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Shipping to Canada
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Shipping to Canada

Shipping to Canada

(14 Replies / 287 Views)
sassyzattic (0) View Listings
sassyzattic
Shipping to Canada
Feb 21, 2012 09:11 AM

Just curious as to why so many refuse to ship to Canada?  I am from the USA and my husbands job brought us to Canada for X number of years.  I used to love shopping on ebay now I find it most difficult.   I mean if I am paying the shipping I dont understand why they refuse to ship up here?  Can anyone let me know what Im missing .... are there fees they have to pay?  Or anything that would prevent them from wanting to ship here?  Thanks for your time everyone happy ebaying! :)
Last Post
Feb 23, 2012 02:40 PM
by it*s-not-me (0) View Listings
pierrelebel (25269 ) View Listings
pierrelebel
(1 of 14)
Re: Shipping to Canada
Feb 21, 2012 09:23 AM

Only American sellers who refuse to ship to Canada can actually answer your question.

 

From my perspective, I see many reasons, some more valid than others.

 

American sellers can easily obtain the PayPal Seller Protection for domestic (within the USA) transactions.  To ship to Canada requires much more expensive shipping methods if a seller insists in getting the PayPal protection.

 

American sellers pay an extra 1.00% PayPal "cross border" fee when the buyer is registered in Canada.

 

The American market is huge while the Canadian market is small.  For many, it is simply not worth looking outside their borders.

 

Many use USPS with home pick-up for domestic parcels.  However, parcels going to Canada require a trip to the Post Office.  Considering the relatively small Canadian market, many consider the extra time and expense not worth it.

 

Others may have experienced bad transactions from Canadian buyers - either requesting false Customs Declaration to save on import tax - or complaining about having to pay tax and/or brokerage fee at time of delivery.  "Who needs the headache to deal with those Canadians?"

 

Some sellers use UPS exclusively and many Canadian buyers refuse to use UPS due to additional Customs brokerage fee.

 

...and the list goes on.
reallynicestamps (238 ) View Listings
reallynicestamps
(2 of 14)
Re: Shipping to Canada
Feb 21, 2012 09:31 AM

While some Americans seem to fear foreign shipping, there are a couple of practical reasons.

One is USPS' insistence that parcels for foreign destinations be brought to a Post Office and handed in over the counter. Extra work, especially since many sellers can arrange home pickup of parcels.

UPS is a cheap and efficient way of shipping to the Lower 48. However, a US seller used to using UPS will get outrage and horror from Canadian custormers who are charged $25 and up for customs brokerage (plus the duty and sales tax applicable). This kicks in on $20 purchases.

I believe that US sellers are charged an extra fee for accepting foreign PP payments.

And there is the "tarred with the same brush" syndrome. One bad Canadian (or German or Brazilian) transaction and sellers, worldwide, will block the country.

Cross-border shipping is slower than domestic. Fact of life, but some sellers worry about their shipping time DSRs.

 

All these reasons make Canadian sellers very happy:^O

 

And welcome to Canada, I hope you enjoy your stay.
catsnewwife (1069 ) View Listings
catsnewwife
(3 of 14)
Re: Shipping to Canada
Feb 21, 2012 09:32 AM

sassy - I will email a seller and ask if they will ship to Canada (unless their description specificially says in a cranky tone that they won't). I've never been told no, although some emails go unanswered. I think sometimes US sellers don't even think to include Canada.
karl*katz (50 ) View Listings
karl*katz
(4 of 14)
Re: Shipping to Canada
Feb 21, 2012 09:37 AM

American's have sufficient customer base in there own country that many don't see the need to ship else where.

 

 
sassyzattic (0) View Listings
sassyzattic
(5 of 14)
Re: Shipping to Canada
Feb 21, 2012 02:49 PM

Thank you all so much for your replies.  I am from the USA but my husband is Canadian and hes (we) areback up here working for a few years.  Its very frustrating Im so used to just ebaying at my leisure!  but come up here and its sooo limited ... I really hate that.  I truly had no idea that there was so much UPS extras for them...and I have emailed a few and then got a message most are NO's and then I get a msg from ebay:  saying I had sent too many emails wait until tomorrow to send more lol.  I guess there is just no way around it?  That or just have stuff mailed to my mother*Sigh...again thanks for all your input..you guys are awesome!!
rick31797 (203 ) View Listings
rick31797
(6 of 14)
Re: Shipping to Canada
Feb 22, 2012 07:41 AM

I get the same problem, but sometimes asking they will, i have ask people why they wont and some say they don't want too fill out the customs form...

 

I did find that shipping to Canada much cheaper then, canada shipping to the USA..

Just had a small motor sent too me under warrenty( not Ebay), I was too take the new motor out and put the defective motor in the same box..so nothing has changed as far as weight and size..

