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Urgent Issue Regarding CSBV Mode Shipments - Let's Unite for a Resolution
I am writing to you today with a pressing concern that has recently arisen in our export operations, particularly those carried out under the CSBV (Claim for Self-Billed Verification) mode. Since 2018, we have been successfully exporting numerous shipments using this mode, but we have encountered a significant challenge that I believe requires immediate attention. Starting from April 1, 2023, all shipments exported under the CSBV mode are now being monitored through the Trade online software of ICICI Bank. The Trade team at ICICI Bank has requested that we provide an IRM (Invoice Reference Number) of each shipment in Excel format, along with a range of documents, including invoice copies, CSBV shipping bills, FIRC (Foreign Inward Remittance Certificate) copies, AWB (Airway Bill) copies, and Reduction Declarations, particularly those up to 25%. However, if the reduction exceeds 25%, these documents will not be closed, and the e-BRC (Electronic Bank Realization Certificate) will not be generated. To make matters more concerning, the charges for closing each shipping bill are exorbitant, with a fee of INR 200 plus GST per bill in my case. For those account holders with a normal account at ICICI Bank, the charges are even higher, ranging from INR 500 to 1000 plus GST. The point of contention here is that despite complying with these stringent requirements and incurring significant costs, our exports do not seem to derive any tangible benefits. In fact, this process consumes a substantial amount of time, money, and energy. To put it into perspective, if there are 500 exports each month, the bank charges for closing each document amount to INR 1,18,000 for those with a platinum account and a staggering INR 5,90,000 for those with a normal account at ICICI Bank. This situation is immensely disappointing for us exporters. It feels like an excessive burden without any commensurate value or benefit. As a result, many exporters are struggling to cope with these financial and administrative challenges, and we believe it is vital to address this issue collectively. I kindly request your assistance in providing a list of email addresses or contacts that we, as exporters, can reach out to. We aim to voice our concerns and grievances to higher authorities such as the RBI (Reserve Bank of India), DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade), FIEO (Federation of Indian Export Organizations), and any other relevant authorities who can help us address and potentially alleviate this issue. Let us, as exporters, unite together and raise our voice as a collective force so that our concerns reach every corner. Together, we can work towards a resolution that benefits the entire exporting community. Your guidance and support in this matter would be invaluable, and we look forward to your response. Thank you once again for your time and assistance. Sincerely, Devang BhansaliIN CBT Business - COVID19 Support Update
2 MIN READ Dear Seller, The last few days has seen our country come together in fighting the challenge of COVID-19. While this is an unprecedented situation for all of us we at eBay are committed to enabling continuity of business for all our sellers. In order to ensure this we are working with internal teams across the globe and our logistics partners in India to do the best we can to safeguard your interests. Our team across the country are aligned to address your concerns, advise on the situation and partner with you to ensure we navigate this period together. Logistics Many states in India have announced a lockdown till 31st March 2020, this will have an impact on the operations of the logistics partners and postal services across the country. Currently the situation is as follows – Pickups for the next 48 hrs will be impacted and we would advise all of you to increase your handling time factoring this in Movement of shipments to international destinations & delivery to buyers – Due to the current issues in movement of goods across countries there will be delays. We are cognizant of that and so are the teams handling buyer feedback. Please ensure you use trackable shipments as far as possible to allow for better buyer communication. Seller Standards eBay realizes that flexibility in business operations is essential right now. We want to reassure you that you will not be penalized for being unable to carry out usual operations. We understand there may be situations where you can’t get an item out the door as fast as normal or you have to unexpectedly cancel an order. So in supporting your needs, your Seller Performance Standards will not be negatively impacted during this period. Your account will be protected from being downgraded from the upcoming March 20th seller performance standard evaluation until the June 20th evaluation. That said, if your performance improves your status over any evaluation period, you will still move up as expected. Buyer Communication As always, it’s important that we deliver the best possible buyer experience. Please make sure you continue to deliver a great product aligned to your buyer’s expectations. If you’re not able to fulfil orders at any time, please let potential buyers know by putting your store in vacation mode and communication of order cancellation if you are unable to ship an order. Stay safe, and thank you for selling on eBay. Please reach out to your AMs for any further clarifications. eBay India Team
Payouts on hold
