posted on May 7, 2002 09:03:15 AM
I have someone wanting to bid on an auction of mine from Japan. I have heard that Japanese buyers are good buyers and usually pay in cash. How much of a post office hassle is it? Do the Japanese have the same customs problems as the Canadians do and expect me to falsify customs forms? Thanks for the input.
posted on May 7, 2002 09:17:42 AM
I can't answer whether someone will ask you to falsify the customs form That varies from person to person. I have shipped hundreds of packages to Canada, and very few have asked that. I have shipped three packages to Japan, and none asked me, but that does not mean your buyer will or will not ask!!!
posted on May 7, 2002 10:01:10 AM
hello i do a lot of business with the japanese,note my username!!
they are good customers,and they can buy us money order at their post office ,if they are not sending you cash or using their cc.
whether they want you to lie on customs forms really depend on individual,cant really sterotype an entire ethnic group,but human nature is that no one want to pay customs,afterall they are importing weath into their country??
shipping to asia cost more than to western europe or canada,but cheaper than australia due to distance,so quote carefully
posted on May 7, 2002 09:26:37 PM
You will find dealing with the Japanese will be a pleasure. Much better than Canadian people. Nothing against Canadians, but there extra duty charges or whatever they call them now do get many of them upset at us. The Japanese bidders I have dealt with have been nothing less than wonderful. They understand that it costs more to ship items to them and work with you on it. You can find shipping info on the usps website. Usually this is the most economical way to go and for me has been very reliable. I like UPS for the lower 48 to ship items 4 pounds or more, but overseas it is very costly. I would do it in a heartbeat. I bet you will just love it. The customs forms you need to fill out are the same as for Canada, but personally, I do not lie about the value of the item. I personally have only received that request from Canadian bidders as well trying to dodge the duty charge.
Good luck in your Japan sales.
posted on May 8, 2002 07:30:19 AM
the canadians are becoming very good at 'bottom feeding scum-suckers game'.
govt offers generous medical care and then turn around and make them pay for consumer goods by taxing them to death,talk about no free lunch.
they are finding out it is cheaper to buy on internet,pay for shipping and lie to their customs people.
posted on May 8, 2002 07:50:18 AM
I am a Canadian seller, and sadly, I have to agree that some of my worst payer are fellow Canadians, but I get some great ones too. I have sold a lot of items to Japanese buyers, and everyone has been great. Just got feedback from one today who paid high $'s for a vintage camera lens. The ones I have sold to have been quick to reply and pay, and extremely polite. I have sent very fragile china over there, and never had breakage. I have no idea if any have been charged customs duty, no one has mentioned it.
posted on May 8, 2002 08:17:11 AM
Have shipped to Japan a number of times and have never had a problem. My Japanese buyers have paid very quickly, usually in cash (which is scary when it's several hundred dollars). I always take the wrapped item to the Post Office to get accurate shipping cost before quoting shipping to the buyer because Asian shipping costs can be tricky. I've never had a buyer complain about the cost or be anything but totally gracious. The best international shipping experiences I've had have been to Japan!
posted on May 8, 2002 10:44:22 AM
amber:
What is your perspective on why Canada seems to have a higher proportion of problem bidders?
I have had every type of problem imaginable with Canadians, including no response to email, sending wrong postage, requests to lie to customs, crazy feedback, payment in Canadian funds, "check is in the mail", claiming no receipt of goods, etc., etc.
posted on May 8, 2002 01:11:05 PM
I know what my Dad would say about why the Canadians can be such pains in the asses. It's the French ones. When he was in WW II, part of the time we were in France trying to help them against the Nazis. The French "froggies" fired on his unit. Deliberately. This was only a small percentage of the French people but it gave him a life long dislike for the French. A few years ago an elderly friend of mine toured Canada. She said everyone was just like us Americans except the French ones. They were arrogant and rude. My take on all this is that some of the Canadians believe they can set rules for everyone else. They make the rest of the country look bad.
posted on May 11, 2002 09:32:19 AM
Just for the record - I've never had a problem with Canadian buyers or with shipments to Canada. I think characterising Canadians, specifically French Canadians, as "pains in the asses" is a rather harsh generalization. Spend some time in Quebec City and you'll have a different perspective.
posted on May 11, 2002 10:35:10 AM
i have my fair share of canadian buyers,i have no problem with them,they paid with intl money order or us cash or their post office us denominated money order.
they appreciate getting good goods for less,as for how much to declare on customs form.i say WONT YOU EXTEND A LITTLE HELPING HAND TO YOUR GOOD NEIGHBOR??
love those canadian buyers,but you must pack well,never know what the two post offices in north america can do to your shipment?
posted on May 11, 2002 10:39:55 AM
french canadians make canada a better place-think canadian food and think french cuisine??
the french in france just dont like the german,they really are neutral when it comes to americans.
posted on May 11, 2002 02:29:17 PM
To answer your question pelorus, I think maybe internet autions are newer to Canadians than Americans. I think that a lot of people don't see that their bid is a contract. I sell about 7% of my auctions to fellow Canadians, and I have had a lot of dead beats, several bounced check, and a post dated check I didn't notice, that was never honored. As an occasional buyer, I act exactly how I would hope my sellers would. Some of my Canadians buyers are GREAT!
