Problem:
Many international sellers list their items on eBay.com. Since the new U.S. tariff rules came into effect, duties must now be paid on almost everything. Local postal services in many countries have even stopped accepting packages going to the U.S., because USPS and U.S. Customs require packages to be customs-cleared before arrival.
This leaves sellers with two options:
DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): The seller pays all duties and taxes upfront. The buyer only pays the item price + shipping, and the package arrives with no extra costs.
Duties Unpaid: The buyer receives a surprise bill on delivery, often higher than the item’s actual value.
Carriers like UPS and DHL support both methods.
The issue on eBay:
Right now, eBay automatically shows this message on all listings from outside the U.S.:
“Due to U.S. policies, import fees for this item will need to be paid to customs or the shipping carrier on delivery.”
This message is only accurate when sellers use duties unpaid shipping. But many sellers, including myself, want to offer DDP shipping so that buyers have no surprise costs at delivery. Unfortunately, eBay provides no way for sellers to indicate this. As a result, buyers may be discouraged from purchasing because they think they’ll face extra fees—even when they won’t.
Request:
Can eBay add an option for sellers to select DDP shipping? This would remove or change the misleading message and clearly show buyers when all duties are already covered.
