Jump to content
Model Cars Magazine Forum

Many US EBay Sellers Will Opt In For International Shipping Soon


Recommended Posts

http://pages.ebay.com/shipping/globalshipping/seller-tnc.html

Finally, eBay has done something close to right. The above new Global Shipping Program will result in the availability of both safe and reliable international shipping over the next months. In my opinion, it will eventually (after a few bugs are worked out) be a game changer.

I currently do not offer international shipping for a variety of reasons. I refer here to USPS with no reference to other shippers. First, the cost has risen tremendously since ground shipping was discontinued a few years ago (while the seller has no control over this - and some buyers are willing to pay it - it still leaves the seller open to poor feedback due to cost); second, tracking is only available on Priority International or better with, again, subsequently higher (nearly unreasonable) costs (without tracking a small seller may find himself losing a couple weeks profit on refunding one item supposedly not received - without getting the product back); and third, the growing nuisance of filling out various Customs Forms and waiting in ever-increasing lines at the Post Office.

I could make more money, even as a small seller, if I could safely offer international shipping without the current requisite peril and hassles.

That may now - or soon be - practical. EBay has entered into an agreement with Pitney Bowes (the current provider of their shipping labels) which has resulted in the establishment of, essentially, a clearing house for international shipping.

In essence, a US seller ships an item to a facility in the US and that facility handles all other aspects of continuing the shipment to an overseas location. No longer the risk of an item being 'lost' or not received by the international buyer nor the risk of low feedback ratings due to shipping time or shipping costs.

It should be understood the seller must still print a shipping label to the US facility and fill out a few forms, but eBay and the 'clearing house' handle about everything else. One aspect I really appreciate is that the seller need charge only his/her domestic shipping rate; eBay will calculate further costs and make it available in appropriate international markets - the buyer may decide whether to accept or not - then payments will be separated by PayPal (mandatory payment provider for this service at this time) and sent to the seller (product cost plus domestic shipping) and Pitney Bowes (international shipping charges). Seller is also not charged an eBay fee on the international shipping charge - unusual for eBay.

There may still be a few bugs to work out, as is the case with most new endeavors, but I'm certainly going to give it a try. I'm aware there are a few small distributors (primarily European and Asian) already doing something similar, but certainly nothing near this scale. I can actually see this as having a tremendous, widespread, long-term concept impact on international sales.

As a side note, I'm well aware this is an additional, and large, source of income for eBay and PayPal (and Pitney Bowes), but I'm more interested in the concept and how it can increase my revenues by opening up various international markets. That's good for both buyers and sellers. As I said, this is something I'm going to try.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a couple questions ,,,

Looks like there's going to be 2 shipping charges.

Two,, Who's doing the shipping from the outlet to the buyer?

Only one shipping charge will show up for the buyer, just like now. The payment is simply separated 'behind the scenes' and the buyer will not be aware of it in my understanding.

Most of the shipping will apparently be done by USPS, though Pitney Bowes will have the option of using others at times. I think they'll try and stick with the most efficient and economical. Unfortunately, there's not as much information on that as I'd like yet.

The overall shipping costs should stay the same, or less, than it is now.

Also, sellers are not required to opt into this program for international shipping. They may choose to continue to ship as they do now, or not ship internationally at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This could be a very good opportunity for eBay. There are already secondary "shippers" for foreign buyers - I have sold a number of kits to operations in California that buy for people in Japan, consolidate the shipments at a facicilty in the US, then ship to the buyers in Japan. The only cost was the US mailing cost. Buyers will be responsible for the additional fees, if any.

This will also be very nice to avoid the customs/PO headache for sellers (like myself) that sell globally.

I have a couple questions ,,,

One ,, Looks like there's going to be 2 shipping charges. One from the seller to the shipping outlet and another from the outlet to the buyer. Seems this will increase the shipping costs ??

Two,, Who's doing the shipping from the outlet to the buyer? USPS would be fine but companys like UPS and Purolator charge a "brokerage fee" to ship across borders,, at least here to Canada. Sometimes many times the actual price of the item. Some guys I know have bought items for a couple bucks, they were shipped by courier across the border and they were charged $50 or more for "brokerage".

