posted on March 27, 2008 09:10:01 PM new
I have shipped Internatinal for years -Canada, UK, Germany,Japan and Australia .
always ship USPS Priority.
I am strongly considering stopping. I have read on several forums that because of the cost and the time it takes to deliver,that many feel that is where they get dinged in the glorious star DSR S/H head.
I tend to agree. It often takes 2 weeks for USPS Priority to deliver to Canada ... and I mail everything the next business day. I get some "not so nice " emails from Canadian buyers about the slow service ?????? I email that neither the USPS or I deliver mail in Canada. I have no control over when it delivers, however it was mailed within hrs after I was paid. I send the copy of the email I sent them, the day it was mail.
Anyway, how do you guys feel -- is it really worth the "fun" you encounter selling International?
I know one seller actually was advised by her eBay Powerseller Account Manager (in a round about way)-- that International sells may her DSR S/H problem
Are anyone here changing their routine?
I cannot ship any faster. I cannot hand deliver to Canada,Europe,Japan or Australia either!
I also want to get the discount for keeping the glorious DSR (danged stupid reports) high enuff to get the discount.
posted on March 27, 2008 10:00:31 PM new
I have no intentions of curtailing my shipping points. All my items are available for worldwide delivery. I'm in this to sell goods, not gather stars.
What do you sell? Do you use Shipping Assistant, PayPal, Endicia, or some form of printed label that has a barcode from the USPS on it?
posted on March 27, 2008 10:18:50 PM new
I wonder what takes so long for your items to arrive. I use the Shipping Assistant. My delivery times are much less, and I rarely ship Global Prority.
posted on March 27, 2008 10:33:23 PM new
My items are usually more than one pound , shipped in USPS Priority boxes.
One pound to Canada is $16.00 estimated delivery time -6 - 10 Days(business days) The price is one thing that may bring DSR problems Of course I do not get the postage _USPS does!
On Domestic shipments, I charge S/H and can get $1 or so for handling, I get no stress and happy customers.
On International, I can lose(actually charge LESS than postage )on the postage and still get an email asking why is the shipping so high?
Ship everyday 6 days a week - get WHEN is it going to get here?
The law says enter customs information honestly and I do! I get, will you mark "gift" all the others I buy from do. It is dishonest and illegal that makes it against God's law and man's laws. STILL, many ask "mark gift"
On International,I make nothing on shipping, forget about any handling. I cannot say when it will deliver. I will not mark "gift"
I currently sell about 50-70 items a month International. But I am still strongly thinking it is just not worth it.
posted on March 27, 2008 11:31:25 PM new
Why not offer two choices to the buyer. Priority Mail at $16.00 and 1st Class International at $4.66, for a one pound package to Canada. The difference in time is not that much, while the savings is enormous. Give them a choice. You could even add a Dollar on for your handling.
You could always use the shipping calculator. Select both methods of shipment.
As for the marking as a gift, I have never had a request to do so. Perhaps you should state in your policies that you do not mark packages as gifts. My policy states - " ... the customer will be responsible for the cost of shipping as well as all duties and taxes charged at the time of importation. By Federal Law, we are required to follow all export laws with respect to declaration and customs documentation." That might help. Contrary to what many believe, you should full state your policies.
posted on March 28, 2008 03:47:01 AM new
Bill K, I love the line "I'm in this to sell goods, not gather stars." Pithy and oh so true.
I had a similar proviso in my TOS to yours about marking as gift. It didn't stop people from asking, and my email to them about why I couldn't do it didn't seem to make them any happier. I once got a negative with "Too much duty paid on arrival. will not use again"
1st class won't work for PayPal payments.
All in all, international is necessary for selling at the highest prices, but it does have its drawbacks.
posted on March 28, 2008 06:49:34 AM new
I have stopped selling internationally and my face is a lot happier now. It just is not worth the hassle to me.
Jane
posted on March 28, 2008 07:16:55 AM new
One caveat in the PRIORITY MAIL INTERNATIONAL versus FIRST CLASS MAIL INTERNATIONAL is the fact that PM has TRACKING whereas FIRST CLASS does NOT have tracking...IMPORTANT to remember in light of PAYPAL requirements...
So far, over the past 3 months, I've noticed a HUGE inconsistance in the performance of the USPS in regard to INTERNATIONAL shipping -- there's NO rhyme nor reason as the following examples demonstrate:
1) FIRST CLASS MAIL INTERNATIONAL from JAX to MANCHESTER,ENGLAND? Delivered in...FOUR DAYS!
2) PRIORITY MAIL INTERNATIONAL from JAX to PARIS, FRANCE? Delivered in...SEVEN DAYS!
3) PRIORITY MAIL INTERNATIONAL from JAX to LONDON, ENGLAND, with a $200 value?
Well, FIRST, it took SIX DAYS to mosey on down to MIAMI! Then it took SIX DAYS to row-boat across the pond! Then it vegetated in UK CUSTOMS for another SIX DAYS! After a GRAND TOTAL of 25 DAYS, it was FINALLY delivered to the very kind & understanding buyer in London!
