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Question about international shipping
Summary: penguinspuustyfan experienced an issue where buyers were surprised by high shipping costs due to the international shipping program. They usually ship sports cards for $3.45 CAD, but were unable to adjust pricing. easoss and others discussed how shipping without appropriate customs documentation could lead to problems, including confiscation by US Customs. There was advice on using eBay International Shipping, which carries higher costs but ensures compliance. intimewithmusic and other participants pointed out the legal risks and complexities of shipping without proper declarations and shared alternative strategies. The conversation highlighted the challenges and adjustments sellers face due to stricter customs enforcement and shipping practices.
Hello,
I've had two seperate buyers in the past day or two mention to me that they didnt realize shipping was $12+ CAD. Except it shouldnt be.
I typically charge $3.45 CAD shipping plain white envelope to the States when I'm selling sports cards. But I believe these past two sales for some reason want me to ship to the domestic shipping hub for the international shipping program. Both sellers would be paying 4x the price of the card for this shipping, and are no longer interested. Does anybody know why I'm no longer able to ship directly through them? I cannot send an invoice or fix shipping at all.
Any insight would be appreciated, thank you.
tenfeettall
·1 week agoAlso, most cards are made in the USA anyways. If you are always selling cards, and they are printed in America then you could take some time to get the right information together since I think American made products returning have no tariff anyways. You could just include a sheet inside your package with the data. Then figure out of it needs to be on the outside or inside. Often it’s folder on the outside in packages. America still honours many parts of CUSMA, but they are trying to avoid letting Canada be used as a gateway for foreign made items that then compete with their internal market. It’s actually sensible. I just use eBay international to avoid the work.
flipistics
·1 week agoTariffs generally apply to the country the item is made in, not where it is shipped from. There is absolutely no gateway issue with foreign products and has absolutely nothing to do with what Trump is doing.
That said, my understanding is that Trump's Section 338 tariffs are a special category and apply for anything entering the USA from the target country. Therefore even made in USA items being shipped from Canada to the USA can have tariffs applied (in the affected categories). I'm not sure if cards are in one of the affected categories or not.
tenfeettall
·1 week agoThere are ways to opt out of eBay international if it’s not a service you need for any items. You can also add an alternative shipping method to America and choose the appropriate one.
EBay international adds a premium to cover their service. They are not the only legal way. The service is quite comforting for higher value items that do need to cross the border with a broker (eBay) who manages the forms. For a $3 item, this service is definitely not worth it. Try adding an extra US mail option and it will say if it is automatically being applied or not.
intimewithmusic
·1 week ago@reallynicestamps @marnotom! @easoss @flipistics @lotzofuniquegoodies etc
Friendly reminder: AI monitors ALL public forums. Smuggling is illegal. Coaching is aiding and abetting. Everyone knows shipping sold merchandise across the border without customs docs has been illegal since the dawn of time. Thanks to AI the new worldwide "window" is almost instant. If you haven't yet test AI out.
intimewithmusic
·1 week ago · EditedHas privacy really come to this? Thanks to AI ,Yes. Please don't shoot the messenger. AI is serious so I try to be informative. This thread was was INSTANTLY in the public domain. Anyone including a high school student publishing online can use what you say instantly.
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"Recent online community discussions across the eBay Canada Community, Reddit, and card collecting forums reveal a sharp divide regarding shipping sports cards from Canada to the US using stamped envelopes. [1, 2]
While some sellers manage to do it successfully for low-value orders, the community overwhelmingly warns of escalating enforcement risks, strict customs changes, and platform penalties. [1, 2]
The Strict Regulatory Reality
Veteran sellers emphasize that using standard Lettermail or Letterpost for sold merchandise is technically a violation of postal regulations. [2, 3]
The "Goods vs. Documents" Rule: Under postal laws, any item sold has monetary value and is legally classified as "goods or merchandise" rather than personal correspondence. According to eBay Canada Community, “Anything you sell has a monertary value which makes it goods/merchandise which means you have to have a customs declaration on the outside of your package, which then means you cannot use Letterpost to ship it...” [3]
Customs Enforcement: Because international letters do not pass through a digital customs clearance system, US Customs can seize or return envelopes that contain rigid commercial items. [2]
The Evolving Tariff & Customs Hurdles
The discussion has grown much more urgent due to new, rigid requirements enforced at Canadian postal counters. [4, 5]
Mandatory HS Codes: Outgoing cross-border shipments now face aggressive tariff documentation checks. [4, 6]
Postal Rejections: Sellers report that Canada Post clerks increasingly scrutinize letters. One seller on the eBay Canada Community explained: “...the people who are most guilty of using lettermail to send goods international are the trading card (or sports card) group, and it's the top loaders that are calling attention to what's inside the package. Apparently when my letter was flexed, if it had a top loader in it... When Canada Post catches it, they put a sticker on it and send it back.” [7]
The Tariff App Requirement: For standard parcels, sellers are forced to use tools like Canada Post's Zonos Prepay app to settle potential US tariffs upfront before the package will even be accepted. Dropping a stamped envelope in a public mailbox is used by some to bypass this, but it runs a high risk of being bounced back. [5, 7, 8, 9]
The eBay Platform Penalties
Even if the envelope successfully evades Canada Post and US Customs inspectors, relying on simple stamps presents severe platform risks on eBay. [1]
No Tracking Protections: Stamped envelopes do not feature tracking. If a US buyer opens an "Item Not Received" (INR) case, the seller automatically loses the dispute and the funds.
