posted on February 21, 2001 05:28:08 PM
I am new to AW so I'm pretty dumb about some things.
I see a lot of sellers complaining about the lack of bidding activity, here, there and everywhere and I am not surprised.
I just bid on an item that was closing in 5 hours. It had no other bids.
Reading through the 700 word description later, which included lectures on Yahoo and praise for Bidville, I came across a short sentence: "NO INTERNATIONAL BIDDERS". This was not an item where sales may be restricted due to licence.
So I reluctantly retracted by bid.
Now I know of at least one reason why business is bad for some sellers.
And they deserve all the business they don't get.
posted on February 21, 2001 08:52:37 PM
As you know not all sellers feel that way about international buyers. I have had many from all over the world (Australia, England, Finland, Thiland, Japan, etc.) and find the experience very enlightening and worthwhile.
To make it an easier experience for myself and my international buyers I keep a supply of the small customs forms required with my shipping supplies, and have my handy dandy worldwide shipping rate calculation table nearby and voila - international shipping with no muss nor fuss for the buyer. They are aware shipping is more and that customs can charge exhorbitant prices (but generally don't). I fill the form out truthfully. Most of the international buyers I have dealt with want small hard to find items and I happily supply them whenever they ask!
posted on February 21, 2001 09:06:14 PM
I totally agree! Even if I need to have a packaged weighed at the post office to get an exact shipping quote to a international destination, I do it when I am already at the counter to mail out other packages.
Truthfully, an international shipment takes me at MOST 10 minutes longer (including getting an accurate shipping quote and filling out the few lines on a Custom's form) than something I have to mail within the USA. International bidders most often pay with US cash or BidPay. And my experience is that the percentage of deadbeat international bidders is lower than that of bidders within the US.
posted on February 21, 2001 10:11:33 PM
I agree with the above statements and as a plus, I find that a good majority of international bidders pay in crisp, new cash. I don't recommend that they do, but I asume that US money orders are expensive to purchase abroad. The only downside to dealing with international bidders is when they ask me to commit mail fraud by declaring their purchase a 'gift' on the customs form instead of the merchandise that it is. I'm sorry, but that's not a game that I play and sometimes, they get upset with me.
posted on February 21, 2001 10:30:22 PM
Glad to see that so far you agree with me. I sell over 300 items a month, most going overseas. I have never been asked to make a false customs declaration and, if asked, I would politely refuse.
By the way, I emailed the seller who wouldn't sell to me in Australia and he hasn't had the decency to reply.
If he spent more time shipping internationally, and less time berating Yahoo and praising other sites he would probably have nothing to complain about because he'd have a lot more sales.
I have since bought the same item elsewhere for $2 less and the seller already has payment via PayPal.
posted on February 21, 2001 11:20:42 PM
Cardsandcomics:
It is NOT mail fraud to mark something as a GIFT when it goes overseas, even if it is actually merchandise.
The USPS doesn't care what you are sending outside of the country and whether or not it is a gift. It is the country which it is going to that cares, AND DO YOU THINK THAT THEY REALLY KNOW THE TRUTH OR NOT ?
Answer this question: If it is mail fraud to mark merchandise as a gift, then WHO is being defrauded???
The way I see it, no one is being defrauded. It is a victimless "crime".
Besides, if your international customers don't have to pay any duty or customs fees, they are more likely to deal with you again. Simple good business practice.
posted on February 22, 2001 12:00:40 AM
<i>"Answer this question: If it is mail fraud to mark merchandise as a gift, then WHO is being defrauded???> <br></i>
....The government of the other country who are being defrauded of possible customs duty.
posted on February 22, 2001 07:45:21 AM new
Whether intentionally mis-marking a customs form item status box is a crime or not, I'll have to rely on what the workers at the USPO I frequent (just about everyday) tell me , and that it IS mail fraud. The chances of getting caught are very slim, but international bidders know that they have to pay duty on incoming items, so to ask me to lie for them bothers me and I just won't do it. It would be like mailing non-book items using the Book Rate (Media Mail) rate to save on postage. The chances of getting caught are slim, but I have been running my retail business for about 15 years and have been doing so honestly, so I see no need to change now, just to save someone a couple of bucks. Besides, if someone was to get caught doing this, who gets nailed? Me, the seller/sender. The defense, "...they told me to do it!" doesn't hold water and sounds like something an 8 year old would say. Thanks, but no thanks.
posted on February 22, 2001 08:17:53 AM new
I just had a buyer win 6 auctions for a total of $60 and didn't want to handle the duty/customs problems - 1st asked me to mismark form, told them no.
Solution - we put 2 items in each of 3 boxes - the increase in S/H was less than the duties would have been, and at $20/box, it might get through with no duty...
I guess we'll see - but its a valid workaround I think.
posted on February 23, 2001 04:50:26 PM new
As a buyer, here's my experience re Customs charges,and legitimate ways of minimising taxation:
in the UK wer have "duty-free" limits of £18 (about $26) for merchandise, and £36 (about $52) for gifts. These sums INCLUDE postage costs.
If you are sending several items, ADDRESS the parcel to several individuals. The Customs Office told me to make sure my parcels were properly addressed, the year I had to pay £50 for my family's Christmas presents that had been sent by my sister in the US.
Each individual is entitled to the duty-free allowance. So, katiyana, if your bidder had the parcel addressed to himself, his partner and a child, it would be unlikely to incur charges. By your method, if it DOES get whacked for charges, he will end up paying the administrative charge three times, rather than once.
I don't begrudge people choosing not to tick the gift box - it is their choice (even though I too cannot see the seller ending up in Leavenworth over secondhand Ebay goods - is the gov't really going to spend money on jailing someone because a foreign gov't lost £10 in duty? I don't think so...)
However, it might be worth suggesting a legitimate alternative to your buyers, rather than just saying no. Address the parcels correctly, and make sure you quote the values properly, being conscious of the duty free limits, please?
posted on February 25, 2001 12:02:32 AM new
Well said Mivona!
The US is too busy jailing pot-smokers to waste time jailing "mail-frauders".
Americans are lucky by the fact that they are allowed up to $200 in goods before they have to pay a cent in duty. In Canada here, the exemption is $10
One example comes to mind:
I bought a baseball card on Yahoo! Book value of the card was $50. I won the auction for $9 including s/h. I asked the US seller to mark the customs slip by the amount for which I paid for the card, which was $8.00
But of course this guy had to be a hero and mark it as a value of $50.00 forcing me to pay an extra $12 in fees, etc
The concept of online auctions is for people to be able to get things that they couldn't normally get where they live. Now should I be expected to buy from this seller again ??? By paying those fees, it negated the "deal" that I thought that I had gotten.....
posted on February 25, 2001 05:29:24 AM new
I love my internationl bidders. Sometimes it can be a little more work, but I've not been disappointed! In regards to the customs slips, that guy deserves a dope slap. Not everyone understand the import/export laws and I guess like everything else it is worth it to over explain! I sell on Yahoo, eBay and Amazon under bobstrades1 and have had any problems in this area!
