eBay

retrogames10000 · ‎09-09-2023

I had a buyer with APO AP PO BOX

Our printing label was a customs form?? I thought that eBay handled this with international shipping??

My plan was to mail this Monday - but unfortunately it was mailed without my knowledge today - and shipped without a signature certifying no hazardous materials.. The sale was for one video game.

What should I expect at this point? Does this piece of mail stand a good chance of reaching the destination? Should I contact the buyer in advance?

Thanks for your help

wastingtime101 · ‎09-09-2023

It's not international shipping, but it may require a customs form.

APO / FPO are military addresses, considered domestic shipments, even though they may travel overseas.

Unless you block this location in your shipping preferences, you ship there just as you would any other domestic transaction, but yes, you may need to fill out a customs form. eBay automatically fills it out for you and you can review/edit before you buy the label. You're forced to check a box verifying the info is correct.

I can't recall if your signature appears as a printed name on eBay labels or if you're required to manually sign. On other shipping providers it usually prints my name on the signature line so I don't have to sign anything.

If you go to your labels page and use the reprint option, do you see your name on the signature line @retrogames10000 ?

GLORIOUS!

ckimodog · ‎09-09-2023

@retrogames10000

APO/FPO is a US post office for the military who are deployed overseas, etc. I have shipped to APO/FPO's many times and never needed a customs form. It's just like shipping anywhere else in the US unless it has changed. I shipped an item via APO a few months ago and it was just like shipping to anywhere else in the US.

12345jamesstamps · ‎09-09-2023

It is considered USA so it would not require a customs form.

No tracking? I mailed a lot of items without a problem. Never got feedback from any APO which is strange.

Assuming it wasn't a big money item it should be OK without a signature using USPS.

monica-sells · ‎09-09-2023

Where was it sent to?

If it went to the International Hub, you are fine. The customs forms are generated through EiS.

If you had a ship-to address that was actually the address of the buyer (the APO) then you should have had generated customs forms when you did the label. It would have been automatic through ebay shipping labels or any recognized provider (Pirateship, ShipStation, etc....)

I have only encountered a "customs-style" label once with an APO address....

all the rest have looked just like any other domestic label

retrogames10000 · ‎09-09-2023

There is definitely a space for the sender's signature and date.

Thank you all for your replies. I am optimistic that it will arrive at the destination.

Yes it was a curveball this morning that I had to print out a full-size sheet for the label, as I only have a 4x6 printer.. She ran to the library and printed and mailed it off during my nap 🙂

It should be ok!

theteamsetguy · ‎09-09-2023

@retrogames10000 ,

I have shipped hundreds of items over the years to the men and women who sacrifice their lives for us with APO addresses on foreign soil with no problems. They are the true heroes of this country.

wastingtime101 · ‎09-09-2023

@ckimodog wrote:
I have shipped to APO/FPO's many times and never needed a customs form.

@12345jamesstamps wrote:
It is considered USA so it would not require a customs form.

It depends where the base is located. If it's in the US, as many are, there will not be a customs form. If it's overseas, the system will generate a label with customs form on the left. Even if the base is overseas, it's considered a domestic shipment.

GLORIOUS!