly Chat with eBay Staff (May 10th) that items are liquidate to a 3rd party vendor.

eBay has no control of where those items are then sold, so that statement

"finding another home with a buyer within the United States as we try to list those items on the site as well.”

may have been sort of debunked.

[buyselljack2016]

to add:

Also seems the statement that the "items come back to our hub" is a misstatement.   Why would they ever leave the hub?

[mybigsale]

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@buyselljack2016 wrote:

to add:

Also seems the statement that the "items come back to our hub" is a misstatement.   Why would they ever leave the hub?

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These are not the rejected items. These are items that have been returned for whatever reason. I believe sellers keep their money and eBay keeps the returned items.  Makes sense eBay will want to recoup money by reselling items.

So you are saying eBay has claimed they are not going to resell EIS Returns?

[monica-sells]

"...a big nothing burger....."

seriously, why do you care what I do with something once I buy it from you.....

you got paid, it is no longer your item....

have you ever went to a USPS auction? Abandoned items, undelivered items....

I suppose the USPS is now in competition with you........

[1tuna]

I have been following this for a while

it was also stated that the return items will not be returned to the USA hub but will be liquidated in the country they were sent to

eIS is a  very generous program as far as I can tell and I am sure that ebay wants to recoup the money they are shelling out when a buyer changes there mind

@mybigsale 

[toysaver]

"we are then preparing those items to be sold again on the site"

I'll watch to see how that pans out.   My brother lives in the town next door.  It's all part of the huge of metropolis of Chicago so any sale or auction will be competitive.

[mybigsale]

@monica-sells 

seriously, why do you care what I do with something once I buy it from you.....

I don't. Buy all my items and give them away or resell them. I don't mind if any other seller does the same.

Tell me eBay owns your store and is using all their resources to ensure your items sell, then I would be concerned.  I definitely don't want to be a vendor on Am?zon directly competing with an item Am?zon is selling.

[mybigsale]

@1tuna 

I have used the Global Shipping program without any issues for years. I now use the EIS program and it seems to be even better. No complaints. 

[monica-sells]

ok...there is some validity in that viewpoint...but the 'headline' is a bit misleading.....

what say you if the 'liquidator' of these uses multiple platforms to sell off the merchandise....(Poshmark for clothes, Etsy for handmade, Amazon for merchandise, Mercari for everything under a dollar) as well as ebay....

That's the way I read into it....

[nuclearomen]

it's nothing out of the ordinary. 
The practice of resell of items that come back for whatever reason, returned by buyers, returned by mail system as undeliverable, returned for dues not paid or refused... resell of those merchandise has been a practice for decades but every company does it differently. In this case ebay is selling those items, though likely to a vendor, and dirt costs and they put a little money into their pocket and wash their hands of the items, the vendor buying them is then responsible to turn them over and make profit. Not any different for any reselling purchasing stock. I don't use the EIS, or the GSP when was that but it's obvious things come back to them and something has to be done with that merchandise. In this case, seems ebay's new EIS program allows sellers to keep the funds so your not losing anything, sold your item, made your money/profit who cares what they do with it after, move on. 

[mybigsale]

So Chad Stewart, Director, U.S. Exports at eBay was completely off the mark with the statement

"finding another home with a buyer within the United States as we try to list those items on the site as well.”

eBay uses an off-site 3rd party vendor and has no future plans to have items listed on eBay as stated by Chad Stewart?

Good to know.

[maxine*j]

Nothing new.  If something can't be shipped after all, or ends kicked back from customs, or whatever, both the buyer and the seller are refunded.  Neither loses a dime.  Some of that money is recouped by selling the item.  It was always this way with the GSP, too.  It makes perfect sense. 

As another poster pointed out, this is a standard practice.  Customs holds auctions for unclaimed items.  USPS, FedEx, UPS, and DHL all auction off unclaimed or undeliverable items. 

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