23-03-2026 8:38 AM
23-03-2026 9:51 AM
It sounds like there is an issue with the email address that the buyer has provided.
You probably need to contact support to get it resolved, as it will probably need changing to be in a valid format.
23-03-2026 3:12 PM
@therenewalworkshopltd wrote:It sounds like there is an issue with the email address that the buyer has provided.
I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure eBay checks the format of user-supplied email addresses with regex so it shouldn't be possible for a user to submit an email address that is in an invalid format.
My guess is eBay is trying to submit the buyer's eBay-aliased email address - the one that looks like partofusername-then-a-long-string-like-ABC123@members.ebay.co.uk - and it is too long for whatever character limit the carrier has set for their email address field. For example; Royal Mail's online booking form has a 50 character limit for the recipient's email address.
23-03-2026 3:16 PM
Shouldn't be possible and actually being possible are two different things..... 🙂
You could well be right though.
23-03-2026 3:21 PM - edited 23-03-2026 3:21 PM
Thank you both for your replies.
I spoke to an Irish rep who told me he had never seen that error message before. He seemed to take the view that it was a problem at the customers end, and I should cancel the order, get the customer to fix the problem, then re-buy the item.
My gut feeling is the problem is not at the customer's end. It's either a random glitch or possibly something to do with Royal Mail.
I hate the idea of cancelling orders! Doesn't look good. I have shipped the item using a label bought direct from Royal Mail, and have asked for a refund for the Ebay label I have already paid for.
I shall probably message the customer to let him know there was an issue, in case it happens with him again.
23-03-2026 3:26 PM
You "should" get the label refunded after a certain time if it isn't used.
23-03-2026 3:54 PM
@eastern-lights wrote:
(Annoyingly I've already been charged for the label!)
If this was a Simple Delivery label, then the refund process for unused labels, is thus....
- If you selected 'Buyer pays’ when you created the listing, your buyer will automatically be refunded for any Simple Delivery label that isn’t used after 30 days
- If you selected ‘Seller pays’ and offered free postage on your listing, you'll need to fill out the Request a refund for Simple Delivery form for the label that wasn’t used. Make sure to send your request within 14 days of your item selling. Also ensure you add the replacement tracking number of the service used, and it shows delivery.
Refunds do take 30 days to process.
23-03-2026 3:55 PM
@eastern-lights wrote:
My gut feeling is the problem is not at the customer's end. It's either a random glitch or possibly something to do with Royal Mail.
Out of curiosity if you go into the order details and click "Show contact info" you should see the buyer's eBay-generated email address and their telephone number. Obviously don't post any of that information here but if you count the number of characters in the email address that is shown how many are there?
23-03-2026 4:01 PM
@tressygirl wrote:If this was a Simple Delivery label, then the refund process for unused labels, is thus....
- If you selected ‘Seller pays’ and offered free postage on your listing, you'll need to fill out the Request a refund for Simple Delivery form for the label that wasn’t used. Make sure to send your request within 14 days of your item selling. Also ensure you add the replacement tracking number of the service used, and it shows delivery.
Refunds do take 30 days to process.
Where seller-purchased SD labels are concerned the requirement for a replacement tracking number that indicates delivery appears to have been quietly dropped. The only requirements now are that the label was paid for by the seller, it wasn't used and the refund is requested within 14 days of the sale.
23-03-2026 4:06 PM
@tressygirl wrote:
Also ensure you add the replacement tracking number of the service used, and it shows delivery.Refunds do take 30 days to process.
Interestingly, I still have a click and drop account which still downloads sales from Ebay, notwithstanding SD. I bought the label from there and the tracking number has automatically ended up on the Ebay listing.
23-03-2026 4:08 PM
Out of curiosity if you go into the order details and click "Show contact info" you should see the buyer's eBay-generated email address and their telephone number. Obviously don't post any of that information here but if you count the number of characters in the email address that is shown how many are there?
35. So not abnormally long.
23-03-2026 4:17 PM
@eastern-lights wrote:
Out of curiosity if you go into the order details and click "Show contact info" you should see the buyer's eBay-generated email address and their telephone number. Obviously don't post any of that information here but if you count the number of characters in the email address that is shown how many are there?35. So not abnormally long.
Well, that's my theory blown out of the water then.
26-03-2026 7:36 PM
I have issues when a buyer has included grave, acute and circumflex accents when inputting their name. RM does not accept these symbols and rejects the label request. I edit out the symbols, and go again. More time wasted.