eBay

c_charlene · ‎04-04-2016

I'm a new seller from canada just getting started with ebay and I cant figure out how to setup the shipping so that the shipping fees are calculated for everyone internationally.... For some countries it works, but for some other ones it will give them the following error:

"This item will ship to *COUNTRY*, but the seller has not specified shipping options. Contact the seller and request a shipping method to your location."

Technically, I think I have the right settings for shipping internationally, but it doesnt seem to be working for all countries. Here are my settings for shipping:

Domestic Shipping (canada)
This is set to "Canada Post Regular Parcel" .

International Shipping
First option is set to Worldwide : Canada Post Tracked Packet - International
I also have an additionnal service set to Choose Custom Location (United States): Canada Post Tracked Packet - USA

So with this setup, shipping is automatically calculated for Canada and USA. It also works for some other countries like Italy, France, Germany, UK, Australia, Hong Kong... However, for some reason, other countries get the "seller has not specified shipping" error, for example: Mexico, Greece, Egypt, China, Russia, Japan and a lot more.

I tried adding another shipping option with custom location specifically for the countries where shipping calculation doesnt work (Mexico, Japan, China etc...) However, ebay doesnt allow me to save this, I get a "this is already selected" error:

I do not want to select another type of shipping for international shipping because I need to have order tracking and "Canada Post Tracked Packet - International" is the cheapest option, the next service with tracking is Xpresspost but it is considerably more expensive.

I checked my package / box for restrictions with post canada and they are within specifications.

I called ebay support many times, but their agents are clueless, it seems to be outsourced in india or something and they just waste my time (just on the phone with them so far in total I spent at least 2-3 hours trying to fix this).

Here is the item i'm selling currently if you want to see the error try a few random countries:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/-/111958159233

Any help appreciated.
Thanks

xeposter · ‎04-04-2016

Hello. You do not need to make duplicate posts: http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Packaging-Shipping/How-do-you-fix-the-error-quot-seller-has-not-specifie.... You only need to post once because users will always find that post.

Looking at your listing, it shows worldwide shipping. It is supposed to do this, right?

Alex

This is my POSTING id.

zee-chan · ‎04-04-2016

I think it's because "tracked packet" is not available to every country in the world. There is a list in Canada post website somewhere showing which countries it has. I'm sure it's NOT available to Mexico. You got quite a few high risk countries on there that I'd never ship to, namely Mexico, Brazil, China, Russia.

How come you didn't choose Europe? That's a safer place to ship to than the above ones you picked, and tracked packet does ship to most European countries.

As as for domestic parcel I recommend choosing expedited parcel instead of regular parcel. If you buy shipping label via PayPal it's usually checper than regular parcel and you get insurance (up to $100 if I remember correctly).

pocomocomputing · ‎04-05-2016

Shipping is the hardest thing to learn because it is detailed with rules and exceptions. You need to go to the Canada Post website and read about the services you want to use. To add to the Canada Post rules to learn, the eBay.ca Canada shipping modules have glitches and errors and little checking of dimensions and weight data to help you list correctly. All issues reported to eBay.ca Canada for years (at least 6-7 years since I started selling) with nothing EVER fixed.

In your case, Canada Post Tracked Packet is available to only 31 countries so an error message will be shown for countries that do not have the service. This is actually correct behavior since Mexico does not have Tracked Packet.

What you need to do is offer another service like Small Packet since it is available to all countries. But Small Packet has no insurance, no tracking, no seller protection at all other than the honesty of the buyer and of their postal system. Sellers usually only sell low value items with lower shipping costs by Small Packet to minimize loss. Most self insure with so called cookie jar insurance. That is, set aside some money from all sales to cover the occasional lost item (real or scam). Most sellers find this method acceptable since they know they can not have as many sales with higher tracked services.

But since you are new seller, sell only to Canada and the USA and block the rest of the countries. In 3-4-5 months once you have sold and have more experience, open up to select countries in the world like the UK and Australia, maybe France and Germany. Expand slowly. I would not ship to some former Easter Europe block countries, Africa, South America, most of Asia (maybe to Japan and South Korea), most of the middle East (maybe Israel).

You should always put the USA first before the worldwide. Sometimes the USA will show a USA option then the USA with the International option. You want the USA option first as it is usually a lower price.

pocomocomputing · ‎04-05-2016

@zee-chan wrote:
I think it's because "tracked packet" is not available to every country in the world. There is a list in Canada post website somewhere showing which countries it has. I'm sure it's NOT available to Mexico. You got quite a few high risk countries on there that I'd never ship to, namely Mexico, Brazil, China, Russia.

How come you didn't choose Europe? That's a safer place to ship to than the above ones you picked, and tracked packet does ship to most European countries.

As as for domestic parcel I recommend choosing expedited parcel instead of regular parcel. If you buy shipping label via PayPal it's usually cheaper than regular parcel and you get insurance (up to $100 if I remember correctly).

