eBay standard envelope option isn't being allowed

[this_is_pop_culture]

I've been selling embroidered patches. It qualifies for a first class letter shipping rate because it's a flat plain envelope. I can print the postage via eBay options. I've sold dozens with no trouble. Now it's not allowing me to pick that shipping option even though the buyer selected it. In the listing of options it's grayed out and it says (basically) that the info in the listing won't allow it. I used a template I made to make the listing, the same one I use with all the patches. I've gone through the listing several times looking for the problem. I even pulled a sold listing from yesterday, put in a separate window and looked at the two listings side by side. I didn't see an issue. Please help!

[fbusoni]

@this_is_pop_culture 

Is the selling category for this listing different from the others?  

 

[1786davycrockett]

@this_is_pop_culture 

Some of your patch items are listed under "Collectibles & Art >Animation Art & Merchandise>Animation Merchandise>Other Animation Merchandise."

Change your category to "Collectibles & Art," with a subset of "Patches."

Problem solved.

[this_is_pop_culture]

I'm not seeing Collectibles & Art as a category option.

[1786davycrockett]

@this_is_pop_culture 

Look under "Collectibles," and scroll until you find your specific category, then find "Patches."

For example --

Collectibles & Art

• Sewing
• Embellishments & Finishes
• Patches

[wastingtime101]

---

@1786davycrockett wrote:

@this_is_pop_culture 

Some of your patch items are listed under "Collectibles & Art >Animation Art & Merchandise>Animation Merchandise>Other Animation Merchandise."

Change your category to "Collectibles & Art," with a subset of "Patches."

Problem solved.

---

That's not the problem. This category is on the list of ESE-eligible items:

Collectibles:Animation Art & Merchandise:Animation Merchandise:Other Animation Merchandise

[wastingtime101]

Which listing is impacted @this_is_pop_culture ? I can check the listing for problems, but possibly this is an address issue.

Did the buyer enter an address in Puerto Rico where they entered Puerto Rico in the country field instead of United States?

[1786davycrockett]

@wastingtime101 

Here's the current list of ESE categories --

"The eBay standard envelope (eSE) service is available for the following categories of items:

• Trading cards
• Coins and paper money
• Postcards
• Stamps
• Patches
• Stickers and decals
• Greeting cards
• Seeds"

I don't see "Collectibles:Animation Art & Merchandise:Animation Merchandise:Other Animation Merchandise" mentioned on that listing.

[wastingtime101]

That's because you're looking at a broad overview @1786davycrockett . Go to the Seller Center page and download the Excel file that includes a list of eligible categories down to the category path.

https://www.ebay.com/sellercenter/shipping/choosing-a-carrier-and-service/ebay-standard-envelope

[1786davycrockett]

@wastingtime101 

Agreed.

Perhaps the OP needs to enter the word "Patches" before "Collectibles," to create an ESE-eligible listing, as "Collectibles:  Animation Art & Merchandise" may be considered too open-ended by eBay's bot-police?

[wastingtime101]

I'm not following @1786davycrockett . The seller's listing is already ESE-compliant.

The few sold patches I looked at were all in eligible categories with eligible prices.

So the problem is likely to do with package size/dimensions on the label page, or with the buyer's address as I suggested above.

Unless it's for a different non-patch item which is why I asked the seller for the item number to double-check.

[1786davycrockett]

@wastingtime101 

The only thing that I can suggest, is that the OP may have created the listing, without using the term "Patches" in the "Enter a value" box on the  "Item Category" screen at the time that the OP created the listing.

Had the term "Patches" been added to the "Enter a value" box on the "Item Category" screen, the OP could then have simply scrolled down to "Collectibles:Animation Art & Merchandise:Animation Merchandise:Other Animation Merchandise" and been good to go.

Perhaps the OP can clarify.

Otherwise, as you state, it may be an issue with the buyer's address -- particularly if the buyer is overseas.

As Louis says in "The King And I":  "Is a puzzlement."

[wastingtime101]

That doesn't make any sense. You don't have to use the word patch.

I can list an "Abraham Lincoln 1990 Penny" without ever mentioning the word coin, and as long as it's listed in one of the ESE-eligible coin categories for under $20, then the item will qualify.

If there are issues purchasing a label after that it comes down to package weight, dimensions, shipping address. If @this_is_pop_culture comes back we can pinpoint the exact problem.