Selling on ebay.com versus ebay.ca

Hello there! I sell logo hockey pucks and don't sell during the summer. I stopped selling just before the new rules came into effect requiring that those Canadian sellers selling on eBay.ca can no longer list in U.S. dollars. That is the new policy right? I just checked some listings and did see a Canadian seller still listing in U.S. dollars using eBay.ca ?? I'm confused. I'm about to start listing again and wonder if it's advisable to stay in eBay ca. or switch to eBay.com. Do American buyers mind being quoted rates in Canadian dollars? I did use calculated shipping when selling to Canadians based on their postal code. Thanks!

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Selling on ebay.com versus ebay.ca


@puckfiend wrote:

... I stopped selling just before the new rules came into effect requiring that those Canadian sellers selling on eBay.ca can no longer list in U.S. dollars. That is the new policy right? I just checked some listings and did see a Canadian seller still listing in U.S. dollars using eBay.ca ?? I'm confused. ...


The only folks with listings on .ca in US$ are old GTC listings (made in June or earlier). They can keep renewing in US$ until sometime in January 2017. There are no new listings in US$ on eBay.ca.  \

 

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Selling on ebay.com versus ebay.ca


@puckfiend wrote:

Hello there! I sell logo hockey pucks and don't sell during the summer. I stopped selling just before the new rules came into effect requiring that those Canadian sellers selling on eBay.ca can no longer list in U.S. dollars. That is the new policy right? I just checked some listings and did see a Canadian seller still listing in U.S. dollars using eBay.ca ?? I'm confused. I'm about to start listing again and wonder if it's advisable to stay in eBay ca. or switch to eBay.com. Do American buyers mind being quoted rates in Canadian dollars? I did use calculated shipping when selling to Canadians based on their postal code. Thanks!


I'm guessing that most of your sales are to Canadians and that the shipping calculator is relatively important to you. If these things are true you should list on .ca in CA$.

 

The default for US buyers viewing your listings on .com will be that they see them in US Dollars in search results and on the item pages they will see both currencies. The only downside to this is that as the exchange rates change your US Dollar pricing will fluctuate slightly.

 

One positive is that your Canadian buyers won't need to pay the conversion fees and you won't need to pay a fee to convert your US Dollars back to Canadian.

 

If you list directly on .com you will have to use flat-rate shipping for Canada, that's easy if you are able to send by Lettermail but I'm pretty sure pucks are too thick for that. That leaves the option of using a "win-some / lose-some" rate. I do that (even on .ca) but I'm in Toronto and the majority of my Canadian buyers are in the Windsor - Montreal corridor, when I get an order from Northern BC it....BITES! Of course my CA sales are only about 5% of the total so a few minor loses here and there are a non-issue.

 

 



"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
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Selling on ebay.com versus ebay.ca

Thanks for the info! Actually 60 - 70% of my sales are to Americans... Do you think this would be a big issue for them when I list in Canadian dollars? Is it a hassle for them to do the currency conversion? If they do a search for logo pucks, I assume they can find my listing regardless of whether I use .ca or .com......

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Selling on ebay.com versus ebay.ca

As a Canadian Seller, and since we can't list in US dollars on .ca, I've created a few auctions on .com and working around the Shipping Cost, which must be Fixed.  eBay is downgrading my Seller Dashboard status in the US identifying items sold to US Buyers "without a tracking number".  I understand they insist on Sellers having tracking numbers but can you believe that a Hockey Card was mailed letter-mail in terms of my auction and agreed to by the Buyer, and that transaction drew a strike against me for not having a tracking number.   I phoned eBay asking that that transaction be removed from the list and "he wasn't able to do that".  Obviously I'll be knocked down as a Top Rated Seller and lose the 20% discount.   Go figure, on the hockey card example!    When I list on .ca I am almost convinced my auctions are not seen Worldwide; and I base that largely on the low number of views and low, low number of successful sales.  Just thought I'd offer this tad of info. that many know about in regards to selling on .com vs .ca

 

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Selling on ebay.com versus ebay.ca

Canadians do not need to maintain the 90% uploaded tracking in order to keep global trs.  You only have to meet their tracking requirements on com if you are a trs plus seller.  As long as you meet the global  trs standards you will get the discount for listings on .ca and .com.

 

 

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Selling on ebay.com versus ebay.ca

I never used tracking numbers when selling to US buyers. I used 'Small packet air' option- no tracking number available from Canada Post. Only tracking numbers within Canada. Not sure how the 'fixed cost' would work if I sold more than one puck to a US buyer.  Shipping rates escalate based on weight to the U.S. Canadian rates for a parcel within Canada based on distance.

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Selling on ebay.com versus ebay.ca

I appreciate the couple of replies and will take the information as gospel!  Amazing that the eBay Support person didn't tell me that; really I'm not surprised.   My Global status is fine but I am away down on USA transactions of which they do have standards they expect to attain higher than Above Average.   Inasmuch as I detest what eBay has done to us in Canada, I'll work around the awkwardness of listing on ebay.com and not be concerned about my US Status.  I thought perhaps I'd lose the 20% discount on .com sales but whatever it takes, we need exposure and I can't afford FREE shipping as they suggest.  Thanks folks. 

