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Does anyone have experience shipping items internationally? If so, what kind of issues have you encountered?
I have a product I am selling on ebay and a couple of potential buyers asked me to list the item for international shipping. I am nervous about shipping internationally. More specifically about buyers claiming not receiving the item. Or claiming 'item not as described' although I have in the description sold untested and "As Is". How does ebay resolve these problems. Thanks in advance.
ebay will decide any issue in favor of the buyer. Doesn't matter if it is your next door neighbor.
I don't ship outside the country because it just makes the shipping cost go through the roof.
I rarely ship internationally and when I do, I always put the shipping on the buyer. Most times, they will say, "ThxbutnoThx." I find that weeds out a lot of timewasters.
If you ship Priority, you can still track it. It will even insure so make sure you are thinking of that, too. Just be watchful that your mailing addressee and PayPal match up in every case. I found a number of buyers use some kind of air bulk shipping so that the recipient is actually whomever is working the desk at Trans-Continent-Or-Whatever in NJ or Delaware. If the buyer entered that as their PayPal address, as long as it gets to that location, eBay will say it arrived and fulfilled the buyer's obligation, and an unscrupulous buyer can rip you off by saying they never received. The sort-of workaround for that is if you add Signature Confirmation to the box. Then, when it gets to this hypothetical desk, they will have to say it arrived where PayPal says it was going, which in turn fulfills your obligation. If they never get it, you say, "I sent it to your PayPal address--see, it was even signed for when it arrived." The fact that it wasn't them who signed is not your problem. But as you will hear, eBay almost always sides with the buyer, unless they have been incredibly stupid (threatened your feedback score inside eBay's messaging service, for example).
To date, I have had more unpleasant transactions with domestic buyers than with people out-of-country.
Everything I sell on ebay is listed to ship via ebay's "Global Shipping Program". Why? Once the item hits the Global Shipping center in the U.S. you are done with it.
Read the fine print but you are very protected with this program, in my opinion. I have sold well over 100 items using eBay's Global Shipping Program and have had no problems at all.
If you pay attention to what eBay collects for shipping and import fees you will see ebay makes money on these transactions. Me I'm happy for what has proven to be a very hassle free transaction.
Also since I sell low priced items shipping cost is a big deal, I ship to the shipping center in KY from here in coastal NC. That is waaaay cheaper that to the western U.S. I list with free shipping and always have to consider what I may loose If I have to ship to CA, WA, OR, etc.
I suggest you read the fine print and then pick out a few items to list with the Global Shipping Program and see how it works for you. 73, Mike
I've sold a few items internationally, mainly to Canada. If your item can fit into an international flat rate envelope or small flat rate box the price is quite affordable. I typically charge $20 shipping for Canada and absorb the rest of the shipping costs into my profits.
I looked at the Global Shipping and I didn't see an option for buyer to pay shipping? This question pertains to the selling of my highest value item of this year, which is why I am leery about shipping international.
I sell using Global Shipping and I almost always sell with free shipping(reality shipping included). I know the destination for all of my Global Shipping sales in in KY and I know what it costs to ship it there. Ebay handles collecting all additional shipping fees and charges from the buyer you only have to ship it to the Global Shipping center.Quote:
Originally Posted by nutpie
I don't know if ebay has more than one shipping center or not. I recommend you call ebay and ask them I would hate to see you miss out on sales. Get the answers from the horse's mouth. 73, Mike
I have had 3 out-of-country buyers in 2017 use freight-forwarding services.
I usually do not sell outside of the US due to the cost of shipping. A $6 domestic package can easily turn into a $35 international shipment.
I have only sold a few items to Canada, so I don't have a great answer. I have sold a lot through ebay over the years. It is not the same animal anymore. Every time I sell something now I get a knot in my stomach, just waiting to get screwed over by buyer and more so by ebay/paypal. I have moved away from scrap/re-selling for this reason. Now I play electrician after day job and on weekends... which generates some copper/aluminum/shred, but mostly $$.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RLS0812
This is very true but with ebay Global Shipping its not something you have to deal with. Like I said before ebay deals with the buyers who knows the total cost before buying.
I've had several items that cost far more in shipping and import fees than I got paid but I got what I wanted out of the sale. Mike
The highest bidder for this item lives here in the good ol' U.S of A. But I realize some items don't have much of a market in the U.S. and will have to be marketed overseas. Like older iPhones .