I am an eBay top rated seller with excellent metrics for over 5 years now. On October 31, 2025, eBay started putting funds on hold for incoming sales until 7 days after the items have been delivered. This happened without any warning or an email from eBay that they would now hold funds until 1 week after delivery. I have been selling on eBay consistently for the past 5 years, and have been receiving my payouts daily until now. There have been no changes to my account and my sales and listing practices in the same categories have been stable. No sudden growth or any account defect problems. I have talked to different customer service reps who all give me a different answer. It seems phone reps have absolutely no idea how to resolve this and just read off a script or AI google search. eBay phone reps say the hold on funds is not permanent, but they also don't know when the fund holds on purchases will be lifted. When asked if they see any problems within my store, they say everything is excellent. They have no answer as to why funds are being held, aside from " this is a new policy " I just want someone from eBay to help me, someone that knows what's happening and can clearly explain this new funds on hold for eBay seller accounts that have excellent standing. I want to understand why there was no seller news on this, or why we didn't even receive an e-mail before a new policy rolled out was to be applied to my store? I know I am not alone on this topic, and many sellers have been asking the same questions with no clear answers. eBay needs to be more transparent with actions they take on seller accounts so we can be ready. Items shipped out take anywhere from 4-10 days to be delivered. Then payments will not be released again until 7 days after delivery. This cripples my business' cashflow. From bills, to inventory re-stock, to paying my overhead to keep the store running. How does an eBay store grow when the payments are tied up for 2-3 weeks without warning? I'm upset because I follow eBay rules and policies by the book, provide excellent customer service, yet I feel my store is being treated like its a new account.Shipping Performance Policy – Item Not Received Rate
4 MIN READ What you need to know? Starting from July 31, 2023, eBay will launch the Shipping Performance Policy – Item Not Received Rate. Sellers with a higher than market average “Item not received” rate may be subject to a range of actions including without limitation, eBay administratively ending or removing listings, enforcing buying or selling restrictions, adjusting selling limits and/or suspending the relevant accounts. Best practices As a seller, shipping your items in a timely and reliable manner is crucial to provide a great shipping experience to your buyers. Most of the time when something goes wrong, it is due to delays, inaccuracies, or lack of visibility related to the delivery of an item. You’re expected to follow these best practices: Ship items within your specified handling time Use reliable carriers that offer shipment tracking Manage inventory and keep items well stocked Charge reasonable shipping and handling costs Specify shipping costs and handling time in the listing Be helpful, friendly, and professional with your buyer throughout a transaction Evaluation metric The "Item Not Received" or “INR” rate, namely, the percentage of transactions where the buyers reported that the items were not delivered or were not available for collection. How are you being evaluated? Evaluation Frequency: Monday on a fortnightly basis. INR Evaluation Window 1: All paid transactions during a 31 day lookback period commencing 45 days before the evaluation date. By way of illustration, where the evaluation date is Monday, 27th March, eBay will review all paid transactions during the period commencing Wednesday, 8th February and ending Friday, 10th March. INR Evaluation Window 2: All transactions with an estimated delivery date that falls within the 31 day period commencing on the immediate past Saturday before the evaluation date. By way of illustration, where the evaluation date is Monday, 27th March, eBay will review all transactions with an estimated delivery date falling within the period commencing Thursday, 23rd February and ending Saturday, 25th March. Evaluation by destination country of the buyer eBay will evaluate your INR% for deliveries to each country listed below, as well as your total performance across all countries. Destination Country INR% Window 1 Market Average INR% Window 1 INR% Window 2 Market Average INR% Window 2 The United States The United Kingdom Germany Australia Other Countries (*) Total Performance (*) All countries other than the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Australia. Evaluation Result Action taken: INR% of Window 1 or Window 2 is higher than the corresponding market average INR% and eBay decides to take action. Non-compliant: INR% of Window 1 or Window 2 is higher than the corresponding market average INR% but eBay will hold action this cycle. Compliant: Both INR% of Window 1 and Window 2 are lower than or equal to the corresponding market average INR%. Please note that eBay will start implementing the above evaluation from July 31, 2023. Transactions before June 23, 2023 will not be subject to the evaluation. FAQs 1. How can I check my performance? We will send you your shipping evaluation outcomes to your registered email each evaluation cycle by email. Please check your account’s status from time to time for any updates. You will see your shipping evaluation outcomes on a fortnightly basis after launch of this policy: Outcomes of Your Shipping Evaluation under Shipping Performance Policy – Item Not Received Rate: Action taken Evaluation Date: July 31, 2023 Destination Country INR% Window 1 Market Average INR% Window 1 INR% Window 2 Market Average INR% Window 2 The United States 0.5% 1% 0.5% 1% The United Kingdom 2% 1% 0.5% 1% Germany 6% 1% 0.5% 1% Australia / / / / Other Countries (*) / / / / Total Performance 0.5% 1% 0.3% 0.9% Evaluation Status: You may have all of these three statuses in one evaluation, and multiple actions may be taken. The most serious status will be selected as the result of this evaluation cycle. Action taken: INR% of Window 1 or INR% of Window 2 is higher than the corresponding market average INR%. Non-compliant: INR% of Window 1 or INR% of Window 2 is higher than the corresponding market average INR% but eBay will hold action this cycle. Compliant: Both INR% of Window 1 and INR% of Window 2 are lower than the corresponding market average INR%. 2. What should I do if my account has been restricted due to its performance issues? Will the action be removed if my INR% improves in the next evaluation cycle? eBay will still evaluate the INR% of your accounts as long as there are eligible transactions. The restriction will be removed automatically once your INR% is lower or on par with the market average in the subsequent evaluation periods. 3. Link that may help you: What to do when a buyer opens an item not received request: Please click here. Service metrics policy: please click here. Seller levels and performance standards: please click here