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Selling on ebay.com versus ebay.ca

If you look here you'll find the rate tables: (click on Business prices)

 

https://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pg/prices/default-e.asp?ecid=murl07001139 

 

If you go here and put in your postal code you'll be able to print the page that lets you use the tables:

 

https://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pg/prices/FSA_RateCodeLookup-e.asp 

 

 (Well I can't get the auto to work on the second one, you'll have to cut and paste this one in)

 

 

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Selling on ebay.com versus ebay.ca

Thanks for all the info! I've decided to start off using eBay.ca and see how it works..... So I'm assuming it's impossible for a US buyer to try to pay me using US currency? For example, if the total cost to him including shipping and handling is $25 Canadian, he's got to the conversion and pay me in Canadian?

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Selling on ebay.com versus ebay.ca

If it were me, and the majority of my buyers were in the US id be selling on .COM in US$ but thats just me. (note that I'm biased because I've always only sold on .COM in US$ because I target US buyers)

I've seen others saying that US folks are misunderstanding the $C vs $US and in some cases they're seeing the $C instead of the US$ when stuff is listed on .CA before or after they purchase which causes issues/frustrations. (Canadians don't seem to have the reverse problem)

I regularly have Canadians wanting to pay me in $C for my .COM listings in US$. I don't know a way to do that aside from me sending them a separate direct PAYPAL invoice for the $C amount. You could do the same only the other way around if you wanted.

I have to confess that I don't know how much a puck normally weighs but given they're too thick for lettermail anyway, given you're already in package territory, can't you get a couple pucks in for a 500g shipment? (as in flat rate shipping shouldn't be too big a deal for you??)

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Selling on ebay.com versus ebay.ca

If I sell using eBay.com, why can't I send an invoice to a Canadian buyer specifying different amounts based on where they live? For example, it cost me app. $14.00 to ship one puck to Vancouver from Ottawa where I live but it cost only $10.00 to ship that same puck to a Montreal buyer....

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Selling on ebay.com versus ebay.ca

I just put up a 'dummy auction' on eBay. com and indeed I must input only ONE shipping rate for all of Canada. Also, I have no idea what to do if I sell more than one puck to a US buyer and finally, I see no where where I can put in an amount for a handling charge only a 'handling time'.

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Selling on ebay.com versus ebay.ca

If you are on .COM you can't use calculated shipping so you'll be stuck using flat rate and "domestic" is USA (one rate for the country), Canada is one flat rate amount regardless where it is in Canada, and international is the same (although you can specify some countries individually or in areas).

You could conceivably adjust the shipping afterward, but that opens a whole bowl full of problems as some people will pay then you have to refund, some will ask you to reduce in advance etc.

I didn't look at your offerings till after I put my thoughts in. I see from your old sales that generally they are in the $5 range per puck, so the shipping does figure in mightily. That may not make it as big a problem to .CA stuff instead.
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Selling on ebay.com versus ebay.ca

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly! The flat rate option to the US is no problem as long as the buyer is only buying ONE puck. Any thought on my query re handling? I haven't tried the eBay.ca site yet so don't know if it's the same re not being able to input a handling charge. I know I could do it  the last time I listed auction in June on the eBay.ca. site.

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Selling on ebay.com versus ebay.ca


@puckfiend wrote:

Thanks for all the info! I've decided to start off using eBay.ca and see how it works..... So I'm assuming it's impossible for a US buyer to try to pay me using US currency? For example, if the total cost to him including shipping and handling is $25 Canadian, he's got to the conversion and pay me in Canadian?


The buyer doesn't do the exchange, PayPal does the conversion for the buyer. A US buyer would start with US$ and you would get CA$

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Selling on ebay.com versus ebay.ca

Economy Int'l Shipping
Standard Int'l Shipping
Expedited Int'l Shipping

You can have up to 5 separate International rates for countries you select

plus you can have "Require buyers to contact you for international shipping costs" as a choice. This last International option allows the potential Canadian buyer to ask for a cost and you can calculate a shipping cost.

 

The disadvantage is that you will lose sales from buyers who don't want to ask for a shipping cost to their address.

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As for "handling charge" -- only available for calculated shipping.

For flat rate shipping, eBay assumes you included any handling charge in the shipping cost.

 

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Message 17 of 30
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Selling on ebay.com versus ebay.ca

If you have multiples of the same item you could also:

 

List one on eBay.COM in US$ and sell only to the USA with flat rate shipping (Canada Post small packet and tracked packet are both flat rate to the USA).

 

List one on eBay.CA in Cdn$ and do not sell to the USA. This allows you to use calculated shipping and a handling fee for Canada and other countries.

 

-..-

 

Doing it this way should avoid eBay flagging you for duplicate listings

A difference in titles won't hurt either and it will help you know if it's a Cdn or US sale.

 

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Message 18 of 30
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Selling on ebay.com versus ebay.ca

Thanks for the info! There are no duplicate items. I was referring to two different hockey pucks bid on and won by the same US based bidder. I'm going to put one puck up for auction on eBay.ca and see the response. Based what I sell, the restrictions on listing on eBay.com are too much with regards to shipping......

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Selling on ebay.com versus ebay.ca

Not sure how that would work.... since my auctions are listed in Canadian dollars on eBay.ca, a US bidder would still have a get an amount based on exchange rate back to US dollars no?

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