Australian customers, Ebay has started adding their ABN number and "Code:Paid" to your post address!

[smithj04_55]

For overseas sales to Australian customers, Ebay has started adding their ABN number and "Code - Paid" to the first line of the customer's postal address.

This is intended to indicate to Australian Customs Authorities that GST has already been paid on this item.

Unfortunately, this is having the effect that some deliveries are being returned to the sender because Australia post doesn't recognise that information in the first line as a proper address!

This has now affected two deliveries to me!

[davewil1964]

It's an eBay initiative.

What could possibly go wrong?

[brerrabbit585]

You're talking about a different code. What you're talking about is an order number. What this thread is about is code on overseas purchases to indicate that the gst has been paid. Read the title of the thread - ebay's ABN number is included and "code: paid", which isn't part of the code that's simply an order number.

[countessalmirena]

brerrabbit, I included the information about this new code here because I thought it highlighted a similar issue - confusing the address by eBay's inclusion of other information in the first address line.

I should have made it clearer. Thanks for pointing it out.

[Anonymous]

This code only relates to the Order details and is not used for tracking. The ABN # I am seeing on my Overseas packages is 64652016681 on the Third line of the address as I solely use Parcel Lockers

[imastawka]

The purpose of the code is to improve the post-transaction experience for your buyers by providing them with more  tracking events and visibility over their parcel’s journey. It will also help protect you should a buyer open an ‘item not received’ request.

New eBay Order Code

[shbag29]

Same thing happened to me just now. Ebay really need to put these details on another label. I will cease to purchase overseas items via Ebay until they stop putting this in address lines. 

[padreousmaximus]

There are MANY issues with eBays GST management.

The first is the fact that eBay is charging GST on most goods, depending on WHO is doing the selling.
Other times, if a retailer is selling SH goods, GST is STILL being charged. 

GST cannot be charged on second hand goods, but HERE on eBay it IS being charged.
In fact its illegal to charge GST UNLESS a business is registered for GST.
eBay cant be charging GST if Im paying someone else for the goods.

Reason being is that if I am a business registered for GST, my invoice will carry that charge and reflect it as such.
I then offload that payment to the taxman every quarter...
If ebay manage the GST component, that GST charge does not come to me. However an income still shows up on my invoices..
Am i then expected to send the taxman over to eBay to chase those funds??
So thats one problem.

The second problem, is that as a registered business the GST i actually PAY (if my earnings are under 75grand)  I can claim & retrieve ALL the GST i have paid,  BACK from the tax office.
Am I expected to have eBay refund me ALL the GST i have paid to some overseas seller & eBay are to refund seeing as theyve retained the GST of my purchase?

So the GST component SHOULDNT be managed eBay and if it is, HOW is it being managed?

As for ABN info and what not, most sellers have label templates from eBay directly. Aus Post even have special prices for those using  their services as ebay sellers.
I would anticipate AusPost would be on top of labelling issues but seeing as its aus post, nothing surprises me with those failures...
The stories i could tell you would blow you mind, however when ti comes to labels and the like, Id suggest you check your details here and make sure theres sufficient info for the package.
Aus post might have issues, which messy labels wont stop them.

If goods are stuck in customs, dont be surprised that half the goods get turned away as sometimes staff just CBF'd dealin with it... I had a package from the US cost me over $170 to get here via DHL within 4 days, all duties and GST were paid to the retailer (B&H) at time of purchase, however customs still went ahead and not only wasted time, making the $170 delivery cost redundant, but then went on about costs and charges already covered through the retailer... to say it was a drama would be an understatement... 

Id be doublechecking the packages as I get PLENTY of packages from asia and regardless of what the label says, or how messy it might be or considered incomplete (as youve indicated is your case) Ive still gotten MOST of my packages.. even the wierd items...

I'll keep an eye on this regardless and update this post if i have issues..

The only main issues I have, is stuff stuck on ships wasting time in shipping containers .. Ive waited countless months for many goods only for them to arrive way beyond the time they were actually needed... By then, feedback opportunities have expired and by the time a warranty issue comes about, the business is out of business and /or paypal wont honour a refund coz its exceeded 6 months from the day of purchase when it should be 6 months from the day of receipt of goods

Anyways, good luck

[padreousmaximus]

yeah nah, an ABN wont help ANY form of tracking... on the contrary, it would confuse the AusPost systems as our system is automated, even for larger packages and as our system requires adresses to be configured in a specific manner, with postcode last, i doubt AusPost will have the means or volition to change a countries entire mail procedures so as to accomodate an online seller.

If anything, the ABN/GST  info SHOULD be placed in the item description or in the label you posted "delivery features'

ABN status has got NOTHING to do with an adress's.. SO ebay doing this, is remarkably silly and goes to show how ignorant their operations are...
All it would have taken was a call to the AusPost call centre to work out where and how said GST info should be on any given label...

IN this case it DOES interfere with adress details.
Our systems WILL have a problem with it..

GST is a part of NEW sales, and SHOULD NT be on ANY second hand item. 
Just puttin it out there... as Ive had GST charged on goods that SHOULDNT have carried GST ..

In any case, GST/customs/duties and anything UNRELATED to an address should be put within an appropriate area, NOT the address..
AusPost is problematic enough.. .believe me...

[countessalmirena]

❝GST and second-hand goods

Second-hand goods purchased from overseas may be subject to GST if they are low value imported goods.

When second-hand goods are sold by GST-registered suppliers, GST will generally apply just like when second-hand goods are purchased from GST-registered businesses in Australia. Sales of low value imported goods, either new or second-hand, can be made by:

• a merchant who sells goods
• an EDP (such as an online marketplace)
• a redeliverer.

Sales of low value imported second-hand goods by a non-resident individual through an online marketplace are deemed to have been made by the EDP operator. Therefore, the price of the second-hand good will include GST if the EDP operator is GST-registered.❞

— https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/International-tax-for-business/GST-on-imported-goods-and-services/Au...

(Bolding mine.)

I’ve quoted directly from the ATO’s website and included the link.

This makes it perfectly clear that GST for s/h low value imported goods is payable for Australian buyers if purchasing on eBay. eBay is indeed an EDP operator that is GST-registered, as they are required to be by Australian law in the wake of the GST on low-value imported goods changed to the Act.