Is Ebay Becoming American-only?

kxeron
Community Member

Hi,

 

Through various observations, I have found that increasingly it seems that eBay is becoming an non-international (potentially american-only) venture with it becoming only a luxury-venture for anyone else in any other countries. Consider:

 

1. Shipment costs are making eBay undesirable for most international buying, causing certain countries to have an advantage over others. There is no efforts by eBay to level the playing field or use its corporate influence to encourage shipping companies to provide preferential rates for eBay shipments. eBay could elicit more purchases if shipping costs were easier to deal with, therefore more revenue for shipping companies instead of relying on fewer higher-cost shipments. This is further frustrated by shipping processes like the GSP that only drive up the average shipping cost due to the nature of the programme.

 

2. Given that eBay is an American company, it seems that almost all of eBay's mechanisms are derived from American business practice, this often results in information that should be declared not being declared (e.g. itemizations), taxation numbers being not declared, etc. eBay however attempts to cover this fact up by creating policy, contracts and terms that make an illusion that it is its own ecosystem separate from the actual world around it.

 

3. Accross-the-globe shipments are almost no longer covered under eBay buyer protection for accross the globe shipments given the now very narrow claim times, given that it's almost obligatory to open a claim right after the estimated shipment time and not a day later. eBay should instead scale the time based on shipping distance and provide 60 days for Asia-to-Canada and 30 for Canada-to-Canada.

 

4. eBay is making the shopping experience on the international sites (e.g. .ca) an exercise in Caveat emptor (Buyer Beware) given that seemingly things are less accurate including shipping costs and exchange rates on the International sites than the .com (US) site when in reality, all sites should have all features rolled out at once if eBay was truly an international marketplace.

 

5. eBay has erected forums like these that are very un-international and requires you to manually go over to "the other sites" to talk to sellers (or buyers) in other countries. This is again not a sign of an international marketplace. Instead there should be centralized forums with perhaps each country getting its own section where it's open to go talk "in general" to everyone regardless of country who can speak english, etc, but not each "site" having its own forums. eBay further makes really no attempt to make the fact communities even exist outside of a minor footnote, meaning only mostly major eBayers know about the forums.

 

So yes, it seems like eBay hasn't vested an interest in making itself an international marketplace where people can actually enjoy the experience and experience a thrill, but rather a caveat emptor marketplace where borders are very thick and difficult to manuver, not vesting resources in convincing shipping companies and governments that there's better ways. Where most small items are "look but not touch" from other countries if "Free shipping" is off the table. eBay has grossly complicated logistics and continues to frustrate both buyers and sellers. I fear that this trend will continue and international sales except from Asia will decline.

 

I know I am biting the hand that feeds me in this thread, but ultimately I fear for eBay's future as policy become tighter and more restrictive along with complications to the point buyers will no longer know what's going on anymore and will require lawyers to interpret the goings on while sellers will get dinged as well in confusion of why they have all of these worried buyers talking to them about this, that and the other.

 

eBay policy needs more simplicity, not complication.

 

Disclaimer:

This thread mentions the GSP but is not a GSP-only commentary or question, it is not something that can be lumped into the GSP Comment Thread.

Message 1 of 21
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Re: Is Ebay Becoming American-only?

YES:  EBay is an American Game and they do not play well with others.  I've posted about this many times and it's getting worse.

 

For example: A few days ago an American seller forced me to return a smashed item before he'd refund.

I called eBay and they started to issue a shipping label for the return which they apparently pay for returns within the US.

When they realized I wasn't American they put a halt on the process.

 

While I do get that, it sure made me feel like even more of an outsider.

 

You've touched on many of the problems but the list goes on and on.

 

EBay is an International venue but everything about it is coloured by the fact that there is an "IN" group with special privileges.

 

 

Message 2 of 21
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Re: Is Ebay Becoming American-only?

I think Canadian sellers equate to being the small order of fries on the menu at Burger King.

 

No one really wants them, but they are available to the few that do.

Message 3 of 21
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Re: Is Ebay Becoming American-only?

bb, now you've crossed the line from buyer to seller and the issues confronting the two are very different.

The challenges for Canadian buyers are fairly well out-lined in the original post.

 

For sellers, item quality is much more important for Canadians than it is for Americans.

