GPSR Compliance - Even if not selling in EU?

[totally_toytastic]

This whole thing is really stressing me out, we've been told by ebay several times (after an investigation) that if we don't sell to the EU or Northern Ireland, and don't have a blanket 'Worldwide Shipping' option that we don't have to supply this.

We can get the documents but it would be thousands of emails and documents and take us months to complete when we're going into our busiest season.

Ebays own help page on this says:

Do the EU regulations on market surveillance together with the guidelines for its practical implementation apply in the UK?

These regulations and guidelines do not apply to products placed only in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland). These will however apply to Northern Ireland pursuant to the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Ebay's email from today says:

'As a reminder, the GPSR aims to ensure the sale of safe products to buyers in the European Union (EU) and Northern Ireland, and introduces specific safety-related information that all businesses must provide when selling to buyers in these markets.

This means that if you're a business seller listing new and second-hand products covered by the GPSR in the EU and Northern Ireland, you must include the following information in applicable listings.'

But we don't sell there, so we're totally confused as we've been told we don't need to do this, but have now had some items hidden.

Anyone else having this issue?

No other platforms have asked us to do this.

[ascotscalemodels]

I've blocked EU and Northern Ireland but am still getting messages to update my listings which makes no sense,let's hope they sort things out asap.

[exponential_developments]

I got the email today, come xmas i'll block Northern Ireland, end of problem for me.

[4_bathrooms]

I think all business sellers have received that message.

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@totally_toytastic wrote:

But we don't sell there, so we're totally confused as we've been told we don't need to do this, but have now had some items hidden.

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Has eBay specifically told you they have hidden some of your listings? I can see 333 active listings; should there be more?

[footballtravels]

Until today I was happily shipping within UK (inc.Northern Ireland) and globally via Global Shipping Programme. So I can focus on listings for the key trading period coming I have just opted out of GSP and N.Ireland. Tough decision but I am trying to keep things as simple as possible for the time being. 

[footballtravels]

I can imagine ebay just send a standard message to everyone .  I too have now blocked EU and NI , and opted out of Global Shipping Programme too. Lets see if I continue to get the update reminder emails - my guess is I will

[totally_toytastic]

Yes, one listing so far...so maybe I'm over reacting...but it shows as red in our active listings and says 'One of your listings has a policy violation.'

I've finally got the document for it, so I've had to start an appeal, they only gave us 6 days to get it.

We also have blocked the EU, NI and opted out of the GSP...but we've still had a listing hidden. And I have checked the shipping template...so blocking them is not going to stop this problem...sorry to be the bearer of bad news folks.

[totally_toytastic]

We also have blocked the EU, NI and opted out of the GSP...but we've still had a listing hidden. And I have checked the shipping template...so blocking them is not going to stop this problem...sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

[lens-sage]

It's a masssive mess at the moment.

Ebay's own page on GPSR now explicitely states that products that are already available to the EU before December are exempt. They mention it twice, citing Article 51 explicitely.

It also clearly sates that items not offered for sale in the EU and NI are exempt.

These are all recent additions to the FAQ that weren't there a few weeks back.

It seems as if the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing.

It would help if the goverment would sign a memorandum of understanding, stating we will remain aligned with EU rules, and not stubbornly pull away, as Boris Johnson wanted.

As it stands, what ebay has been saying is reassuring,  but what they are doing is the complete opposite.

Saying any product currently available is exempt, whilst demanding sellers comply with proucts currently available. How are you supposed to reconcile such opposed stances?

[pure_seeds]

let's hope this goes away as a bad idea before then, it's causing a big headache for so many businesses. 

[wyntersemporium]

Goi g to block EU and unfortunately NI but still going to sell to the rest of the world via GSP.

Funnily not Amazon, and the others have mentioned this GDSR rubbish. 

[wyntersemporium]

I ship to USA so won't be opting out of GSP . Amazon hasn't mentioned anything about GDPR at all. 

[lens-sage]

Probably hoping it becomes irrelevant before it's even implimented.

Or at the very least, they understand that forcing people to comply with something that inherently doesn't apply to anything that have for sale as of today isn't enforcing the regulation, but contradicting it.

