eBay

dinomitesales · ‎01-15-2026

A Tracked Packet I sent to the States via Canada Post/Zonos on December 15th just appeared in my mailbox today, January 15th, a full 30 days later. There are no markings or writing anywhere on the envelope to indicate why it might have been returned to me. The only anomaly is a square label that was applied to the front that I've never seen before that says "ID TAG" with a QR code and a bunch of numbers. I don't know which entity applied that tag but I'm assuming it has something to do with customs clearance or USPS processing (but the fact that it's covering the recipient's address suggests it was only applied on the return journey).

If I follow the tracking on Canada Post's side it says that it was sent to US customs on Dec 18, and was "Processed" on Dec 30 in "Forest Park, USA" (which I believe is a suburb of Chicago). Zero updates until Jan 9 when it said it was "released by [Canadian] Customs and is now with Canada Post for processing", and then it travelled back to me. If I track it on USPS it has various scans such as "Arrived at" or "Processed through" a regional facility in Chicago between Dec 30-Jan 7.

Based on the available data, I can only assume it was rejected by US customs for some reason between Jan 7 and Jan 9 and returned to me in Canada. There is zero reason for this to have happened. It was a Pokemon card valued at $69.99 CAD and declared properly on Zonos and on the customs declaration. I have sent about 5 other similar packages that have been pretty much identical (some valued even higher than this one) and haven't had any issues with those. I reached out to Canada Post and they were unable to provide any information as to why this item was returned to me.

I'm so tired of all this. Between this and just the general slow-ness of getting things delivered in the States via Canada Post/Zonos. I'm averaging about 30 days delivery time amongst all my packages sent since the end of November. And now things are randomly being returned to me for seemingly no reason.

mrdutch1001 · ‎01-15-2026

"I'm so tired of all this"...

and such are the ongoing woes of those who continue to ship items to the USA...

C'est la vie!

Que sera, sera!

john_koenig99 · ‎01-15-2026

Well, that's tough but there's not much you can do other than apologize to the buyer, refund and hope tha they understand...it's really their fault for electing the frustrated "Nobel prize" buffoon in DC.

The silverlining? At least you have the card returned to you.

So far, my sales to the US via eIS have been positive, and the shipping speed is decent. I wouldn't really sell anything down there anyother way.

marnotom! · ‎01-15-2026

Have you checked the tracking on a third party site such as Parcelsapp? Sometimes event scans that don’t show up on the carriers’ websites show up on there and there may be more clues to your packet’s U-turn.

dinomitesales · ‎01-15-2026

@marnotom! wrote:
Have you checked the tracking on a third party site such as Parcelsapp? Sometimes event scans that don’t show up on the carriers’ websites show up on there and there may be more clues to your packet’s U-turn.

Doesn't provide any additional information, unfortunately. Here's the tracking updates on parcelsapp between the notable time period of Jan 7-9th. No rhyme or reason as to what happened.

To be clear, I'm not going to stop shipping things to the USA. I'm posting this mainly to vent and to maybe provide a data point if someone comes along with a similar situation.

Even my eIS shipments to the States are taking an average of 3 weeks for me to get delivered. I think this is just the reality of shipping to the States right now. If anyone wants to give up shipping to the States that's their decision, but I'm a trooper - I'll do what I can to make a sale. I'm not giving up like other commenters on this forum.

I've been in communication with the buyer and they seemingly still want the card so looks like I'll be canceling the order and relisting it. Might urge them to consider the eIS option, but I'm happy to try Canada Post again if that's what they want. Hopefully things will get a bit better the further we get from the busy holiday season. Canada Post is giving me a refund of my shipping cost so I've been made whole on this transaction at least.

mrdutch1001 · ‎01-15-2026

" I'm not giving up like other commenters on this forum."...

want to take aim at those of us who chose to avoid shipping to the USA?..

then perhaps for those who come to these forums to vent and complain about their woes of shipping to the USA , should heed the "Suck it up Buttercup!

sapphyres-designer-jewellery · ‎01-15-2026

I wanted to do CP/Zonos because the stamps are tariff free. It could save me $5-10 in not paying Stallion a tariff. But it's rife with issues to ship that way, not the least of which is long shipping time to the point customers get upset and file INRs. I only have INRs on Canada Post stuff, if it goes Stallion I never get an INR.

