Some eBay listings no longer visible to non-US members?

[enki_ck]

Basilio recently mentioned in another thread that:

...
With much disappointment I discovered this: if a seller apply a shipping restriction to his auction (let's say, USA only) and if he set an ebay option to not allow bidders from outside USA to place a bid, well that auction will not be displayed on pc's located outside USA.
I suspect this is something related at IP level.
...

And yes, it's true. I was searching for some 74mm knives recently and the ones listed with worldwide shipping like this one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/390614096663

popped up in my eBay search but the ones with US only shipping like these did not:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/261234719967

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271226096723

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251293594768

The strange thing is that some of these were still visible on my eBay homepage feed (the new interface)

I know that if something is listed on let's say french or german eBay it doesn't appear when you search eBay.com but the US only listings were always visible to me before and most of the sellers would agree to ship internationally if you asked them nicely.

But if one cannot see the auction, how can one ask?

Anyone else experiencing the same problem?

[GigaHz]

I hope it works that way. When I list an item and I say USA only, I don't want it to appear any where else. I get a million questions as will you ship to "some place other than USA". I say well to start tracking just to Canada is $35. To ship through eBay and Paypal it must be tracked the whole way. If the buyer wants other than tracking they say I won't screw you if it doesn't come cause you shipped it a cheaper way. I say it must be tracked the whole way or I am not shipping it through eBay and papal. Paypal will suck your money back in a second if the buyer said it didn't arrive (ask feline vet). I will ship outside of eBay with out tracking to members here, cause they are trustworthy, eBay peeps no way. I can ship a knife tracked to California for <$2. Canada is $35 min? WTF?

[enki_ck]

That I never understood. I can get stuff shipped with tracking from HK or Singapore for $2 or even free, and track it through EMS, but even a $20 USPS Priority box stops being tracked once it leaves the US (at least in my case). It wasn't always like that though. I think it stopped working a couple of years ago.

[Chako]

Well, I think I may have one better. I can no longer look at ebay USA. Either that or I haven't figured out how to look on anything other than eBay Canada. 

If anyone knows how. please do tell me.

[condcup]

That I never understood. I can get stuff shipped with tracking from HK or Singapore for $2 or even free, and track it through EMS, but even a $20 USPS Priority box stops being tracked once it leaves the US (at least in my case). It wasn't always like that though. I think it stopped working a couple of years ago.

How much does "Croatia" cost for shipping international to the US using EMS, is it also for $2, maybe it makes much more sense.

[enki_ck]

That I never understood. I can get stuff shipped with tracking from HK or Singapore for $2 or even free, and track it through EMS, but even a $20 USPS Priority box stops being tracked once it leaves the US (at least in my case). It wasn't always like that though. I think it stopped working a couple of years ago.

How much does "Croatia" cost for shipping international to the US using EMS, is it also for $2, maybe it makes much more sense.

You have a PM.

[stressmaster5000]

That I never understood. I can get stuff shipped with tracking from HK or Singapore for $2 or even free, and track it through EMS, but even a $20 USPS Priority box stops being tracked once it leaves the US (at least in my case). It wasn't always like that though. I think it stopped working a couple of years ago.

I think the shipping in China or other far eastern countries is subsidized because there is no way the USPS is going to follow through on the tracking for super cheap shipping packages sent from there without some kind of payment. We all know the USPS is losing money and it is mostly due to poor management and skyrocketing pension, labor and health insurance costs. Wish I had gotten in on working for the Post Office way back when they handed out huge pensions and early retirement. I have a friend who worked 20 years and retired with full benefits and an amazing monthly pension package. I am sure things have changed since the 1980's though.


The shipping costs are strange here in the US and when you add in the newer eBay and PayPal rules it is no wonder most folks will not even bother to ship outside the US. Funny since the only packages I have ever had missing sent FROM me was to California, but the majority of complaints or bad feedback is from out of the country and usually has to do with either time it took to get there or how much I charged to send their package. I was using the International Priority mail at the time.

[enki_ck]

The comparison between the USPS Priority Mail International and shipping form China was made because USPS Priority Mail was tracked before (cca 2010 I think) and I could follow it to the Croatian customs office. Now you can only track it from it being posted till it leaves the US. You would have pasted the Tracking number LJ601659232US (old number, doesn't work anymore) in the USPS tracking window and get all the information.  That option doesn't work anymore making the Priority mail same as First class mail although you pay extra for it. That was the part I said I didn't get.

On the other hand RC061172097HK (still works - tracking for a $17,50 flashlight, so the flashlight +shipping was $17,50) shipped from Hong Kong and tracked through http://www.track-trace.com/post tracked to the door. 

None of the shipments were sent using EMS, one tracking works the other one doesn't.

And as a response to condcup:
I sent a package to Finland two weeks ago, 50 grams. Paid €5,50 for airmail and tracking. Got tracked to the door too, and even got a signed name of the Recipient on the tracking. I won't post that tracking number though as it contains the name of the person I sent it to.   Well maybe just a picture then.

