posted on October 5, 2000 08:54:21 PM
Do you think that opening the auctions to include foreign buyers would boost sales? To date I only sell in the United States. What does everyone think? To those who do does it help your auctions?
posted on October 5, 2000 09:11:32 PM
It depends entirely on what you are selling. I can send the cards I sell via USPS Global Priority, and I add the postage cost to the item. If you are selling something large, you are looking at a much larger shipping cost.
It has helped me somewhat, I have made sales to France and New Zealand and I have only been posting a few things for the last month or so.
posted on October 5, 2000 09:19:45 PM
God evening all... I used to sell internationally but it really became a hassel. Not only is the shipping costs outrageous, but you have to complete customs forms. Buyers will ask you to lie on the amount of the purchase so their duty fees aren't too high. Many of the online payment systems (paypal,etc) do not yet accept international so you are constantly having to deal with buyers asking you to accept forms of payment you don't deal with. In fact, one buyer gave me a neutral because I would not accept the form of payment she wanted to pay with. My site clearly states which forms of payment I accpet - she loved her item, nut gave me a neutral because I wouldn't change my TOS for her. The shipping can take months sometimes if you go with the cheapest way to ship so then the buyers want to know where their items are , even though they are the ones who requested the cheapest shipping. Need I go on...... Sorry so long, I no longer sell internationally - obviously!
posted on October 5, 2000 09:19:59 PM
God evening all... I used to sell internationally but it really became a hassel. Not only is the shipping costs outrageous, but you have to complete customs forms. Buyers will ask you to lie on the amount of the purchase so their duty fees aren't too high. Many of the online payment systems (paypal,etc) do not yet accept international so you are constantly having to deal with buyers asking you to accept forms of payment you don't deal with. In fact, one buyer gave me a neutral because I would not accept the form of payment she wanted to pay with. My site clearly states which forms of payment I accpet - she loved her item, but gave me a neutral because I wouldn't change my TOS for her. The shipping can take months sometimes if you go with the cheapest way to ship so then the buyers want to know where their items are , even though they are the ones who requested the cheapest shipping. Need I go on...... Sorry so long, I no longer sell internationally - obviously!
posted on October 5, 2000 09:28:06 PM
I usually open my auctions to international bidders, unless it's a special Item not allowed to be shipped out of the states. I have had very good luck with fast payments from most of them. I give them the option of air or surface. The only thing I've found, is that they don't always give feedback. I was pleasantly surprised this week, when a surface mail shipment arrived and I was given an email and a feedback from the bidder. I also save the stamps for my grandkids to enjoy once they get older.
Some of my highest bids have been international bidders in fact.
posted on October 5, 2000 09:38:28 PM
I officially opened my auctions to international bidders just last week. I've made a few international sales before (France, the Netherlands, and Canada) even though I've always specified "US only" in my auctions. This time I had a Canada-related item to list so I figured I'd better include Canadian bidders.
I signed up for Billpoint and specified in my TOS that I'd accept international postal money orders or Billpoint, and I researched shipping rates to Canada, Europe, Japan and Australia beforehand and posted them in my auctions. If something is going to cost more than $6 or so to ship to a certain destination, I don't list that destination in my auction, so some stuff is "US and Canada only." I also noted that I won't mark the package as a gift and that the value listed will be the final bid price.
So far I haven't seen an increase in bidding, but I also don't have very many items listed right now. I'm glad I finally got on the ball and set myself up to do this.
posted on October 5, 2000 09:49:49 PM
I have always "sold international." It hasn't increased my sales, but then perhaps I am not selling the sort of stuff that would be hot for foreign bidders (I'm into books).
Let me tell you, though: the international sales I have had have not been any more of a hassle that those sold to US bidders. It is simple to look up rates on the USPS.com site--you can even give the foreign buyer a choice of rates & *they* can choose which they prefer. Customs forms? Sure--a little slip that takes less than a minute to fill out.
Now, it sometimes does take a bit longer for your payment to reach you, but that's never been a problem for me. And since foreign buyers are fully aware how long an item may take to reach them if they choose the cheaper route, I have *never* had a complaint about that.
I would say YES to accepting foreign bidders. Treat them as you do all your customers.
posted on October 5, 2000 09:58:12 PM
Depends on what you sell. International bidders have been very good to me.
Except Australia, for some reason half my Australian bidders have been deadbeats. I'm 4 for 8 selling down under.
