Uk buyers now not allowed to buy from America!

[urlittlestar]

Has any other UK buyer had this problem? I'm absolutely disgusted with eBay for ever implementing it. It's so discriminating and weird. Basically if you're in the UK, you are now no longer allowed to buy from any seller in America, no matter how hard it might be to find this particular item, no matter how much you might be willing to pay for it, eBay don't care at all. They should actually be ashamed of themselves, they didn't even have the decency to let UK buyers and American sellers know about this ridiculous new rule. If you haven't already, just try it. You can put any item in your basket, but you just...can't buy any item if it's from America. When you go to checkout, a message comes up saying "sorry this seller won't ship here" despite the fact 1) you probably can't find the item you want anywhere else 2) some sellers are happy to ship to UK and 3) it's global shipping

And the worst bit about it? There's nothing the seller can do. If you are lucky enough to eventually get it shipped here thanks to a workaround, it's eBay that decide the shipping cost, not the seller. So you might find yourself paying more for shipping than the actual item!

I can't even begin to tell you how upset and confused I am about it. UK is not even in excluded countries, eBay are just treating it like it doesn't exist at all. Me and my fiancé had to ask 3 different sellers about sending our most sought after item for our collection (which we did eventually get thanks to one lovely seller ending the listing and re listing it for us- just in a different category) but that's the only way you can buy. I've just had a American seller tell me they will get a account restriction if they send a different item to me, as shipping to UK is no longer allowed. Yet shipping to pretty much every other country is? It's absolutely disgusting!

I wonder if eBay realise if they keep this up, they will lose so many customers! What do you think of this?

[urlittlestar]

Btw the item I'm trying to buy? It's a Super Mario playset called Frosted Glacier Deluxe Playset. Nothing illegal, nothing untoward. Just...a playset. On what planet is a playset supposed to be some kinda restricted or prohibited item this is absolutely insane! 

[roger_roger_over_and_nowt]

Many other recent posts about this :- https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/forums/searchpage/tab/message?advanced=false&allow_punctuation=false...

[magpiecorner1]

I bought something from USA two  weeks ago,  no problems.

BUT most US sellers don't ship outside of the US, and those that mainly use the Global shipping program, which makes the already high import costs really high.

Bear in mind that it costs the seller more in fees to ship abroad, and dealing with late deliveries to foreign countries can be a nightmare, all in all understandable.  Though we do well exporting to US.  Higher fees for us  but low import costs for the buyer often make out collectibles good value.  I used to buy bucket loads from the US, but since the import rule changes, I  buy very very rarely.

[*knight-rider*]

I used to love buying from the states, but don't anymore because the import charges and postage just kills the deal, which can be as much as or double the cost of the item. Shame really, because you can get some great stuff from there, especially as a collector.

[61stephenuk]

eBay International Shipping has blocked the sale of any items which may need UKCA or CE safety marks from US to UK

"We have put measures in place to prevent US items that may not comply with UK regulations, such as CE Certification and/or Plugs and Sockets Regulations, from being sold to buyers in the UK."

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/setting-shipping-options/ebay-international-shippin...

[grauy]

I am from Germany, there is a secret trade war between USA and EU happening at the moment.

We Germans and most Europeans are also not allowed to bid on Ebay auctions in the states.

We cant buy anything there via online portals due to some new EU laws.

During the last 25 years I bought US hotrod and vintage car parts vie ebay for thousands of Dollars, now I cant even buy a chrome badge. They tell that EU wont allow it. I am sure its a lie.

UK isn´t in the EU but they also refuse to sell to England!?

Ebay cant explain why.

[therma-tec]

No problems on my end (buying or selling), but I suppose it's down to what you want to buy.

Ebay did restrict two of the items I sell being sold to the US as it alters the emissions of a vehicle and some US law doesn't allow it, people just buy from my website instead.

[buntybrand]

Ive had exactly the same problem and I'm furious. There was something in particular I wanted that could only come from the US, the seller agreed to list it for me but each time I tried to pay it said 'selker doesn't shop to your country'. This listing was for MY benefit!! In the interim someone else bought the item. She luckily had one more, so listed it for me - same thing happened but worse - thus time it was purchased by someone in the UK!!! I am beyond annoyed. I can no longer get the item. Nobody seems to care about this either!!! Absolutely fuming.

[ja_44833]

Yep, I've ran into this as well...

Messaged a seller to ask about shipping to UK from New York as there was nothing on the listing. Selller said yes sure, but the sale wouldn't go through. Automatic message on checkout page saying 'seller does not ship to ****** UK'. The seller goes to the post office gets first class international pricing, it's added to listing for other countries... not the UK. After many back and forth emails she says Ebay have restricted the item category... it's a doll outfit from the 80s!! 🤣🤨

I'm baffled and honestly the whole thing was a massive waste of both our times. She has been lowering the price ever since and to think I'd have bought immediately... just about sums Ebay up these days : buyer and seller left in purgatory... neither happy nor fulfilled. She's stuck with an item she can't get rid of and I'm here really wanting it...

TLDR: Ebay's gone to the dogs...

