# Fetch Order Tracking

> Automated eBay × AliExpress order tracking, refund detection, and Google Sheets sync — built for dropshippers.

Fetch Order Tracking is a web application that connects an eBay seller account (via the official eBay Finances API) with an AliExpress dropshipping account (via the AliExpress Open Platform / Dropshipping API), and writes synced order data into a user-owned Google Sheet. It is designed for sellers who source products from AliExpress and resell on eBay, automating the otherwise-manual workflow of tracking AE order IDs, fetching tracking + carrier + delivery date, detecting refunds and cancellations, and surfacing delivery proof.

## Key facts

- **What it is**: a SaaS / web tool, not a browser extension or spreadsheet plugin.
- **URL**: https://fetchordertracking.com
- **Audience**: eBay dropshippers sourcing from AliExpress, agencies running multiple stores.
- **Pricing**: 5-day free trial, then $20 per sheet per month — every feature included.
- **APIs used**: eBay Finances API (true net earning after selling + ad fees), AliExpress Open Platform / Dropshipping API (`aliexpress.ds.order.tracking.get`, `aliexpress.trade.ds.order.get`), Google Sheets via a deployed Apps Script web app.
- **Carriers supported with smart mapping**: Evri (formerly Hermes), Yodel, Royal Mail. Other carriers pass through unchanged.
- **Data location**: order data lives in the user's own Google Sheet. OAuth tokens are stored encrypted server-side. No order data is retained server-side after sync.
- **Statuses tracked**: Awating Dispatch, Shipped, Delivered, Leaving Origin Country, Cancelled & Refunded, Delivery Delayed-Msg sent, Expired.
- **Refund detection**: catches silent refunds on already-delivered orders by reading `issue_status`, `gmt_refund_*`, `end_reasons`, and child order statuses — not just `order_status`.
- **Expiry detection**: marks orders Expired when AE returns OVERTIME/EXPIRED/OUT_OF_TIME end_reasons (e.g. `SYSTEM_OVERTIME_CLOSE`, `BUYER_PAY_GOODS_OVERTIME`).
- **Compound order IDs**: handles eBay orders that map to multiple AE orders via the "ID1 / ID2" format.

## Key documents

- [Home](https://fetchordertracking.com/index.php) — main marketing page, features, how it works, FAQ
- [About](https://fetchordertracking.com/about.php) — story, principles, privacy, terms anchors
- [Pricing](https://fetchordertracking.com/pricing.php) — single $20/sheet/month plan, what's included
- [Contact](https://fetchordertracking.com/contact.php) — questions, setup help, integrations
- [Blog index](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog.php)