So it's the lesser evil to pay a tariff and get things fast to the customer.

C.

dinomitesales · ‎01-15-2026

@mrdutch1001 wrote:
" I'm not giving up like other commenters on this forum."...
want to take aim at those of us who chose to avoid shipping to the USA?..
then perhaps for those who come to these forums to vent and complain about their woes of shipping to the USA , should heed the "Suck it up Buttercup!

You're welcome to not ship to the USA if that's your choice.
Could do without the constant grandstanding of your position though - it seems like every thread I open there's a comment from you standing on your soapbox telling the masses that you are refusing to sell to the USA. Not sure how those comments are in any way helpful or relevant to the topic(s) at hand.

ricarmic · ‎01-15-2026

I have shipped a LOT of stuff to the US, all via Zonos and as you all know with stamps on the package.

Certainly I have had very weird travels with the ones I watched, like one that went to Puerto Rico before it came back to Vermont. I am fortunate that my buyerset has a lot of mailorder experience and as a group are more patient than the usual crowd.

I haven't recently had any come back without some sort of reason, in the past before the ZONOS days, if I had communication with the buyer after it came back, I'd simply resell/resend and never had them not arrive the 2nd try.

We're maybe giving USPS/Customs too much credit, based on the quantity of very strange travels I've personally seen in the very few items I've watched in the last year, "returning for no reason" is a lot less crazy than sending a VT parcel to Puerto Rico mid journey, or a parcel somehow getting a new address electronically attached to it when it went through customs (the PO support folks told me sometimes the US equipment scanner attaches the wrong address to a package, ie the next packages address) and subsequently bouncing back and forth 7 times before it did eventually arrive (because thankfully the address on the label and my own attached address were both the correct address) to my mind are "more crazy". I like to think of it as a good scenario compared to losing the item and the income... just more a pain for this one!!!

jtg204 · ‎01-16-2026

For Chicago, my recent inbound/outbound custom delay was Jan7-Jan14, not including the after customs wait to move out of Chicago still.

femmefan1946 · ‎01-16-2026

a.) Techically the shipment is Undeliverable, and eBay would not require you to refund the buyer a single penny.

Their credit card company might feel differently and authorize a chargeback.

b.) For $70 and with a good relationship with the buyer, I might consider sending him a "birthday card" with his purchase inside.

Untracked.

$1.75

YMMV

dinomitesales · ‎01-16-2026

@femmefan1946 wrote:
a.) Techically the shipment is Undeliverable, and eBay would not require you to refund the buyer a single penny.
Their credit card company might feel differently and authorize a chargeback.

I don't know about this, to be honest. Yes, the item says "Delivered", but it was Delivered back to me, not to the buyer's ZIP code. Pretty sure I would lose an INR case if eBay were to step in and force a decision. But it wasn't worth the effort and potential headache of trying to fight it - I have the card back in my possession so I have no problem providing the refund.

@femmefan1946 wrote:
b.) For $70 and with a good relationship with the buyer, I might consider sending him a "birthday card" with his purchase inside.
Untracked.
$1.75

I'm assuming you're referring to a hypothetical scenario in which the buyer never got his money back, but he has been refunded in full and I'm not in the charitable business of sending off $70 worth of goods for free lol. The card has been relisted; the buyer can repurchase it if he wishes. Ultimately this whole situation was out of my control.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎01-23-2026

@dinomitesales wrote:
@femmefan1946 wrote:
a.) Techically the shipment is Undeliverable, and eBay would not require you to refund the buyer a single penny.
Their credit card company might feel differently and authorize a chargeback.
I don't know about this, to be honest. Yes, the item says "Delivered", but it was Delivered back to me, not to the buyer's ZIP code. Pretty sure I would lose an INR case if eBay were to step in and force a decision. But it wasn't worth the effort and potential headache of trying to fight it - I have the card back in my possession so I have no problem providing the refund.

