Switching from .com to .ca

[craftycatsattic]

After yet another bombshell dropped on us by the people at feebay, I am leaning towards switching all my listings over to .ca where I plan to include the Canadian shipping into my item price and charge the difference to my US and international buyers. Can anyone tell me how much work we're talking? Will I have to create a .ca equivalent to my .com listings one by one or is there an easier way?

[gifts_of_elegance]

Lots of work! I did almost 1,400 listings, one by one.

[femmefan1946]

I still have about 200 fewer listing than I did before I started switching my books from dotcom to dotCA in October 2009.

But I am a lazy person.

Now I am looking at listing all my newly arrived books that are under 2cm as Free Shipping in Canada. I'm not going back for the older listings.

The point of the FS is that apparently the lower of the first listed Domestic rate or the actual rate paid by the buyer will be the one that the new eBay tax is based on.

About 5% of my sales are to Canada, and about half my purchases fit my criteria for FS. I can afford that, I think.

And I get a really good discount on stamps from DH!

FS also gives me a boost in Visibility and an automatic 5 Stars for shipping cost-- but only Domestically I believe.


I would consider only doing it on new listings-- and on those "no sales in 16 months " ones as they show up.

[westernstargifts]

I am kind of skeptical about the increased visibility for FS. eBay was supposed to give listings with FS a boost when they first began pushing it. They did for awhile and then I noticed that it made no difference.

The point is that eBay is forever changing their algorithms and what works today won't work tomorrow.

[axe_n_gear_music]

Instead of "switching them over from .com to .ca", why not leave what you have and open another store? Through the new changes, diversity in your business will be a real benefit. It's like your investments, - don't put all your eggs in one basket - diversify.
Same as free shipping- I will never offer free shipping on all of my items. Sure on the small stuff that you can mail for 10 bucks or less it makes sense, is easier to absorb in your prices, and helps DSR's, etc, but on large items that cost 40 or 50 bucks to ship, I will not take a bath on that stuff for eBay. If I add that cost on to my item price for large stuff, then I can no longer compete with other sellers.
My buyers are learning quickly that a 500 dollar item on eBay is 40 bucks to ship, but if they buy from my website, shipping is free. And I use every opportunity to remind them of that. Many smart buyers are aware of the fee structures that sellers have to pay, and all they care about is getting it for the best price.
So diversify- for me I have stores on eBay.ca, eBay.com and website.

AXE

[westernstargifts]

I still have about 200 fewer listing than I did before I started switching my books from dotcom to dotCA in October 2009.

But I am a lazy person.

Now I am looking at listing all my newly arrived books that are under 2cm as Free Shipping in Canada. I'm not going back for the older listings.

The point of the FS is that apparently the lower of the first listed Domestic rate or the actual rate paid by the buyer will be the one that the new eBay tax is based on.

About 5% of my sales are to Canada, and about half my purchases fit my criteria for FS. I can afford that, I think.

And I get a really good discount on stamps from DH!

FS also gives me a boost in Visibility and an automatic 5 Stars for shipping cost-- but only Domestically I believe.

I would consider only doing it on new listings-- and on those "no sales in 16 months " ones as they show up.

If we list on .ca will FS give us a boost on .com or only on .ca? If only on .ca then it would not be worth it for those whose customers are mostly from the U.S.