eBay Zip Code aka Item Location Policy Update SOLVED | eBay Listing Software

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Great news, eBay sellers! We’ve heard all your requests and added a new feature to our eBay listing software - a bulk eBay zip code updater to help sellers with the new eBay item location policy. 

What is eBay item location policy? 

Since 2018, we’ve heard about eBay making item location requirements with a zip code inclusion within each listing. There are articles about it around the web; eCommerceBytes covered Skip McGraths newsletter announcement, Tamebay wrote about location misinterpretations being abused by sellers earlier this year and loads of discussions on eBay Community Forums. Now, they’ve become mandatory for US sellers and highly recommended for non-US sellers. 

This has been a concerning conversation topic for sellers mostly for two reasons: 1) Due to the fact that many eBay sellers have items being shipped from different locations (especially dropshipping businesses). 2) Due to the consequences of inaccuracy of eBay zip codes within listings. This is what eBay published on their dedicated item location policy page: 

“Activity that doesn't follow eBay policy could result in a range of actions including for example: administratively ending or canceling listings, hiding or demoting all listings from search results, lowering seller rating, buying or selling restrictions, loss of buyer or seller protections, and account suspension. All fees paid or payable in relation to listings or accounts on which we take any action will not be refunded or otherwise credited to your account.”

Here’s what eBay sellers need to make sure to include in all their listings: 

• Clear and accurate information about where the item is located, including the postal code, city and country where the item will ship from, must be included in listings
• Item location information must be consistent across all areas of the listing including title, description and item specifics
• A tracking number uploaded after an item has sold must match the shipping location provided in the listing

However, even though existing listings can be edited without ending them there’s no quick solution by eBay for eBay sellers to update listings in bulk!

eBay zip code bulk update with your eBay listing software 

Fortunately, 3Dsellers has been aware of this issue and the demand for a bulk eBay zip code updater was also high in our Feature Request forum so we’ve developed one for our eBay listing software. 

Having your eBay listings lose visibility, or even worse, removed or not shown at all due to a missed zip code placement would be a disappointment, to say the least, and going through your listings one-by-one and editing them isn’t a solution. Frankly, it wastes a lot of precious time.

Therefore, you can now update your items location in 4 simple steps: 

• Go to your “Listing Software” tap in 3Dsellers dashboard
• Select the listings you would like to apply a new location to
• Update/change your listings’ zip codes
• Apply and wait a few minutes for the action to complete

Item Location must match your shipping method

In addition to the zip code requirement within your eBay listings, it is now also mandatory for your shipping method to match your item locations. Otherwise, your account’s activities may become restricted or even closed. 

To avoid this, the zip code of your postal service must be from the same area as stated on your listings’ item location. Sellers stating to be selling from the US or UK but actually shipping from China are among the first to have been banned under this new regime. 

Online sellers who get hurt the most for this eBay zip code requirement are, of course, dropshippers. Dropshipping business has been gaining popularity worldwide making it possible to sell items from around the world without actually stocking them and that made eCommerce competition even more fierce. However, this new eBay zip code requirement combined with the difficulty of finding a reliable supplier definitely affects dropshipping businesses most. 

Why is this happening? 

In short, for your buyers’ safety. If a buyer has accurate information regarding the location of the item it becomes less likely of unsuspected shipping charges and longer delivery times. This way, eBay makes sure the buying experience is smooth and meets the promised expectations. The fulfillment speed of eBay sellers needs to meet the eCommerce marketplace standards and eBay obviously wants to maintain it’s established reputation in the eCommerce world. 

Final Thoughts

Updating your eBay listings zip code in bulk shouldn’t be such a difficult task and now, it longer is. Automating your eBay management and following eBay item location policy will not only save your time but also money while increasing the visibility of your listing. The future of eBay selling is all about automation and we strive to offer the best possible solutions for that. 

eBay sellers using 3Dsellers Selling Manager have already been offered automated eBay tools for marketing and management for almost a decade now and going into 2020, our eBay software takes selling on eBay into the future. Automating processes not only increase your seller credibility, feedback, and customer service with tools like eBay email marketing software but it helps increase the revenue of an eBay business with a wide range of software solutions built specifically for eBay sellers.