@femmefan1946 wrote:
b.) For $70 and with a good relationship with the buyer, I might consider sending him a "birthday card" with his purchase inside.
Untracked.
$1.75
I'm assuming you're referring to a hypothetical scenario in which the buyer never got his money back, but he has been refunded in full and I'm not in the charitable business of sending off $70 worth of goods for free lol. The card has been relisted; the buyer can repurchase it if he wishes. Ultimately this whole situation was out of my control.

@dinomitesales

Was the item returned to your mailbox or were there costs involved to get the parcel released to you? How these situations "seem" to be handled appears to be luck of the draw!!!

I too have 1 coming back to me. Just interested to know what my luck will be.

dinomitesales · ‎01-23-2026

@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:
Was the item returned to your mailbox or were there costs involved to get the parcel released to you? How these situations "seem" to be handled appears to be luck of the draw!!!

I too have 1 coming back to me. Just interested to know what my luck will be.

It was just placed inside my mailbox. I didn't have to pay anything to Canada Post to get it back.

In all my time of selling online and working as a postal clerk I've never seen a return charge on an international package before. I'm not saying it can't happen, I've just personally never seen or experienced it - I've only seen return shipment charges on domestic returns.

You have one coming back from the U.S.? Is there a reason, or is it seemingly random like mine was?

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎01-23-2026

@dinomitesales wrote:
@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:
Was the item returned to your mailbox or were there costs involved to get the parcel released to you? How these situations "seem" to be handled appears to be luck of the draw!!!

I too have 1 coming back to me. Just interested to know what my luck will be.
It was just placed inside my mailbox. I didn't have to pay anything to Canada Post to get it back.
In all my time of selling online and working as a postal clerk I've never seen a return charge on an international package before. I'm not saying it can't happen, I've just personally never seen or experienced it - I've only seen return shipment charges on domestic returns.

You have one coming back from the U.S.? Is there a reason, or is it seemingly random like mine was?

@dinomitesales

Mine went out as a CP tracked parcel to Spain. Arrived quickly. Customs attempted to reach customer but had no luck. (VAT paid was clearly marked in multiple places and highlighted with additional copies included. I believe for duties owed. It sat in Madrid for over a month. When I checked again it was showing being returned for non delivery or words to that affect. It seems to be moving on same tracking number. Should see in Calgary mid next week my guess. For now staying tuned.

(I messaged buyer in Dec via ebay messaging that parcel was there and customs was trying to contact them. I included the tracking info I could see on CP/their local postal system. There was nothing in way of a response until I received their INR report in early Jan with zippo to my responses that I added to it detailing the parcels status.)

For courier shipments and some postal systems (UK as 1...it was amended on their website approx. 3 years +-) that a VALID phone number and email addy are to be included. With couriers that has been a requirement for years. eBay is supposed to be verifying phone numbers but to my knowledge that is not actually happening. As for addies we know eBay's feeling on that subject!!! IF customs needs to get a hold of receiver or sender this info needs to be accurate.

reallynicestamps · ‎01-24-2026

I have some information saved about Undeliverable shipments.

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?...

An ethical seller would refund the payment, less shipping costs, eBay fees, and international payment processing fees.
But it's my belief that eBay will not require any refund.

Hi @femmefan1946! You're correct in that a refused package is on the buyer and not the sellers responsibility to refund. As long as tracking shows the package was refused, then we would side with a seller if the buyer opened an Item Not Received claim.

I agree that I would not withhold all the money, but it is up to the seller if they would like to withhold shipping, refund the buyer entirely, or keep it all. If the seller is okay with refunding the buyer entirely and being out the shipping costs, then they can cancel the transaction using the buyer requested option since in essence, they did by refusing the package. If the seller wants to retain the shipping costs, then they can message the buyer a heads up (not a requirement but a nice thing to do) and then refund them partially through this flow here.
Velvet,

FOr USA
This is an unclaimed, refused, Undeliverable package
EBay's policy on refused purchases is that the seller is not required to refund.

UNDELIVERABLE ITEMS  https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy?...   This is the part I'm referring to   Exclusions and special coverage when the buyer doesn't receive an item 
I
The item was shipped internationally and didn't clear customs because fees or duties weren't paid
Covered:
• The seller overstated the value of the item or misrepresented the item's location, which caused customs fees or duties to be higher
Not covered:
• The buyer didn't pay applicable customs fees or duties for any other reason