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

From: Russ Blakeman <rhblake_at_bigfoot.com>
Date: Mon Apr 23 14:03:18 2001

Cost is one of the biggies and when they see what the shipping is for an
item they won for $50 they freak and back out. Been there, done that, no
more. The buyers outside the US/Canada will always have other sellers such
as yourself to buy from.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org
> [mailto:owner-classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org]On Behalf Of ip500
> Sent: Monday, April 23, 2001 10:37 AM
> To: classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org
> Subject: Re: My first problem w/ ebay came up... needs your advices
>
>
> What's the problem with International shipping???? The World's a big
> place and MANY eBay buyers are not US based. I ALWAYS put "Will Ship
> Internationaly" in my auction copy and have had several hundred
> successful
> International transactions. USPS up to 20 kilos is usually pretty
> reasonable. "Small Packet" may be gone but "Letter post" has replaced
> it.
> Global Priority is also good for small items and is only $9 for up to 2
> pounds.
> Big stuff can go DHL, Emery Worldwide, FedEx or any number
> of freight
> consolidators ... It's really no big deal! As long as a foreign
> bidder is willing to pay the shipping ... What's the Problem???
> Craig
>
> Russ Blakeman wrote:
> >
> > 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 - 14:03:18 BST