Are telephone numbers no longer required from sellers?

[triber]

I have just checked, and in my last 7 small packages sent through Paypal, none had a phone number listed. I usually add a 000 000 0000 when I see that, but now I am wondering if buyers are not asked to leave the number.

[triber]

Sorry, that should have been "from buyers"

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@triber wrote:

I have just checked, and in my last 7 small packages sent through Paypal, none had a phone number listed. I usually add a 000 000 0000 when I see that, but now I am wondering if buyers are not asked to leave the number.

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That information is available "currently" under Order Details in seller hub. When they created eBay Labels they chose to omit that field along with email addresses. The information still ports to Shippo. It is a highly recommended field for any international shipping and mandatory when shipping by courier. I'm not sure if eBay has plans to bring it back or not.

Detailed selling price/shipping/Tax - State/VAT is also a requirement when a a packing slip is included for international shipping. Included with the generated packslip in hub and Shippo. Not included with eBay Labels.

@triber 

Is that info still being included in with the PayPal generated packing slip?

-Lotz

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@triber wrote:

I have just checked, and in my last 7 small packages sent through Paypal, none had a phone number listed. I usually add a 000 000 0000 when I see that, but now I am wondering if buyers are not asked to leave the number.

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tyler@ebay 

Section 8 - Page 10

https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/tools/pg/manual/PGpsus_int-e.pdf

a complete address, including but not limited to origin and destination, valid Postal Code, sender name and/or company name, recipient name and/or recipient company name and recipient telephone number

https://support.shippingeasy.com/hc/en-us/articles/203087339-Why-do-I-need-to-enter-my-customer-s-ph...

-Lotz

[triber]

There was always the odd phone number missing but for me now they are all missing. Today instead of putting in my zeros first, I just let it go through and was not asked to edit the address.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@triber wrote:

There was always the odd phone number missing but for me now they are all missing. Today instead of putting in my zeros first, I just let it go through and was not asked to edit the address.

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I have phone numbers required in my eBay settings so they usually appear. No guarantees they are valid or current but helpful when customs has issues when processing. The concern was also brought up on Etsy a few years ago with sellers having to try to message buyers for the info. As per Last Man Standing...."Not cool!!"  Not sure if it was ever fixed. Unfortunately when eBay removes information "willy nilly" they often don't consider the consequences. It's similar to the move to eBay's jumbled email address vs a standard email address. Many buyers/sellers have eBay messaging turned off or it's blocked by filters. Will a current message from customs arrive at the intended party? 50/50!!

I haven't had a sale recently but previous sales were showing that info in Sellers Hub. What you are seeing could be a very recent modification with no warning from eBay.

-Lotz

[cumos55]

You can ask for all buyers to provide a telephone number with all  sales

Start with .....Site preferences.... on Overview Shortcuts

Link to ...Shipping Preferences ...   

and specify that all buyers must provide a telephone number at bottom of page...

[pjcdn2005]

If the label goes through without a phone number, I don't worry about adding it.   If you are concerned about it, you can get the phone number in order details and add it when the buyer is overseas.  There doesn't seem to be a need for it in Canada and the US.

[cumos55]

Checked the Canada Post website.....

Canada Post states that a telephone number is mandatory for shipping to the US and Internationally.

[triber]

So are we required to ask each buyer for their phone number is it is not listed after their address?

[cumos55]

You can specify on  .... Shipping Preferences ..... that a buyer must provide a telephone number when something is purchased.

If you as a Canadian seller do this  in relation to .... Shipping Preferences..... then all buyers, including Canadians,  must provide a telephone number. 

[pjcdn2005]

I don't require a phone number in preferences but there always does seem to be one in the order details when I do look for one.

[reallynicestamps]

Something I've noticed is that all my US customers are now using the four-digit extension to the zip code.

EG  90210-1234

I don't know if there are new(er) buyers and the extension is now demanded on the membership form.

I wonder if eBay started demanding it because of the zipcode scam where sketchey sellers were sending to the correct basic zipcode (90210) but not to the correct address.

If the basic zipcode can be so easily fraudulent, it pretty well makes it useless.

[pjcdn2005]

If they are now asking for the extra 4 digits it is likely because of the state taxes.  Some of the municipalities and counties add on their own tax so not everyone in the same state pays the same amount of online user tax.  The 4 digit extension is more specific so the amount of tax charged is more accurate.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

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@triber wrote:

I have just checked, and in my last 7 small packages sent through Paypal, none had a phone number listed. I usually add a 000 000 0000 when I see that, but now I am wondering if buyers are not asked to leave the number.

---

tyler@ebay 

Section 8 - Page 10

https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/tools/pg/manual/PGpsus_int-e.pdf

a complete address, including but not limited to origin and destination, valid Postal Code, sender name and/or company name, recipient name and/or recipient company name and recipient telephone number

https://support.shippingeasy.com/hc/en-us/articles/203087339-Why-do-I-need-to-enter-my-customer-s-ph...

-Lotz

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There have been some  recent minor modifications to eBay Labels but including the phone number/email address fields to the order detail is not one of them. Writing them on manually would not be an acceptable work around because the label is a form that is intended to be accessed using a scanner to be viewed digitally.

The option for signature service has been added at 1.75 for premium services. With CP/Shippo etc it is included at no additional charge. Still missing options for shipping tubes, COD, insurance value/additional costs for extra insurance.

For eBay labels to be a usable tool it needs/ed to work according to International postal standards vs less of a work in progress.

-Lotz