eBay

**scents-of-glamour** · ‎03-23-2025

Hello everyone (and Devon@ebay),
I sell on Ebay for 19 years now.....
I had to end my listings during Canada Post strike last November...
I relisted the same items in January 2025
I HAVE ZERO SALES SINCE THEN
I only sell to Canada (all provinces)
My listings are the same as they were in Novembre 2024, no changes (I just relisted them in Jan 2025)
I called Ebay 20 times, opened 5 tickets... Nothing...

CANADIAN BUYERS FROM ALL 10 PROVINCES can't buy my listings as they receive this error message:
"This item is not available for YOUR LOCATION"

I tested with buyers from all 10 provinces, nobody can buy...
I tested with changing shipping to options with tracking, not working...
I tested with changing shipping to FREE shipping for all items, not working...
I tested with allowing MAKE AN OFFER: Buyers that send offers : I can't accept the offers !

I tested with opening a new account, I listed 5 items, more than 50 buyers tried to buy my listings
and they can't...

Please see the enclosed picture that shows the error message buyers get on both my accounts...

CAN SOMEONE HELP ME FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON PLEASE?
I'm a TOP RATED SELLER for 19 years and now buyers cannot buy from me !
Thanks so much

marnotom! · ‎03-25-2025

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, @**scents-of-glamour** . I was having internet issues. It looks as though the questions you asked of me were answered anyway.

As for your current query, there are some small differences between the other seller's listing and what you're doing, even though it's correct, that may be having some sort of strange effect on the listing. The other seller doesn't have much in the way of item specifics compared to you, and they don't use the term "eau de parfum" in the listing title or item specifics the way you do. Perhaps terms or item specifics such as "eau de parfum" or "eau de toilette" are tripping up eBay's AI that's been programmed with US sellers in mind, and it's treating your listings as US listings with foreign buyers. Since perfume shipped internationally by air mail is considered hazmat, the red flags may be going up at checkout once it's been determined that the perfume is being shipped "to Canada."

(Shorter version of above paragraph: I agree with @flipistics' hypothesis that this glitch may be something to do with the nature of the items.)

I think your next step in diagnosing this issue should be to experiment with changing the title or item specifics to get rid of those terms and see if it makes a difference when we "purchase" from the listing.

By the way, why does your listing description say "Welcome to this auction" when you're using BIN? 😁

View solution in original post

femmefan1946 · ‎03-23-2025

I tried and you are right.

Start with the stupid things first.

Are you listing on dotCOM or dotCA?
It looks like you list on dotCA- have you tried listing on dotCOM?

Normally you could not list on a site without shipping to that country.

If you list on dotCOM, you would automatically be shipping to the USA, and Canada would be an option.

If you were listing on dotCOM and had not opted to ship to Canada, that might be the explanation.

Have you tried listing on dotCOM?

You have to use US dollars and flat rate shipping, but that is not a huge problem.

We do get a good discount on Tracked Packet USA to keep down our costs.

But wow.

That is a weird glitch.

Best wishes.

**scents-of-glamour** · ‎03-23-2025

Thank you for your reply !

I LIST ON EBAY.CA (for 19 years)
I only sell to Canadian buyers !
My listings options have not changed since approx 10 years !

I haven't tried to list on EBAY.COM as I prefer to only sell to canadians (I have limited time to allow to Ebay sales etc)

Thanks anyhow....

john_koenig99 · ‎03-23-2025

Confirmed. This is what I see:

Maybe time for devon@ebay for some guidance?

**scents-of-glamour** · ‎03-23-2025

Thank you John !
Yes, that is the message everybody gets all over Canada (I even tried with a buyer from NWT!)

The new seller account I opened has one listing : 135645614075 (Alien by TM)
Seller: **scents-of-glamor**
I offer 2 shipping options
I tried with FREE shipping, doesn't work either....

Nobody in Canada can buy it !
What could be wrong?
Thanks everyone

marnotom! · ‎03-23-2025

I just tried going through checkout with the lot of 10 perfumes and got the same message.

However, I also noticed that the shipping method and charge seemed a bit weird: $3.95 for regular parcel post. I wonder if there’s a connection?