We'll have to see how all this plays out but it's look'n right now like I've made my last purchase through E-bay.

I am sure eBay has these things considered...It may still be an option to just mail the package directly to the buyer as well - this is just giving options. Canada is no big deal. I get nervous when I send a package to El Salvador and it's MY responsiblity if the package doesn't arrive (it did arrive fine, just took about a month).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This will be interesting. I think this is in response to the steep increase in International postage costs that the USPS has instituted. eBay probably will gather up the packages and ship them in bulk to the receiving countries and then put them in the local mail streams there. And you know with the volume they will generate, they'll get the very best rates.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I still will not sell overseas.

Because?

A: A foreign US dollar is not as much worth as a US US dollar?

B: Foreign people might get angry when you misprinted an ad and fly a airplane in your house?

C: The world outside the US is scary?

D: you're just too lazy to fill in the customs form?

Not meant to bug your butt, but don't you think that conclusion is a little bit shortsighted? Except for a customsform, there is no difference in a transition national or international. At least not for the seller.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got this notice from eBay too, and I will definitely try it. International shipping has been the biggest snake pit on eBay for a long time for sellers. This program may not be perfect, but it's a vast improvement over what has been going on. Combined with online shipping payment and label printing through PayPal, shipping is now one of the easier aspects of selling on eBay.

Edited by Nitro Neil
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree that International shipping is not a problem. I've always shipped anywhere, and have never had a package lost. I've had them take a long time, where we thought they were lost, but they always showed up! I've even received eBay purchases for my Aussie friend and forwarded them on when he encountered sellers who wouldn't ship to him.

The only issue is that postage costs have gone through the roof, probably doubled in the last few years which is probably why eBay is doing this shipping deal.

Opening the bidding up internationally does a few things for your auctions. First, there are things that sell better outside the USA. For instance, I've shipped a lot of older Japanese kits. List one of those 1/32 Maverick kits and I can near guarantee someone in Brazil will buy it. They love Mavericks and are big on slot cars. The last one I sold went for $50 plus the $15 postage.

The dollar is down in many countries, so US goods are cheap to them. For instance the Australian dollar used to be 50 cents US. Now it's pretty much even. That's like a 50% off sale to them!

The deal is that when International buyers bid, the price goes up. Sometimes they don't win, but they drove the price up for the US buyer.

As far as shipping, it's really no problem at all. I just sent out 30 packages with an NNL East shirt internationally. Filling out each customs form took me no more than a minute each. Not more complicated than that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Never having sold anything on eBay, can someone please explain to me what the big deal is about potential negative feedback? Do you get shut down for six months if you get one negative remark or something? :huh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hope that shipping costs get lower with this new option.

I live in Germany and the most great, cheap kits are in the USA. But I wonder about the extreme differences of shipping costs. Some sellers ships a kit for $15 to me, other wants more than $30. This is what I don't understand.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The fact that sellers wont sell overseas really gets on my nerves, you have to write an address on the front of it anyway so who cares if it says California or Australia??? I'm the one paying the freight not the seller. :(

The one losing out is the one that wont ship to Australia, news flash, your losing dollars by selling stuff locally for peanuts when you could sell to other countries for a lot better price.

I've watched van kits sell for $20 that I'd happily pay $50 for just because they wont ship to Australia. :angry:

I've never had a parcel go missing in all my dealings on ebay both as a seller and as a buyer, Aussie Post is really good in that way they're very reliable. ^_^

I usually message the seller if it starts "Posts to US only" and ask if they will post to here and 90% say it's not a drama but there's still that 10% that think it's just to hard to spell Australia on a parcel. :wacko:

I purchased two number plates this week from the states but had to change my ebay address to a Saginaw one before I could even bid and than after winning them, I asked if they'd post to my Aussie address only to be told "dont ship internationally" so now they're getting sent to Saginaw to get re-addressed by someone that can spell Australia and owns a globe so they can see there is a whole other world outside the states.

