posted on February 20, 2010 07:51:21 PM new
I recently read this letter in the APS Journal - American Philatelist. It is in the February 2010 issue, p106.
The article is copied, as there is not a web version available.
While I no longer have large eBay orders from international buyers, I do have very large international orders from my store, which are paid with PayPal.
Here is a seller who did exactly as eBay and PayPal policy dictates, and he still suffers a loss.
I guess since it is not their money, eBay and PayPal, have no reservations about giving it away.
posted on February 20, 2010 10:55:05 PM new
how would his experience be different if he has sold thru APS ?
Sorry to say but this guy sounds like a big whiner?
First there is always risk involved in conducting business,or rather be more candid,turning a profit!
We all try to minimise risk by studying risk and return,is it worth the risk selling on Ebay and accepting Paypal,from a foreign buyer,esp if he is from China or Nigeria or Indonesia? and what kind of customs /tariff requirements can be imposed on the shipment and what role does the carrier play?
Canadian buyers are known to refuse the package when they are not willing to pay the customs fee,Italian buyers too,when they find out Italian customs for importing antique is 20% of the value declared .
The basic problems lie with us the weekend warriors or jak of all trades,we dont have the resources to conduct due diligence to sell globally,ship globally and stay on top of issue like customs/tariffs of individual countries.
Wonder why established retailers stick to their knittings and dont sell any thing everything under the sun to anyone,anywhere in the world,because they know better and we dont.
*
There is no 'Global savings glut',only wild horses and loose bankers.
posted on February 20, 2010 11:03:15 PM new
Unfortunately, this is the case for just about any online processing, whether it is Paypal or another processor. The little guy is ALWAYS left holding the bag on bad transactions.
Every contract we sign as consumers is meant to do nothing but protect the companies that administers the service we want. Whether it is a bank, an email account, or anything else important or not there is a contract we agree to. The thing is that we have no right to change it, alter it, or discuss it. it is either accept it or don't.
Personally, I think this seller had a series of unfortunate circumstances that led to this problem. I wonder whether the bidder knew what those custom charges would be. Second, the bidder didn't really rip the seller off. Imagine if you were unaware of the custom charges until the package arrived. You get a notice to pick it up at the post office, but there is $300+ in additional charges you will have to pay to get your item. I'm not sure I can put much blame on the bidder. It is really up to the seller to know what to expect when shipping to another country. Italy is a very difficult country to ship to. There are plenty of others, and some have very high fraud rates.
I hate to admit it, because I know I would feel ripped off in this matter too... but deep down I know the risk involved, or at least in denial of the risk involved in shipping something to China.
I'm not one to take things lightly though, and would pursue this through the Better Business Bureau against eBay and paypal. I would also file a complaint with the Attorney General's Office in my state and in California where eBay and paypal are. Just as much as eBay is trying to protect their image with bidders... there is nothing more damaging for these companies than to have a State Attorney sniffing around their business practices. Simply accepting a bidders word for it is wrong, especially if there is tracking involved and proof the seller has not received the item back.
Every February I end up filing a complaint through the BBB against my credit card processor who charges our business a PCI fee. Something that I specifically asked our sales person if we would be charged when going over our fees and rates. he said no hidden charges... Every year the company refunds the fees. Most people just pay it.
posted on February 20, 2010 11:16:20 PM new
dont mean to sound harsh,but like my banker said to me werI apply for a merchant account and start whining about possible chargeback and chargeback fee,she said if you want to be in business,you have to expect some setback.You should run your business profitably to absorb a few losses.If you cant,then you would not be in business long.
Lets see how many losses I have all these years-
yahoo store orders from Indonesian using stolen credit card claiming they are in Singapore,Ebay orders going to Saudi Arabia,China,Russia.
But I am still selling and turning a profit.Ebay is not the only place sellers got scammed,some of the early Yahoo store horror stories,losses could reach 5
figures.
*
There is no 'Global savings glut',only wild horses and loose bankers.
posted on February 23, 2010 06:46:23 PM new
There is something wrong with this. I just do not believe that China Customs, DHL, and eBay handled the matter correctly.
So, I have sent a few letters with a copy of the article to eBay and other parties, along with a request for an Opinion on the matter from an legal authority.
The concern is for my own business and future transactions to foreign locations.
posted on February 24, 2010 08:09:28 AM new
the problem in chasing down an answer is that you may get an answer you want, but it may not be an answer that will resolve anything.
an attorney can tell you that you may have legal rights to get your item back... but what happens when China or whatever other country refuses to return it without payment?
The thing is that in this case, China is probably in the wrong. For one thing, they are assessing tax on something that wasn't delivered. This guy already paid postage and if he requested it be returned if refused he should only have to pay the return shipping... NOT custom charges.
He should have contacted the Postmaster General's office to see what they could do.
posted on February 24, 2010 08:47:12 AM new
I'm with Shag - can't see why you would have to pay custom fees unless the import is completed. For something like stamps, why not use USPS International Express Flat Rate envelope instead of DHL? Tracking and insurance up to $2500 is available. I would say that the seller is at fault for not checking out his shipping options.
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posted on February 24, 2010 01:04:15 PM new
The more I read this, the more I sense this letter to the Editor is a "plant" to steer dealers away from eBay and towards APS "Stamp Store". Yes, eBay is a PITA, but there are too many things wrong with this story to make it believable.
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posted on February 24, 2010 01:55:21 PM new
"The more I read this, the more I sense this letter to the Editor is a "plant" to steer dealers away from eBay and towards APS "Stamp Store". Yes, eBay is a PITA, but there are too many things wrong with this story to make it believable."
posted on February 24, 2010 04:14:21 PM new
well,if he has gone thru APS,how would his experience be different ?
*
There is no 'Global savings glut',only wild horses and loose bankers.
posted on February 24, 2010 04:42:17 PM new
If he was running a retail store and a foreign buyer walks in and bought all these stamps with his credit card and then he returned home,refused the package and filed chargeback,he will probably win the chargeback since he never receive the stamps.
Some of my overseas suppliers used DHL and DHL would prepay our US customs fee to expedite delivery and expect to be reimbursed.
As the economy stalled,some importers drag their heels paying back or just simply wont pay.
In this country,an importer can dispute the customs fee,usually through the carrier,but if they lose,there are fees involved .
Sometimes there are legit reasons to dispute,say if your supplier described the package as jade pieces and the broker who works for the carrier translated it to a US custom code meant for jade jewelry,then you can present your case that the shipment consists of low grade jade and stone figurines ,too crude and big to qualify as jewelry and there is a good chance you will win.
Since most importers have already paid for the shipment via wiretransfer or bank check,they have all the reasons to dispute the customs fee,but not the retail consumer who paid with their credit card.
But if a retail customer wants the package and know how to deal with customs,he could do the same,dispute the fee.
So,the next time you sell high dollar items to foreign buyers ,remind them if they are familiar with their own country customs before you ship.
*
There is no 'Global savings glut',only wild horses and loose bankers.
posted on February 24, 2010 04:55:25 PM new
Bill,
Once I shipped an item to Italy and the buyer asked me to include Italian customs in shipping cost.
So I went to an UPS office and ask them to tap into their system to find out how much is the customs,and I just include it in shipping.
*
There is no 'Global savings glut',only wild horses and loose bankers.
