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Get ready for the EU General Product Safety Regulation
What you need to know
Navigating a new regulation can be challenging, which is why we want to let you know in advance about the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) that goes into effect December 13, 2024. It introduces specific safety-related information that businesses must provide when selling to buyers in the European Union (EU) and Northern Ireland (NI). If you don’t sell in or ship to these regions, the GPSR isn’t applicable to you.
While there’s no action you need to take at this time, we encourage you to learn more about this regulation by visiting our General Product Safety Regulation page.
Scope of the GPSR
The General Product Safety Regulation applies to new, second-hand, repaired, and reconditioned items sold on eBay and all other marketplaces. There are few products and categories that are excluded from the GPSR—you can view the entire list of excluded categories on our Seller Center page.
Complying with the GPSR
The GPSR requires all business sellers to add the following information for eligible items available for sale in the EU and NI:
- The product manufacturer's name and contact information
- If the manufacturer isn’t located in the EU or NI, you’ll have to indicate an EU or NI-based Responsible Person or entity, along with their name and contact details
- Any relevant product information like model number, pictures, type, and CE marking
- Product safety and compliance information like safety warnings, labels, and product manuals in the local language
We understand that collecting this information can be time consuming, but adding it to your listings will ensure you comply with the regulation and can continue selling to buyers in these regions. It’ll also help you gain your buyers' trust and create a loyal customer base in the EU and NI.
Next steps
We’re working on a new feature that’s designed to simplify the process of adding the required information to one or multiple your listings. We’ll notify you in July when you can start updating this information to your listings. In the meantime, we recommend that you start collecting this information so you’ll be ready to comply with the regulation once it goes into effect.
FAQs
What type of product safety information do I need to include?
You’ll have to display any applicable instructions, warnings for safe use and disposal, and safety information for the product you’re selling. This information must be presented in the local language of the country where your item is being sold. You can include an image (a pictogram, a symbol, or a label), a statement (safety warnings or chemical hazard warnings), a product manual, or any other document that contains this information. The supported file formats are .pdf, .jpg, and .png.
Where can I find the above information?
This information can be found on the product, on its packaging, or in any accompanying documents. You can also reach out to the product manufacturer if you don’t have this information.
What does the Responsible Person need to do?
The EU or NI-based Responsible Person is in charge of specific tasks related to compliance and product safety, including:
- Checking that the EU declaration of conformity, CE marking, and other technical documentations are in order, and providing them to the market surveillance authorities to demonstrate the conformity of the product
- Informing the market surveillance authorities about dangerous products and accidents through the EU Safety Business Gateway
- Cooperating with the market surveillance authorities and ensuring the necessary actions are taken to rectify any non-compliance issues
- Providing documented evidence of the checks that were performed, if requested by the authorities
Who can be the Responsible Person?
The Responsible Person can be one of the following and must be based in the EU or NI:
- The manufacturer
- An importer
- An authorized representative of the manufacturer
- A fulfillment service provider if the manufacturer, importer, and authorized representative aren’t based in the EU or NI
If the manufacturer isn’t in the EU or NI, how can I identify the Responsible Person?
If you’re a seller, you can contact the manufacturer or your upstream supplier to obtain the name and contact details of the EU or NI-based Responsible Person.
If you’re a manufacturer or brand owner that’s based outside the EU or NI and have a subsidiary in the EU or NI, or already have an EU or NI importer, it may be possible to appoint them as the Responsible Person for your products. You can also check with the testing laboratory or the certification company that you use, as they may assist you with assigning a Responsible Person.
Shipping internationally just got easier
What you need to know
Keeping track of restrictions and export regulations when selling internationally can be challenging, and as a result you may have manually excluded selling in some locations. In mid-April we introduced a toggle switch within your Shipping Preferences under Exclude shipping locations that, when enabled, will allow eBay International Shipping to seamlessly handle the paperwork and shipments to locations you've previously excluded. This new feature aims to help make your products effortlessly available to a broader audience, while we handle the complexities of global distribution.
Sell internationally with confidence
eBay International Shipping was created to streamline your global shipping experience, so that when you make an international sale, you’re only responsible for shipping the item safely to our domestic eBay International Shipping hub. From there, we take care of the logistics and paperwork, and handle returns and refunds at no cost or risk to you. Adding this feature that manages your country exclusions with one easy toggle is just one more way that we’re working to improve your experience and help your products find their way to more buyers around the globe.
Set it up
To check the status of this toggle switch, go to your Exclude shipping locations page under Shipping Preferences. You can either choose to have it switched ON and let us handle your exclusions for you, or have it switched OFF and manage them yourself. Once the toggle is turned OFF, your exclusions will be restored to how you manually set them.
