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EBs New Requirement for "Validated" Tracking #
 

In order to retain Top Rated Seller status EB currently requires that a tracking # must be entered within the sellers stated handling time of 1-2 working days.

Apparently many sellers have been entering “faux” tracking codes to qualify for 20% discounts and then shipping the package later. EB has got wise to this and from summer will require a “valid” tracking # ie one they can verify with a USPS UPS or Fedex scan. That is, the code used must show at least one scan.

Well all my tracking codes on EB are genuine. However as I only ship twice a week (this is because of disability and having to pay someone rather than laziness), I often get around this by entering a genuine code which doesnt track for a couple of days.

Buyers seldom notice. If they do it’s a question of “This is an international transaction and tracking can take 24-48 hours to show up on the site of your country. Try again tomorrow." Buyer tries again, item is tracking, and buyer is happy.

Obviously there are “workarounds” for this. One is to use a genuine tracking code for a package currently in transit that was shipped from another platform (say Etsy, Ruby Lane, my website etc) a few days before so that the package is (apparently) tracking when its uploaded.

Then I can swap it out for the genuine one when the package actually gets shipped.

I love finding my way around EBs silly rules,

Re: EBs New Requirement for "Validated" Tracking #
 

I should add that although I ship from the UK a tracked package bound for USA entered into Royal Mail and scanned at the post office will show a scan on USPS.com within hours stating that the shipment had been "initiated". Although the wording is not very useful to a buyer (they sometimes email to ask me what it means) it will answer Ebays requirements of providing "at least one scan".