API Error

Hi Norman,

The issue you're experiencing usually has to do with the fact that the shipping service you have selected requires package dimensions.

Currently, I believe the dimensions in the Create Listing form are in English, as in inches, so if you enter your dimensions as whole numbers, in inches, leaving out any abbreviations, or quotations, (i.e. don't put 6" X 1'), it should work.

Hope this helps!

I am getting the same error. I have logged a support call. I cannot see where the dimensions are entered. Please help.

Well I have tried to relist this a number of times now, including creating a new listing. I have flat rate shipping and did not enter any dimensions in the shipping area. The dimensions mentioned in the listing say "inches" and do not have the symbol for inches, so I am still at a loss as what width or height dimension is not valid. Swanseahammer, if you find out what is causing this, please post it here so I can put my listing up on ebay. It is such a pain when the error code information itself is so criptic and does not really tell me what is wrong. I have done error checks on the listing before listing it and it passes the error checks but it won't list.

Oh dear, you're using Flat-Rate shipping... Yeah, the dimensions are there on the listing page for Calculated, but go away as soon as you change it to Flat.

Are you using USPS Priority Mail? USPS are changing their rates next month, and eBay is getting ready for the upcoming changes by doing things a little differently, and I have a feeling this might be related. But this *should not* prevent the listing from posting. Have you checked on eBay to see whether the listing had posted or not? If not, then we have a problem on our end that we'll need to address.

I have not indicated priority mail, simply flat rate and the listing is not showing up on ebay. I listed one very similar to this the same day and it went through just fine. I tried copying that one and puting in new description and it still did not work. I get the same api error, sometimes it says height is not valid and sometimes it says width is not valid. I just cannot figure out what it wants changed?

Are you sure that the listing isn't going through? i.e., maybe it's showing an error but still posts the item on eBay? Have you searched for your item on eBay to see if it appears?

Yes, I have double checked and just did again and it is not there, just the other one I listed that is similar. N

OK, I may have figured this out. In my "Item Specifics" I had listed the dimensions as 11 3/4 for the width and 17 1/2 for the height and apparently it does not like fractions. Somewhere they should tell you that. Anyway, when I changed them to 11.75 and 17.50, it still seemed to give me an API error so I tried again at 12 and 17 and it worked but then I ended up with two listings as it worked with the decimal points as well as plain numbers so it would appear you just can't put fractions in the "Item Specifics" information. Hope that helps others.

84rms: So what do you do if you have an envelope that is only 1/4 inch thick????? I have about 15 things I need to schedule like this and it will not allow me to enter 1/4 or .25 ???????????? Or I could just enter 1" and hope it does not effect the price to much? In need of some help???

My only suggestion is to write out the number like one quarter inch and that should work.

You can also use flat rate shipping for your auction and bypass the dimensions.