Note: Your self-ship exclusions remain effective at all times, independent of the toggle being ON or OFF.
FAQs
What are country exclusions?
Sellers use country exclusions to prohibit their listings from displaying and selling to specific countries. Occasionally, a seller may need to set a country exclusion when they have a brand or licensing agreement that limits sales to a particular location.
What are the benefits of eBay managing country exclusions for me?
When eBay manages your country exclusions, your listings are only shown where permitted, increasing their visibility to a wider international audience. It simplifies your role as a seller—you just ship to a domestic hub while eBay handles the complexities of global distribution, saving you time and effort.
What protections do I receive by allowing eBay to manage country exclusions for listings that are eligible for eBay International Shipping?
Should any complications occur during the international shipping phase, you retain the sale without any negative consequences to your account, such as VeRO strikes. Additionally, eBay will remove any neutral or negative feedback related to international shipping issues, safeguarding your seller reputation. You’ll also not be required to manage any returns—eBay will take care of them at no additional cost to you.
If I receive a verified rights owner (VeRO) complaint, am I protected through eBay International Shipping?
If an item is displayed on eBay International Shipping and there is a VeRO complaint, eBay will modify or remove the listing from eBay International Shipping. Negative account consequences won't be applied to your account.
If you offer additional international shipping services, you'll need to go to the 'Exclusions' section of My eBay and manually remove the countries that can't import your items. This will help ensure you only ship to countries allowed and that you don't receive negative actions if you self-ship these products.
Learn more about the VeRO program.
Will my country exclusions still be applied to any orders I self-ship internationally?
Yes. eBay will only manage exclusions for eBay International Shipping orders.
How do I apply my country exclusions to eBay International Shipping?
Whether you use the listing tool or business policies, our how-to guide walks you through the process step-by-step.
When will eBay International Shipping offer service to some expanded domestic shipping locations?
We realize that shipping to some US locations can be as complex as shipping internationally. So, coming soon, eBay International Shipping will also be available for shipping to:
- Non-contiguous states: Alaska and Hawaii
- U.S. Territories: Puerto Rico
Will eBay International Shipping work the same way for these domestic shipments as it does for international shipments?
Yes. As the seller, you simply ship to our domestic shipping hub. Once your package is accepted at the hub, eBay will manage the rest of the process, including returns, and you keep the sale.
We’re testing changes to auction sales that’ll help you easily go from sold to paid
Changes are coming to auctions
As part of our continuing effort to ensure timely payments for our sellers, we'll be testing changes over the next few months that are designed to streamline your selling experience, ensure you get paid without delay, and minimize the hassle of re-listing.
What you need to know
Buyers on select auctions will be required to set up a preferred payment method and shipping address before they can place a bid. After winning an auction, we’ll let them know they have one hour to adjust their order or payment details as needed, otherwise we’ll automatically process their order using their preferred payment method. No action is required from the seller.
These changes aim to improve the auction process on eBay by providing buyers with the ability to decide how they want to pay, while also ensuring that sellers receive payment for their sales. The goal is to foster a more efficient and dependable experience for the entire eBay community.
Next steps
Keep an eye out for these improvements which we’ve already begun rolling out.
FAQs
What is an unpaid item?
Completing a transaction with the buyer is typically a straightforward process; however, there are instances where the buyer may fail to pay for the item they committed to buy—this is referred to as an unpaid item.
As a seller, what is changing with Auctions?
No changes are needed with how you set up your listings. You should expect to see fewer unpaid items on items sold through auctions as we test and launch changes.
As a seller, can I still offer combined shipping for multiple items purchased by the same buyer?
You can still combine multiple purchases from the same buyer in a single shipment, but please be aware that a buyer may be automatically charged for shipping costs for each individual item when payments are processed. In these situations, you can send buyers a refund for any excess shipping charges if you offer combined shipping discounts. In the meantime, we are actively working on solutions that reduce the likelihood of this occurring.
As a buyer, what is changing when I bid on Auctions?
As a buyer, you may be prompted to provide a payment method and select a shipping address prior to placing a bid on an auction. You'll have the ability to edit these details before the auction ends. If you win the auction, you'll be given an one hour period to make any changes. If no changes are made, we’ll automatically charge your default payment method.
What other changes is eBay doing to reduce unpaid items?
We’re continuing to rollout solutions across buying formats and different geographies to address instances of unpaid items. Additionally, we are restricting buyers with excessive instances of unpaid items.
Sellers are talking about the 2024 Summer Seller Update in the eBay Community.