eBay

sin-n-dex · ‎04-12-2025

So de minimis on China/Hong Kong made goods goes away May 2. If history is any lesson, there's going to be bedlam at the border.

I'm wondering what the shippers like Stallion and Chit Chats are going to do, while we are allowed to continue to ship non-China goods across the border, I'm expecting chaos while they're sorting all the packages to determine what can go, and what is subject to 145% tariffs (which no longer apply to electronics from what I read in the US forum).

With 145% tariffs, no one will be using services like Stallion and Chit Chats to send their items across duties paid, it would cost the seller money to sell the item with those types of tariffs. But it won't likely stop some people from trying to sneak their China items across under the guise of them being from a different COO.

There was talk a few weeks ago about needing manufacture name and address info for the shipments. That's going to cause chaos for those of us who ship vintage goods. Declaring it as "vintage" instead of providing a manufacturer was correct according to CBP, but whether or not that's accepted under the new rules is anyone's guess.

I think I'm going to have to go offline a few days before May 2 (yet again, for the fourth time) to wait and see what happens. There's no sense in continuing to sell if they just decide to treat all shipments as if they're Chinese (like I was told they were doing when the de minimis on China items first went away, February was it?) Stallion told me all my packages were going formal entry and tariffs were going to be charged back to my account even though I didn't ship anything made in China, they were treating all the packages as if they were made in China, then they repealed the rules and put de minimis back, and at that point my packages made it across the border (without tariffs).

It's just complete chaos, and this "wait 30 days" for things to happen and having to stop selling every 30 days to make sure we can comply with the new rules is exhausting.

For those of us who've decided to just ship Canada Post, I still think there's going to be bedlam at the border, significant delays in Canada Post packages, customers getting mad and filing INRs. I don't think shipping the items from Canada and letting the tariff be the buyer's problem is necessarily going to help escape the chaos that's pending. Plus the fact I think numerous packages will not be claimed due to tariffs. If the tracking is anything like the EU packages that are refused due to tariffs then a lot of customers will be entitled to refunds. Although I knew my EU package was refused, the integrated tracking didn't show what the carrier tracking showed me, and eBay forced me to refund the customer $50 because he didn't want to pay VAT on his import. I'm expecting with US tariffs to see a lot more of that noise.

C.

fallsavenue · ‎04-21-2025

@lotzofuniquegoodies Since most of us ship to US residences, the business delivery still available isn't significant. My point was simply that if DHL is stopping residential shipping, there's a problem. Surely, the carriers would be most prepared to collect tariffs since they already have the process in place. If DHL is concerned, it makes me a lot more nervous.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎04-21-2025

@fallsavenue wrote:
@lotzofuniquegoodies Since most of us ship to US residences, the business delivery still available isn't significant. My point was simply that if DHL is stopping residential shipping, there's a problem. Surely, the carriers would be most prepared to collect tariffs since they already have the process in place. If DHL is concerned, it makes me a lot more nervous.

@fallsavenue

The collection of tariffs is a government (US/Canadian/Intl) task. They are highly trained positions. It is not just collection of duties/checking for counterfeit goods done by bonded inspecters. eBay is not technically in possession of goods so they are unable to inspect and in the scheme of things they are not trained in the nuances of customs (a task that dhl and others do for a fee) brokerage processing. The eIS shipments go through multiple hands on the way to us. One of the critical steps can be the physical inspection of goods. See video below. They are again, looking for illegal/counterfeit items along with items that have been identified incorrectly.

As a side note because of the nature of what I sell I regularly ship to businesses.

If DHL is planning to discontinue shipping to residential addresses for international shipments that would be major problem for eIS due to the fact majority of shipments are handled by DHL. All couriers/intl trucking companies have CBP inspectors in a bonded area for these tasks.

When I searched about DHL this showed up. Leaves it a bit muddy about lower valued shipments.

DHL has temporarily suspended high-value US deliveries due to tariffs, but will still handle business-to-business shipments, though they may face delays. This suspension primarily impacts shipments from other countries to American consumers, and not necessarily a complete end to residential deliveries in general.

8 minute video on the process. Well worth the watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoY7SxrzNTc

recped · ‎04-21-2025

@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

If DHL is planning to discontinue shipping to residential addresses for international shipments that would be major problem for eIS due to the fact majority of shipments are handled by DHL. All couriers/intl trucking companies have CBP inspectors in a bonded area for these tasks.

How is this a problem for EIS?: They don't ship anything INTO the US. It might be an issue for GSP (still called that in the UK) but even then there are lots of other carriers to use other than DHL.

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎04-21-2025

@recped wrote:
@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

If DHL is planning to discontinue shipping to residential addresses for international shipments that would be major problem for eIS due to the fact majority of shipments are handled by DHL. All couriers/intl trucking companies have CBP inspectors in a bonded area for these tasks.

How is this a problem for EIS?: They don't ship anything INTO the US. It might be an issue for GSP (still called that in the UK) but even then there are lots of other carriers to use other than DHL.

From the majority of reports eIS the bulk of them end up going DHL for shipments coming to Canada. If they are no longer or even temporarily not supporting home delivery that would be an issue for Canadian buyers if they (eIS) hasn't done their due dilligence. The issue being customs clearing (processing) charges can vary signifigantly from 1 carrier to the next.

As for Canadian sellers they may be using DHL to the USA due to their own personal discounts levels so they would need a back up plan. Same thing applicable. Customs processing charges vary from carrier to carrier.