[ludlow-trader]

I tried to update several of my products with the same brand name so they all have the same manufacture address and the same not suitable for children warning on the box , the manufacturer is inside the EU etc but it just came up with fail fail fail saying you cannot change the address whilst the item is live. So that one brand name covered 400 of my 5000 lisings . If this can't be done in block form I will have to switch off EU and NI as would  anyone have the time to update thousands of listings individually one by one? Ebay need to provide clarification about existing listings that have been on sale before now /13th Dec as soon as possible 

[totally_toytastic]

We already switched EU, NI and GSP off and our listing was still hidden, unfortunately this won't fix it...I've been told by ebay this is an error, I've also been told it's not and that even if it's only sold into England, Wales and Scotland it still has to be added. We also only got 6 days to add the document, which wasn't enough time.

The listing was hidden, so now we've added the documents in an 'appeal' process...but it's been days and we haven't seen any change.

If they can't process one listings documents in several days, how will they handle 100's of thousands.

Ebays own page says if the listing is only being sold to England, Wales and Scotland that it doesn't apply...so none of it makes any sense.

[wood-n-toys]

Strikes me as total nonsense  !   I buy from a Wholsaler in Holland - he sells to ALL EU Countries without any GPSR incumbrance.  But when I import the exact  same items I have to comply with this GPSR EU Directive when selling back to any EU Country AND, for God's sake, Northern Ireland.  This is total lunacy devised by the EU to inflict as much pain on the UK in REVENGE for leaving their failing Union.

[4_bathrooms]

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@wood-n-toys wrote:

Strikes me as total nonsense  !   I buy from a Wholsaler in Holland - he sells to ALL EU Countries without any GPSR incumbrance.  

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Wholesalers generally don't sell to the public. The legislation affects the party offering the product directly to consumers i.e. the retailer or marketplace seller. 

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@wood-n-toys wrote:

This is total lunacy devised by the EU to inflict as much pain on the UK in REVENGE for leaving their failing Union.

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This legislation affects all third-country sellers not just those from Great Britain. In fact, it also affects all EU and NI sellers albeit to a much lesser extent. It's market protection dressed up as consumer protection.

[4_bathrooms]

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@totally_toytastic wrote:

We already switched EU, NI and GSP off and our listing was still hidden, unfortunately this won't fix it...

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Have you also tried switching off the three non-EU EEA countries - Iceland, Liechtenstein & Norway? As the EEA allows free movement of goods it might be necessary to switch those off too.

Also, if this works like most things in eBay-land once eBay has requested something their insistence for that information will typically not go away. If you created a listing and never offered any shipping to EU/NI or removed those shipping options before eBay requested compliance details they likely would not ask for them unless you enabled such options in the future. However, once eBay has requested compliance details it's highly likely the listing is flagged; therefore removing all EU & NI shipping options after the request would make no difference where eBay is concerned. That's how it probably works.

[2000appletree]

Thos is another reason why other european countries have to leave the silly club called EU.They same ideas as communist.

[suomenma-79]

Not really,  I live in Finland and got the same email. 

It is not about where you are based, the legislation only affects if you are selling into the EU and NI. 

I am living on Finland and considering start selling most of my products on US and UK and avoid the EU until it gets clarified how it implements. 

BAD NEWS: If the directive is enforced 100%, this will mean the death of many small business who will seriously struggle to produce all the documentation and deal with all the bureacracy. (If you produce anything, on paper you have to contact the appropiate agency in every single country where you operate and facilitate the documents in their language for all the products. 

VERY GOOD NEWS: European politicians are morons but not so moronic to fully enforce a suicidal directive. Not all manufacturers and distributors on the EU are big companies with the resources.

Many small countries do not have the manpower to enforce the directive 

CONCLUSION:  Another cosmic cluster*bleep* from the european *bleep* bureacrats which will end up in nothing. Probably some fines, the booming of importing law firms, and record sales of ibrupofen

Being a super supporter for 35 years of the idea of the european union, I never thought that I am gonna say this: "Sometimes I wish it would collapse"