Printing International Labels In Paypal And Ebay

Ebay has changed the way international labels are printed online. Ubuntu has changed where Sun Java is stored in the repositories. The post office has changed the way they process Express. Ebay has confirmed issues with printing out of both Paypal and Ebay. The combination makes printing out of Ubuntu 10.10 or beyond complicated to figure out. Worse yet, there is no test label in Ebay so you will be buying expensive labels until you figure this out. Sure, you can get a refund, but you have wait two weeks. We lost a $38 label in our efforts. And if international customers are waiting for their express packages, they will want to know what the hold up is. At VitalBodies, we want to help rescue you from this fate...

"Ubuntu (Linux) requires Sun (TM) Java for Paypal and web page embedded Adobe PDF for Ebay. "

In Ebay, you set preferences as to where you print (whether you know that or not) as some settings are the default. One setting controls if you print in Ebay or Paypal. Ubuntu (Linux) requires Sun (TM) Java for printing labels in Paypal and web page embedded Adobe PDF for Ebay. We did not attempt to get web page embedded Adobe set up in Firefox, as the Ebay forums suggested there were still a lot of issues. Instead, we changed our Ebay preferences to NOT print in Ebay. Myebay > Account > Site Preferences > Shipping preferences > Show > Pay for shipping and print U.S. Postal Service labels on eBay > UN-Check.

Printing Labels The forums indicate international printing is broken...

The forums were loaded with angry sellers who could not print labels. Many had been waiting quite some time and they were Windows, Mac and Linux users. We even braved the snow to try to get our package to ship at the post office. At the post office the staff barely knew how to ship international Express because Express in now handled by FedEX. Plus, for international shipping the buyers phone number is required. If they see that the phone number does not belong to the country you are shipping to, they will not ship the package. The phone number does not automatically appear when you print the label. So how can we get this to work?

Proprietary often at the heart of these issues...

Once you have changed your shipping preferences in Ebay then you will be able to print from Paypal right out of your Myebay account. Ubuntu, however, uses open source Java Iced tea and OpenJDK by default, as it should. Paypal and Pitney Bowes apparently chose a proprietary solution, so we have to use Sun (TM) Java and the Sun (TM) Java browser plug in, in Firefox instead. But Ubuntu can not see those packages in The Software Center or in Synaptic until you add the "Ubuntu Partners" repository to Ubuntu in the Updates Manager.

System > Administration > Update Manager > Settings > Other Software > Add:

deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu maverick partner

Click Add Source. Ubuntu will need to rebuild the sources and download some files. May require a reboot.

For more details and info see our step by step post here: Printing International Paypal Mailing Labels Using Java. If you are attempting embedded PDF make sure that is enabled within the browser. Edit > Preferences > Applications > you should see "Embedded PDF" in some form or another. Mac users should try Leopard. And some user had success with Chrome.

What To Know:

1In Ebay you set preferences as to where you print. Ebay vs Paypal.

2Printing labels in Ebay uses an Adobe reader browser plug-in for embedded PDF.

3Ubuntu needs SUN Java and Sun Java Plug in not Iced tea and OpenJDK for printing within Paypal.

4For International shipping, the buyers phone number is required.

5Pick up or order form 2976-E to attach your label and customs forms to the box.

6The label that shows the postage is paid goes on top. (see image above)

7You still have to go to the post office for signature required and insurance over $100. Blah...

8If you are a Mac user, try printing out of Leopard.

9If you are attempting embedded PDF make sure that is enables with the browser.

UPDATES:

Today we had to take the same express package in to add signature and insurance. All three clerks thought the package should be sent a different way, and no one agreed with each other. It shipped the way the clerk that was helping us decided it should go. Since we printed the label with postage online we got a discount. But then we had to add insurance and signature at the post office so they charged us for what we had been discounted. In other words, they took back the discount. I mentioned that they should not need to do that. They responded that they do what is on screen. Because the package was now shipping differently, according to them, we had to repackage it and remove all the stickers they had added the day before. They also claimed that there was not tracking with the electronic label and gave us a new paper form with tracking. Also, the claimed that it is only Global Express Guaranteed that is handled by FedEX and if you use that there is an additional form that is an invoice that you have to fill out.

I must say - it makes you wonder...