Ebay and Shippo Misleading services

[maximefromquebec]

Hello Community members,

Here is to let you know what happened when I trusted that eBay would not directly lead me to a shipping service that wasn't compatible with their own seller protection.

Hopefully that will help someone.

Story ends with the buyer getting a full refund, and eventually of course he will also receive the item.

Everything below is what I sent eBay ES, as the item was shipped there it seems like eBay Canada could not help at all... eBay ES keeps saying that they can't help in regard to Shippo...

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Here is the whole story… please read carefully. Thank you.

I received an email from eBay Canada saying the item was sold. (onyx boox ereader)

I open the email, it says ship the item now.

Then it says, use Shippo to send the item and economize!

There is a ‘click here’ button to ship the item using Shippo.

I click there.

I get to Shippo website and am asked to create an account

I create an account

Then, I can create a shipping label to send to the eBay customer.

All the information is already entered. Ebay and Shippo are sharing this information automatically.

I create the shipping label.

Important part here

When I get to choose the shipping option, it does not mention the estimate shipping time, or if there will be tracking information provided.

Because Shippo was directly recommended by eBay, I trust that tracking is included with all options. Because this is eBay recommended practices. 

I always choose shipping with tracking provided usually.

Now, when I chose, there was no information about if tracking was going to be provided or not. I thought it would be because I was sent there by eBay.

After I buy the shipping bill, there is a number that looks like a tracking number. I send this to the buyer.

Few days later, I test the tracking, and it is not working.

I go directly to Canada Post, and only then did I realise that this shipping option did not include shipping. So, there is no tracking information. I can’t send the buyer or eBay any tracking information. Even though I bought that label directly from Shippo, at eBay’s recommendation.

Also, I realize that shipping option is really slow.

I immediately sent a message to the buyer, to let him know what happened. I tell him it would be slower to receive the item. He does not answer.

I messaged him again. No answer.

Then, as soon as he possibly can, he opens a request. I send him yet another message, in Spanish this time. I explain everything. No answer.

Conclusion: I used the recommended eBay shipping service. In the process of creating the shipping label, there was no information about which services offered or did not offered tracking. There was also no information about the delivery time estimates. eBay should not have offered me Shippo’s misleading service. I trusted that they would be compatible with eBay recommended practices (having a tracking) but they were not. 

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and eBay ES resolved in favor of the buyer, and said they could not do anything about Shippo, and to contact eBay Canada for this. When I talk with eBay Canada, they say that the dispute is from eBay ES, so they can't do anything about it. 

[mrdutch1001]

I have NEVER used Shippo ...any and all my shipments that use a shipping label are prepared via PayPal shipping labels...never a problem.

Sellers do have a choice; Shippo is not a requirement for shipping services.

[ypdc_dennis]

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@mrdutch1001 wrote:

I have NEVER used Shippo ...any and all my shipments that use a shipping label are prepared via PayPal shipping labels...never a problem.

Sellers do have a choice; Shippo is not a requirement for shipping services.

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But for OP's problem, PayPal would not have been any more useful than Shippo.

Both PayPal and Shippo assume the Seller knows all about the Canada Post service they purchase -- if it is tracked, if it has insurance, and how long it should take to arrive at the destination.  All of that is the Seller's responsibility.

-..-

[mrdutch1001]

agree on this: It is the seller's responsibility to know about the services they purchase and in the OP's situation it would not have mattered.

There is no excuse for any seller new or experienced, to not know these things...

Researching and being knowledgeable of all related shipping requirements and needs is a key element for selling online.

[femmefan1946]

immediately sent a message to the buyer, to let him know what happened. I tell him it would be slower to receive the item. He does not answer.

I messaged him again. No answer.

Don't ever do that again.

If the buyer has a problem, she will let you know.

[rosscd57]

I stopped using Shippo about three weeks ago. Had trouble with their system handling two items in one box and I never have liked the way information handled. Plus there screens stink.

I went back to PayPal just for a change. Exceptionally easy and unlike Shippo you can review and check all the information before you hit the purchase button.

Plus it was a bit cheaper.

Plus with PayPal their is fairly good support by phone.

I cancelled my Shippo account the next day and deleted it from Ebay's third party link.

[newandretrogames]

You choose your shipping options when you create the listing. It's up to you, the seller, to know in advance what your options are, what features they have, and how much they cost. This applies whether you're using Shippo, PayPal, Snap Ship, or the post office.

Using calculated shipping helps. And don't promise tracking unless you know you can pay for tracking.

[travis7s]

Its difficult to accurately estimate shipping times for international orders because a lot of foreign postal services/customs agencies are not reliable. (Spain is on this list for me!)

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

@maximefromquebec 

When your customer paid and you were transferred to Shippo if showed on the right the specific service they paid for. You can upgrade service at your discretion but NEVER downgrade. They paid for a service and that is the one they are expecting. If you are using the eBay shipping calculator you can add a small handling charge. This will help you cover some of the various fees and/or give you the option if you wanted to upgrade on shipping. If it is a service that does not include tracking eBay shipping details will not show any tracking numbers. You will have to do this manually and then choose how it was shipped. This needs to be done in a timely manner and lets everyone know that the item was truly shipped and when.  Transit times posted for some services are very approximate. Especially when customs is involved.