Ebay: if you're not shipping internationally you're losing out

[go7]

These are the usually magic terms & conditions I put with US Sellers and it works most of the time.

1. I communicate well
2. I will handle all custom issues at my end (including payment of the taxes)
3. Politeness
4. If shipping is more I'll absord the cost, if it's less, then the seller refunds. (I know the shipping rates pretty well).

I think so far I've got about a dozen pedals and 3 guitars

Bingo.

 

[teefus]

considering that the last 2 times i agreed to ship an ebay item internationally i got burned and actually lost money on the deals i am missing out on nothing......except an empty pocket and a headache.

 

[Leonardo]

you CANNOT use USPS for international shipping !!!!!!....the buyer must cover UPS or Fed-Ex shipping cost and insurance, no matter how high their prices are...they are the only services that offer door to door international tracking, and you absoultely need the documention to cover your butt !!!...i'm sorry about the inflated prices they charge, but if you want the item, thats the deal...

Wrong.

 

[TomF]

I have sold and shipped 2 guitars internationally. One was a 1960 Custom Shop Stat to New Zealand and the other a Hamer Newport to Hungary. I just went down to the UPS store, filled out the forms, and away it went just like domestic shipping. I received a good estimate of the shipping costs in advance and included that in the sale price. It really was quite easy.

 

[blueshawk1]

I don't feel like I'm missing out when I chose to ship within the states.

Maybe you don't if it's a peace of mind issue,

That's 100% what it is for me why I won't ship internationally.

 

[GreenKnight18]

It's interesting for me to read the full scope of replies on here. They range from 'no hassle at all' to 'all non-US residents are scam artists.'

While I am inclined to think 'it's no big deal' myself, I have always been leery of selling stuff on eBay. I think it's safer just to deal on TGP.

 

[Andy J.]

USPS tracking works great to Australia too, door to door. Gee, it's not that hard.

Door-to-door tracking to Finland as well, I bet it's the same for the other nordic countries too.

Having said that, I totally get why people are wary of selling stuff overseas on eBay; I prefer buying on TGP Emporiums. I can check out the seller, the seller can check out me, we can exchange references and so on. I've bought and traded a few value items here, including my lovely R7.

 

[mbargav]

USPS tracking works great to Australia too, door to door. Gee, it's not that hard.

Nope not hard, just expensive. I shipped a pedal to Canada last week. Regular USPS = $14. International tracking = $38. I once shipped a Moog pedal + EP to Australia -- $84!!

 

[grungebob]

Nope not hard, just expensive. I shipped a pedal to Canada last week. Regular USPS = $14. International tracking = $38. I once shipped a Moog pedal + EP to Australia -- $84!!

But its only expensive for the buyer right? I mean I charge my buyers full postage and I'd expect other sellers to do the same. The $ strength has weakend slightly around the world and Im more than happy to pay $300 shipping on an item I'm already saving significant sums on by buying from the USA!

Its the Buyers fault I think why people are reluctant to ship overseas, you automaticaly think something will go wrong. But here's the thing Buyers should know how much the import duties of their countries should be ( for me I know I need to add 30% inc the postage cost to the total) and be prepaired to pay it. complaining to the seller that your being asked to pay sometimes 100's extra to YOUR OWN countires customs is just rediculous!

 

[slowerhand]

complaining to the seller that your being asked to pay sometimes 100's extra to YOUR OWN countires customs is just rediculous!

Yep. I can't believe... oh wait, I can. There's some bloody idiots out there. So in some foreign countries there's no VAT, in others 5%, in other 7%, in yet others 21%... so if they really believe the seller is responsible for the VAT, they must also think he's crossing his fingers at the end of every auction that he'll get a buyer from a low-VAT country? "Damn!!! Another sale to Sweden!!" Anyway, I think it's a communication issue and easy to clear up beforehand, but I understand better now why some people don't want to do it.

As for myself, lately I've been shopping for gear a lot in Japan. Shipping is generally pretty cheap -- $100-$150 USD usually takes care of it for a guitar. So far so good.

 

[Chrome Dinette]

I will ship out of the country, but only by a trackable method(UPS, certain pricier USPS options). This tends to drive up the price on big items, like guitars and amps, which I don't sell too often, anyway. I got burned shipping some console channels to someone who whined about saving money on shipping and then claimed to never receive them. With no tracking and signature, I was forced to refund the money, never again.

Also, I am not going to lie on the customs forms, send it as a gift, etc. And I always make it clear that it is the buyers responsibility to pay any duties or customs fees.

Usually if I am selling something on Ebay, it's a pickup or pedal or other small item, making the above points less of an issue.

So, in attempt to get a sale going, I relaxed my stance on 2 points regarding international shipping, i.e. tracking and shipping method/truthfullness on the customs form, and wouldn't you know it, it looks like I am going to have to eat the cost of a pedal.

I can certainly afford it, but in the future, I will probably only agree to ship via the more expensive services(UPS or USPS Express Mail International) and declare actual sale price as the value.

 

[chequepoint]

When ebay will protect me from international scumbags, I'll sell to international musicians. As it stands, the buyer has way too much power in an international transaction. If I lived in europe, I'd try and swipe as much as I could from US ebayers dumb enough to ship internationally..

1) Win auction
2) Claim you never received item.
3) File complaint with Paypal and get your money back
4) Enjoy free guitar.
5) Leave seller negative feedback.

It's happened to me too often.