Guides 7 min readUpdated 10 October 2026
Tracking numbers eBay cannot follow, and what to do about them
In short
eBay only shows a parcel’s progress for carriers it is connected to. Numbers from Cainiao, 4PX and Amazon Logistics (TBA) can be entered only as “Other”, where they never scan, so eBay cannot confirm dispatch or delivery. The fixes are to give eBay the last-mile carrier’s number once the parcel has one, or to use a tracking conversion service that issues a number eBay follows for the same parcel.
You upload the tracking number on time, and eBay still shows nothing moving. The buyer sees the same, and three weeks later opens a case you cannot answer with proof.
The number is real. eBay simply cannot read it. This is why, and what works instead.
Why some numbers never scan
eBay follows parcels for the carriers it has a connection with. For any other carrier you can still enter a number, under “Other”, but eBay never receives a scan for it.
AliExpress parcels usually start with a logistics company such as Cainiao, 4PX or YunExpress. Amazon’s own delivery service issues numbers beginning TBA. None of these is a carrier eBay follows.
| Number from | Typical form | Does eBay follow it? |
|---|---|---|
| USPS, UPS, FedEx, Royal Mail, DHL | The carrier’s own format | Yes |
| Cainiao, 4PX, YunExpress | Letters and digits, often starting LP, 4PX, YT | No: entered as Other |
| Amazon Logistics | Starts TBA | No: entered as Other |
What it costs you
- Late shipment: eBay counts a parcel as on time when a carrier scan appears within your handling time, or when it is delivered by the estimated date. No scan leaves only the second
- Item not received: tracking that shows delivery to the buyer’s address is your protection. A number eBay cannot read protects nothing
- The buyer’s patience: an order page that never moves produces messages and cases a week early
Option 1: the last-mile number
A parcel sent from abroad is usually handed to a local carrier for the final delivery: USPS in the United States, Royal Mail or Evri in the UK. Once it is, it has a second number that eBay does follow.
The supplier’s tracking page often shows it after the parcel lands. Replacing the first number with that one gives eBay real scans, though only for the last part of the journey.
Option 2: tracking conversion
A conversion service takes the supplier’s number and gives back one of its own, registered with a carrier eBay follows, for the same parcel. eBay then shows progress from the start.
These services charge per number. Check which carriers and routes one covers before relying on it, and convert before you tell eBay the order has shipped rather than after.
Whichever you use
- Upload tracking within your handling time, even when it is an “Other” number, and replace it later
- Keep the supplier’s original number: you need it for a claim against the supplier
- Do not mark an order shipped before the supplier has really dispatched it
- Set a delivery estimate the supplier meets, so “delivered on time” can save a missing scan
Questions
- Why is my eBay tracking not updating?
- Usually because the number belongs to a carrier eBay does not follow, so it was accepted as “Other” and no scans arrive. The parcel is moving; eBay cannot see it.
- Can I use an Amazon TBA tracking number on eBay?
- You can enter it under “Other”, but eBay will not show its progress or confirm delivery from it, so it does not protect you in an item-not-received case.
- Does eBay accept Cainiao tracking?
- It accepts the number as an “Other” carrier, without following it. Use the last-mile carrier’s number once the parcel has one, or convert the number.
- Is converting a tracking number allowed?
- The number must be for the buyer’s actual parcel and show its real journey. A number that belongs to a different parcel, or shows delivery that did not happen, is tracking fraud and eBay treats it as such.
Read next
- eBay seller standards: late shipments, defects and cases
How eBay rates a seller each month, what counts as a late shipment or a defect, why supplier-shipped orders are at risk, and how to keep an account Above Standard.
- Returns and “item not received” cases when a supplier ships for you
What to do when an eBay buyer wants a return or says the item never arrived and your supplier sent it: who refunds whom, the deadlines, and how to recover from the supplier.
- Amazon to eBay dropshipping: how it works, and the risks
How sellers list Amazon products on eBay, what eBay’s and Amazon’s rules say about it, and the practical problems: Prime, branded goods, packaging and TBA tracking.