eBay

cry2115 · ‎02-10-2022

Hi. I'm relatively new at this. Well, I used to sell on eBay before, but it was many, many years ago. I'm hoping to get some advice and feedback on a shipping situation I find myself in. So on my eBay listings I only offer domestic shipping. I received an international fee from eBay on one of my sold items. The reason given for said fee is that the buyer's main address is located in another country. Now the ship to address that I'm being provided is a domestic address. I know a couple of people to have had the same situation arise and each time that they went ahead and shipped the item they end up with the buyer claiming the item was broken when it arrives. Now they are out of the money and the product. Has anyone else experienced this? Can I cancel the buyer's order and refuse shipment? Thank you for your time..

Crystal

alcoforever · ‎02-10-2022

You could cancel using reason problem with buyer's address.

What you have encountered is a foreign buyer using a US based freight forwarder. The reason you get hit with the foreign transaction fee is the buyer is paying with a foreign currency.

Not all such foreign buyers are scammers. I have sold many items that way and never had a problem but then I was selling in a very low scam category. YMMV.

glgenterprise · ‎02-11-2022

You can't really use the problem with buyer's address - they've provided a valid US address for shipment, which abides by your listing requirements. You can get away with it, but if sellers continue to use this option when they just don't want to ship an item, we are going to lose this option for cancelling in legitimate situations.

The international fee has nothing to do with the ship to address and everything to do with the buyer's payment source being an international bank.

It's one of the holes that we can't plug with managed payments. With PP we had the option to block international payment sources - we don't have that with managed payments.

There has been some discussion that if a foreign buyer uses a freight forwarder, they give up some of their buyer protections - in particular the INR claims. You show it delivered to the US address - the INR is off the table. The SNAD is another story - but I believe you are only responsible for getting back from the US address. If I got a SNAD from a forwarded item, I'd probably approve the return and issue the label through eBay's system. It's the buyer's problem to get it back to where it was shipped from in the US. I don't know how well that would hold up against eBay's clueless CS - but it would be worth the try for me.

cry2115 · ‎02-11-2022

UPDATE: I contacted eBay's customer service through the online chat last night. I was told by the customer service representative that the buyer was based in Arizona. So I asked why is eBay charging me an International fee if they're based in the States. I was told that the buyer's main address, the one they used when they initially signed up for eBay, is in Italy. So, even if they moved here to United States (i.e. Arizona per se), and they live in the United States and I'm shipping to a state in the United States, because their initial address is Italy I'm being charged an international fee. Apparently the main address you use when initializing your eBay account cannot be changed. That account would have to be closed a new one opened.. Makes absolutely no sense to me.. I told her that eBay needs to give themselves a big clap on the back for that loophole. The fact that they are going to charge me an international fee even though it's not going internationally, at all, is some straight crap. I was refunded the small fee and told that next time I should check the buyer's address to make sure it's not international. I had to explain to her that I can't check addresses until a buyer purchases something from me and then we're still in the same boat.

So, Just a heads up... you're not only getting charged an international fee if the buyer is using a freight forwarder. eBay is also charging it if the buyer actually does reside in the states but originally signed up for their eBay account while living in a foreign country.

Crystal

janet9988 · ‎02-13-2022

It seems that the buyer is in the wrong for having false sign up info if they are till being allowed to use that account given what the customer service rep stated to you.

Also, ebay is in the wrong for falsely collecting that fee since they will not shut down that account and tell the buyer to oepn a new account correctly.

For some......It seems wisdom has been chasing you, but you have always been faster.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎02-13-2022

@cry2115 wrote:
UPDATE: I contacted eBay's customer service through the online chat last night. I was told by the customer service representative that the buyer was based in Arizona. So I asked why is eBay charging me an International fee if they're based in the States. I was told that the buyer's main address, the one they used when they initially signed up for eBay, is in Italy.....

So, Just a heads up... you're not only getting charged an international fee if the buyer is using a freight forwarder. eBay is also charging it if the buyer actually does reside in the states but originally signed up for their eBay account while living in a foreign country.

The customer service rep was inaccurate. This comment in the post before yours sums it up correctly: "The international fee has nothing to do with the ship to address and everything to do with the buyer's payment source being an international bank." The fee is not based on the buyer's current location OR on his country of registration; it's based on where his bank is.

yuzuha · ‎02-13-2022

@alcoforever wrote:
You could cancel using reason problem with buyer's address.

