Just tried new international shipping program - here's what to expect.

[richard1rst]

I'm sending a 6 pound package to a buyer in Germany. Ordinarily I would use USPS Priority Mail (cost $63.75) The new program was $57.00. Pirateship was the same $63.75.

So first - yes saved some money.

BUT

It shows a ship to address of:

EBAY INTERNATIONAL DELIVERY LAX

with an address in Redondo Beach CA.

and it is marked "Priority Mail 2-day". It shows a typical USPS tracking number but then below that a secondary bar code beginning ESUS. It is that ESUS number which shows up on my sold items page, not the USPS number. So if you do not make a note of that USPS number you will have no way of verifying that it actually made it to Redondo Beach.

I clicked the tracking number and it shows an estimated delivery date of Sunday March 15.

I know from past experience that shipments to Germany have only taken about 7-10 days by USPS so I am concerned about that 3/15 date. What is my buyer going to think when he sees that?

There is a reference number at the bottom of the label but I do not see any connection between that number and my order so it must be an internal thing to help them sort the package,.

Neither by buyer's name nor address nor country shows anywhere on the label.

It does show my address as the "ship from" although on these it also shows my eBay username.

If we ship to a freight forwarder then the delivery is considered complete once the forwarder gets it. i.e. no Not Received claim later on from the ultimate buyer.

Will the same apply here? If it gets lost between CA and Germany am I covered?

UNFORTUNATELY the label has the same orientation problems that FedEx labels have. I had to do a "screen print" and transfer it to a jpeg program to be able to rotate the label to get it to print correctly.

Hope this helps.

[a_sharper_image]

OK, this is a great concept, and could be a major improvement, BUT yes, very annoying that...

(1) Labels aren't properly formated for printing. I've taken screen shots, saved as PDFs, and printed at 80% full size. I could also create a custom paper size with a larger margin at the top but hoping eBay etc will figure it out.

(2) Nothing but the label! Like Fed Ex. All these need an option for the 'Online Label Record' we get with USPS shipping.

(3) Once the package leaves the eBay distribution center the tracking disappears on Sellers end! I was very surprised by this. One of my EU Buyers said he could see the track, the package was handed over to DHL.

(4) The eBay tracking # (ESUS________) aren't trackable by any service I know od. Unless you saved a copy of the shipping label that has also the USPS tracking # you won't have anything for reference, to go to post office with etc.

(5) The is no way to void a shipping label in Manage Shipping Labels. I printed one the other days and forgot to scale the label so it printed properly and I was out of luck.

I hadn't heard anything about this service before it started popping up as a shipping option, about March '20. Is eBay aware of these issues? As always, hard to tell.

I want to add here that this seems to me sort of a typical eBay 'feature'. Some good points but not completely implemented or tested or maybe even thought out, perhaps some bugs and no easy way to report them. It's fine, especially since we still have options for other types of shipments, but do you all *really* want eBay managing your payments?

[a_sharper_image]

Thanks!

[a_sharper_image]

New centers I believe, East coast > NY (my experience), West coast > CA (another Seller's post)

[a_sharper_image]

I had this experience also, extremely annoying, and one can't help but wonder if it's not deliberate  on part of eBay. Multiply our experience (my case the label printed incorrectly and I didn't notice at the time) times 1,000s of Sellers. Makes a nice little bonus for someone. Otherwise... WHY NOT JUST FIX IT!?!?!?

[a_sharper_image]

'inducted' lol sometimes I feel like we're just being assimilated by the Borg

[a_sharper_image]

'Your final value fee is assessed on the final price paid by the buyer' is ok using USPS for instance, since that cost is offset by the discount on shipping services, from 8% to over 20%. There is no discount for us with ES shipping so we're paying that out of pocket, from $2.00 to $5.00 per item in my case. Not worth it for Sellers, especially with the other problems discussed here.

[a_sharper_image]

AHA... just saw this
'Billing: You’ll only be invoiced for a shipping label once your parcel has been received at our consolidation center. If you don’t use a label, you won’t be charged for it so there's no need to void labels, simply discard them.'
I feel much better! Sorry those terrible things I said about eBay execs lining their pockets, sorry this time anyway 🙂

[steady_rest]

Update on my package sent to Canada on April 10. Tracking states it finally arrived to the destination country on April 24 but has not moved since as of May 06 with estimated delivery still showing May 19. This will be over 5 weeks to Canada from the US if it arrives on the stated date. Not impressed with the efficacy of this service.

[goslinge-36]

Sound like the GSP is easier for we (seller) to handle the order to other country , though the new international shipping program will cost less than the GSP ?

[tweetman1]

I have been looking for a solution to track ESUS labels here it is! 

Track ES numbers here: http://parcelsapp.com/en/carriers/easyship

[a_sharper_image]

I've had so many problems with eBay International Standard service I'm advising Buyers to use USPS. I've had the majority of them lost, no tracking past where they are scanned into sack either on eBay or at DHL site. Impossible to file a claim. Like many eBay roll out programs not ready for general consumption.

[a_sharper_image]

No savings for Sellers. Remember eBay keeps 10% of everything incl shipping.

If a Buyer pays $20 for USPS we get about a 20% discount (varies a lot) so Buyer pays us $20, eBay keeps $2, we have $18 to shipping. A 20% discount we pay $16 so actually make a little. Good, maybe we can buy insurance!

If a Buyer pays $20 for eBay International Standard there is no discount, we lose $2 that eBay keeps.

[a_sharper_image]

eBay told me that they don't deduct the shipping cost until the end of the month so if you don't use a label you're not charged. That of course raises a host of questions too.

[a_sharper_image]

eBay deducts 10%, or 1% less for TRS, of whatever Buyer pays, incl shipping, regardless of type of shipping.

There are actually less savings for Sellers with the eBay ISP since there are no discounted rates.

[a_sharper_image]

FVF is Final Value Fee, usually 10%, educated at end of month.