Trying to list on eBay.com- won't allow listing even though selecting flat rate shipping outside US

[abodyduster]

I sell most Automotive parts and have tried listing on eBay.com. However,  I cannot complete the listing because eBay.com won't accept my input for shipping. I have been selecting flat rate shipping from outside the US, but it gets stuck there. No matter how many times I go through, because the item location is outside the US, it won't allow me to complete the listing. Anybody else having this problem? Can it be fixed?

[pierrelebel]

You know and I know that "free shipping" is an excellent tool to compete with American sellers on eBay and elsewhere online who use "free shipping" extensively.

I wish we could convince more Canadian sellers to go that way.

[pjcdn2005]

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@abodyduster wrote:

I am listing on .ca until they get things figured out. I have managed to switch one listing over without a problem, but this morning a new problem arose, so patience seems to be the key. I  have every intention of moving all my listings to .com, but I have to wait for eBay to get things working properly.

What is the new problem?

[mr.elmwood]

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@pierrelebel wrote:

You know and I know that "free shipping" is an excellent tool to compete with American sellers on eBay and elsewhere online who use "free shipping" extensively.

I wish we could convince more Canadian sellers to go that way.

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"Oh, but, but, but, I have to show the "exact" shipping cost, that I made up, that is subject to fee, currency fluctuations, that does not include supplies, separately.

Why?

Well, because!"

I know what my costs are to just about anywhere: 0-250 grams, 251-500, 501-1K, over 1K. Due to 94% of my sales going to the US, I use that as my benchmark pricing with "free" shipping. The other 6% are CDN and worldwide. Yeah but, yeah but, yeah but, I am losing money on Canada and world shipping!

No, no I am not. Shipping costs me less now, than it did 4 years ago. The Loonie has gone down that much.

I hold a part in my hand and decide what I can get for it shipping included. Yes or no to sell it. Some parts are worth the effort, others are not.

[pjcdn2005]

The free shipping model works better in some situations than others. That's great that you've had success with that strategy but that doesn't mean that it would work the same way for everyone. 

[pierrelebel]

"that doesn't mean that it would work the same way for everyone. "

Quite true.  "free shipping" does not work for everybody.

However a Canadian seller competing with American sellers should take a serious look at those competitors in the category they sell in.  If the majority of those competitors offer "free shipping" Canadian sellers wishing to penetrate the same American market will need to find a way to offer "free shipping" or they may never achieve the level of sales they could get.

Yes, we all know that generally more expensive shipping from Canada puts many Canadian sellers at a disadvantage.  Successful  sellers will find a way to compete!

[mr.elmwood]

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@pierrelebel wrote:

"that doesn't mean that it would work the same way for everyone. "

Quite true.  "free shipping" does not work for everybody.

However a Canadian seller competing with American sellers should take a serious look at those competitors in the category they sell in.  If the majority of those competitors offer "free shipping" Canadian sellers wishing to penetrate the same American market will need to find a way to offer "free shipping" or they may never achieve the level of sales they could get.

Yes, we all know that generally more expensive shipping from Canada puts many Canadian sellers at a disadvantage.  Successful  sellers will find a way to compete!

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My rolling week has been the best ever in 14 years. My Canuckistanian equivalent for the last two weeks is the highest in 14 years.

I was on my best run of weeks and months last fall. I took two months off, well, things. Got back in the game and sales exploded. I am now on a run that I will have to take breaks from. Yeah, too busy.

[abodyduster]

Now it says the category is invalid. Tried going through that sequence to make sure it was correct; no difference. It is exactly what it is supposed to be.

[mr.elmwood]

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@abodyduster wrote:

Now it says the category is invalid. Tried going through that sequence to make sure it was correct; no difference. It is exactly what it is supposed to be.

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Well, re-start, clear cache and cookies. What browser are you using, yes, they do different things.

Consider changing as Pierre and I discussed, above.

I do shipping "included", mostly worldwide. Using flat rate, you can set The CDN rate, US Rate, and world separately. It works perfect for me.

[pjcdn2005]

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@pierrelebel wrote:

"that doesn't mean that it would work the same way for everyone. "

Quite true.  "free shipping" does not work for everybody.