[vonbonbon5]

I've hit the same brick wall trying to buy Sybarite fashion dolls listed at a fraction of the UK price on US auctions. Seller is happy for me to buy but then can't complete the sale!!! The real annoyance for me is that Sybarites are created in LONDON and shipped from the UK!!!! US sellers don't have to pay the VAT so get them cheaper if they buy direct from Superdoll, so in the UK we are beaten down at every turn. How can a dolls designed in the UK, manufactured in China then shipped to the UK to be distributed, suddenly fall foul of some import regulation that only Ebay seem to know about?

[61stephenuk]

This is all to do with the UKCA/CE Safety Marks,see my reply above #4 and the link to the US Community Board reply .

Sellers can send to UK using USPS direct but not via Ebay Shipping.

[pe11and]

I have asked a very similar question and had the same explanations from some of the same people that have also replied to this thread.  The UKCA/CE safety standards and markings is a plausible explanation but is not the whole answer.  I collect Mattel Hot Wheels diecast cars and have bought many of the Walmart, Target and Kroger etc exclusive issues from sellers in the USA, (we dont have these stores in the UK and therefore no access to these releases and so UK collectors have to buy from the USA).  The sellers I have dealt with before are at a loss as to why they cant sell to me any longer.  The UK safety standards is not the issue; whilst Mattel is an American company Hot Wheels diecast cars are manufactured in the far east and exported from factory to countries all over the world.  There is no significant difference regarding safety standards in a US bound Hot Wheels case and a UK bound case.....the products are the same and just some of the colours /liveries that are different.  The packaging for a US car is slight different to the rest of the world and these are referred to as "Long card" and "short card," but irrespective of which card all the safety standards declarations and warnings appear.

The issue is that the UK and/or its member countries is NOT included in the list of countries, (either allowed or excluded).  There are some pretty obscure countries included but the UK is not?  There is more than safety standards issues going on here.  One of the replies to this thread mentions difficulties buying in Germany and EU countries.  I dont know why this might be the case because Germany and most of the EU is in the "allowed" countries?  Looking at my trading history I reckon that this is a fairly recent phenomenon and is more likely due to an Ebay admin or policy *bleep*-up.  An ebay.com seller night be willing to sell but would have to go through the USPS or similar....this means standing in a queue at the post office, filling in customs declarations etc etc....this is a huge time consuming inconvenience especially when some sellers run ebay stores as a "side-hustle."  My solution? Find a mail order website away from ebay that sells what you are looking for or in my case last night I bought my Walmart exclusive Hot Wheels cars on ebay from a seller in Singapore!!!

Good luck to all experiencing obstructions and frustration.  I do not suppose the situation will change anytime soon unless it is a genuine error....but the right people within Ebay need to realise a mistake has been made and fix it 

[a45heaven]

Maybe ebay UK is being replaced with an EU entity - hence the narrative added to all our UK listings, which i could not get a solid answer to when i asked a while back.

I certify that all my selling activities will comply with all EU laws and regulations.

[myriad*seller]

The UK is adhering to EU safety legislation in order to be able to trade with the EU

Hence the bottle caps being attached to water bottles now, an EU regulation. 

If we don't adhere to this legislation it prevents any trade with the EU so would be shooting ourselves in the foot

Obviously now we no longer have any say in the EU legislation we have to adhere to, in order to trade within Europe, but that is what people voted for so they need to accept their decision. Sunlit uplands are still not in sight...

[pe11and]

So why do Mattel Hot Wheels diecast toys which are made in Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore etc get shipped direct from the factory to countries across the globe including the UK and Europe?  The product manufactured complies with US, UK and EU safety standards.  As I said the only difference between what we receive and what American stores receive is that their cars are mounted on long cards, the UK on short cards but the same safety info appears on the back of both and the USA has stores that commission exclusive liveries which collectors like myself use ebay.com as our only source.  BUT ITS WORSE THAN THIS...I just tried to buy a Holley 4 barrel carburettor jet and service kit from the USA ....Blocked!!  Custom parts for my kids Tamiya Clodbuster r/c truck....Blocked!!  Somebody somewhere has had a bright idea but not thought it through properly....so much for the global marketplace.

[pe11and]

Apologies, my rant wasnt aimed at you personally but just to add to the frustration why are EU countries included in the Ebay Shipping list eg Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Greece....thats just a few I spotted at a  glance without trawling through the whole list....something is not right

[pe11and]

I understand but doesnt explain why I can buy from Canada and Australia via ebay but not the USA....and probably more relevant to subsequent replies which state that its due to possible non-compliance of EU/UK safety marks etc.....BUT the block affects second hand cars parts and today a new Holley 4 barrel carb jet/gasket service kit!!

[a45heaven]

I dont know if it is significant , but i can still buy from the USA on other platforms.

I dont try on ebay as buying is too difficult with the check out systems for multiple items.

[peeteer9]

Yes very frustating, and mostly seems to be on dolls/toys from USA to UK. "seller may not ship to United Kingdom" but the allowed list contains every other country in Europe and many rest of world. I contact the sellers and they just say they have Global Shipping and I should be able to buy. They also have no idea about the restriction.