eBay

jorjaalex2008 · ‎06-17-2015

For any and all Canadian-based eBay sellers how do you ship overseas?

I want to expand my market worldwide. I only ship to Canada and the USA because Canada Post international shipping costs are excessively high. I checked with CanPar, DHL, FEDEX and UPS. The courier companies are more expensive.

Has only figured out how to reasonable ship overseas?

I am gob-smacked at the shipping fees from Canada worldwide. How can any small retailer or eBay seller expand their business if shipping costs restricts there global reach?

Thanks.

Mike

mr.elmwood · ‎06-17-2015

Not everything is meant for mail order. There are a lot of things I do not attempt to sell as the return is too small, and the cost of shipping is too high.

Tracking is a waste of money. There is a cost saver right off the bat.

Watching weight. I like Small Packet under 250 grams. I flat rate that at $11 US worldwide, $11 Canada, $8 US.

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pocomocomputing · ‎06-17-2015

First two listing of yours I checked have shipping costs outside Canada and the USA. Contradiction to what you posted. At 2.99 US for outside Canada for those hockey cards, not much profit outside the USA. Mistake?

femmefan1946 · ‎06-17-2015

Camera parts and sportscards seem to be fraught areas.

But for the cards, you could just ship letterpost, which is pretty reasonably priced. You could even ship upwards of ten cards without leaving the category.

Tracking is much less important than insurance, in my opinion.

Have you though about 'cookie jar insurance'?

This is self -insurance. You add a small amount to every asking price or shipping fee , less than a dime usually, and put those virtual dimes in a virtual cookie jar.

If a customer reports non-delivery or damage, you reimburse him from the cookie jar (nowadays through a Paypal Send Money, ignoring eBay to avoid 'defects'.)

You could even go to Free Shipping*.

Don't panic.

This means putting the cost of shipping into your asking price.

Yes, that's not really free, but customers do like it.

And they don't like $2.45 items with $3.50 shipping.

There's also a school of thought that the more people pay for an item, the more they will like it. In any case, the bottomfeeding cheapskate customer is always less happy about his purchase than the guy who pays a fair price.

*Not to overseas. But you can do it for Canada and then put US shipping at $0.00. That covers most of your sales in any case.

pierrelebel · ‎06-17-2015

"At 2.99 US for outside Canada for those hockey cards,"

A card can be mailed securely in a #8 envelope - under 30g - for Cdn$ 2.50 (less than US$2.00)

If the seller buys postage at discount (typically 20%-30%) then the actual out-of-pocket cost of postage is less than Cdn$ 2.00 Now, add eBay's fees and the seller is still OK.

The profit (if any) should be made on the card.

pocomocomputing · ‎06-17-2015

@pierrelebel wrote:
"At 2.99 US for outside Canada for those hockey cards,"

A card can be mailed securely in a #8 envelope - under 30g - for Cdn$ 2.50 (less than US$2.00)

If the seller buys postage at discount (typically 20%-30%) then the actual out-of-pocket cost of postage is less than Cdn$ 2.00 Now, add eBay's fees and the seller is still OK.

The profit (if any) should be made on the card.

Yes of course. I was thinking Light Packet USA when I replied.

I was off in my thinking because the OP said they did not ship outside Canada and the USA and the first two listing I check, I see they ship to many countries outside Canada and the USA. I get tired of contradictions in posts as soon as you start to check. I should just go back to lurking in the forums, lol.

That being said, the OP is charging the same rate 2.99 US for USA as well as other countries. Should charge less since actual shipping cost is $1.20 for 30 grams Letter-post USA. If they used discount postage stamps, they could even ship free for the Canada and the USA with a small price increase. It all depends on how many purchases by a same buyer at a time.

pjcdn2005 · ‎06-17-2015

If they are charging the same they might be using the simple listing form which seems to allow just one international rate. I mentioned that to Raphael but he said it made things easier?? I think I will mention it again.

I just noticed that there is calculated shipping on that form. How is it possible to use calculated shipping when there is no one service to use for both the U.S. and other countries? If I put that I am using small packet air international, there would be no rate calculated for the U.S....really odd.