Thread: Ebay Global shipping

I've become an expert on this ripoff-har har. Most international buyers don't read the fine print and then surprise. You have to opt in it's not automatic. What it is basically is fedex shipping with the Pitney Bowes service thrown in. A package to europe and I mean modest package can easily run $100 that includes everything. P.B processes the package, rewraps if need be and assesses all the charges. Once they get it the seller has no liability at all so it's great for the seller. Since fedex is their own customs broker there should not be any delays or additional charges so the buyer knows upfront what it will cost. What is happening is many international buyers are simply walking away from auctions they've won because of the charges.

It's only valid to certain countries I guess where fedex ships to. It's really designed for mega price items not your typical ebay fare. Though they don't say that.

Originally Posted by RezDog

Tracked shipping from the US via USPS is very reasonable. A small package is around $9 but the same package through the global ship is $30. All I'm saying is that if you are going global to increase your potential customer base it makes no sense to go global pay, as it dramatically increases your costs. I have taken the option of not bidding on any items tagged global pay. It's pretty hard to justify $30 shipping on items between $30 and $100. I get nailed the import charges at the post office and they are not that bad, in fact a lot less than if Ebay pays it on your behalf. On vintage items it is 7% or less. Half of Ebay.

I could not find such a cheap rate. Here is a screenshot from USPS's website for 3oz package, going first class, which is the cheapest. The only way to get delivery confirmation is by adding registered mail and so the cheapest rate is over $21

Originally Posted by BobH

I think the bay has changed the set up/format because I now see how it is posted in this listing Leica Leitz 35mm F1 4 Summilux M Lens Clean Glass Black Made in Canada 0022243118748 | eBay . Previously you never saw the import charges listed just the Global Shipping blurb. It is also possible if they rejigged the global shipping option certain items that were included before in the scheme have now been excluded.

Bob

Here are the two screenshots from shipping to us and after I changed the country to UK, the shipping charges changed accordingly. There's also an import charge, but the main issue in this thread has been that the high shipping charges were somehow tacked on sneakily.

It does not seem to be the case at all. If anything Ebay is showing before bidding more of the charges the buyer may be liable for, not less.
It seems to me like a case where the buyer and seller are doing things on presumption without paying attention or understanding what they are doing and then act surprised when they encounter the consequences of the choices they made themselves.

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Again I'm not a seller I'm a buyer. Sellers are shipping to me via USPS first class mail for $9. Maybe they are eating shipping costs, I don't know. I do know that is way I typically pay. A seller recently said that actually costs are about 25% less at the post office than on the web site. Again I am taking someone else's word on what the numbers are. I rarely by if the shipping is over $15. Having been gauged a couple of time I look and ask. Some people are willing to work with me and others have to sell to someone else, I don't view it as my problem. Sellers are not in short supply.

Well, as I said a seller can forego the seller protection and ship without receiving any proof that the package is delivered and pass the savings from the cheaper shipping to the buyer, but if you want tracking on international shipments from US, that's expensive.

2-3 years ago when I sold some of my razors a lot of them went internationally. At that time it cost virtually the same whether you shipped first class to your town or to the other end of the world, you just didn't get delivery confirmation abroad, but you occasionally got tracking through the customs form number along part of the way.

It was also a fairly good deal to send expensive (hundreds of dollars) razors internationally - express mail with insurance got there in a couple of days and cost less than $30.

This simply is no longer the case, and the international postage from US has increased significantly.

The last razor I bought from the US was in Dec 2013 and was shipped USPS First Class Mail International/First Class Package International Service from New York at a cost of $10.00. I just entered the tracking number supplied by the seller and on the USPS site it shows under status it was delivered with date and time of delivery.

There was a $25.00 option, USPS Priority Mail Express International, that I assume would have included some insurance and would have to be signed for also.

What can I say? BTW for the method of shipping I chose I could track the item in the US on the USPA tracking site to point of entry to Canada, acceptance and release at Customs processing and then all the way to it's final destination on the Canadian side using the USPS tracking number on the CanPost tracking site. I have been able to do this numerous times.
I can't fault the postal systems of either country so far.

Bob

That's very interesting, can you PM me the tracking number, I wonder why I can't find that rate.

After getting a bad feedback from the French buyer, I confirmed that Global Shipping which started in the past 12 months was automatic opt in. In fact, if you use Turbo Lister, there is a box checked that you must uncheck in listing. I have opted out of the Global Shipping but I have no way of knowing what one of my listings says to someone in Europe. Would any kind member out of US care to look at my listings and see what it says for out of US shipping, please. I usually give that price to someone if they inquire so none should be listed. I am same on ebay, redrover66.

Global is not automatic. You have to specify it and agree to it. I just went through that and opted back out. if you have Global you have no other options. Without it if you check International when you set up the auction you can specify the service and the countries. What I do these days is I don't check International and put a line in my description telling International Bidders to contact me before bidding and that International shipping will be very limited and then I say Canada is OK. I find that works best and then we can discuss the costs and services.

I think a lot of people don't realize how much shipping costs these days and think they are being ripped off. Many will tell you to ship the cheapest way and then the item is lost and there is no tracking or insurance or delivery verification and the seller is left holding the bag.

That is correct. It surprised me how many countries can track first class mail right to my mail box. The US was no surprise, the UK also has it available and Sweden as well. The cost is rather low as well. Anywhere from $9to $12 so that doesn't really bother me. Part of the cost of doing business. It's when the cost hits $30 for shipping with tracking from the same countries that I have to raise an eyebrow and think twice if I want to even look at those items. I have seen Ebay sellers listing shipping to Canada with tracking for as high as $45.99. I'm not sure I want that item that bad.