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New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

Hey everyone,
eBay implemented a new rule stating that you get punished for your items being sent from different zip codes. They monitor this by seeing if your tracking shows that each item is originating from different locations. Has anyone experienced repercussions from eBay yet? If eBay really starts enforcing this, what can be the solution?

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

Screenshot of them saying this?

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

Done some googling and I can't find any reference to any sort of policy update that's anything close to what you said.

Official link pls.

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

As many sellers etc seems hard to believe eBay or bots could keep up with checking zipcodes and cross checking zip codes from seller address.

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

Its all over the dropshipping facebook groups, heaps of whinging going on.

Harder they make it the better imo

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

Have to think outside the box - it is rougher but ideas exist

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

Then in this instance it's a good thing for me. I don't drop ship and I realize it is going to affect some members here. For those members I am sorry.
That's a lot of pkgs being checked tho. WOW!!!!

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

robots do the checking,comparing your ship from zipcode in your listing to the zipcode of the shipping label .
dropshipping is fine,if you know where your manufacturer/distributor will be shipping from,it is the retail arbritage they are trying to catch

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

I think that will only matter if you are sending from a different location than stated in the listing. So surely you can just change the item location to whatever area it ships from and then just state that you are dropshipping if queried?

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

It is not that simple-if your dropshipper is another retailer,then it is retail arbitrage ,not dropshipping

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

Problem is if your retail dropshipping like quite a few are, there's no way to counter this ahead of time. You don't know where your customer lives until they place the order, you give the order to the retailer, then they ship from the nearest location. EBay then matches your listings zip code/city from the moment the customer placed the order to the origin zip code/city where the tracking starts to see what you're doing.

Best bet is to look into forwarding services which can get costly, essentially ruining the retail arbitrage system. I think it will help get rid of a lot of fly by night resellers on the platform, and anytime things get harder, if you find a way to get through it, its less competition for you.

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

Not stating where the product is being shipped from has always been a policy violation.

Some of our Eastern European drop shippers got around this by putting USA in the zip code line of the listing and a generic USA shipped from appears on the listing so that a buyer can not complain. I know this used to work as I tried it, I do not know if it works now, it did 6 months ago.

Frankly I do not like arbitrage from my eBay listings as these resellers all of a sudden can have a lot of feedback they can leave you and if you upset them they can be very damaging to your account. If I find them I ban them as buyers to protect my account.

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

This is probably a question nobody can answer yet but...

How strict are they about the zip code part?

What I mean is, depending on what post office in my city that I drop packages off at- each can be scanned in from a different zip code depending on the post office... But they're all in the same city.

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

We ship from one zip code in Wyoming. We have accounts with zip codes all over the country.

I think as long as you put A zip code, you are good for now.

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

if you are using AMZN FBA and you know where AMZN kept your merchandise,then you can use that zipcode,but there are some sellers who use AMZN FBA and choose to have their merchandise spread out in different AMZN warehouse to offer free or cheap shipping,like those which sell heavy equipments like engine,motor,A/C etc,the zipcode will be the closest one to the buyer

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

A zip code as in any zip code? Like, one you're definitely not shipping from?

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

I think she means she has many seller accounts but they all ship from one zipcode in WY ,thats where the merchadise is .

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

Except I am a He.

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

Exactly agree. Wholesale on eBay is not very smart imo. The more a buyer buys the more they usually feel entitled to certain things on these types of platforms. There is a cushion they have as opposed to brick & motor, or private online websites

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

What about if you go on vacation say during the holidays in a different state, but dont want to completely stop selling. You can access orders from account, but ship from wherever you are on vacation and it wont match...I know this is a little simplistic but I did it this past holiday...took some items with us and they sold, shipped from a completely different state and I haven't heard anything from ebay. Didn't impact the delivery date so no customer comments either. ...

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

I think they are going after the retail arbitrage sellers who have pages and pages of items which they dont have ,but expect Costco,WMT,AMZN,Wayfair tos hip for them after they receive payments from Ebay buyers,Ebay knows where these warehousee are and their zipcode and the kind of merchandise

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

Anyone performing retail arbitrage seeing any negative effects from the new zip code policy?

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

ASK on Ebay seller forum

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

Topic is only sparsely covered there..

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

you can start one,there are many sellers doing it,they just dont want to be known

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

Doesn't bother me.
My items only get scanned on delivery so unless they have councillor Deanna Troi reading my mind they would never know my postal location.

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

Yeah, I have adjusted my system to include zip code for some items, however many of my items are still multiple location.

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

As long as you change and use same zipcode should be fine

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

Willing to bet this issue only arises from scans that are out of country most of the time. Online retailers still use hubs. As long as the actual shipping date is within range it shouldn't matter.

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

Nice little STTNG ref :)

:focus:

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

The easiest thing not to have this problem is just keeping the sales volume down. Ebay will not think you are dangerous if you sell 5-10k a month.

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

How ebay bot know where each item is originating from?
———————————————————————————
January 20, 2020, 3:19 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
LOS ANGELES CA NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER
January 17, 2020
Pre-Shipment Info Sent to USPS, USPS Awaiting Item
————————————————————————————
This usps tracking infomation doesn’t show any zip code.

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

In your item listing,arent you supposed to list the location of the item??

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

I mean how they can track the origin zip code? If i did input the other zip code in my item listing, they can detect it’s incorrect zip code by checking the given USPS tracking number?

But the following USPS tracking information doesn’t mention where i sent the package.

———————————————————————————
January 20, 2020, 3:19 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
LOS ANGELES CA NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER
January 17, 2020
Pre-Shipment Info Sent to USPS, USPS Awaiting Item
————————————————————————————

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

Hmm... I haven't heard of anyone getting nailed for that.
I do know that their system checks the update on the tracking itself but I'm unsure of shipping from a different zip code itself.

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

dunno,but ifyou are in Maine and claim to ship from Maine,AND YOUR buyer is in Michigan,then why is your item ended up in LA?
We dont really know much of this zipcode checking ,may be Ebay seller forum has more information

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

From what understand its the first scan, same state possibly country is okay, but mixed match countries is what they really don't like.

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

Ebay seller forum might be a waste of time and just more postings for the OP to sift through though...

Re: New eBay Zipcode Policy
 

not so,Ebay sellers can be quite knowledgible,many long timers there.
This is a new topic,so OP does not have to go too far back