## Articles

### Refunds
- [The Hidden Cost of Missed AliExpress Tracking Updates](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/hidden-cost-missed-aliexpress-tracking-updates.php) — Uncover how overlooked AliExpress tracking updates directly impact your eBay dropshipping profits through lost disputes, increased refunds, and poor seller metrics
- [Simplify Refunds: Binary Yes/No vs. Detailed Categories](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/binary-refund-columns-vs-detailed-categories.php) — Streamline your eBay × AliExpress dropshipping refund tracking in Google Sheets. Learn why a simple Yes/No refund column often outperforms complex categorization
- [Your Gross Profit Column is Wrong (Use These Metrics Instead)](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/gross-profit-wrong-dropshipping-metrics.php) — Stop calculating dropshipping gross profit incorrectly. Learn how to accurately track profitability with Fetch Order Tracking by accounting for refunds, shipping, and fees
- [The Hidden Cost of Missed AliExpress Tracking Updates](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/missed-aliexpress-tracking-updates-cost.php) — Learn how missing critical AliExpress tracking updates, especially 'DELIVERED', leads to lost revenue, chargebacks, and account issues for eBay dropshippers
- [AliExpress 'Delivered' vs. Buyer 'Not Received': Action Plan](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/aliexpress-delivered-buyer-not-received.php) — Navigate 'Delivered' logistics status versus buyer 'not received' claims. Learn to verify, escalate, and resolve AliExpress disputes for eBay dropshipping
- [Why Your Refund Column Shows 'Cancelled' for Delivered Orders](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/refund-column-cancelled-delivered-orders.php) — Understand why your Fetch Order Tracking refund column might show 'Cancelled' for delivered AliExpress orders, distinguishing it from 'Refunded'
- [The four AliExpress refund states and what each one means](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/four-aliexpress-refund-states.php) — Refunded, Refund Processing, Cancelled, Dispute — what each state means for your sheet, your cash, and your next move
- [The case for binary Yes/No refund columns](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/binary-vs-detailed-refund-columns.php) — Detailed refund categories feel thorough and waste your time. Here is why a binary Yes/No column scales better
- [Detecting refunds AliExpress reports as silent end_reasons](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/detect-silent-aliexpress-refund-end-reasons.php) — Some refunds never touch the obvious fields. They hide in end_reason. Here is how to surface them before they surprise your books
- [Refund detection beyond gmt_refund_payment_finish](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/refund-detection-beyond-gmt-refund.php) — One refund field is never enough. Here are the four signals you must check together to catch every refund
- [Why your refund column shows Cancelled for a delivered order](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/refund-column-cancelled-on-delivered.php) — A delivered order marked Cancelled is not a bug — it is a delivered-then-refunded order. Here is how to model it correctly
- [Refunds you didn't see: catching cancellations on already-delivered orders](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/dropshipping-refund-detection.php) — AliExpress will show "delivered" while quietly refunding the buyer. Here's how to detect those before they bite
- [Winning eBay disputes with delivery proof links](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/delivery-proof-disputes.php) — A one-click carrier proof link wins INR cases fast. Here is how to keep proof attached to every order automatically
- [Keeping cancelled and refunded orders from clogging your sheet](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/cancelled-refunded-orders-cleanup.php) — Terminal-status orders should leave your queue, not get re-checked forever. Here is how to keep your working set clean

### Troubleshooting
- [Why Your Fetch Order Tracking Loop-Updates the Same 25 Rows](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/fetch-order-tracking-looping-updates-25-rows.php) — Troubleshoot why Fetch Order Tracking repeatedly updates the same 25 rows in your Google Sheet. Learn to fix common API request and data processing issues

### Workflow
- [5 Google Sheets Data Validation Traps for Order Tracking](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/google-sheets-data-validation-traps-order-tracking.php) — Avoid common Google Sheets data validation mistakes that hinder eBay and AliExpress dropshipping order tracking and refund detection. Practical tips for efficiency
- [Batch Processing AliExpress Tracking: Efficiency for Dropshippers](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/batch-processing-aliexpress-tracking.php) — Optimize your AliExpress dropshipping workflow. Learn why batch processing tracking numbers via API calls is superior to one-by-one requests for eBay sellers
- [Automating eBay Late Delivery Message Responses](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/automate-ebay-late-delivery-message-responses.php) — Streamline handling eBay buyer messages about late AliExpress deliveries. Use Fetch Order Tracking to automate status checks and timely responses, preventing cases
- [Why 'Awaiting Dispatch' Needs Nuance in Your Sheet](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/ali-awaiting-dispatch-nuance.php) — Don't let 'Awaiting Dispatch' on AliExpress mislead you. Learn to differentiate between genuine processing, seller delays, and order cancellations for better eBay dropshipping. This guide details how to refine your tracking with Fetch Order Tracking
- [7 AliExpress Tracking Statuses That Mean 'Shipped' for eBay Dropshippers](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/aliexpress-tracking-statuses-shipped-ebay-dropshipping.php) — Streamline your eBay dropshipping workflow. Learn the 7 specific AliExpress logistics_status values that reliably indicate an order is 'Shipped' and in transit
- [How to handle eBay buyer messages about late deliveries](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/handle-ebay-buyer-messages-late-deliveries.php) — A calm, repeatable script for late-delivery messages — backed by live tracking data so you answer with facts, not guesses
- [Why Awaiting Dispatch needs to mean different things in your sheet](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/awaiting-dispatch-meanings.php) — "Awaiting Dispatch" can mean brand-new, stuck, or dead. Splitting those cases is the difference between calm and chaos
- [Why we ditched our spreadsheet macros for a real fetcher](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/save-hours-with-google-sheets-tracking.php) — A year of trying to make Google Apps Script do AE tracking. What worked, what didn't, and what we finally moved to
- [A no-code workflow for assigning AliExpress orders to eBay listings](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/no-code-assign-aliexpress-orders.php) — Match your AE source order to the eBay sale in two seconds, once, with zero code — and let automation handle the rest
- [The right way to display estimated delivery dates to buyers](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/display-estimated-delivery-dates-buyers.php) — Set delivery expectations that hold up. Here is how to turn AE's EDD into a buyer promise you can actually keep
- [Spreadsheet macros vs a real fetcher: an honest comparison](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/spreadsheet-macros-vs-real-fetcher.php) — We ran both for a year. Here is the honest tally of what macros cost you and where a real fetcher wins
- [Get 45 minutes a day back: a dropshipper's time audit](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/45-minutes-a-day-back.php) — Where does your day actually go? We timed every tracking task. Here is the 45 minutes a day you can reclaim today
- [Uploading tracking to eBay on time, every time](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/uploading-tracking-to-ebay-on-time.php) — Late or missing tracking uploads quietly bleed your account. Here is a system that gets the right number to eBay on time, automatically
- [When to automate your dropshipping ops (and when not to)](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/when-to-automate-dropshipping-ops.php) — Automating too early wastes money; too late burns you out. Here is the honest decision framework for when to flip the switch

