Why am I penalized for Ebays screw-up ?

[davey-dumpling]

Here's my rant !!   2 months ago, a buyer from the USA tried to purchase an item from my store, and the system wouldn't let him - said I didn't ship outside of Canada. I actually ship world wide, and I checked my listing and it stated that. . He needed the bearings for an antique truck he was building. I contacted Ebay, and they eventuallytried themself to try buy it using their Ebay address - and they got the same message - and they couldn't purchase it. The Ebay guy said they would look into it and have it fixed in a day or so - that was August 3rd.  Today, the guy tried to buy it again, and got the same message as before. So .... it never did get resolved !!  I de-listed the item and sent the guy an invoice through Paypal. An hour later, I got a message from Ebay saying my account was de-activated for 7 days because I sold outside of the system. I called Ebay and supplied all the documentation from 2 months ago to show that it was their problem, but that didn't seem to matter - I violated their policy !!!  ........ Am i chocked /  You Bet !!    Anyone else have this or a similar problem and got spit on ?+

[esclyons]

totally feel for you, but you can't use ebay messaging to sell something outside ebay.. did you also get charged fees for selling the item, without ebay's help,, because they can do that to you as well.. live and learn..

[reallynicestamps]

. I actually ship world wide, and I checked my listing and it stated that. .

As you may now know, what you say in your Description about shipping is much less important that what you have on the Shipping tab.

And while you may ship Worldwide, unless you specifically have a shipping price for a country, like the USA or Japan, the buyer will get a "Seller may not ship to your location " message.

Most customers stop right there.

Canada Post has different rates for overseas and for US shipping.

You go to Shipping on the Sell Your Item form and click on Custom Destination.

Choose USA and set up your parameters.

Then click on Custom Destination again- you can actually do this three or four times.

Choose the other nations you particularly want to ship to and again set up parameters.

In this space do NOT choose USA or North and South America or your US customer will see the higher overseas shipping costs.

[davey-dumpling]

So Esclyons,  I understand that ........ and trust me ; I'd rather make the sale the usual way as it's a whole lot easier than how I did it.  That being said, I am not in this to lose sales because they don't seem to care whether they fix a problem or not - and I would think 2 months should be ample time to resolve the issue. So ........ I made the sale the only other way possible !   Guess it's too much to ask that they apologize for dropping the ball - rather than slap a 7 day account freeze on my business !   

[davey-dumpling]

I have all my listings set up the same for shipping information, and I would guess about 60% of my business is with the USA . The issue wasn't so much the fact he couldn't get a shipping cost - it was that he couldn't buy it period ! As the Ebay guy in Texas admitted , it was a glitch in the system, but they never did fix the glitch ......... so guess I was supposed to tell the customer that " Sorry, can't sell you the parts because someone can't get their act together " .  Oh well  ;  gotta play the game I guess !!    

[sleco69]

see my post about that:

https://community.ebay.ca/t5/Canadian-PowerSellers-Discussion/Buyer-can-t-check-out/m-p/378137#M5306...

The glitch have started on July.08th and still go on, Ebay do nothing on that....

[sleco69]

Due to the glitch, Ebay had recommend me to finalize the trx outside of Ebay.... and I am able to write the words "email" "paypal" "invoice" in message center without having the censure of that words.

[cumos55]

Success on eBay is based on knowing what ... NOT... to do

All communications should be through eBay Messages.... If there is a problem... a series of communications on eBay Messages will protect a seller.

However, in your situation....  it is communication through eBay messages that  indicated what was happening

As a seller you did something that was not allowed on eBay.....  

eBay has the rules we all must follow.

If eBay is the problem... then arrange with eBay to make the sale....  all in relation to the glitch  that was not corrected by eBay.....

[cumos55]

However,  with the new rules on eBay ......communicating through eBay Messages in order to have an off eBay sale became the problem.

Something that should never be done.

If it is listed on eBay... it sells on eBay......No matter what.....

[sleco69]

It listed on ebay but buyers have 2 major problems:
1- Shipping to your location can not be calculated.
2- Buyer can buy the item but are unable to checkout, the previous message appear at checkout.

As per Ebay representative recommendation, sellers MUST send manual paypal invoices to get PAID.

My sales have been down of 26k$ vs. same period last year, as the glitch started July.08th, in the pool/spa peek season....

[femmefan1946]

ZOMBIE THREAD FROM 2017

The problem with zombie threads is that the information and advice may be out of date and incorrect.

A workaround for this particular glitch was found a few days later and the glitch itself fixed about a week after that.

@happy_pigeon