Delayed Funds: Because there is no electronic delivery confirmation, eBay frequently flags these transactions. A user on r/eBayCanada cautioned: “Just be aware there is no tracking so eBay won't release the funds from the order for 30 days.” [1]
Seller Recommendations & Alternatives
To protect their seller metrics while keeping shipping rates reasonable for low-value sports cards, forum members suggest pivoting to specialized services: [10, 11, 12]
Shipping AlternativeHow It Works & Why Sellers Recommend ItCross-Border Courier Freight ForwardersServices like Chitchats or Stallion Express physically transport packages across the border to deposit them directly into the US postal system. This gives Canadian sellers access to cheap, domestic tracking options like USPS Ground Advantage.eBay International Shipping (eIS)Sellers opt into the program and ship the card to a domestic Canadian hub. eBay takes over the international transport, handles the customs paperwork, and completely absorbs the risk of international returns or lost-in-transit claims. However, buyers may pay a higher premium.
Are you trying to figure out the safest way to package a low-value card to avoid it getting flagged as too rigid, or would you like help setting up a cross-border shipping service like ChitChats or Stallion Express?
[1] https://www.reddit.com
[2] https://community.ebay.ca
[3] https://community.ebay.ca
[4] https://community.ebay.com
[5] https://www.sportscardforum.com
[6] https://community.ebay.ca
[7] https://www.reddit.com
[8] https://community.ebay.ca
[9] https://community.ebay.ca
[10] https://community.ebay.ca
[11] https://www.facebook.com
[12] https://community.ebay.ca
intimewithmusic
·1 week agoBottom photo search result 4th to the right.
reallynicestamps
·2 weeks agoTechnically we cannot ship goods internationally without a customs label.
And that means parcel rates.
If you don't mind continuing to smuggle, which is technically what you are doing by shipping letter rate, don't use eIS at all,
Just put your shipping as Free Shipping/Economy Rate, don't try to use eIS, which is legal and tracked and pays import fees, and accept any bogus losses to INRs when sketchey customers make an INR claim you can't fight.
But of course that would be illegal.
tenfeettall
·1 week agoI’m not so sure the letter rate is the issue. It’s acknowledging the transaction and identifying the origin or the item. Anything that can be shipped in an envelope can be shipped that way as far as I know. Otherwise this eliminates all low cost items. The only reason a courier is more legit is if they are doing the border crossing paperwork, but this can be done manually and many items are still CUSMA compliant. Or at least they were. Trade negotiations on-going.
I will research what you’ve claimed more, but companies use letter rate all the time. Like every day. I think maybe asking AI or googling the answer from official American online info is better than the eBay board since the reality is all of us are adjusting to specifics and these specifics not settled yet. I do know that the intention of the tariff was not to stop an American $3 printed sport card from returning back to America.
jtg204
·2 weeks ago · EditedSometimes EIS puts its much higher rate as the first shipping option instead of lower cost self ship options.
It shows the lower shipping on search pages, maybe when offers are sent out too(?), but when going to the listing and checking out it will have EIS as the first selected option instead.
Two examples that show EIS first instead for your listings:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/407161057321
https://www.ebay.com/itm/407122807796
I couldn't find active ones that do this on quick look, but my most recent opting out of EIS again was because I found many of mine doing this switch.
marnotom!
·2 weeks agoIt took me a little while to go through your latest completed listings to find one where eBay International Shipping (eIS) had been applied. Most of them offered only US Letterpost or Small Packet Air. The one that I did find had eIS in addition to the other two options, and assuming that Checkout is working properly right now, your two buyers should have been able to choose from all three.
