International customer upset package shipped by USPS but arrived by DHL

[negative-solutions]

So I've noticed the past few weeks that Ebay no longer prints USPS international first class labels.  It prints a domestic USPS label that gets sent to a routing center in the U.S.  I really didn't care initially.  As long as it gets there, right?

So now today I've run in to a problem with this new system Ebay is using.  I got an irate message from the international customer saying they never would have purchased from me if they'd known I was going to use DHL for delivery (something about how DHL in their country incurs additional fees for the addressee).  I explained that I shipped using USPS, and not DHL.  Of course it arrived with a DHL label and now they're angry, thinking it's somehow my fault.  Any way around this new USPS system?  The only way I can think of is to use a third service like Stamps (or I guess USPS itself) to print the international USPS label.  Seems to be the only way to ensure it gets there via USPS and not some other service.  

[coffeebean832]

You're using eBay's International Standard Delivery service where the US journey is via USPS and the international journey is via DHL.

eBay still offers USPS First Class International- you may need to click "compare all services" to see it in the list of choices when you print a shipping label.

Your listings show that you're shipping USPS First Class International- so if you plan on continuing with eBay International Standard Delivery then you need to update the shipping service on your listings.

Your buyer is upset because your listing stated one shipping method but you used a different shipping method which resulted in additional fees for them.

[chapeau-noir]

eBay continues to support first class international labeling.  Are you in the Global shipping program?  If so, you packages are getting redirected to the KY sort center and sent ahead from there.  Whatever they do with those packages at the sort center, and however they reship them is not under our control - if you are in that program, I would get out of it.

ETA:  Thanks@coffeebean832 - I'd forgot about the new international delivery service and came back to add that, but you've already cleared it up.

[buyselljack2016]

...

[fashunu4eeuh]

You are in the Global Shipping Program, unbeknownst to you. It is an eBay shipping service for sellers who do not wish to ship internationally. So the seller sends the package to the eBay hub in Kentucky where it can get repackaged and then sent on to the buyer thru Pitney Bowes' selected carrier. 

If I were a buyer, I also would be upset. The courier companies charge an often exorbitant fee to process the goods thru customs. USPS does not. 

Below is the link to the policy page explaining the program. It also tells you how to opt out. Not sure how you opted in unless eBay has some default setting you happened across.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/setting-shipping-options/global-shipping-program?id...

NOTE: i see others have answered with the same info, I must go to the slow-typing corner. I also forgot the choice to use International Standard Delivery. My bad.

[negative-solutions]

Thanks, everyone.  I'll check out what happened and see if I somehow opted in.  I've been shipping international for years and I just know that recently my international labels automatically started printing out domestic labels to a US routing center.  I'll have to check out the "compare all services" option.  

[coffeebean832]

Since introducing the service eBay has International Standard Delivery selected as the default on the label page. You need to actively choose USPS FCMI when you print the label since that's the service you're advertising.

Your listings don't show the GSP so it's unlikely you've been opted in to that program.

[pjcdn2005]

As coffeebean mentioned, it's likely that the label is defaulting to international standard even though that is not what you chose so you will have to change manually to first class international. I've read that some people have had problems finding first class int'l on the label program but it should still be available through Paypal.

I'm in Canada and I would be irked too if DHL was used for the final leg rather than USPS/Canada Post as   couriers generally has higher/more import charges.  I realize that in this case it wasn't intentional.