My first problem w/ ebay came up... needs your advices

From: Russ Blakeman <rhblake_at_bigfoot.com>
Date: Mon Apr 23 09:57:32 2001

I think any of us that have sold a dozen or more items on ebay, yahoo, etc
are all sitting back smiling as we've done the same. I post (very clearly)
that shipping is to "USA 48 states only" or "USA and APO/FPO only" or USA,
APO/FPO and Canada only" etc to have a person in New Zealand bid on the item
and win it. I don't much care if they bid and get outbid as the total comes
up a few bucks. Really you shouldn't have to do all of this as with ebay's
fees and separate international auction sites they should have already had
things in place that if their location doesn't match the assigned
shipping/selling locations that it prevents them from bidding, or at least
warns them that they are about to bid on an item that will only be shipped
to locations other than theirs.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org
> [mailto:owner-classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org]On Behalf Of John Foust
> Sent: Monday, April 23, 2001 8:53 AM
> To: classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org
> Subject: Re: My first problem w/ ebay came up... needs your advices
>
>
> At 09:29 PM 4/22/01 +0000, jpero_at_sympatico.ca wrote:
> >That seller should have put a notice stating "shipping in States
> >only". Fact is, he didn't say this limitation and ebay is open to
> >whole world. Ebay always says to sellers and buyers to please
> >contact each other asap after the conclusion of this auction.
>
> It's kinda funny that you think eBay buyers read the
> auction descriptions and fine print.
>
> I can't tell you how many times I've said "USA only" and had
> international bidders and winners, or how many buyers want to
> back out because of regret combined with an inability to read
> the description, or who can't read the e-mail I send them that
> says "US Mail or UPS, your choice" or "Shipping is $8" - rapidly
> followed by their e-mail that says "How much is shipping?"...
> and then the "USA only" international buyer wants you to falsify the
> export document so they don't have to pay customs fees.
>
> You can get really screwed by international shipments
> on inexpensive items - without lots of insurance and receipts,
> who's to say the item didn't arrive? Ten+ years ago, I seem
> to remember the Amiga market being scammed by Italian buyers
> who'd claim over and over that their product never arrived.
>
> I was also bit by the recent dramatic change in the US Post Office's
> rate for international shipments. Once upon a time, you could
> send an item of a pound or so almost anywhere in the world
> under the "small packet" rate. This is now gone, and rates
> for sending abroad seem to have doubled or tripled.
>
> - John
>
Received on Mon Apr 23 2001 - 09:57:32 BST