Just a quick question about US shipping to Canada

[incogneato60]

Hi

I purchased from a US seller.  The shipping said "standard international shipping".  I took this as USPS but the seller shipped with UPS which of course means I got dinged with their broker fee.  What is "standard international shipping?

[i*m-still-here]

I just got dinged with a similar transaction.

In my case I emailed several times prior to bidding asking for First Class International shipping and the seller didn't respond.

Had he responded indicating he only ships via UPS I would have not have bid.

In any case....... UPS and USPS are so close it's easy to miss unless you're right on top of it.

"Standard International Shipping" seems to me to be a catchall for flat rate shipping.

No?

I'd email and ask the seller to cancel.

In my case the seller has ignored all my messages but you might have more luck.

IMO American sellers should never use courier services for shipping out of the US unless a buyer specifically asks for it.

It makes for a bad transaction more often than not.

[pierrelebel]

"I took this as..."

You assumed.  Never a good idea. 😞

It is always best to ask the seller prior to placing a bid or clicking on "Buy-it-Now" to ascertain every aspect of a transaction.

[incogneato60]

Ya, I had a feeling Pierre.  Oh well, lesson learned ty.

[i*m-still-here]

Since almost all sellers ship via the Post Office......... be it USPS or CPO or whatever.......... assuming that standard shipping refers to shipping via regular mail makes total sense.

Some things have to be taken for granted (on ebay and in real life) or buyers would be forced to check each listing ad nauseam.

I'd have a constant head ache.......... and I do mean that literally.

Everyone's sales would plummet.

I know I'd buy a lot less and I know I'm not alone.

[bb_cool_stuff]

I wish we could take it for granted but unfortunately we cannot.

I read all the descriptions especially the shipping charges, then make a decision on whether the item can be turned.

As a Newbie I made that mistake as I had an Item come UPS instead of USPS.

Could not complain about the extra charges as It was clearly stated in the description they ship via UPS.

Yes, reading all the descriptions is very time consuming but sometimes we find that Item that we can turn at a very high price.

Makes It worth It.

[Anonymous]

I'd leave appropriate feedback if the seller misled me.  Although the seller does not get any of the UPS charge. 

[i*m-still-here]

But......... most buyers do not read more than necessary and trying to pretend it's otherwise or forcing it is futile:  Never Gonna Happen.

I read what is important.  Nothing more.

Moreover, when the previous 200 sellers have shipped via the PO ......... and that is a realistic number.......... then assuming and taking for granted that the next one will follow suit is functional.

In fact......... constantly being on one's toes looking out for fluke occurrences is dysfunctional and and obsessive waste of time.

Anyone who thinks they have no right to complain when a seller does not correspond and make sure that a buyer understands what to expect from UPS is cutting the seller way too much slack.

Sellers who ship internationally and use couriers owe it to their customers to fully explain what's to come, and if the buyer is in the least bit uncomfortable with it and IF the seller can only use courier then the transaction should be gracefully cancelled with an apology from the seller to they buyer to boot.

[bb_cool_stuff]

Another hmmmmm post.

I don't know, If the shipping prices & method of shipment was clearly stated in the description I would have to accept responsibility for the total cost.

I had to as a Newbie, paid the extra costs from UPS & decided not to buy from sellers who shipped via international courier.

If the buyer has been mislead regarding shipping than I would agree & hopefully they would cancel the transaction.

Though In an Ideal world It would be great, I have found It is best not to assume anything on eBay.

[pierrelebel]

"Moreover, when the previous 200 sellers have shipped via the PO ......... and that is a realistic number.......... then assuming and taking for granted that the next one will follow suit is functional."

With all due respect, that does not make sense.

A large percentage of American eBay sellers do in fact use UPS daily to ship their eBay sales.  The ratio is much more than one half of one percent (1 in 200)!

Canadians wishing to purchase on eBay (a US company) from a US based seller should make sure they understand what is for sale, and what the terms are.

You can assume all you want... that is your business.  But it is wrong to let relatively new buyers think it is OK to assume when the facts are available.

You do not have time to read the listings for "stuff" you buy.  That's OK - that's your business.  However, it is wrong to advise others to do the same.

Buyers should read the description and the terms of what they buy on eBay and anywhere else online.

[i*m-still-here]

Yes, but you continue to talk about how "you" would deal with it.

Who is right or wrong is not relevant because the fact is that many or most buyers do not read the fine print.

I don't and I am not about to start now.......... and no one is going to force me to.......:).

It might be best not to assume anything on ebay, but be careful with that.

Impulse buying generates a lot of ebay cash.

BUT......... we're talking about courier shipping............

How many Canadians would actually request courier shipping given the choice once they understand the consequence?

Very Few.

How many transactions end badly because of courier shipping?

A lot of them.

IMO that's reason enough to make it mandatory that sellers OK it with their buyers and educate those who are not in the know via a separate email before sending the parcel on its way if they opt to use a courier.

Moreover, no seller should use courier shipping without understanding the consequences.

incog has nothing to apologize for

The seller does for not having the buyer's best interests at heart.

[i*m-still-here]

You do not have time to read the listings for "stuff" you buy.  That's OK - that's your business.  However, it is wrong to advise others to do the same.

With all due respect ......... that a ridiculous statement.

I have never advised anyone not to read listings from top to bottom.

Why would I do that?

Why would I advise someone not to read what they choose to read?

Anyone who wants to read all the fine print has my blessing to do so.

What I am saying is that you can offer up the advice to read the entire listing till you're blue in the face and it won't change a thing.

The fact is that most do not read all the fine print.

