Buyer wants to pay for shipping label....

[klondiketradingcompany]

Buyer agreed to purchase but said shipping costs at check out were high, now he wants free shipping and will send a link to print a shipping label at his cost

He is in Canada as well as me, Is this a common practice?

and how would I go about it?

Thanks

[momcqueen · Accepted solution]

Not common practise and not a good idea. To learn more about this type of proposition and exactly how it places the seller in a perilous position, I suggest reading this recent thread:

https://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/buyer-wants-me-to-send-item-by-purolator-and-says-it-wil...

[femmefan1946]

I've shipped CDs and DVDs in bubble envelopes, most meet the LetterPost standard of being under 2 cm and 500 grams.

Letter is not trackable, unless you Register it, and eBay doesn't accept Registration as being tracked. (I know that's not sensible, but...)

Since what your buyer is suggesting is all too often a scam (on his employer if not on you), this is one case where tracking would be useful.

Unfortunately, tracked (Regular Parcel- National) would run you $17.30 or more before the Small Business Solutions discount.

This is one case where I would be trying to decide if I want the sale.

If the buyer will not pay your shipping fee, you can ask him if he wants to cancel. Cancelled at Buyer Request does not give you a Defect.

Or you can wait four days and open an Unpaid Item Dispute. This puts a Strike on the deadbeat buyer's account which will make it harder to bid or buy on eBay. He will not be able to leave feedback.

Or you can take a chance and ship with his label after he pays.

If it is for anything other than a DVD, which are usually very low value items, do NOT agree.

This might be useful

https://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/far/business/findARate?execution=e1s2

[pjcdn2005]

It isn't recommended that you do that.  I'm going to copy and paste a reply from another recent thread where this came up.  

......using a buyer supplied shipping account is extremely dangerous.

1 - You have no idea if they actually control the account or it's an account they "stole/borrowed".

2 - It's very easy as the shipper of record (the account holder) to redirect an in-transit shipment, a redirected shipment will show delivery to an an address that is NOT the address provided with payment and therefore there is no seller protection from an INR claim.

https://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/recap-on-a-sale-gone-wrong/m-p/415949

Have you double checked the cost of the postage to their address? If this is for the dvd's, it  does seem a bit high but I'm just guessing at the dimensions and weight.   Make sure that you aren't using an oversize box, that can really change the cost.  But you're under an obligation to change it, but if it is possible to lower it a bit and still not lose money on shipping, that might make help make the buyer happy.

Is the buyer in the US or Canada?

[klondiketradingcompany]

update -- 

Thanks all for the swift and accurate advice, Having a decent profit margin on the item I was able to reduce his cost by a few $s and the sale went thru without his shipping label, the item was a large box set with books as well as the 6 DVDs, this being my first sale I shipped it with tracking and signature.

Thanks again 🙂

[reallynicestamps]

Shipping is the toughest part of selling online. It can be worth losing a little money on a (very) few transactions to get to the point where you are comfortable.

[canadiancommodityllc]

this is possible but so are all scams. please make sure they have paid for the item before it's being shipped and get a tracking number to upload into the ebay order. Yes your shipping costs are slightly higher. you may need to use a third party shipper or forwarder

look in to shipvista discounted rates from FedEx, Canada post and CanPar, and how they offer up to $200 free to new customer as bonus.  I Sign up already and it seems to be working Excellently 

Hope this helps you