Yes, Expedited Parcel has insurance included saving $2.25 for the first $100 insurance. It also has a shorter delivery time and within Canada, for most locations the delivery time is guaranteed. So if the item is late and delivery confirmation show late, call Canada Post for a refund of the shipping cost! If you use PayPal shipping labels for Expedited parcel within Canada, you save up to 18% on the over the counter prices. (Expedited Parcel USA does not have guaranteed delivery times.)

pocomocomputing · ‎04-05-2016

Tracked Packet is available to 31 countries. Not all countries are available in PayPal shipping. Newest ones are not added apparently.

New:
Austria
Brazil
Italy
South Korea

USA
Australia
Belgium
Croatia
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Hong Kong
Hungary
Ireland
Iceland
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Malta
Netherlands
New Zealand
Poland
Portugal
Singapore
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
United Kingdom

End to end delivery:
4-7 business days – U.S. A.
6-10 business days – international

zee-chan · ‎04-05-2016

OP might want to check your current MK bag's item descriptions. There are a couple grammar errors, and I don't recommend saying that the dustbag in your photo is NOT included because your buyer may not read everything in the description (are you gonna read all the lengthy description if you are browsing on a phone?) and assume that everything in the photo is included. This could be asking for an item not as described case to happen. I suggest retaking the photos without the dustbag.

Also eBay's policy will trump your terms of sale. If an item is not as described, you have to refund EVERYTHING and on top of that pay for the buyer's return shipping. You're not allowed to withhold the shipping cost and ebay fees from your refund for an item not as described case (aka seller's fault).

In your eBay listings's policy, it says "14 day money back, buyer pays return shipping", that means you accept return even if it's because of personal reason. So in your own terms you cannot say that you don't accept return for personal reasons because eBay's own policy will trump that.

And as suggested by poco, start with selling to Canada and USA only to learn more about selling on eBay. An international return / refund for something like a handbag can be a pain and loss if you do get one. You might be unfamiliar with the cost of international tracked packet... if your bag sells at $45 (current start price), your shipping cost outside Canada/USA is likely gonna be much more than that.

c_charlene · ‎04-05-2016

Ok, I used other seller's terms as reference for my own terms... I guess a lot of people have terms that arent good because I saw a lot of similar terms. Should I not allow returns then? Basically, I have a few more expensive bags I want to sell (this MK bag is NOT expensive) and I just wanted to avoid people returning the item just because they feel like it or they used it once for an even then return it or whatever you know? But, if there was a problem with the bag that I didnt see (unlikely) then of course i'd be willing to take it back or give discount or something...

c_charlene · ‎04-05-2016

Ok I understand, so then, how about if I use:

USA Tracked Packet + Worldwide Tracked Packet
I assume that the 31 countries included in the international tracked packet from post canada are safe to ship to?

Or instead:

USA tracked packet + Custom location tracked packet and select only Europe, France, UK, Germany, Australia and Japan ?

xeposter · ‎04-05-2016

@c_charlene wrote:
Ok, I used other seller's terms as reference for my own terms... I guess a lot of people have terms that arent good because I saw a lot of similar terms. Should I not allow returns then? Basically, I have a few more expensive bags I want to sell (this MK bag is NOT expensive) and I just wanted to avoid people returning the item just because they feel like it or they used it once for an even then return it or whatever you know? But, if there was a problem with the bag that I didnt see (unlikely) then of course i'd be willing to take it back or give discount or something...

If the item is not as described, then you are required to take the item back weather you offer returns or not.

Alex

This is my POSTING id.

pocomocomputing · ‎04-05-2016

@c_charlene wrote:
Ok I understand, so then, how about if I use:

USA Tracked Packet + Worldwide Tracked Packet
I assume that the 31 countries included in the international tracked packet from post canada are safe to ship to?

Or instead:

USA tracked packet + Custom location tracked packet and select only Europe, France, UK, Germany, Australia and Japan ?

Europe has about 50 countries with many not on Tracked Packet list. So checking off Europe is too broad. You would have to block other countries in your country blocked list.

As mentioned before, you are new and selling expensive goods potentially a target of scammers. Stick to Canada and the USA which have reliable honest post systems where you can use Expedited Parcel for tracking and delivery confirmation and insurance at a reasonable shipping cost.

Typical Canadian seller breakdown of countries purchases are 50-70% USA, 10-20% Canada and 10% Worldwide. The 10% worldwide is so small with high shipping costs but will account for potentially most of your issues of Not as Described with high return costs. The 10% is not worth it for more expensive goods. You will sell those 10% Worldwide to buyers in Canada and the USA.

xeposter · ‎04-05-2016

@x..e wrote:
@c_charlene wrote:
Ok, I used other seller's terms as reference for my own terms... I guess a lot of people have terms that arent good because I saw a lot of similar terms. Should I not allow returns then? Basically, I have a few more expensive bags I want to sell (this MK bag is NOT expensive) and I just wanted to avoid people returning the item just because they feel like it or they used it once for an even then return it or whatever you know? But, if there was a problem with the bag that I didnt see (unlikely) then of course i'd be willing to take it back or give discount or something...
If the item is not as described, then you are required to take the item back weather you offer returns or not.
Alex

Now it won't let me edit my post

You can learn more about what I said at http://pages.ebay.ca/ebay-money-back-guarantee/. All buyers are covered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee if the item is not as described.

Alex.

This is my POSTING id.