 

From California , the shipping too me was 10.64.. for me to ship it back is 24.78, thats the cheapest rate..

 

So what i am seeing alot of when people do ship from USA to Canada is inflated shipping costs..I had a guy send me an item.. and he charged me 42.00 shipping .. when i got the package it was clearly marked 12.43..

 
sassyzattic (0) View Listings
sassyzattic
(7 of 14)
Re: Shipping to Canada
Feb 23, 2012 02:27 AM

So I dont mean to be ignorant about this but is there a place that has or will show me a calulator as to what shipping costs would be from the USA to Canada? And can someone tell me if two people have the same item for sale and like one state apart why is ones shipping 25 bucks and the other one is 4.90.  I am not complaining I would just really like to know? Is this totally up to the person selling as to what they want to charge? or is there a *shipping calculator* that will give you a rough idea of what to expect? Is any of that making sense? lol

 

Sorry to be so goofy I just usually find what i want and if the shipping is crazy IF they even ship up here I just delete it from my watch or wish list and move on.  lol

 

Thanks again all!
scifan57 (256 ) View Listings
scifan57
(8 of 14)
Re: Shipping to Canada
Feb 23, 2012 03:52 AM
Have you tried going to the USPS website and checking out their rate table?
femmefan1946 (2862 ) View Listings
femmefan1946
(9 of 14)
Re: Shipping to Canada
Feb 23, 2012 09:50 AM

 why is ones shipping 25 bucks and the other one is 4.90. 

 

This specific question does not require a calculator.

The first seller is using Global Priority shipping which includes International Delivery Confirmation.

The second is using First Class International which does not.

The first seller is nervous of shipping cross-border.

The second has done his homework and realizes that higher sales and a few pennies of "self-insurance" in the Shipping and Handling fee more than offset the occasional problem.
sassyzattic (0) View Listings
sassyzattic
(10 of 14)
Re: Shipping to Canada
Feb 23, 2012 11:18 AM

Again, ty guys heaps.  I am really trying to wrap my head around all this crazyiness and be a well informed ebay(er) while Im in Canada...ok back to my ebay shopping.

 

Everyone have a great day-your replies and posts are most apprecaited!!

 

<3

 
2011limey1 (50 ) View Listings
2011limey1
(11 of 14)
Re: Shipping to Canada
Feb 23, 2012 11:34 AM

In my limited experience,I've only encountered a couple of U.S. sellers that don't ship to Canada.  No problem.....I just move on to find similar item that will.
thecardcentral (525 ) View Listings
thecardcentral
(12 of 14)
Re: Shipping to Canada
Feb 23, 2012 11:58 AM

Maybe some US seller refuse to ship to Canada for the same reason I refuse to ship international.

 

I ship my items in bubble envelop (light packet) and it costs 4.85 + tx = 5.57$.

 

I used to charge 6.00 for shipping.  Less eBay/Paypal final fees on shipping, I had maybe 5.40$ left on that amount. 

 

So I was loosing a bit of money on every international sales, my example excluding my other cost (envelop, top loader, gaz to post office).  But I was accepting that loss at first.

 

Then I started to receive 3-stars for shipping fees even if they knew the fees from the beginning and still decided to purchase the item.

 

So I just decided to cut it.  No more shipping to international buyer.

 

Being rated on shipping fees is the same as being rated on the item cost.  That is so ridiculous.  If you do not like the shipping fees, just do not buy the item.

 
it*s-not-me (0) View Listings
it*s-not-me
(13 of 14)
Re: Shipping to Canada
Feb 23, 2012 01:33 PM

Some sellers just want to make a few dollars and don't want to put out the extra effort it takes to ship here or out of the States in general.

 

Others are more business minded and they understand that the extra effort is well worth it financially.

 

Some don't realize that there is a big difference and that buyers from out of the States pack a lot punch.

 

American sellers who ship out the States make much more money when it comes to auctions.

I'm not sure about BIN items, but common sense would indicate that more items are sold when the whole world is buying from you.

 

In other words........ some sellers are driven to make as much money as possible........

and others are more relaxed and/or don't really get it or care.

 

Either way is fine by me........... good for sellers/not always for buyers.

 

 

 

 
it*s-not-me (0) View Listings
it*s-not-me
(14 of 14)
Re: Shipping to Canada
Feb 23, 2012 02:40 PM

There are laws which state that a store can't refuse to serve customers solely because of who they are.

 

When sellers refuse to ship to Canada and state that the reason is because some Canadian ripped them off at some point in the past............ I always do a second take.

 

If you have a real store. that's a lot like saying you won't sell to ........... say Italians.......... because Italians ripped you off in the past.

 

When it comes to a site such as eBay which is worldwide.......... how does that work?

 

I doubt that anyone has ever challenged it........

 

but some time in the distant future I think there's a good chance that the option to limit sales to certain countries will no longer be available.
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