Collectors tend to ignore borders for the right items.

 

I'm amazed that Canadian sellers of heavy items such as books and china etc. survive here, but somehow they do.

 

Canadian sellers also clearly face more challenges on eBay:  DSRs and high shipping costs are two, but WHERE THE HECK ARE THE CANADIAN BUYERS?

They are the ones who should want the Canadian sellers but you're right:  They don't want us either.

 

There were few enough before the GSP, but now the GSP is turning even more Canadians off and making it more difficult than ever before of the newbies.

 

Some days I really truly do believe that eBay is about to crash and burn in the not so distant future and become a mere shadow of what it is now.

Canada and other non-US countries will be the first to fade away.

 

 

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Re: Is Ebay Becoming American-only?

Just making light of the fact that small sellers, especially small Canadian sellers, are starting to become insignificant in the New eBay Universe.

 

These are challenging times for all small Canadian sellers.

 

You are right, the only way we can compete is with Unique, High Quality items, but that can be a challenge finding those items also.

 

Canada and other non-us countries will be the first to fade away.

 

Especially the small sellers.

 

WHERE THE HECK ARE THE CANADIAN BUYERS?

 

Yes, where are they ? Canadian buyers are less than 10% of my business. Very Sad.

Message 5 of 21
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Re: Is Ebay Becoming American-only?

So maybe a nice promotion by .ca for Canadian buyers would be a good idea.............

 

Canuck Bucks!

 

 

Message 6 of 21
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Re: Is Ebay Becoming American-only?

Well, I must say that I haven't bought anything from the US in a long time. Most of my purchases are from (everyone will hate me for this) China.
Why??? Because i refuse to pay the ridiculous shipping charges from the US sellers. More and more I find myself browsing through Aliexpress and Dhgate just for this reason.
Message 7 of 21
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Re: Is Ebay Becoming American-only?

Just what we need, another promotion. Noooooooo !Smiley Surprised

 

 

 

Message 8 of 21
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Re: Is Ebay Becoming American-only?

Really bb?

 

You'd object to eBay Bucks for Canadians?

 

Message 9 of 21
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Re: Is Ebay Becoming American-only?

1. Shipment costs are making eBay undesirable for most international buying,
USPS has recently made changes in their services which are both good and bad for non-US buyers.
First Class International is now a Delivery Confirmed service to Canada. This should make shipping less expensive, if sellers use it, because previously DC service to Canada started around $20.
For Canadian sellers, USPS has dropped overseas Surface service, raising the cost of shipping to those customers. If Canadian sellers are willing to chance Surface shipping time, they have an advantage. (I'm not.)
And of course, Global Shipping Program.
The GSP has not been well-explained to US sellers, and the result should benefit Canadian sellers. Canadian buyers should always check whether the GSP gives comparable value. While we read many (many many many) complaints about up front payment of (completely legal) duty and sales tax, that is not the whole story. My one and only GSP purchase was still cheaper after duty tax and service charge than any of the other sellers offering the item anywhere in the world. (Still don't like the program)
The benefit of the GSP is that US sellers are being groomed to sell internationally, something that ignorance and xenophobia have prevented in the past.

Message 10 of 21
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Re: Is Ebay Becoming American-only?

Given that eBay is an American company, it seems that almost all of eBay's mechanisms are derived from American business practice,

 

Yup. The alternative is .... what?
There are 178 countries in the United Nations. Which country should set the standard?

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Re: Is Ebay Becoming American-only?

it's almost obligatory to open a claim right after the estimated shipment time and not a day later.

 

Making the time longer will allow scammers a longer time to cheat their victims.

If the seller cannot price his items in such a way that they get to their destination in a month and a half, he should be upgrading the shipping service and charging for it.

This is especially important with the recent scam of promising to re-ship an item that quite likely was never shipped at all, pushing the naive buyer past any hope of meeting Paypal deadlines.

 

However, if the buyer uses PP to process his credit card payment (as opposed to a bank or PP balance) then she has the possiblity of going to the credit card for a chargeback.  Cards have longer deadlines. But the complaint has to be lodged for a refund.

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Re: Is Ebay Becoming American-only?

4. (several points.)


I don't really understand this.

