eBay

sin-n-dex · ‎10-26-2022

Sold a coin a few weeks ago, going to an APO address.

Printed postage on eBay, it looks domestic. According to eBay, APO is domestic. I applied exactly what printed to the package, and today I get it back saying that I need a customs form.

Well if I need a customs form, why isn't that part of the postage I printed? I went directly to the item to "print postage", there was no changing details on the sale that could cause any sort of problem. Seems to me if APO requires a customs form, eBay would link to the appropriate shipping label for this package.

I had to refund, problem with buyer's address and explain to the buyer why he's not getting his coin.

To add insult to injury, Chit Chats (my mail service) processes the return and charges $7 for accepting the package in Niagara and transporting it to the Chit Chats office in my city. (It's not generally unreasonable to do that, but for one, the item cost the buyer $6.95, and for two, the fact it's coming back to me is not directly my fault).

C.

joseh1445 · ‎10-26-2022

Maybe its because you live in Canada? APO is domestic for USA.

meekamaye · ‎10-26-2022

When I sent a packages to my grandson stationed in Kuwait/Iraq and Afghanistan through APO, I had to fill out a customs form was it is being shipped out of the USA to another country. I am not sure how Canada treats APO addresses but I know the US requires custom forms; as to eBay, I shipped to APO addresses years ago and just added the custom form myself. I don't remember if eBay prompted me to do it.

lepke1979 · ‎10-26-2022

Customs stuff is weird sometimes. I normally use Pirate Ship for labels and whenever I send something to Puerto Rico it has me fill out a customs form. Same goes for Mariana Islands and I think Guam. Never actually prints any customs info/form though. Not had an APO address yet. Wonder if it'd do the same?

lepke1979 · ‎10-26-2022

@joseh1445 wrote:
Maybe its because you live in Canada? APO is domestic for USA.

I might be getting her confused with someone else. But I think I recall her saying at one point her mail service sends stuff to the US side and mails stuff out via USPS.

wastingtime101 · ‎10-26-2022

The customs form should have generated, not sure why it didn't. It's actually a customs form / shipping label in one.

Can you go to the order and click purchase another label (you don't have to actually buy the label) to see what the screen looks like? Is the customs info there or not there?

If it's not there then this should be reported to CS or by tagging the eBay team on this forum.

GLORIOUS!

wastingtime101 · ‎10-26-2022

@joseh1445 wrote:
Maybe its because you live in Canada? APO is domestic for USA.

OP is in Canada, but she uses a courier service to ship direct with USPS. She buys USPS labels for her packages.

Either way, when I ship to APO the customs form is required even though it's a domestic shipping rate because ultimately the APO (Army Post Office) is overseas.

GLORIOUS!

sin-n-dex · ‎10-26-2022

@joseh1445 wrote:
Maybe its because you live in Canada? APO is domestic for USA.

I shipped it with USPS mailed from Niagara Falls. I buy my shipping on eBay.com, all USA shipping including APO is domestic for me.

C.

sin-n-dex · ‎10-26-2022

@meekamaye wrote:
When I sent a packages to my grandson stationed in Kuwait/Iraq and Afghanistan through APO, I had to fill out a customs form was it is being shipped out of the USA to another country. I am not sure how Canada treats APO addresses but I know the US requires custom forms; as to eBay, I shipped to APO addresses years ago and just added the custom form myself. I don't remember if eBay prompted me to do it.

If I shipped it from Canada, it would be like shipping anywhere in the US. I bought the postage on eBay, eBay knew I was shipping it from Niagara Falls. I don't need customs forms for anywhere else in the USA, and eBay didn't think I needed one for an APO address either, but USPS disagrees.

C.

sin-n-dex · ‎10-26-2022

@lepke1979 wrote:
Customs stuff is weird sometimes. I normally use Pirate Ship for labels and whenever I send something to Puerto Rico it has me fill out a customs form. Same goes for Mariana Islands and I think Guam. Never actually prints any customs info/form though. Not had an APO address yet. Wonder if it'd do the same?

I've shipped to Mariana and Puerto Rico (with eBay shipping), and it looks domestic to me. No customs form for PR. There's a buyer in Saipan that buys coins from me sometimes. Shipping shows extremely long for time, but no customs forms.

I shipped an APO one once before that I can recall and a customs form was printed. I think it was through eBay too. I trusted eBay would print the correct postage for where it's going.

C.

sin-n-dex · ‎10-26-2022

@wastingtime101 wrote:
The customs form should have generated, not sure why it didn't. It's actually a customs form / shipping label in one.

Can you go to the order and click purchase another label (you don't have to actually buy the label) to see what the screen looks like? Is the customs info there or not there?

If it's not there then this should be reported to CS or by tagging the eBay team on this forum.

The transaction is buried in my history... I can look into that tomorrow.

No customs form was generated. I remember how they look (because I ship with eBay postage to international spots) and they auto generate what's in the package and the dollar amount paid for the form. If I change nothing, it will print a customs form just like that. (Generally I streamline the description to be something a long more vague than the title of my listing). I would have thought even if I didn't notice the form, for one it would print, but secondly there's a box I'm supposed to check to affirm the description and value is accurate, or it won't print. Didn't seem to happen.

sin-n-dex · ‎10-26-2022

@wastingtime101 wrote:
@joseh1445 wrote:
Maybe its because you live in Canada? APO is domestic for USA.
OP is in Canada, but she uses a courier service to ship direct with USPS. She buys USPS labels for her packages.

Either way, when I ship to APO the customs form is required even though it's a domestic shipping rate because ultimately the APO (Army Post Office) is overseas.

It printed a form with the last package I remember printing... but I didn't question that one wasn't printed this time. I did apologize and explain to the buyer, then cancelled with "problem with address". USPS covered the barcode with their stickers so tracking never even showed that it came back, I just went into Chit Chats today and they gave it to me (they received it back in Niagara NY).

C.

wastingtime101 · ‎10-26-2022

Did you purchase the label as a single or in bulk? The customs info is semi-hidden with bulk shipping and it's easy to miss.

I agree the label shouldn't have printed without the customs form and am interested to know what happened. Feel free to tag me on a reply tomorrow after you're able to check the "purchase a new label" option from that transaction.

GLORIOUS!

12345jamesstamps · ‎10-26-2022

Sending a coin through the mail whether USA or Canada is a parcel and that requires a customs form. I am sure the envelope is somewhat not bendable. I mean, we can't bend the coin in that envelope.

Sometimes actually going to a post office one might learn a few things not known. I have mailed to Canada and have had stuff come from Canada to me. Tracking from Canada to USA can be expensive. So I guess there are ways getting around that. Got to be careful when item tries to go through...it's like gambling. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.

I mailed something in a small bubble envelope to Canada and it had to go parcel with a customs form. It was just a tiny insert for a ring that weighed nothing. But because it was a small bubble envelope and I was too lazy to go home and repackage it in a $1.40 envelope I paid big time for that mailing. Lesson learned going to my post office.

sin-n-dex · ‎10-26-2022

@wastingtime101 wrote:
Did you purchase the label as a single or in bulk? The customs info is semi-hidden with bulk shipping and it's easy to miss.

I agree the label shouldn't have printed without the customs form and am interested to know what happened. Feel free to tag me on a reply tomorrow after you're able to check the "purchase a new label" option from that transaction.

Due to my method for packing and shipping (and not messing things up), I print a packing slip first, then a shipping label, get it packed, and move on to the next. I've never used the bulk too. It looks useful, but I feel safer doing them one at a time and inspecting each one.

C.