eBay Canada Launches Address Validation to Attack Delivery Delays
eBay Canada launched a new address verification feature that should improve on-time deliveries and reduces user frustrations due to address errors.
What you need to know: Incorrect delivery addresses can lead to seller and buyer frustrations. Often, they are just typos or spelling errors but can result in the carrier not being able to deliver an order when the customer expected it.
Also, when shippers create labels, the shipping platform they use may reject the address, requiring the seller to reach out to the buyer for clarification, hoping for a quick answer.
Why this is a problem: These minor mistakes can result in buyers opening ‘Item Not Received‘ cases on eBay.
For example, buyers may cancel the order when they realize the item hasn’t shipped, even though it wasn’t the seller’s fault, they still “fault” the seller.
Moreover, in the worst-case scenario, the carrier may return the package, potentially resulting in additional shipping charges to the seller and a “conversation” about who pays for the reshipping it.
eBay Canada to Check Addresses Against Postal Records
The solution: eBay Canada will now automatically scan all addresses for potential errors and typos, checking them against postal records.
When a user accidentally enters an incorrect address in their account settings or during the checkout process, eBay will provide an automated notification with a suggested address.
Will this solve all address problems? No, but it should significantly reduce them. A typo could still result in an address that clears verification, but it could be a neighbor or on the other side of town.
Final thoughts: This new verification service is live now on eBay Canada, and the company explains here how to check and update the shipping address on the platform.
This new update is one of many enhancements the company has made to reduce friction and expand shipping options resulting in better experiences for both sellers and buyers.
Richard Meldner
Richard is co-founder of eSeller365. He has over 17 years of experience on eBay which includes tens of thousands of sales to buyers in over 100 countries and even has experience with eBay’s VeRO program enforcing intellectual property rights for a former employer. And for about two years Richard sold products on Amazon using Amazon FBA in the US.
To “relax” from the daily business grind, for a few weekends a year, he also works for IMSA as a professional race official.
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eBay Canada is not made for Canadian Costumer.
Your address problem is trivial. If you sell via eBay and got a return demand eBay will always grant the return demand on a base of not has described even if this is not true.
Another problem is that the seller has to pay for the return but eBay don’t offer the possibility to create a return label on the eBay platform from the USA to Canada.
You have to rely on the outside and it`s not covered by eBay guarantees.
In short eBay take a quote on sale but don’t support seller if there is a problem.
American customers are aware of this flaw and use it to rub Canadian sellers.