Getting screwed by listing in Canadian dollars

In Canada we list a CARD for 1 Canadian dollar (.75 cents US)..We are told by ebay to list it at $1.25 to make up the difference in the US exchange.****This now makes the same card sold in Canada look more expensive than the $1.00 US card.  From my experience over the past 10 years buying hockey cards & selling,I have noticed the US rates for shipping to Canada are moronic , up to $18.00.I can ship to the USA for $1.20. So in Canada we are being screwed big time on shipping and selling.EBAY Canada is not looking after Canadians.

 

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Getting screwed by listing in Canadian dollars


@bert1630 wrote:

... ,I have noticed the US rates for shipping to Canada are moronic , up to $18.00.I can ship to the USA for $1.20. So in Canada we are being screwed big time on shipping ...


And exactly what does eBay have to do with shipping rates?

 

Those US sellers charging $18 for shipping are using a tracked method (overkill for most cards).

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Getting screwed by listing in Canadian dollars

You can choose your own shipping rate at any price. I could sell a piece of paper for a cent but charge $200 to mail it. It's another way of eBay allowing sellers to sneak in extra costs. Fallen for this myself
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Getting screwed by listing in Canadian dollars

This has zero to do with ebay Canada and everything to do with individual sellers making choices for their individual listings. 

 

If USD is important to your business model, list in USD on ebay.com. There is nothing preventing anyone from doing that.

 

If tracking is not important to your business model, use lettermail as the least expensive option for outgoing orders.

 

If less-expensive is important to your business model, arrange your search results to display by Price+Shipping: Lowest First to source your merchandise for resale.

 

All the 'problems' you listed can be solved by altering your tactics or perspective slightly.

 

p.s. 75 cents USD is $1.03 CAD and $1 USD is $1.35 CAD. If you want something to sell for 75 cents USD you don't list it at $1.25 CAD. You can find these exchange rate calculators online in many places. Bank of Canada for starters.  

 

 

 

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Getting screwed by listing in Canadian dollars

At geeker_1
No benefit for the seller -- your example is one reason that eBay started charging fees on shipping. And eBay allows you to search based on cost+shipping ... plus shipping fees are shown BEFORE you buy.
Message 5 of 14
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Getting screwed by listing in Canadian dollars

In my opinion the only reasons to list on dotCA are that the item will mostly attract Canadian buyers (mostly memorabilia and history) or that the item must be shipped by parcel where the rates vary by destination.

 

If you are selling something small, light and inexpensive, list on dotCOM in US dollars.

In fact, I would throw in Free Shipping DON'T PANIC which simply means adding the cost of shipping into your asking price.

Which is cheaper?

A $1 card with $1.20 shipping or

A $2.20  card with Free Shipping?

In my opinion, the buyer would be less happy with the first, because the shipping is higher than the selling price.

It's all smoke and mirrors.

 

Also look at your records of currencies.

Are you selling mostly in Canadian? Are you selling mostly in USD?

Which is paying more?

That one threw me this month (too short a period for data, we're still in anecdote). While my US and Canadian dollar sales were about equal, the Canadian dollar sales were about a third higher than the US dollar ones. (I didn't look at destinations but I have seen an uptick in International sales since the switchover to loonies. Still anecdotal though.)

 

And those US sellers who are paranoid about tracking-- good! That means your Canadian and international customers are avoiding them too.  You get a boost.

 

I also have an opinion (I get them wholesale from China) that buyers who pay more are easier to deal with than the 'armed bargain hunters' who bottom feed for lowest prices.

 

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Getting screwed by listing in Canadian dollars

Ebay.ca customers were forced to list in Canadian dollars. To all who replied to my complaint TY.It is the OPTICS that I am complaining about.If i go to .com and see Gretzky card $5.00 and the the same card on .CA at $6.30 or If your lucky to be selling a $100.00 card in Canada & the same card for $80.00 appears for sale in the US,a lot of people are going to buy the more expensive one from the US because of the optics $80 vs $100.00. It,s the same old game $9.99 or $10.00 which one will I buy? The seller thinks were stupid,and we think were smart. I don,t think we need to be forced one way or another by ebay.ca to list one way or the other. And charging us fees on our shipping expense is nonsense.They must be jumping up and down with glee in the US when these dealers charge $18.00.
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Getting screwed by listing in Canadian dollars

Then make your listings on eBay,COM if you find Cdn$ too painful. As a non-store seller you get up to 50 free listings per month on both eBay.CA and eBay.COM

 

The main difference is you have to use the generic shipping descriptions when listing on eBay.COM

 

To the USA
All flat rate, no calculated.
* Economy Shipping from outside US (11 to 23 business days)
* Standard Shipping from outside US (6 to 10 business days)
* Expedited Shipping from outside US (1 to 4 business days)

Outside the USA, to the rest of the world (including Canada)
All flat rate, no calculated, countries are selectable.
* Economy Int'l Shipping
* Standard Int'l Shipping
* Expedited Int'l Shipping

 

-..-

 

 

Message 8 of 14
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Getting screwed by listing in Canadian dollars

No one forces you to list on eBay.ca. I'll say it again: if the American dollar is important to you, go to eBay.com to list it.
Message 9 of 14
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Getting screwed by listing in Canadian dollars

Your shipping example speaks against the argument you are trying to make. If customers only care about what looks like the cheapest, you can't assume anyone buys an item with $18 postage if another is $2 postage. No one is 'jumping up and down with glee' if nothing sells. No one is forcing you to buy anything or list anywhere.
Message 10 of 14
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Getting screwed by listing in Canadian dollars

I understand your frustration.  At least they're recognizing your correct location. I live in the US and the listing function will only allow me to list in Canadian Dollars right now!  What I do see is that the cost is listed in the native currency of the person searching, so you should be OK.

 

I'm equally frustrated because I can't find my Ebay listings when I Google them but Amazon listings comes up at the top, and most of the time can't even find them on EBay searches!

 

EBay seems to have suffered some tech and visibility setbacks making it harder to list and sell : (

 

Good Luck and Happy New Year!

Message 11 of 14
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Getting screwed by listing in Canadian dollars

I live in the US and the listing function will only allow me to list in Canadian Dollars right now! 

 

That's because you are posting on eBay dotCA not dotCOM.

Go to the URL and change that.

 

Drop by anytime, though. We have Nanaimo Bars!

Message 12 of 14
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Getting screwed by listing in Canadian dollars

Ebay is jumping up and down with glee. 10% of $18.00 = $1.80 10% of $2.00 = .20 cents. Why wouldn,t they be happy.
Message 13 of 14
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Getting screwed by listing in Canadian dollars

You previously said in the same post that no one would buy it for that postage amount, and that the postage along made it cost-prohibitive. It's illogical to argue the same point opposite ways.
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