International Buyers Stay Away From Ebay Usa!

[Tinjapan]

Yes, where this service really shines though is 1.) opening up auctions to international buyers, where the seller usually wouldn't be bothered to go through the extra work to sell internationally, and 2.) protecting the seller by ensuring that (affordable) international tracking is a non-negotiable part of the auction.

 

You forget sir, that there is NO benefit to driving away customers. Period

[Tinjapan]

Not a realistic option for Ebay. It's only slightly cheaper. To France, I paid $25 instead of $38. But instead of less than a week, it took 5 weeks. You heard that right. 5 weeks to get from Boston to Paris. And if you are sending to more out of the way locale than Paris, I suspect it's worse.

Yeah, well try 90 days for air mail to arrive from the States. 5 weeks is a cake walk.

[Guernseytim]

Amazon.com used to levy import charges based on their estimated taxes. A few years later they realized they'd erroniuosly charged both my father and I and we received very large rebates.

 

When I lived in bristol I paid duties on items when they arrived, in the Channel Islands there are no import duties payable so I'd be livid it eBay decided otherwise, just to boost their bottom line.

[Cryptos]

This is a pet hate for me too. I always ask sellers in the US for First Class International shipping. This usually ranges from around $8 to $14 for pens to New Zealand. As long as the total cost is below NZ$400 there are no custom or tax fees at my end. A lot of sellers are quite obliging, even if they add a couple of dollars for handling it's okay too. However, there are also many who have drunk the Pitney Bowes Kool-Aid and simply refuse to offer anything other than the Global Shipping Program. They don't make a sale to me, but I doubt that it harms their business much given the large US market. From a selling point of view though it makes little sense to me to arbitrarily limit your customer base just to save a little personal time and effort.

 

Usually I tell belligerent sellers that I would rather put money toward an auction - i.e. in THEIR pocket - than line the pockets of a company like Pitney Bowes, who in my opinion are operating on the fringes of the law.

 

If there was an eBay.China you can bet your last dollar that not a single Chinese businessman would opt to use such a program as the GSP. It's a wonder that so many US sellers are happy to fritter away their own profits to a predatory company like PB.

[claudewick]

To avoid this global shipping program I oppened an account at Shipito. The seller send the order to Shipito's warehouse and they send to me. Sometimes I have to pay shipping costs twice (when there's no free shipping inside US). You can make special requests like spliting a package in two or more (to fit your country's tax exept limit) or consolidade two or more packages in one to save on shipping costs.

 

Up till now I'm satisfied with this service and think is a good solution because allow me to buy from sellers and stores that don't ship to Brazil.

 

Cheers

Claude

[ThePrecursor]

So let me get this straight: It's only when you buy from ebay USA sellers AND they use Global Shipping Program that you get charged with these fees, correct? If true, I won't be buying any pens from US sellers ever.

[Tinjapan]

There is a cheaper and also safer option for tracked mail from the USA: Registered First Class Package International.

+1

 

 

[Tinjapan]

To avoid this global shipping program I oppened an account at Shipito. The seller send the order to Shipito's warehouse and they send to me. Sometimes I have to pay shipping costs twice (when there's no free shipping inside US). You can make special requests like spliting a package in two or more (to fit your country's tax exept limit) or consolidade two or more packages in one to save on shipping costs.

 

Up till now I'm satisfied with this service and think is a good solution because allow me to buy from sellers and stores that don't ship to Brazil.

 

Cheers

Claude

Thanks. I will look in to them.

 

 

[Tinjapan]

So let me get this straight: It's only when you buy from ebay USA sellers AND they use Global Shipping Program that you get charged with these fees, correct? If true, I won't be buying any pens from US sellers ever.

That has been my experience. Others?

 

 

[wastelanded]

According to Canada Revenue Service, writing instruments valued under C$30 are duty-free. Not according to GSP. Scam, through and through.

 

I purchased a Pelikan M400 from Germany recently, valued at $110, which passed through Customs without issue. I've actually yet to be dinged by CRS.

 

I rarely buy from US eBay any more. Shipping times are half from Europe. What ticks me off is that GSP is now on UK eBay as well.

[Cryptos]

Indeed. I get quicker shipping from Japan, but the route is different.

 

This last week I had an occasion to ask a US seller to offer First Class International. This was for an Esterbrook LJ pencil - in the streaky blue colours. It was a nice looking pencil that sold for about $8. I would have been more than happy with that price. The seller wanted to charge me $27 for shipping and refused the request for a change in shipping options.

 

On another pencil - different manufacturer - the seller offered me shipping for a mere $6.50. That's the lowest I have seen.

 

One thing I will say and it's that a lot of the reputable pen sellers - like tbickii and our own OcalaFLGuy - offer much more reasonable international shipping. I tend to see the high prices for people who have little to no apparent knowledge of pens. Just an observation.

Edited January 5, 2015 by Cryptos