New eBay Zipcode Policy

farazc · #1 12-26-2019

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?

RigorAndMonroe · #2 12-27-2019

Screenshot of them saying this?

TheyBannedMe · #3 12-27-2019

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.

leighanns520 · #4 12-27-2019

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.

SquidsScissors · #5 12-28-2019

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

Harder they make it the better imo

rsot · #6 12-28-2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by farazc

If eBay really starts enforcing this, what can be the solution?

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

leighanns520 · #7 12-28-2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinsoldier

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/l...policy?id=4244

Easy for ebay to monitor, already cases of sellers, primarily dropshippers, getting caught.

It was introduced to tackle the waves of chinese sellers pretending to be shipping from the country of registration, it was rife in the US and UK. Clearly there's collateral damage with the inevitable knock on effect.

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!!!!

agent006140 · #8 12-28-2019

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

CaptainComedown · #9 12-30-2019

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?

agent006140 · #10 12-30-2019

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

prodigyace · #11 12-30-2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainComedown

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?

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.

degsey69 · #12 12-31-2019

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.

martyjump · #13 12-31-2019

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.

yankee · #14 12-31-2019

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.

agent006140 · #15 12-31-2019

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

martyjump · #16 12-31-2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by yankee

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.

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

agent006140 · #17 12-31-2019

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

yankee · #18 01-01-2020

Quote:

Originally Posted by agent006140

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

Except I am a He.

solefoodbk · #19 01-03-2020

Quote:

Originally Posted by degsey69

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.

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

landman210 · #20 01-03-2020

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. ...

agent006140 · #21 01-03-2020

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

futbolplayer · #22 01-06-2020

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