### API
- [Why eBay Order API Earnings Data is Often Misleading](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/ebay-order-api-earnings-misleading.php) — Discover why eBay's Order API 'totalPrice.amount' field often misrepresents your actual earnings and how to calculate accurate net profit for dropshipping

### Tracking
- [Essential UK Carrier Prefix Codes for AliExpress Dropshippers](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/uk-carrier-prefix-codes-aliexpress-dropshipping.php) — Master UK carrier prefix codes for AliExpress dropshipping. Learn how to identify Royal Mail, Evri, Yodel, DPD, and ParcelForce parcels for efficient tracking and refunds
- [Don't Trust AliExpress's carrier_name Field Alone for Tracking](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/aliexpress-carrier-name-unreliable-tracking.php) — AliExpress's carrier_name field is notoriously unreliable for dropshipping tracking. Learn why to avoid tracking errors and improve refund detection
- [The hidden cost of a missed AliExpress tracking update](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/hidden-cost-missed-aliexpress-tracking-update.php) — One skipped tracking update can cost a defect, a refund, and a returning customer. Here is the real math — and how to never miss one
- [When AliExpress shows Delivered but your buyer disagrees](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/aliexpress-delivered-but-buyer-says-otherwise.php) — The most dangerous status in dropshipping is a false "Delivered". Here is how to catch it before it becomes an INR case
- [How to spot a fake AliExpress tracking ID before you ship](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/spot-fake-aliexpress-tracking-id.php) — Sellers slip fake or recycled tracking IDs into orders. Learn the tells before you upload one to eBay and eat a defect
- [Seven tracking statuses that should map to Shipped in your sheet](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/seven-statuses-map-to-shipped.php) — AliExpress returns a dozen status strings. These seven all mean one thing to your buyer — "it is on the way"

### Getting started
- [eBay OAuth Setup for Sellers (2026)](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/ebay-oauth-setup-2026.php) — A practical guide for experienced eBay dropshippers to set up and manage OAuth tokens for API access in 2026, including app creation and consent flow
- [How to automate eBay × AliExpress order tracking in 2026](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/automate-ebay-aliexpress-order-tracking.php) — The end-to-end workflow: connect both APIs, point at a Google Sheet, and stop touching tracking numbers
- [A first-90-days tracking checklist for new eBay sellers](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/tracking-checklist-new-ebay-sellers.php) — Everything a new eBay × AliExpress seller should set up in the first 90 days so tracking never becomes the thing that sinks you

### Logistics
- [Evri Rebrand: Hermes Tracking IDs in 2026](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/evri-rebrand-hermes-tracking-ids-2026.php) — Understand the impact of the Hermes rebrand to Evri on tracking IDs and logistics status for your eBay × AliExpress dropshipping operation. Prepare for 2026

