eBay

your-chic-shopper · ‎09-13-2003

Ok 80% of my Customers are American . But why is it , it tends to be the Canadian's that stick in my mind as the really strong headed ebayers. I use too charge GST for Canadian's and stated in my auctions . Well forget it , you spin your wheels to long , it's to much of a waste of time . Emailing customer telling them your auctions state plus GST.

Or how about the Canadian they lives within your own town . You ship Canada Post and they take 12 days to get it too him . Now that was a hard letter to write

daot · ‎09-14-2003

I spoke with a postal rep and they told me that one of the reasons that it is more expensive within Canada is that Canada post is responsible for the entire processs of delivery to the addressee within Canada. Unlike when you send to the US, as soon as it hits the boarder it's the US postal system which then takes over the delivery. Thus less cost to the Canadian postal system and lower prices.
Made total sense to me, but it took someone to explain in detail why for my little canuck brain to absorb. LOL
Factor that in with the size of Canada, unions etc. and you have some very high pricing within our border.
Personally I've not had a problem with having to explain my S/H charges. Have a set price per package, sometimes I pay out of my pocket and sometimes I have a few pennies to add some extra free gift product to the package. It all works out in the end and makes my days so much easier and my customers love the 'free product'.
Shelley

cmagor-ctvi · ‎09-15-2003

I'd like to pick up on something Treasure-Pot mentioned and that's taxes. I also find that a great many of my Canadian buyers send payment without the taxes, quite frequently emailing me to say "how do I pay the taxes, there's nowhere to add them in the payment with PayPal?"

I must admit I never considered refunding the payment and asking for the correct amount - sounds like an invitation to have someone back out of a purchase to me. All I do is remind them of the total amount that I already advised them of and explain how to make the additional payment. Yes it costs me an extra 30 cents and with oh-so-thin margins every nickel makes a difference, but I maintain control of the situation.

I have requested PayPal to add a box for taxes (similar to the one for insurance), after all we are not unique in having to deal with sales tax - many states do too, and with their new reciprocal tax collection laws becoming more widespread, more and more people down there will be paying tax. PayPal told me that they do plan to add a tax box sometime "soon" but couldn't provide me with any timeline.

I am certain that adding that little box would all but eliminate the problem. Does anyone have any bright ideas on how to persuade PayPal to do it now rather than continuing to keep us waiting?

Chris.

treasure-pot · ‎09-15-2003

Hi Chris;

Yes, the occasional person has backed out but most will come through with a little grumbling. Its largely the inconvenience and constant flow of emails that I was whining about.

I'm not sure that the additional of a tax box would encourage buyers to add applicable taxes. Most people just seem to give it very little thought when making the payment.

I am curious to get some feedback from other Canadian powersellers on another matter though. I am of an opinion that my Canadian customers almost never use the BIN on my auctions even if the difference between my start price is only a dollar lower. It seems that they would rather wait 6 days and 23 hours than spend the dollar. Any comments?

Bill

firedept10 · ‎09-15-2003

treasure-pot it all depends on the items you are selling. I just recently added a store on eBay and in less than a week I have sold close to a dozen items through it and all to Canadians. I tend to find the Canadian buyer a little more frugal when they purchase. Now it was only on candles and not my regular line but still. Also you may have it a dollar lower but what is your shipping cost. We as Canadians have to charge more for shipping so this can make a difference as well. But trying to understand the buyer can drive you crazy.

channel-sports · ‎09-23-2003

I have to agree. Most of the problems that we get are with Canadian buyers. Although lately we've had a few real pains in the States. As for the taxes. I have gotten fed up the having to send out e-mail reminders about GST and/or PST so I have started calculating it and just adding it the the shipping charges when I create the invoice at the end of the auction. It takes a little longer to send out end of auction invoices, but it sure saves time in the long run. People know they have to pay the taxes, but they just don't want to. Hey, moving up to Canada from states and paying 5% sales tax to now paying 15% in Ontario...I hate paying them myself.

jewelbay · ‎09-25-2003

.I routinely have to eat the GST and PST charges (if it applies when dealing with Canadian customers. They more ruder, demanding, some complain about paying in US dollars when it clearly stated on auction.

Solution? Suggest cancel Canadian bidders, they only amount to 3% of all my sales..

Canada Post another whole ball game. They overcharge, lose, damage items on a scale that only an archaic monopoly can get away with. As much as I can I now drive to the US border once a week, and ship using the US postal system as much as possible.

coastwindchimes · ‎09-26-2003

95 % of my customers are U.S. I have found almost all my customers (U.S. and Canadian) to be great. The only difference I notice is that Canadians tend to be very much smarter (cheaper?) buyers. For my auctions, if it is a Canadian winner, I can pretty much guarantee that the auction was really low. Not always, but most often that is the case. And I have never known a Canadian to use BIN. Even with a $20 or $30 difference between auction listing price and BIN, U.S. eBayers often use BIN.
On another note, I guess I am pretty much alone here in thinking Canada post is Great. I ship glass, and out of well over a thousand shipments, only two have had any damage. Granted, I do pack well... but even so. I also find the postage (especially to the U.S.) reasonable, and sometimes cheap (oddly, the bigger and heavier the box, the better the deal).

gocanam · ‎10-13-2003

Canadians are thrifty and why not. I have been selling from the states for 3 years and Americans don't negotiate actually they say nothing (they are not vocal). While Canadians would ask for better shipping rates, pay in CDN funds or anything to save a buck. WHY NOT? I do the same if I was in their shoes.

Andy

jaymor8 · ‎10-13-2003

I find the same thing. Canadians tend be more vocal on your TOS and a touch more augumentative when you stick to your guns. I find they ask more questions - expect more emails from you re time of shipment - ETA - HOW you ship - and might you make them a deal on combining?

So - I guess it's make them smart shoppers but then can be a bit tiresome. Having said that, I happily negotiate in the spirit of fair trade. That is not to say that I let them walk all over me. K can tell you that that ain't true. Compromise is bliss - that's my motto!! (As long as I win the argument;)

Jackie...

gloriaguides · ‎10-14-2003

My Canadian buyers are definitely shopping for "deals" And they've been burnt by customs a few times and very much prefer to buy Canadian. Can't say they're more demanding than US buyers--point of fact, most of my buyers are great! I also LOVE Canada Post (but not their in-Canada prices--spent 7.57 plus tax to send a little video game to SK from NS! Ouch!!) They haven't lost or broken a thing in 2 1/2 years (knocking very hard on my computer desk right now!)!---Gloria

lina-mallows · ‎05-11-2008

your-chic-shopper - "it tends to be the Canadian's that stick in my mind as the really strong headed ebayers. "

If it was true then; is it true now?