The cost is given in US dollars and in the currency of the site the buyer looks at. Exchange rates vary from minute to minute. And from company to company. The other day I was looking up US/CDN exchange and the rates from PP, xe.com and the Royal Bank were a full ten cents apart on the dollar. RBC was the lowest at 90 cents US for one dollar CSN.

And eBay has always held that the shipping cost the seller advertises is the highest one he can charge. Recently, I believe eBay has made listings that do not give shipping cost to a given country invisible on that country's home site. Obviously, this doesn't work if the buyer shops on dotCOM without bothering to see if shipping is available to his country.

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Re: Is Ebay Becoming American-only?

Instead there should be centralized forums with perhaps each country getting its own section where it's open to go talk "in general" to everyone regardless of country

 

Again 178 countries in the United Nations. Every one of them with their own version of contract and commercial law. I can't consider the merits of a complaint about Britain's Royal Mail and I don't need advice from someone dealing with USPS standards.

Not to mention language problems. Although I find Google Translate and Babelfish helpful.

Fees and promotions vary from site to site.

Any person can go to any site and start a discussion. But whether or not the answers will be helpful is questionable.

 

Message 14 of 21
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Re: Is Ebay Becoming American-only?

Unfortunately I was of the ones that caused the downfall of eBay Bucks for Canada.

 

I mentioned a couple of years back that my US buying decreased subsatancially  due to the increase in sellers shipping rates & that was before the implementation of the GSP.

 

Therefore I did not make enough purchases for the eBay bucks to be worth my while.

 

I think eBay felt the same with Canadian buyers & the program was cancelled.

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Re: Is Ebay Becoming American-only?

WHERE THE HECK ARE THE CANADIAN BUYERS?

 

Yes, where are they ? Canadian buyers are less than 10% of my business. Very Sad.

 


It's one of the things that differentiate Canadians from Americans. Eaton's Catalogue aside, mail order has always been much less popular here than south of the border.

To draw from my own experience, when Vermont Castings woodstoves decided to enter the Canadian market, they moved into selling through B&M stores almost exclusively. In the US they sold by catalogue and people were  happy to order a 500 lb fragile cast iron item that requires careful installation. Not Canadians. We want to see it and talk to a real person about it. And about 75% of our customers had us do the installation.

Maybe Eaton's messed up the mail order market by sending out too many incorrect hockey sweaters.

 

High domestic shipping costs don't help. It is embarrassing that so many of my items ship more cheaply to the US than to Fort McMurray - a situation that is going to get worse in March.

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Re: Is Ebay Becoming American-only?

This is especially important with the recent scam of promising to re-ship an item that quite likely was never shipped at all,...

 

We have been hearing a lot of concerns in regards to these unscrupulous sellers in the last few months.

 

Like Femme has mentioned in the past " Mark the 41st day on the calendar & file an INR with the Resolution Centre." 

 

Scammers know how to work the system & will lead you on with all sorts of promises until day forty five.

 

Day forty six & beyond, you will never hear from them again.

 

Educate & protect yourself .

 

Any concerns, come to the forums.

Message 17 of 21
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Re: Is Ebay Becoming American-only?

I imagine there is going a lot of complaints come March with the letter mail increase.

 

Luckily I will be able to eat that cost for the few items I ship letter mail.

 

When does the five dollar remote increase come into play again ?

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Re: Is Ebay Becoming American-only?

Recent article about the surcharge. Not implemented (yet).

 

http://www.mymcmurray.com/canada-post-backs-down-on-5-surcharge/  Jan 13,2014

 

Canada Post says it is withdrawing the five dollar surcharge it planned to add to package deliveries to Fort McMurray.

 

The “service area adjustment” was scheduled to take effect today.

 

The company said it needed to charge extra because of its difficulties in retaining staff in Fort McMurray, and the added cost of outsourcing parcel deliveries to another company.

 

But it now says the decision “unfortunately caused concern and confusion in the market.”

 

“Going forward, Canada Post will rely on its normal pricing mechanisms for parcels to ensure we continue to offer good value in the highly-competitive parcel delivery market,” reads the company’s statement.

 

Fort McMurray was the only location in the whole country that was scheduled to have the surcharge applied to it.

Message 19 of 21
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Re: Is Ebay Becoming American-only?

Thanks Poco,

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