IDENTICAL ITEMS IN CALIFORNIA : DIFF. SELLERS : DIFF. SHIPPING CHARGES : DIFF. IMPORT CHARGES!! WHY?

[electricalley]

ONE open-box Panasonic cam from California eBay seller.

SAME MODEL open-box Panasonic cam from a different eBay seller.

Item prices are VERY CLOSE.

Shipping fees from one seller are $21 MORE than the other.

Import charges to Canada charged by the eBay seller with the lower shipping charge are $19 MORE than the other seller.

Makes no sense. What is going on here?

(1) Why are eBay sellers in the same US state allowed to charge VERY DIFFERENT shipping fees for the same model item shipped to the same address in Canada?

(2) Why are US eBay sellers allowed to charge VERY DIFFERENT Import charge for the same item shipped to the same address in Canada?

PLEASE! Respond ONLY if you have actual facts that explain these discrepancies. I have received enough OPINIONS that explain nothing.  🙂   tnx

[marnotom!]

---

@electricalley wrote:

(1) Why are eBay sellers in the same US state allowed to charge VERY DIFFERENT shipping fees for the same model item shipped to the same address in Canada?

---

Since your post references "import charges," I'm guessing that these cameras are being forwarded to Canada via the Global Shipping Program.  The shipping fees that are charged for GSP-forwarded items are the total of what the seller charges for shipping the item to the Global Shipping Center in Kentucky, plus the Global Shipping Program's charge for shipping the item from Kentucky to its destination.  One seller may be using quite a different shipping service to get the item to Kentucky.  What you could do is on the listing page, change the shipping destination to US ZIP code 41025 (the location of the Global Shipping Center) to get a sense of how much those sellers are charging to ship the item to Kentucky.

---

@electricalley wrote:

2) Why are US eBay sellers allowed to charge VERY DIFFERENT Import charge for the same item shipped to the same address in Canada?

---

The "import charge" isn't levied by the sellers.  It's levied by Pitney Bowes, DBA the Global Shipping Program.  The charge is an estimate calculated by a bot based on the information the seller provides on the listing page.  Since the bot can only go by the category in which the item is listed, if these sellers have listed these cams in slightly different categories, that can affect the import charges as they're not just taxes (and duty, if applicable), but also various processing fees.

---

@electricalley wrote:

PLEASE! Respond ONLY if you have actual facts that explain these discrepancies. I have received enough OPINIONS that explain nothing.  🙂   tnx

---

Without being able to see the listings in question, we have to do a bit of guesswork here.  I hope I've provided enough information that passes as factual.

[reallynicestamps]

Some sellers add a handling charge which may cover packaging costs, third party insurance, Cookie Jar Insurance, or a hidden profit centre.

That can turn a $10 shipping charge into a $15 shipping charge or a $12 shipping charge , depending on the amount of the handling.

[marnotom!]

Also, some sellers offer "free" shipping within the US, so that can affect the overall shipping charge considerably. Looking at Panasonic camcorders I found a considerable variation in shipping prices to Kentucky.

[zee-chan]

The same reason as why you'd see one thing being sold at Walmart for one price and at Safeway for a different price. Even these retailers have different shipping charges for their online sales.  

[brettjet38]

A seller can use whichever shipping options are available to them...

                                            ...and there are many with many different rates.

They can also charge shipping including a handling fee...

                                            ...and many do.

If their shipping price is too much for you, then shop elsewhere...

                                             ....it's a free world, but shipping is not.

Taxes, Handling fees, Duty, and any other fees are the Buyers responsibility...

                                              ...but they still think they should not pay.

@electricalley "PLEASE! Respond ONLY if you have actual facts that explain these discrepancies. I have received enough OPINIONS that explain nothing."

You post on a public board and should expect to get all kinds of replies...