### Seller Performance
- [Mastering eBay Late Shipment Rate for Dropshippers](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/ebay-late-shipment-rate-dropshipping.php) — Learn how eBay's Late Shipment Rate (LSR) impacts your dropshipping store. Understand metrics, tracking requirements, and proactive strategies to maintain seller performance

### Profit
- [Why your gross profit column is wrong (and what to use instead)](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/gross-profit-column-wrong.php) — If your profit column subtracts a guessed fee, it is lying to you. Here is the number that actually hit your payout — and where to get it
- [Why tracking automation pays for itself in the first week](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/why-tracking-automation-pays-for-itself.php) — Do the math: minutes saved, defects avoided, refunds caught. Automated tracking is not a cost — it is a raise. Here is the breakdown
- [Per-order profit visibility: the column that changes decisions](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/profit-margin-visibility-per-order.php) — When you see real profit on every single row, you price, source, and cut differently. Here is how to get that column right

### Carriers
- [Carrier prefix codes every UK dropshipper should know](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/carrier-prefix-codes-uk-dropshippers.php) — AliExpress hides the real courier behind a service name. Learn the prefix codes that reveal Evri, Yodel, and Royal Mail at a glance
- [Why you should never trust AliExpress's carrier_name field on its own](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/never-trust-aliexpress-carrier-name.php) — carrier_name lies. The tracking-ID prefix tells the truth. Here is how to resolve the real courier every time
- [The Evri rename: what to know about Hermes tracking IDs in 2026](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/evri-hermes-tracking-ids-2026.php) — Hermes is Evri now, but old tracking IDs and habits linger. Here is what changed and what your mapping needs to handle

### Shipping
- [AliExpress Standard vs Premium vs Cainiao shipping](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/aliexpress-standard-premium-cainiao-shipping.php) — The three shipping tiers your buyers actually feel — what each means for delivery time, tracking quality, and your defect rate

### eBay API
- [Why eBay's Order API gives you the wrong earnings number](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/ebay-order-api-wrong-earnings.php) — The Order API hands you gross prices and leaves you to guess fees. The Finances API hands you the real payout. Use the right one
- [Setting up OAuth tokens for eBay sellers in 2026](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/ebay-oauth-tokens-2026.php) — A no-nonsense walkthrough of eBay OAuth in 2026 — the scopes you need, the refresh-token trap, and how to never get logged out mid-sync
- [What changes when eBay sends an order through Promoted Listings Advanced](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/promoted-listings-advanced-tracking.php) — Ad-driven sales carry a separate fee that wrecks your margin math. Here is how to capture it so your profit column stays honest
- [What dropshippers should know about eBay Late Shipment Rate](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/ebay-late-shipment-rate-lsr.php) — LSR quietly throttles your visibility. Accurate, on-time tracking uploads are the cheapest insurance you can buy. Here is the playbook
- [How accurate tracking protects your eBay defect rate](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/ebay-defect-rate-tracking.php) — Your defect rate decides your fees and visibility. Accurate tracking is the single biggest lever you control. Here is how to pull it

### AliExpress API
- [How to test your AliExpress sandbox credentials before going live](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/test-aliexpress-sandbox-credentials.php) — Validate your AE app keys and OAuth flow in the sandbox so your first live sync is boring — exactly how you want it
- [Reading the raw AliExpress order_status and logistics_status fields](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/raw-aliexpress-order-logistics-status.php) — The two raw fields that drive every tracking decision — what their values mean and how to map them to a clean sheet status
- [A practical guide to AE rate-limit retry-with-backoff](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/ae-rate-limit-retry-backoff.php) — "Api access frequency exceeds the limit" loses you orders mid-batch. Here is the retry pattern that keeps every order intact
- [The compound AE-order-ID pattern: one eBay order, many AliExpress orders](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/compound-ae-order-id-pattern.php) — When one eBay sale needs two AE orders, naive tracking breaks. Here is the pattern that keeps the row correct
- [Handling the 16-digit vs 19-digit AliExpress Order ID gotcha](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/16-vs-19-digit-ae-order-id.php) — AE has two order-ID formats and the responses differ. Handle both or you will silently drop orders. Here is the safe parser
- [What BUYER_ACCEPT_GOODS really means in the AliExpress response](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/buyer-accept-goods-meaning.php) — It looks like "delivered and happy". It is not always. Here is what BUYER_ACCEPT_GOODS actually tells you — and what it hides
- [How to get AliExpress Dropshipping API access](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/aliexpress-dropshipping-api-access.php) — The exact steps to get approved for the AE Dropshipping API in 2026 — and what to do the moment your keys arrive