End rant.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The dollar is down in many countries, so US goods are cheap to them. For instance the Australian dollar used to be 50 cents US. Now it's pretty much even. That's like a 50% off sale to them!

The deal is that when International buyers bid, the price goes up. Sometimes they don't win, but they drove the price up for the US buyer.

As far as shipping, it's really no problem at all. I just sent out 30 packages with an NNL East shirt internationally. Filling out each customs form took me no more than a minute each. Not more complicated than that.

Wish there was more around like you Tom, and you make some good points. Our dollar a few months ago was worth around $1.09US and even now is still around 1 for 1 with you guys.

A lot of my friends have been snapping up kits but a lot of them have taken the opportunity to finally get that car they've been chasing, importers must be making a killing with the number of US cars coming into the country over the last few years. My mate bought a real nice Z28 Camaro in 3 years ago, cost him around 16k for the car and 5k to import it, by the time it was on the road it owed him around 23k, now that's a 50-65k car her in Australia so he's saved 40k and the seller got his money straight up no hassles.

I've driven the price up heaps of times after being given the ok that they'll ship to me, I mightn't win them all but I'll give it a good shot and get you more money in the end.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sometimes i have to tell that i wont give bad feedback if it get lost in the mail,but the risk of that happen is close to zero with tracking. And anyway,if it happen there is insurance and also me as a buyer cant blame the seller for somthing the post office did wrong. Some US sellers are really nice and refund if you pay to much shipping,even if the shipping is very cheap,like 18-23$. I mean that is cheap to be from the US,some charge up to 50$.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With this new program in effect, if the buyer reports that his item was never received (presumably lost) does the buyer then seek a refund through this 3rd party shipping company? If the records show that the seller sent the item and it was successfully received by the 3rd party, sent to the buyer by the 3rd party but ended up in oblivion, that sure as hell isn't the sellers fault.

After several pain in the butt experiences with international shipping I have refused to do it for years. This could be a game changer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not afraid to offer international shipping on my Ebay items, but I have specified a handful of countries I will not ship to(like Nigeria, home of internet scams). Once an item I ship leaves the hands of the USPS, I make it clear that tracking doesn't apply.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have shipped items to Austraiia, and Canada and Estonia...when I am sending a model or doing a swap or something. But I don't typically ship outside the US on my ebay stuff because its not easy to calculate what to charge up front for shipping. So its easier to just do US. I usually do say US and Canada but Canadian buyers have to contact me before paying to calculate actual shipping.

JJ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been trading on the big auction site for about five years now and have had no problems to speak of when it comes to shipping internationally except for canada post's piratical rate structure. A small package (model car) can hit Florida for less than shipping to eastern Canada. While I realize rates have gone up south of the medicine line what I find really disappointing is the apparent decline in the willingness of sellers to accomodate bidders like myself that are just looking for the lowest rates regardless of shipping time or tracking and are willing to take the chance. In over six hundred transactions I haven't lost one yet with standard shipping and I'm not going to think it's the end of the world if I lose a few dollars on the small packet that somehow doesn't get to me. At least two guys have told me that the shipping quoted is what it is despite the fact that the calculator can be way out. Guess it really is too much trouble to lift a carcass out of a chair and actually ask the post office lady what the cheapest rate really is vs pushing a button and generating a postage tag. With the current average for shipping to me now showing about thirty bucks vs the seven -twelve bucks I know stuff still can be shipped for I just had to vent a little :unsure: I try to never ask anyone to do something I wouldn't do for them.

mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If I want something I'll bid on it, postage doesn't worry me if I want it bad enough I'll pay it but what is annoying is paying $30 postage and when the parcel arrives the postage on it's $18........... :angry:

Boxes, shipping materials, and time are not free.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is a ton of kits that show up on ebay that I would like but the shipping is more than the kit for us up in Canada it is not worth it to me. Example 15.00 for the kit 35.00 to ship it no thanks. If this was to change that would be very good for buyer and seller.I would buy the kits and there is alot of other people up here that may out bid others!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...