Fortunately, I was able to track its progress in the UK via the ROYAL MAIL'S PARCEL FORCE INTERNATIONAL here:
and kept my buyer up to date with 48hr status reports!
Obviously the USPS has some problems somewhere along the line...?
But, as far as dropping INTERNATIONAL SELLING now when the dollar is MONOPOLY MONEY? Ai!Carrumba! NOT by the hairs of yer chinny-chin-chin, says Ralphie da poet!
posted on March 28, 2008 07:30:26 AM new
So far, over the past 3 months, I've noticed a HUGE inconsistance in the performance of the USPS in regard to INTERNATIONAL shipping -- there's NO rhyme nor reason as the following examples demonstrate:
Tom ... that is XACTLY my point.
Both sent USPS Priority mail-same day
I sent a package to Perth Western Australia, delivered in 5 days from the USA east coast!
A package to Montreal - 10 days
I do not know if it is USPS or Canada Post but something has gone amiss.
I have stopped International.
At least until I get our taxes done! Maybe forever.
posted on March 28, 2008 08:45:14 PM new
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
We sell mostly on eBay UK to the EU and delivery time from NZ to UK varies between 7 - 10 business days for letter rate items, and 10 - 15 business days for parcel rate items (+ variable UK customs clearance delays). Delivery to France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Austria is around 10 - 14 business days for most items, Central Europe and ex-Russian republics is around 12 - 20 business days (+ variable local customs clearance delays). These are all for regular (i.e. non-PayPal) shipments which go untracked, but with proof of shipment and third-party insurance. (We also replace items if the Post Office is unable to locate a missing or late shipment since they are fully insured.)
With anyone who wishes to use PayPal, we tell them happy to oblige - please add £25 - £50 (US$50 - $100+) for Track-n-Trace courier with delivery in 3 - 20 days depending on country and customs clearance delays. We also warn such customers that they will invariably be liable for local customs clearance fees (unlike around 75% of regular postal items that go under the customs radar or threshold)...
posted on March 28, 2008 11:13:06 PM new
Deur, think about it. Do you honestly think the *** discounts based on your DSR's are worth losing your international income? From finance, I see this as a no-brainer - to hell with the DSR's. If you are emotionally driven to respond to eBay's perfection model, based on DSR's , and income is non-relevant, then by all means, stop selling internationally.
posted on March 29, 2008 07:58:46 AM new
I only ship internationally via USPS first class. Since PayPal doesn't have any "true" seller protection, I don't accept it from international buyers. They gladly pay via Google checkout though.
As far as shipment times. First class has yet to let me down. I tell all my international buyers that it will take 1-2 weeks for their package to arrive and to date, that has held true every time.
As far as tracking, if you have the customs number, even though it isn't technically tracking, it can be tracked.
posted on March 29, 2008 10:21:15 AM new
Now that the DSRs determine where you are in search, I no longer sell internationally. Int'l buyers were the ones dinging my stars. Since I've stopped, I've gone up to 4.8 on my shipping cost star. I do make exceptions for int'l buyers that I've had good experiences with in the past, though.
You may be in it to sell goods and not gather stars, but it will be those stars that eventually determine where your goods stand with ebay's latest search fiasco.
posted on March 30, 2008 04:19:17 PM new
pixia.. I did stop, on March 25 days ago. I receive 4 or 5 emails a days asking if i will ship to Canad. I email that I had reluctantly stopped shipping internationally and politely explained why.
I have made it possible for my past "good" International customers to buy.
Tomorrow I will be sending a package to The Netherlands,Canada, Australia.
Shipping International is smoother if you are using envelopes -- packages must be completely ignore ``` especially at the Canadian border.
They ALWAYS (not one in 9 years have been lost) get there but not as fast as SOME customers think they should.
Working on our taxes is all the stress I need
Maybe after next week -- don't know. I just do not know if I will ever go back to - when did you send ? When will it get here? Why is it taking so long?
posted on March 30, 2008 04:34:47 PM new
As a Canadian I always feel sad when I hear that Sellers have decided not to ship Internationally.
I often see things I would like to buy but it is getting more difficult to find someone to buy from and after your postage rates changed it has become too expensive.
We ship Internationally and I am sorry to say that the only negative we have ever received was from a difficult lady in Arizona! She started to send "Where's my Stuff" e-mails two days after the auction closed and I had mailed her parcel on the same day that the auction closed.
We have honestly not had a problem shipping all over the World including the dreaded Italy. We get the occassional 'where's my stuff' note but really very few overall.
Here's a thought...do you think it has anything to do with the type of item each of us is selling because they are appealing to a different target market? If your widget appeals to the 30yr olds are they less patient than the 60 yr olds and are 18yr olds different?
Sorry maybe I didn't phrase that correctly..I was not blaming the Sellers for the Postage rates. In many cases it just makes the overall cost of Item plus Postage too high for me.
We face the same thing here when we ship items within Canada. We can mail an item for $8.50 to anywhere in the World but to send that same item from the West Coast to the East Coast of Canada costs $13.50. We hear about high Postage rates all the time and like you...we are helpless to do anything about it.