So either there's a glitch at Checkout which removed your non-eIS shipping options for these two listings, or these buyers are confused and don't know how to select from multiple shipping options, or the buyers were put off by a misleading warning from eBay about paying customs fees prior to delivery of the item but they didn't want to admit to that.
lotzofuniquegoodies
·2 weeks ago@penguinspuustyfan As noted by @easoss anything with value going to the USA/Internationally even IF it is duty free needs customs documentation. It's specified clearly on the CP and other mail and courier sites. If you are going to risk sending by letter your only option would be to opt out of eIS and specify how you will be shipping. You are taking a chance each time you complete this way. Yes, it is frustrating that you can't legally send as a letter but that is caused by legalities of transborder shipping based on laws of the (each) land. And no I am not endorsing shipping items cross border by letter mail. I personnaly have never done this in my 20 years of selling on ebay. Another possible route for you would be to ship in multiples vs in singles. (Like items - 1 HS classification).
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When sending cross-border shipments with Canada Post to the United States or internationally, you must complete an electronic customs declaration form, ensure your items comply with destination import rules, and account for duty requirements. When sending cross-border shipments with Canada Post to the United States or internationally, you must complete an electronic customs declaration form, ensure your items comply with destination import rules, and account for duty requirements
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Re: Removal of de minimus:
https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/support/campaign/shipping-to-us-duty-updates.page
easoss
·2 weeks agoI have no idea how you were sending for $3.45 in the first place. Even before tariffs and de minimus exemptions you couldn’t send sports cards as a letter mail item. It had to be declared with value and the cheapest shipping would be around $6.00.
penguinspuustyfan
OP2 weeks agoNever had a problem with it. $1.75 US stamp would get it through fine. Cards are made in the States so removes the tariffs.
flipistics
·2 weeks agoYou may have gotten away with it, but it's actually illegal. A lot of sports card sellers who were doing that were having the shipments confiscated and destroyed by US Customs.
BTW, made in USA no longer means anything with regards to tariffs. They're now targeting those as well.
sapphyres-designer-jewellery
·1 week agoAt my post office the manager said people try to ship sports cards in plastic toploaders, and the firmness of the toploader is the give away that there's something in the package. If the item is letter mail, how do we know US customs has confiscated and destroyed the shipment? There's no tracking, anything could have happened to it.
If sports cards are shipped in a letter with paper and no toploader, it wouldn't be detected very easily. We can go on about how illegal it is to smuggle goods inside a letter mail item... but lots of people do, they just don't admit it here because of the responses they'll get.
flipistics
·1 week agoWe know they were being confiscated because a few sellers on here said all (or almost all) of their USA lettermail shipments were getting INRs where previously they had very few. The only change was the border policies being enforced.
sapphyres-designer-jewellery
·1 week agoIf it's the border where they are disappearing, it's because they are using Xray to make sure there's nothing inside, and whatever they've shipped is being detected on the Xray. I shipped a stamp that had foil on it a few days ago, I guess I'll wait and see.
Canada Post is returning anything where they detect non-paper contents. They ask at the post office to check there, and if it gets missed there it might get caught in the mail stream. Looks like if the item isn't returned in Canada they will disappear at the border. Some post offices don't care if you ship non-paper in your shipments and will accept them anyway. Where I rent the PO Box they are not so concerned about what's inside, just that it's on you if you're doing something you're not supposed to be doing and it's found out.
tenfeettall
·1 week agoThis is useful information. I don’t sell cards and use eBay international, but had no idea that “made in America” is no longer a free pass with evidence. This is confusing though because the Canadian Ambassador said that Canada would have had tariffs as low as 7% initially for certain car parts that had American made components.
I guess their initial intention didn’t come to fruition and now small compliant sellers are just collateral damage to small sellers. EBay international and selling card “lots” seems like a better strategy at the moment since EBay is an American company and on top of all the minutia.
easoss
·2 weeks agoI reiterate I have no idea how you were getting away with this. I’d buy lottery tickets because you’ve got luck on your side.
tenfeettall
·1 week agoIt sounds like they just didn’t know. We have just gone through decades of free trade. I think reframing it as “I am surprised it wasn’t flagged” says the same thing without treating anyone like they were acting deceptively. Not everyone is a big commercial seller.
EBay international is suddenly a very effective service with eBay. Initially I scoffed at the high prices. All my sales to America are dead and I now just have a hobby store. Only rare items hard to find in North America still sell and I price them below market rate to help cover their import costs.