eBay is expanding its eBay International Shipping (eIS) service to the UK, aiming to help sellers reach more than 136 million buyers across over 195 countries and territories. The rollout builds on the company’s existing Global Shipping Programme and follows earlier launches in the US and Canada, with the UK service starting in August.
The enhanced offering protects sellers in the event of international buyer returns, alongside simplified customs, shipping and post-sale support. Under the system, sellers ship sold items to a UK hub, and eBay manages customs documentation, tax and duty calculations, international delivery, carrier management and post-sale support. When an international buyer requests a return, eBay will manage the process and refund the buyer at no cost to the seller, protecting the seller’s payout and ensuring the item isn’t returned to them.
eBay said UK sellers export millions of items to global buyers each year, with the strongest growth in demand over the past 12 months coming from Australia, Germany and Switzerland. However, the company cited research showing 64% of UK small and medium-sized enterprises trading with the EU reported difficulties with customs documentation, while 29% pointed to a lack of clear guidance on cross-border shipping.
The program is open to all sellers, from individuals to established businesses, with international selling fees waived.
Eve Williams, general manager of eBay UK, said, “We’ve listened to sellers’ feedback to make eBay International Shipping our most comprehensive international shipping solution yet, reinforcing eBay as the marketplace of choice for UK sellers. At a time when international trade can feel increasingly complex, we’re making global selling simpler, helping millions of UK sellers spend less time navigating logistics and more time growing their business.”
Michelle O’Beirne, the owner of UK eBay business Fox Black, said, “What’s popular in the UK often appeals to shoppers globally, so selling internationally helps me reach more customers and bring in extra sales. International returns used to be the sticking point, as arranging an in-country return label from abroad can be complicated and expensive. With eBay International Shipping, eBay will be handling international returns on my behalf, which makes overseas selling much easier and cost effective to manage and lets me take on more international orders to support business growth.”
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