Ebay.com vs Ebay.ca concerning USD vs CAD Selling Price

[stickybeeapiary]

Hi everyone!

Just want to get peoples opinion on something I noticed today while doing some research on my own items on how they are viewed in both E-bay.com and E-bay.ca. I wanted to know why I've had such a sudden drop in US buyers. Looking into my items while logged out on E-bay.com I noticed that the US buyers will get the current USD price while doing the initial search for items, which is fine. But once they click on a Canadian seller's item that's when the price jumps up to the current CAD price. Now, I understand the currency difference between USD and CAD. But my problem is perhaps this sudden drop in US customers has something to do with a little bit of sticker shock? I know it shows the USD price just under the larger CAD price but I'm sure once customers see the larger amount they feel cheated and just leave. I'm asking in hopes that maybe this is just the way I see it as my IP address shows that I'm Canadian to E-bay and that's why it shows me the CAD price first or is this an issue even the US buyers are having with Canadian listings? Any information or help would be appreciated!

Thanks

[momcqueen]

I've always listed in CAD so I cannot comment on caparison between listing in CAD vs USD. What I can tell you is that, in the past six months, my USD sales have been very strong. I'm selling more to American customers this past half-year than I did the previous year.

If you're experiencing a slump, it may because you are in a slump. Best Match favours items that sold. There is a reason you might sell ten of one thing to eight different people overnight, and then none of those in the next month. If it sells, it places you high in Best Match. If it doesn't, you drop. Buyers see popular listings. Those are the ones most likely to sell. 

[femmefan1946]

I list in both currencies, based on whether my item needs parcel shipping (and therefore Calculated Shipping) or not.

Over the past decade, so well before the currency change, I noticed my US sales drop from about 90% of transactions to about 80%. On the other hand, my overseas transactions have increased from about 5% to about 10% of sales.

I think the rise in overseas sales may be attributed to the GSP.

Overseas buyers get as far as the total shipping cost from a US /GSP seller, get sticker shock and move to my offerings which even with Canada Post prices are much much cheaper.

I recently suggested to a Hawai'ian eBayer who was having trouble buying from mainland sellers that she consider buying from Canada since we understood Hawai'i is not  small village in Kenya. I had several mainland sellers complain that Canadian prices (including shipping) were too high.

[2nd-time-around-jewelry]

I've always believed that US buyers unconsiously think in US dollars even when they see the bigger Canadian dollars with the US dollars listed underneath. I have reminded many US buyers that they are getting a great deal buying Canadian prices as our dollar is so low compared to theres.  Most don't even realize it.

[esclyons]

it is a fact .. after switching from us$ to canada$ my us customer count has gone from around 50% to about 10%.. i still get people offering 30% less than a fair offer.. and when i ask if they realize they are offering in canada funds, they always reply, i did'nt know that.

i don't think ebay puts any marketing effort into explaining the dollar difference to our cross border customers..

[gr8toyz4u26]

I am also a Canadian seller and just want to suggest that perhaps you could try listing on US site and see if it makes a difference .?  I used to list on the US site,  before we had a Canadian site.. lol.  Many of the items I have sold on the Canadian site go into the US.  Personally, I prefer to list on Canadian site, less confusing with the exchange and all.  Good luck.

[filamenthead]

hi !  yes  I am  experiencing the same  problem !  as  soon  as  the  e-bay  forced  me  to list  in Canadian dollars my sales  dropped  considerably .

I am  convinced  that it is  the  shock value  that  hits  potential  buyers . they  just  do not stop  to  figure  out  the  difference  in  u.s  vs  Canadian dollars .  they  just  see  an  amount  which  appears  to them  higher  and  they   move  on .  that  goes  to all buyers  except Canadian buyers , and  there  isn't  as  many of  them  as  others .  this  I believe  also effects  buyers  outside  of  north America .

the  irony  of  all this  is  even  though  e-bay.ca  forces  us  Canadian sellers  to  list  in Canadian dollars  when an  item  sells  they  charge  us  the  u.s  percentage and  we  have  to pay in u.s  dollars .

talk  about double  standards !

[momcqueen]

Ebay didn't force anyone to list in CAD; they simply retired USD from ebay.ca where it was the only ebay in the world with dual currencies. If you prefer to list in USD, ebay.com will welcome you with open arms.