Actually, the blues have said in other threads that this is NOT a valid use of that cancellation option and can lead to a defect if the buyer decides to report it.

ise710 · ‎02-14-2022

@nobody*s_perfect wrote:
@cry2115 wrote:
@glgenterprise wrote:
The international fee has nothing to do with the ship to address and everything to do with the buyer's payment source being an international bank.
UPDATE: I contacted eBay's customer service through the online chat last night.
I was told that the buyer's main address, the one they used when they initially signed up for eBay, is in Italy.....

So, Just a heads up...
eBay is also charging it if the buyer actually does reside in the states but originally signed up for their eBay account while living in a foreign country.
The customer service rep was inaccurate. This comment in the post before yours sums it up correctly: "The international fee has nothing to do with the ship to address and everything to do with the buyer's payment source being an international bank." The fee is not based on the buyer's current location OR on his country of registration; it's based on where his bank is.

The customer service rep was inaccurate.

The customer service rep was accurate.

This comment in the post before yours sums it up correctly

The comment in the second post after yours sums it up incorrectly.

Because eBay says here:

If your registered address is in the US, we charge an International fee if either:

The delivery address for the item (entered by the buyer during checkout) is outside the US, or
The buyer's registered address is outside the US (regardless of the delivery address for the item)

rosesfinds777 · ‎03-29-2023

I got charged a international fee to ship to Delaware USA? What does this fee pay for?

Ebay Operator (does not answer question) The fee is charged when buyer is registered outside the country

WHY do I have to pay the fee because the buyer lives outside the country or has a registered address outside the country?

Ebay operator (does not answer question) The fee is charged when buyer is registered outside the country.

I don't live outside the country and I am registered for no international sales. Shouldn't the buyer pay this fee?

Ebay operator (does not answer question) The fee is charged when buyer is registered outside the country Before you ship you need to check buyers address.

Buyers address says he lives in Delaware USA. Are you telling me i have to check every buyers feedback page to see if they are registered outside the country even though they have a US address?

Yes The fee is charged when buyer is registered outside the country.

But i have already made the sale, the item is paid for.

Then in order to not pay the fee you need to cancel the sale. Yes cancel the sale.

IF i cancel the sale you will DUN my account.

Then don't cancel the sale. The fee is charged when buyer is registered outside the country

You need to have these buyer change their registered address

Not my problem. If you sell an item to a buyer with a foreign registered address a fee is charged.

What does this fee pay for? (Again no answer to the question) The fee is charged when buyer is registered outside the country

It sounds like another Ebay money grab to me. Another way to suck money out of sellers.

chris13 · ‎03-29-2023

Having circled this drain myself recently and feeling no particular compulsion to be an apologist for ebay, I agree that this design has resulted in sellers incurring fees and risks that have no clear recourse.

Intent aside, there is no technical reason that eBay could not change this poor design, or close this loophole, however they wish to describe it. If they have a 'hook' to know how to charge the fee, they have a 'hook' to know how to configure sellers to choose how to manage THEIR business. As I hear all the time on these forums...WE are the seller, not eBay.

czekl123 · ‎01-30-2024

The solution is simple and Ebay does this on purpose. If I chose only domestic shipping, then clearly there should be a box, or a direct carry over to NOT accept payments from international banks. Clear as day.

If Ebay knows the bank is international, then they can give me the option to not accept payment and to cancel the order.

As others have pointed out, it is a straight up money grab. Completely unethical and very easy to fix on their end.

solidguitar1961 · ‎01-30-2024

It's a 1.75% fee . How much are you really losing?

robercol_709 · ‎01-30-2024

If the destination within the U.S. is in Illinois, it's like going through the international shipping hub located there before moving on to the next destination.

solidguitar1961 · ‎01-30-2024

Look up money conversion rates.

theteamsetguy · ‎01-30-2024

@czekl123 ,

So, you would rather lose a $50.00 sale over eighty three pennies? Almost all of my foreign customers are repeat buyers. I just got one from Australia for $130.00 the other day. Gladly pay the extra two hundred fifteen pennies for that order. This was the second order from the guy.