Bank charge for closing shipping bill too high for ecommerce seller in India.
Bank is charged a lot of money to realize the export process. Which is too much for us. Please send the below letter format by mail to all the institution like RBI, Ministry of finance, Ministry of commerce, DGFT, Customs. May be in next guidelines or FTP they will change the realize process or reduce the charge. Otherwise we shall force to close our business in near future. Date:14.08.2021 To, Sub: Regarding compulsion of EDPMS and closing of shipping bill with the AD Bank and the high bank charges imposed by the AD Banks. Respected Sir, This is to request you to look to into the matter regarding compulsion of EDPMS and closing of the shipping bill with the AD Banks and the high bank charges imposed by the AD Banks upon us. This is state that we are exporting in small quantities and amount, less than a value for Rs. 25000.00 through online portals like e-bay/Amazon and are shipped through courier/India post in CSB-V. This is to further state that the payments are received in advance through Online Gateway Payment System(OPGSP) like paypal/payoneer. This is to inform that AD Banks are charging an average of Rs. 1500.00-2000.00 as bank charges per shipping bill for EDPMS and closing of the shipping bills which is very high in respect to our monetary volume of the business which ranges an average invoice value for Rs. 1500.00 to Rs. 5000.00. Hence the bank charges for the above is unbearable for us. This is to describe you that International market is a competitive one and to compete there the price should be competitive one. You are requested to look into the matter regarding the modification of the charges imposed by the banks for the above service or modification of the system of uploading the above procedure so that the matter becomes cost effective for us, otherwise it has become difficult for us to continue with the business. Thanking you, Yours sincerely,IN CBT Seller Update: Protecting your seller performance until July'2020
2 MIN READ This is in pursuant to our AB Post dated 23rd March’2020 We know that COVID-19 continues to create unprecedented challenges for many eBay sellers, and our thoughts go out to all those affected. eBay realizes that flexibility in business operations is essential right now. We want to reassure you that you will not be penalized for being unable to carry out usual operations. We understand that there may be situations where you can’t get an item out the door as fast as normal or you have to unexpectedly cancel an order. So, in supporting your needs, your Seller Performance Standards will not be negatively impacted during this period. Your account will be protected from being downgraded from the March 20, 2020 seller performance standard evaluation through July 19, 2020. For example, if you were a Top Rated Seller on February 20th and your performance over the next evaluation period would have moved you down to Above Standard, you will now automatically retain your Top Rated status. If you were Above Standard on February 20th and your performance over this period would have moved you to Below Standard, you will now automatically remain Above Standard. That said, if your performance improves your status over any evaluation period, you will still move up as expected. As always, it’s important that we deliver the best possible buyer experience. Please make sure you continue to deliver a great product aligned to your buyer’s expectations. If you’re not able to fulfill orders at any time, please let potential buyers know by putting your store in vacation mode. We are committed to helping you navigate this constantly changing situation and please continue to check back on the Community for further updates. Stay safe, and thank you for selling on eBay. Please reach out to your AMs for any further clarifications. eBay India TeamINCBT Seller Communication - What You Need To Know About Transactions
1 MIN READ Dear Sellers, Pandemic Covid-19 is complex and fast-moving situation and our Prime Minister further extended the nationwide lockdown till May 3, 2020 in the interest of public at large. In continuation to our previous communication, kindly note that all the corridor transactions have been temporarily suspended due to lack of active logistics network owing to the lockdown extension. Be assured that these will be resumed upon commencement of logistics services moving goods from India to US and other countries. Your Action Required: What you need to do about orders received till date but yet to be shipped: Communicate regularly with your buyers on the extended lockdown situation and check if they are willing to wait till normalization in order to complete the transaction. In case they are unable to wait, it is suggested that you MUST cancel their orders immediately. As you may notice that we have been taking several steps to help our eBay seller community and this step is necessary to ensure that our sellers are protected from any action by Global Risk as well as PayPal and your buyer experience is protected. We are constantly monitoring the dynamics impacted by Covid-19 for appropriate actions and will keep you updated. You may also keep yourself updated on the latest updates here. Regards, eBay TeamBBE Seller Rating?