[jzmtl]

Well, I think I may have one better. I can no longer look at ebay USA. Either that or I haven't figured out how to look on anything other than eBay Canada. 

If anyone knows how. please do tell me.

I just typed in ebay.com and it seems to work, at least I assume so. The page design is the same but there's no language selection on top whereas if I type .ca there is.

[Espen]

Might be their new cassini search engine.

[gregozedobe]

Well, I think I may have one better. I can no longer look at ebay USA. Either that or I haven't figured out how to look on anything other than eBay Canada. 

If anyone knows how. please do tell me.

Have you tried adding a US address to your addresses (via the account tab) and making it your "primary shipping address" ?  Just remember to change your primary back to your real address before paying for anything or the item will be sent to the US address (or PayPal will object if the seller hasn't marked it as a "worldwide" item).

This works fine for me in Oz (as long as I remember to log on to ebay.com rather than ebay.com.au).  I can see all US items, send questions etc.  In  my case the US address I use is of an MTo member who groups my MT stuff up until it fills a USPS medium flat rate box which he sends to me tracked and insured. 

This allows me to buy "US-only" items without any fuss, and saves heaps on postage as well.

[Espen]

I hope it works that way. When I list an item and I say USA only, I don't want it to appear any where else. I get a million questions as will you ship to "some place other than USA". I say well to start tracking just to Canada is $35. To ship through eBay and Paypal it must be tracked the whole way. If the buyer wants other than tracking they say I won't screw you if it doesn't come cause you shipped it a cheaper way. I say it must be tracked the whole way or I am not shipping it through eBay and papal. Paypal will suck your money back in a second if the buyer said it didn't arrive (ask feline vet). I will ship outside of eBay with out tracking to members here, cause they are trustworthy, eBay peeps no way. I can ship a knife tracked to California for <$2. Canada is $35 min? WTF?

He-he. Yeah the buyer protection program is a joke. I've had a few chargebacks and i know the frustration.

They just hold your money and after a while they give it back to the buyer by default. They claim that they read the messages between the buyer and seller but that is just lies, they don't do anything except to ensure that their expenses are kept at a minimum.

If people want unregistered shipping then that is something they should do at their own risk, not the sellers risk.

Yup, the criminal ebay/paypal conglomerate deserves to go down and i suspect they will when they have destroyed the last remaining faith in their system because as it is now it will only attract more and more scammers.

[Syph007]

I can still see everything fine on ebay.com BUT, I noticed the search filters have changed.


Item Location
on eBay.com
US Only
North America
Worldwide

It didnt used to have the US only filter before... just north america for me.

[basilio]

As I noticed in the topic quoted by enki, I suspect this has nothing to do with filters which can be set by users.
Very easy test.
Same USA seller (great Wenger stuff, by the way), items shipped to USA only.
Advanced search by seller name.
Internet Explorer (not logged in)
ZERO items!


Same seller, Google Chrome (where I never logged into "my ebay")
et voilà

[stressmaster5000]

As I noticed in the topic quoted by enki, I suspect this has nothing to do with filters which can be set by users.
Very easy test.
Same USA seller (great Wenger stuff, by the way), items shipped to USA only.
Advanced search by seller name.
Internet Explorer (not logged in)
ZERO items!


Same seller, Google Chrome (where I never logged into "my ebay")
et voilà

Does it make any difference since you are looking at 2 different views of the sellers items? One is "Store" view and the other just "Sellers Other Items" view. 

[Syph007]

I used to notice that as well if I bought something from ebay.de  If I logged into ebay.com and hit, show other items, it would show nothing, even though they had plenty on ebay.de

[basilio]

I used to notice that as well if I bought something from ebay.de  If I logged into ebay.com and hit, show other items, it would show nothing, even though they had plenty on ebay.de

Does it make any difference since you are looking at 2 different views of the sellers items? One is "Store" view and the other just "Sellers Other Items" view. 

Did an additional test with both store views, just for science  .
It is the same as before

Internet Explorer


Google Chrome

[basilio]

Ok, during a Google search a found an interesting website.
http://e.5thvillage.com/us/?q=victorinox&categoryName=
I did test it a little, and it seems that I can see all the ebay auctions.

[enki_ck]

Thanks.

I bookmarked it and will test it out later.

[HankSolon]

That link works. Thx for the hint.

[basilio]

Tested a little more and.....
.... I cheated Ebay!!!!!!!!!!!!  
It works just fine.
For example I am now able to see this auction
http://www.ebay.com/itm/WENGER-SWISS-ARMY-KNIFE-SWISSRIDER-1400302R-SNOWBOARD-W-KEYRING-W-CD-/200924692779?
where you can see that the seller excluded specifically Italy for the shipments.
It was only showing up on the 5thvillage page.