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Don't take life so serious, it ain't nohow permanent.
posted on October 6, 2000 04:39:15 AM
bunnicula - I guess I wasn't clear on why I hat to fill out those forms. It's not the completion - yes takes only a minute - it's having to go to the post office and stand in line. We have an EXTREMELY busy post office and you can stand in line for a half hour easy. With my US sales - I just drop off. Does any one know any way around having to get in line?
Honest - Coincidentally - the person who was unhappy with me because I wouldn't change my TOS for her was from Australia. Does that mean that US sales don't give me problems? Absolutely not - US sales have their share of deadbeats, etc.
I guess for me it's just the post office hassle unless someone knows of another way of doing it?
posted on October 6, 2000 06:17:34 AM
I sell to foreign buyers and have had for the most part pleasant experiences. I've had only one that did not pay for their auction. I can only "assume" they didn't realize the shipping was so high and was almost twice what the item sold for. In the last two months, I have shipped to Japan, Switzerland, England and Canada. My customers send either international money orders or they pay through BidPay. Once in a while I get a wad of cash and do not feel comfortable with sending cash through the mail but it is their call. I do state in my shipping information they can send cash (as a last resort) but I cannot be responsible for its safety while in the postal system.
I do admit that I have had to eat some shipping twice. Once for a paltry amount and once for 8 or 9$. It was my fault, not the buyers because I miscalculated the weight. Lesson learned: I weigh more carefully now.
When I go to the post office, I ask for forms so that when I do get an international bidder, I have them readily available. It takes about 3 minutes or less extra to fill out the form. Only once someone has asked me to write gift on the form, but I just state the facts. The item and the closing bid price.
It is also a pain once in a while, but no more than the goat ropes I go through with some of my U.S. customers. (happily, mind you) I don't want to stifle my auctions by putting so many restrictions that only certain people can bid. This just isn't good business sense in my opinion.
posted on October 6, 2000 08:24:37 AM
I have had great luck with international selling, I use Bidpay, and the buyers like it, I know the charges seem high to us, but the banking systems overseas are even higher, so I have been told. The post office will give you all the forms you need, so I keep a few at home and fill them out before I go. No big deal. Ed
edhdsn
posted on October 6, 2000 10:45:30 AM
I am a Canadian seller, and have always had my auctions open to international buyers. I have sold to England, Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Holland some many times, and I have only had 2 deadbeats, NO one has ever asked me to state "gift", and I have often found that mail arrives quicker than from my U.S. sales. I agree it depends what you sell, mine have mostly been books, and a lot of buyers have sent me cash. I will continue to sell internationally!
posted on October 6, 2000 11:21:25 AM
I sell internationally (books). Some of my sole bidders and many top bidders have been international, esp. Canadian. My only problems have been in my miscalculating rates (but I did that on domestic, too), and one personal check from Canada. I"m still trying to find out from my bank what their problem was with that, it said "US funds".
A few of my int'l buyers have done something cool - have me ship to a friend in the US.
About the busy Post Office...I hear you. Our main PO is that way and it really bugs me when I end up there. Fortunately, we also have a small, "old-timey" branch PO in our small city, and if I go there, I never have long to wait. that might be worth investigating in your area.
posted on October 6, 2000 11:51:27 AM
My experience (for what it's worth)....
I have sold to Canada buyers and they are WONDERFUL! Can't say enough good about them. I had some 50's tin kitchen stuff and had lots of buyers from Japan e-mailing me asking if I would sell to them. I agreed and so far they are great to work with. They like "BID PAY" which is nice, buyer pays the fees and you get a Western Union Check without the asking for it. My Japan buyers understood it would be 6 weeks before they received their item. The ones that did not use BID Pay, sent me an International Money order in US funds. For the customs forms? - no worse than the insurance forms you fill out. I would agree to International selling on small items as they can go "small package rate" which to Japan was a little under $10 for surface shipping. I did have an international sale where the buyer sent $100 in U.S. cash between two pieces of cardboard. That was nice! Go ahead and try a couple of auctions. I think you will be happy.
posted on October 6, 2000 12:17:21 PM
I have sold international from the start and some of my highest bids have been from out of the country. I pick up stacks of custom forms from the post office and have everything ready before I get there. I have found a tiny branch office that never has lines (and I'm not sharing where it is with anyone ), so that is not an issue.
The majority of my international customers have been wonderful to work with, deadbeat rate is no higher than selling in the US, so I will continue to sell internationally. And the bonus is that I love all those stamps from different countries.
