Getting the shipping details correct

[lones9045]

Hi All, Am a newcomer to Ebay, so am not sure if I'm doing things correctly. A while ago, I tried to put up a listing. It didn't appear; no reason was given. However I had problems filling in the shipping details and wonder if this was the reason. I'm based in the UK (though am now in Spain). When I put in my UK post code to estimate shipping costs, the 'zip code' was rejected. What can I do? I'm trying to use Ebay.com, not Ebay.co.uk as I'm trying to sell a particular item with a very specialised market where most of the buyers are in the US. Any advice most gratefully appreciated!

[downrightspecialkids]

You might have better luck posting this question to ebay UK groups. Also, if you are in Spain, why are you inputting a postal code for the UK?  Postal code should reflect your location, or are you trying to drop ship?

You can post to ebay UK and add shipping to the US and items will show here. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

---

@lones9045 wrote: ...  I'm trying to use Ebay.com, not Ebay.co.uk ...

---

eBay.com is the US site.  Listings on eBay.com can use calculated shipping only for items that are shipped from the US. If you are shipping from outside the US, then you cannot set up calculated shipping on ebay.com because it requires a US postal code (i.e, ZIP Code).  You have to set up a flat price for "domestic" shipping which will apply to orders that are shipped to buyers who are in  the US.

If you are in the UK, then in order to use calculated shipping you must list on the UK site.

[wastingtime101]

When you choose flat rate shipping, @lones9045, there will be more shipping methods to choose from. Make sure you select the correct shipping speed and choose one that says shipping from outside the US. You don't want to select the wrong shipping service, particularly a domestic service, thereby showing buyers unrealistic delivery dates and increasing the item not received claims you'll have to deal with.

[lones9045]

Many thanks. I inputted my UK postal code when I was in the UK.

[lones9045]

Many thanks. Perhaps I should restate the problem. My likely buyers are in the US and seem to use Ebay.com Some to the sellers to them have been based outside the US - e.g. the UK, Canada, Australia. I simply want to make contact with these likely buyers somehow. Looks like I'll be on the Spanish version of Ebay now! But will this alert US buyers??

[lones9045]

Many thanks. Obviously I've got to get the shipping options right. But got to get the location problem right first! If i'm in Spain, how will buyers in the US know about my listing? Sorry if I'm being obtuse about this. My first ever foray onto Ebay and a tricky one - specialist product, specialist market, mostly in the US.

[bonjourami]

When selling from Spain you cant list internationally?Theres usually a fee for that...then block the countries you dont want to sell to,other than the U.S..You need to change your registration to the actual country you are selling from..Spain.

[wastingtime101]

---

@lones9045 wrote:

 Looks like I'll be on the Spanish version of Ebay now! But will this alert US buyers??

---

It should appear in search settings here if you offer shipping to the United States in your shipping settings. Typically it would display under regular search results as listings from international sellers, however, there should be an option on the listing form to dual-list your .es listing on .com for an added fee.

You can visit the .es community and ask the sellers there for more help.

[pjcdn2005]

US buyers 'may' see your listing on other ebay sites if you ship to the US but they WILL see it if you list on .com.  I'm in Canada and often list on .com so its definitely possible.  If the items are aimed at US buyers then I would definitely make the effort to list here.

You're having problems when you enter your postal code in the item location area near the bottom? If so, you can try entering the country and city and leaving that area blank. Or is the problem in another area?  As other poster's mentioned you can't use calculated shipping when you are shipping from outside of the US so the main purpose to entering your location is so that buyers know where you are shipping from.  

[lones9045]

Many thanks. Didn't know about blocking countries. Virtually all sales of this item go to the US, so blocking other countries doesn't seem likely to affect sales. 

[lones9045]

Thanks. Will go and have a look. 

[lones9045 · Accepted solution]

Thank you. I feel exactly this way that listing on .com moves visibility from a 'may' to a 'will' - and that's exactly what I want. As you say, you're in Canada and list on .com and there have been other sellers of my item in Australia, Canada and the UK - so it's definitely possible. I thought that the postcode was mandatory but I'll change my details to Spain and give it a go, once again. I can appreciate that buyers want to know where you're based/shipping from, have no problem with this at all. (It may help that the item is a very specialised piece of climbing equipment and I'm a reasonably well-known climber - rather than a totally known seller from the back of beyond. Hopefully this will give people added confidence!) Anyway, thank you once again for your help and I'd like to thank everyone once again for their help.