**scents-of-glamour** · ‎03-23-2025

Thank you for this response !
$3.95 for shipping this lot that weighs 90g through Canada Post regular mail (ships like a an oversized envelope) is correct.... Even with FREE shipping this item is not allowed for purchase by a canadian !
I just changed the shipping for FREE for all 3 delivery options and you can try it again and see it doesn't work...
Please give feedback here after you tried it 😄
Thanks so much for your help !

flipistics · ‎03-23-2025

Have you tried with something non-perfume related? There's certain things eBay doesn't like being sold and they likely tweak the AI to recognize them from time to time. Maybe the problem is the items and not the listings.

**scents-of-glamour** · ‎03-23-2025

Thank you for this response....
I haven't thought of that, no... but my inventory is at 10 000 genuine samples from high-end perfumers !
There are many other canadian sellers for samples on Ebay.ca (I checked) and they all sell without problems....
So this could be the problem... but it doesn't solve my 10000 sample inventory !! 😄 😄
Thank you for your help

femmefan1946 · ‎03-23-2025

Oh! Perfume!

Yes that might be the reason.

Because perfumes are based on alcohol or oil, they are sometimes considered volatile and there are restrictions on how they are shipped.

Just as we are no longer allowed to ship goods internationally by LetterPost, eBay and the postal system do change their rules and standards from time to time.

So your ten year old policies may now be outdated.

Regular parcel?
And only in Canada?
Okay, try switching to Expedited Parcel, which costs the same but is a little faster.

There may be other benefits and shipping perfume might be one of them.

You can buy the Expedited label the same way through eBay.

You can buy Expedited service at the PO counter with your Solutions for Small Business card.

https://sso-osu.canadapost-postescanada.ca/pfe-pap/en/registration/business?sourceApp=SMB&sourceUrl=...

You may already have this account, but others read these threads and may find it useful - and profitable.

**scents-of-glamour** · ‎03-23-2025

Thanks, but I tried to switch my shipping to EXPEDITED and buyers still can't buy them.....

I know how to pack, no worries, samples are leakproof but I still carefully pack them...

Been doing this for 19 years remember!

Thanks for your help.....

jtg204 · ‎03-24-2025

Do you have the item locations setup correctly? Some have 'CANADA, Canada' for example.

Are the failed checkout attempts showing up on the blocked buyers activity page?

https://www.ebay.ca/bmgt/blockedbuyeractivities

**scents-of-glamour** · ‎03-24-2025

Yes (all items were ok and selling in Nov 2024) and yes (all were Canada, Canada)
Thanks for your help !

msau4301 · ‎03-24-2025

When I checked your listings and added one item to my cart it goes to cart fine. I didn't go to checkout but saw it in cart so thought it should work. I know in the past if I was interested in an item and got the seller does not ship to my location, the message would show up immediately (wouldn't even allow you to put it in the cart).

Not sure if when you did your re-lists if they were 60 days later some things may not have carried over the same. Have you looked in your Shipping Policies and Selling Preferences to make sure something hasn't changed? Especially the "Managing Who Can Buy From You" portion. I've seen my shipping policies default back to something I didn't want without making the change myself in the past. Sometimes things weird out after updates and changes here.

Some of your listings show shipping as "Canada Post Regular Parcel" and others show "Economy Shipping", not sure if you had it that way before.

**scents-of-glamour** · ‎03-24-2025

Thank you for your help..
All buyers are able to put my items in their cart but when they are ready to pay, then it blocks and the error message comes up : This item is not available for your location....

Thanks for the heads-up for the seller prefences, I corrected some things there...
I'm hopeful it will now work !
Thanks

femmefan1946 · ‎03-24-2025

Please let us know how it goes on.

devon@ebay Would you have any help to offer.?

**scents-of-glamour** · ‎03-24-2025

After the changes I made in my Seller preferences I have 2 buyers that wrote back saying it still doesn't work.... I'm desperate !

flipistics · ‎03-24-2025

Did you try posting something non-perfume related as a test? That's the easiest way to determine if it's something with your account or if eBay is doing something silly with perfume.