However a Canadian seller competing with American sellers should take a serious look at those competitors in the category they sell in.  If the majority of those competitors offer "free shipping" Canadian sellers wishing to penetrate the same American market will need to find a way to offer "free shipping" or they may never achieve the level of sales they could get.

Yes, we all know that generally more expensive shipping from Canada puts many Canadian sellers at a disadvantage.  Successful  sellers will find a way to compete!

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I  agree.  I think that a seller has to do some research as well as try out various ways before making a decision.   I have some free shipping to Canada and the US and some 'subsidized' shipping whiich has part of the shipping cost included in the item cost.  I have changed a few things up lately and probably have less free shipping items than I normally do but that may change.

[nationalmoparts]

I don't see how flat rate or free shipping will ever work when you are selling automotive parts. How can I flat rate ship say a set of NOS 68 Coronet rocker mouldings when shipping cost is say $50 to Buffalo and $90 to California ? Ebay.ca is making a big mistake. The reason I sell in USD is to get a fair price for my parts....with the Canadian dollar up and down like a toilet seat it's real easy to lose money on low profit margin parts. We started migrating parts over today and its a complete cluster. Tried to use a Buffalo zip code for location ...a $29 part shows $219 or some other nonsense to ship when actual cost to California with my killer UPS discount is $9

...talk about driving the customers away.!! With 1200 or so parts currently to migrate and figure out this is going to cost tons....I've had one employee on it for 10 hours already and she is struggling ....we could have listed another 50 pieces and been making money.

Anyways I love Canada but good riddance to Ebay.ca and the pitiful looney...no way I'll sell in Canuck bucks.

[femmefan1946]

You do know that your US customer Searching on eBaydotCOM sees your prices in US dollars* even if you are listing in loonies on dotCA, right?

When he gets to the actual listing both currencies show, and the dotCA listing gives him the shipping cost to his doorstep.

If you go to dotCOM in order to list in USD, you must make a decision about what Flat Rate you are going to charge all your US customers and all your Canadian customers and all your overseas customers, because dotCOM does not support the  Canada Post rates you will be using.

*And your German customer sees your price in euros, and your Australian customer in Australian dollars, etc.

[crawler50]

Why do we have to list in Canadian Dollars anyway?  I smell the federal government in Ottawa and private stores who see us as a threat, so this is their way of killing Canadians from selling anything.  I have had the same problems with the shipping calculators on ebay.com and this is intentional, there is no doubt.  Ebay told us to go to .com and we can't sell properly.  Why sell in US dollars?  Have you seen the exchange rates?  I am not going to list a $9.99 US item for $19.99 Canadian, it's ridiculous, and the shipping fees would look astronomical.  No one is selling now, I have stopped listing all together, let ebay die if it wants to.  I will go to E-Bid or another site that our government has no fingers in the pie.  First they wanted us to go into shipping with the Can Post "Light weight box", which would protect nothing(and the cost was not advantageous), and now are forcing just ebay sellers to list only in Canadian Dollars?  Do you make sellers in Europe do the same, no you don't, they have a choice of Euro or their own currency.  I call HS.  Don't tell me our government had nothing to do with this either, they smell from here, and have been interfering with ebay from the start.  If ebay wants to shut down Canadian sellers, this is the way to do it, and they know it.  I'm sure American sellers are very happy, we are their only competition and now that is gone too.  Horrid that ebay did this and we were never given a reason why, at least I never read a shred of a reason, other than government policy/interference.  SEARS IS DEAD ANYWAY, DID NOT SAVE THEM.

[ypdc_dennis]

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@crawler50 wrote:

Why do we have to list in Canadian Dollars anyway?  I smell ...

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If you want to use the paper dollar of the USA then do so. List on eBay.COM

As a non-store seller you get 50 free listings on eBay.com in US$ and 50 free listings on eBay.CA in Cdn$ per month.

[pierrelebel]

"government policy/interference"

Maybe someone suffers from a touch of paranoia.

ALL eBay sellers, everywhere in the world, list on eBay using the currency of their site (Sterling in UK, euro in Europe, A$ in Australia, etc... now Cdn$ in Canada) unless they want to list/sell/collect payment in US$ - then they have the option to list on eBay.com (US$).

Canadians are not so special after all.  We have exactly the same rights and privileges as all other worldwide sellers.

How many listings did you have in the last three months on eBay?  In what currency?