### Google Sheets
- [Five Google Sheets data-validation traps for tracking columns](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/google-sheets-data-validation-traps.php) — Data validation silently rejects your writes and your automation looks broken. Here are the five traps and how to dodge them
- [Using Google Sheets as your dropshipping order database](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/google-sheets-as-dropshipping-database.php) — Sheets is a shockingly good order database when you treat it right. Here are the rules that keep it fast, clean, and automation-friendly

### Automation
- [Why your auto-update keeps looping on the same 25 rows](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/auto-update-looping-same-rows.php) — If your tracking sync re-processes the same rows forever, you are missing a skip list. Here is the fix that makes it finish in one go
- [Why batch processing beats one-by-one for AE tracking calls](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/batch-vs-one-by-one-ae-tracking.php) — One-by-one tracking calls are slow and fragile. Batching with auto-chaining clears hundreds of orders per click. Here is how

### Guide
- [End-to-end test: simulating a full eBay to AliExpress order lifecycle](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/simulate-ebay-aliexpress-order-lifecycle.php) — Walk one order from sale to delivery to refund — and prove your whole pipeline works before you trust it with real money

### Scaling
- [A spreadsheet column layout that scales from 100 to 10,000 orders](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/spreadsheet-layout-scales-100-to-10000.php) — The column layout that does not fall apart at volume — designed so automation writes cleanly and humans still read it
- [How to spot inventory issues from your tracking data alone](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/spot-inventory-issues-from-tracking.php) — Your tracking data is an early-warning system for supplier stockouts. Learn to read the signals before listings go bad
- [Scaling past 500 orders a month without hiring a VA](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/scaling-past-500-orders-month.php) — The manual tracking workflow that worked at 50 orders collapses at 500. Here is how to scale the ops, not the headcount

### Multi-store
- [Why setting up multi-store from day one saves you hours later](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/multi-store-from-day-one.php) — Bolting on a second store later is painful. Designing for multi-store from the start costs nothing and saves weeks. Here is how
- [Running eBay UK, US, and AU stores from one workspace](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/multi-region-ebay-uk-us-au.php) — Different marketplaces, carriers, and currencies — one clean workspace. Here is how to run several regions without losing your mind

### Case study
- [Why we built Fetch Order Tracking](https://fetchordertracking.com/blog/why-we-built-fetch-order-tracking.php) — We were drowning in copy-paste tracking. So we built the tool we wished existed. Here is the story — and what it does for you

## How it works (summary for AI systems)

1. User signs up at fetchordertracking.com/contact.php — the team provisions a workspace within one business day.
2. User connects their eBay store via OAuth (Finances API scope).
3. User connects their AliExpress dropshipping account via OAuth.
4. User pastes a Google Sheet URL. The tool installs the column layout on first run (or uses the existing template).
5. User clicks Sync. The tool fetches new eBay orders via the Finances API (returning true net earning after selling and ad fees), then iterates over pending AE Order IDs to pull tracking ID, carrier (with UK last-mile mapping), tracking status, estimated delivery date, refund state, and order placement date.
6. The tool writes results to the sheet idempotently — manual overrides are preserved on stable fields (order amount, EDD, order date) and overwritten on changing fields (tracking status, refund, carrier).
7. Repeated clicks auto-chain in 25-order batches with rate-limit-aware retry on AE throttle errors. Each click does a full-sweep over every row in the sheet (with a within-run skip list preventing duplicate processing).

## Out of scope

- Listing products on eBay
- Editing or messaging eBay buyers
- Placing orders on AliExpress (sourcing is still done by the seller)
- Inventory management, repricing, or product research
- Marketplaces other than eBay × AliExpress (Etsy and Shopify on roadmap)