Greetings to all eBay Community members, I have been an eBay seller since 2012. Right now I am facing a problem for which I see no solution, because every communication with eBay Seller Support only leads to more uncertainty about the future of my store. In August, shipments from the EU to the USA were suspended due to the new customs tariffs. Shipping was restored only at the end of October. Foreseeing that this situation would cause problems, I contacted our store’s eBay account manager on 25.08.2025. The communication took place via WhatsApp to the number provided by the eBay account manager. Her reply on 26.08.2025 was: “Hello good day. eBay has sent a message regarding the US tariff update, and we advise you to speak with your shipping partner to confirm any changes in shipping costs, and to continue communicating with your buyer to keep them informed about this change. If you want to exclude your item to us you can remove your listing in us site and can list your item to other sites on eBay. eBay Account Manager Janine.” The only solution offered was to delete my listings on eBay.com — what kind of joke is this from eBay? When I asked if it is possible to temporarily disable shipping to the USA, I received no answer. There was no other explanation or guidance on how to proceed. As we all know, on eBay.com sellers cannot disable the USA as a shipping destination. Therefore, buyers in the USA were able to purchase items from EU sellers, even though shipping was physically impossible. I also could not find any option to place a banner or notice to warn USA buyers that delivery to the USA was suspended. For every USA buyer who purchased an item, I manually sent an explanation that the order must be cancelled because delivery was impossible. About 50% of buyers understood and some even repurchased the item later when shipping resumed. The other 50% marked these cancellations as defects. As a result, my BBE is currently 25.1%. I have no other violations or issues that would justify shutting down my store, but I fully understand that with this percentage my store will likely be closed within the next month. Already now, even though I have not received an official notification of store restriction or closure, eBay has clearly applied a hidden limitation on my account — after receiving the BBE warning, my store traffic dropped by 80%, and of course so did sales. One eBay representative told me that I “should not have selected ‘out of stock’,” which is completely untrue — I know that this option must not be used. I always selected “buyer asked to cancel order.” I repeatedly looked for information in eBay’s internal seller forums, and several sellers reported the same issue: there was absolutely no guidance available on how to properly handle this situation. This is what the Seller Protection Program states: “We remove defects and/or late shipments when things happen that are outside of your control, such as severe weather or carrier disruptions.” This information is published by eBay itself. And this situation was completely outside my control — shipping to the USA was entirely suspended and only resumed at the end of October. Here is the official information, publicly available to everyone. I wasn’t allowed to add the link here, so I attached a photo where the official postal information can be seen. Why eBay chooses to ignore this, or pretend not to know, I do not understand. Please find included the links with all the relevant references, including information from the Latvian Post website. I am highly knowledgeable in my field, my customers appreciate us, and we strive to be the best in our industry. But I am not an IT specialist or a lawyer, and I cannot be expected to know the correct legal or administrative procedures in such a situation. eBay should have provided clear guidance on how to act so that sellers could avoid exactly the problem I am now facing. I would like to hear the opinion or advice of other EU sellers, because all communication with eBay so far has led to no useful solution. All replies I receive sound something like: “It’s your fault.” Thank you for understanding, and I wish you all a successful day.