That's the reality, and no matter how hard you try to force it it's never gonna happen on a mass scale.

Also: 

I buy a lot and for my stuff fewer than !% use couriers and that number is getting lower all the time.  I suspect it's because of the bad experiences with that mode of shipping.

The last time I ran into an issue with a seller using UPS was ......... well I can't even recall it was so long ago.

Sellers are learning.

[pierrelebel]

"The last time I ran into an issue with a seller using UPS was ......... well I can't even recall it was so long ago."

That is so funny! 🙂

You may have withdrawn (self reported) your thread from yesterday about a seller shipping UPS when you did not read the shipping instructions, but it does not mean we forgot about it!

ZERO FEEDBACK = ZERO CREDIBILITY !

[almond_t]

No one can force me into doing anything I don't want, either; however I wouldn't be able to blame anyone but myself for ill consequences if I entered into a contract w/o understanding the fine print.

I had 2 US UPS experiences, one as a newbie, that I learned from really quickly. I had agreed to $15 ( or so) for USPS, and my delightful seller notified me, very pleased with herself, that she saved me $5 by shipping UPS instead. Yay, I said, thank you!
You all know the rest of the story. I ate the $48 for dinner. $50, actually, because he wouldn't give me change. They don't accept cash any longer, I know. And I was too flustered to even ask if they took cheques. Plus, I didn't know where to ask for advice.

Second time, I contracted for USPS, and the seller 'forgot' and shipped UPS instead. Not a newbie this time, I refused the package, and the seller apologized and sent me a full refund, including shipping. No harm, no foul.

Even still, I don't buy unless I see the exact words ships USPS, or get confirmation if it's not written explicitly. If that takes up too much time to be bothered with, then I'm buying too much;)

[pierrelebel]

"Even still, I don't buy unless I see the exact words ships USPS"

I most definitely totally agree with you. 🙂

If every buyer took the time to properly read a listing, eBay would be a much more interesting and less frustrating place to be.

[reallynicestamps]

the fact is that many or most buyers do not read the fine print.

I don't and I am not about to start now.......... and no one is going to force me to........

Huh.

[incogneato60]

It actually was my fault but it did have to do with the habit of seeing "standard international shipping" and having those packages come through the post office.  I already knew not to buy from a seller using UPS.  Anytime I have bought using that service the item was clearly marked as UPS in the shipping cost and it did come to me that way.  Anything I've ever bought marked "standard international shipping" came through the post office so I thought there was a postal service in the States by that name.  This is the first time after many many purchases (I have 2 ID's) that it's ended up coming UPS.

It is my fault because I assumed out of habit.  I scrolled down to the bottom of the page on the seller's listing and it does say that they use UPS sometimes.  I did not read that when I purchased.  I bought 4 items from this seller.  3 of them only showed 1.99 for shipping so of course once again I assumed that they would be using the post office.  The 4th item was around 24 for shipping but still I saw the same shipping so kept on assuming.  While I do know, had I bought just the one item with 1.99 shipping that the seller would have to use the post office because I doubt UPS would be that cheap, I suspect that the "standard international shipping" means that it could be any sort of shipping method.....optional to the seller.  Even if I had scrolled and read everything on the seller's page and seen the UPS possibility I still would have thought that these items were postal service because that's what I'm use to when I see that name for this shipping service.

It's not the seller's fault so I gave them positives and wrote it off as lesson learned.  I will ask from now on and make sure I read everything.

[i*m-still-here]

OMGoodness :  He's Baaaack!

P***…….. obviously I meant that "The last time I ran into an issue …………………….PRIOR TO THE ONE I REPORTED ABOVE IN POST #1  ………... with a seller using UPS was ......... well I can't even recall it was so long ago."

Apparently even you do not always read everything through thoroughly. even though you expect buyers to do so consistently.

I am not going to fight with you so please stop trying.

However, when you've twisted my posts to suit your goals I'll probably correct you.

Again:  I have never even implied that buyers should not read listings.

Some choose to do so and that's a fine way to buy on ebay.

Most people, however, will take the shortest route from A to B.  It's functional and it's human nature.

You cannot change that so there is no point in trying regardless of how "Right" you may be and how "Wrong" they may be.

With all due respect, I do not agree with you that the higher the FB the greater the credibility.

At least that is what you are implying.

I suppose that would make you the Grand Poo Pa .............. or something like that.

There are plenty of posters here with private or low FB whose posts are consistently insightful and astute and there is no correlation between the wisdom contained in a post and FB showing........... IMO that is.

As for your comments about UPS............That's your opinion, isn't it?  And I'm not about to waste my time trying to change it.  I've simply been stating mine.

[rcarelli]

I had a problem with a buyer from Canada that used the shipping cost calculator in my listing....it does not calculate the correct cost for shipping to Canada....a dispute with the buyer over the shipping cost led to my first negative feedback....therefore I only ship to US....

[pierrelebel]

I am sorry to read about your first negative feedback.  I still remember my first one - about fifteen years ago - and it stings.

Could you please elaborate on the circumstances leading to that negative feedback.  When I check your recent sales - all watches sold on December 10th, 2015 - all your nine sold listings offered shipping to Canada using USPS First Class International Mail at a cost of US$ 3.24 That shipping charge is not "calculated" by the buyer.  It is the result of your input in the eBay listing.

Your listings used Global Shipping Program) (GSP) when shipping outside the USA except for Canada where your listings offered USPS First Class.

My question is: why ask the buyer to pay more than advertised in your listing?  Why not simply absorb the difference to cover the mistake?