If a buyer (any buyer - both directions) gets dinged for crazy customs processing charges going forward it will leave them with a very bad experience and not 1 where they are likely to be a returning customer. Put another way....The best surprise is no surprise.

recped · ‎04-21-2025

You seem to be making up problems that don't exist!

DHL shipments to Canada are unaffected by their recent announcement, it ONLY applies to shipments inbound to the US and then only to those that are not eligible for the US$800 de minimus exemption.

If a Canadian seller is using DHL to ship to the US AND they ship orders exceeding US$800 they would need to find an alternate carrier on a TEMPORARY basis. There are plenty of alternatives available so this is not really an issue at all.

As far as brokerage fees, nothing has changed, shipments to the US that are over US$800 are already subject to brokerage fees (even when the duty rate is 0%) when using private carriers (paid by the recipient or shipper, whichever the seller prefers).

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

fallsavenue · ‎04-21-2025

You seem to be making up problems that don't exist!

@recped Exactly! I was only making a simple observation that if DHL has to temporarily halt US residential service, then maybe this whole mess will be more complicated than we're thinking (hoping).

devon@ebay · ‎04-24-2025

@reallynicestamps wrote:

@sin-n-dex

If the tracking is anything like the EU packages that are refused due to tariffs... the integrated tracking didn't show what the carrier tracking showed me, and eBay forced me to refund the customer $50 because he didn't want to pay VAT on his import.

@fergua3

he fact that, right now, if a buyer refuses to accept a package they have no buyer protection; at least not from Ebay.

@cottagewoman

If buyers aren't aware of these fees the amount of refused packages will skyrocket.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy...

https://www.ebay.ca/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy?...

EBay's current policy is that a Refused shipment is Undeliverable, and that the seller does not have to refund anything on an Undeliverable shipment.

Perhaps we should get some up to date confirmation of that policy, devon@ebay ?

A comment on @sin-n-dex problem with the refusal showing on a third party site, but not used by eBay in the Claim would also be appreciated.

Hi @reallynicestamps! The shipping team as well as other teams across eBay are monitoring the situation and will be sure to share updates to sellers as we continue to learn more.

silverpinups · ‎04-25-2025

"Chinese sellers could easily send goods to other countries to ship from. Cearly, Trump is after China made everything."

Does that include "all" the merchandise from his Trump stores?

silverpinups · ‎04-25-2025

"I suspect the USPS will deal with it by refusing any Chinese shipments from being handed over, which I imagine Trump is just fine with".

Does that include "all" the merchandise from his Trump stores?

mrdutch1001 · ‎04-25-2025

DT is a hypocrite, and of course he is not going to discard all that merchandise that is about him...all that merchandise that he cherishes because it pumps up his ego and just adds more to the arraogance of such a perso... everything about him is sacred.

cottagewoman · ‎04-25-2025

SO glad that eBay is 'closely monitoring the situation' - monitored bedlam is so much better than unmonitored bedlam.

mrdutch1001 · ‎04-25-2025

eBay most likely doesn't know much more than we do so no point in blaming eBay for the whims of DT the lunatic, the dimentia senile, the incapacitated bully in diapers...

cottagewoman · ‎04-25-2025

Ah but eBay could at least read the friggin room and stop treating Canadian sellers as the scruffy scrap gatherers around the edge of the US and make our own market more viable. Logistics are evolving, technology is developing, buyers are much more savvy and invested in both their passions and their country. I know it's not gonna happen but I wish they'd stop treating us as 2nd class.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎04-25-2025

@cottagewoman wrote:
Ah but eBay could at least read the friggin room and stop treating Canadian sellers as the scruffy scrap gatherers around the edge of the US and make our own market more viable. Logistics are evolving, technology is developing, buyers are much more savvy and invested in both their passions and their country. I know it's not gonna happen but I wish they'd stop treating us as 2nd class.

Were you referring to things like the new listing tools on dot com?

Announcement about tools appeared April 7.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/Access-all-your-listing-tools-in-one-convenient-place/ba...

dot ca version:

cottagewoman · ‎04-26-2025

I list on .com - quite often I have to bypass all the suggestions from the catalog but it does help sometimes, quite often it's sell similar. For sure .com has a much better suite of tools to help out sellers, .ca lags big Time in the software department. But we also need better tools to makes sales in terms of shipping options as well as marketing in Canada, promoting our domestic sellers on site and in advertising, etc. eBay is really missing the mark by not getting onboard the buy Canadian movement. And with the way things are going on the US de minimis front we're all going to be needing to be able to sell better here in Canada. **bleep** is eBay behind Home Depot and Costco in terms of domestic e-commerce share in Canada? Doesn't make sense.

cottagewoman · ‎04-26-2025

I can actually answer my own question re Home Depot and Costco - they control their inventory, warehousing and can arrange for great shipping rates. eBay can't as they don't own the merchandise - but it isn't as if online marketplaces are new, make arrangements! WhatNot has partnered with ChitChats for Pete's sake for shipping - but eBay can't do anything? Simple answer - they just see Canadian sellers as feeding the US market, they don't give a **bleep** for the Canadian market in terms of business.

mrdutch1001 · ‎04-26-2025

I ben a-sayin' for years that eBay Canada, & Canadian eBay sellers are NOT a priority with eBay and that eBay could care less if we are treated like **bleep**!