eBay

triber · ‎01-25-2017

If I have a craft book for sale, I check the comps to get an idea of what they are selling for. Found a copy today from the US, it has free US shipping, but for Canada it's $60.95!! How can a little booklet weighing 34 grams cost that much to mail?

cumos55 · ‎01-25-2017

Sellers may want the international exposure.... but maybe not ship to that country.

Many sellers do this

That very high shipping cost may be with tracking... or for what ever reason.

The best thing to do is find the item elsewhere.....

pocomocomputing · ‎01-25-2017

Post the item number so we can see the shipping method and cost to be able to comment on the listing.

ypdc_dennis · ‎01-25-2017

@triber wrote:
If I have a craft book for sale, I check the comps to get an idea of what they are selling for. Found a copy today from the US, it has free US shipping, but for Canada it's $60.95!! How can a little booklet weighing 34 grams cost that much to mail?

Could be:

(a) the seller really does not want to sell outside the USA

(b) seller wants only use the fastest, tracked service to Canada with a handling fee tacked on.

(c) same as (b) but seller uses the same high ship price for anywhere in the world

...

Look on the bright side, it will make you way more competitive outside of the USA.

-..-

.

triber · ‎01-25-2017

311651377344

i.am.vivian · ‎01-25-2017

Shipping: US $60.95 (approx. C $80.22) USPS Priority Mail International Large Flat Rate Box

AND the seller wants Immediate Payment.

If it were me I would ask if they would be willing to use a cheaper method. How thick would that be and how much would it weigh?

Can you work out a cheaper method in advance to suggest to the seller? Flat rate envelopes and First Class International parcels all have tracking (aka Delivery Confirmation) for the seller.

https://ircalc.usps.com/?country=10054

triber · ‎01-25-2017

I was not looking to purchase the booklet, but to get some prices it was selling for. I could mail this little booklet weighing 34 grams to the US for $1.50.

i.am.vivian · ‎01-25-2017

Oh, I see. Well then, as dennis said, yours will be the first to sell outside the US. The reason for the high fee is the large flat rate box with very little in it. State-to-state it might not cost all that much.

i.am.vivian · ‎01-25-2017

For the perpetually curious, I just checked on the US site and it ships Free there. !

reallynicestamps · ‎01-25-2017

Look on the bright side, it will make you way more competitive outside of the USA.

Several other sellers have mentioned that they have seen an uptick in international sales since they switched to Canadian dollars.

Personally, I wonder if the actual reason for the uptick is the high cost of the Global Shipping Program and USPS international shipping rates generally, which took effect before the Great Currency Changeover.

Of course, the uptick is anecdotal, not data.

readinglady10 · ‎01-26-2017

Just be glad you don't live in the the UK. Shipping there is $87.85 US

Know for certain that they will get no sales outside of the US

triber · ‎01-26-2017

That is incredible. This booklet is 8.5 x 5.5" and weighs 34 grams, not even an oversize envelope. I could mail it to the UK for $3.60. I don't think it will help me to sell it, it is a US them booklet, and free shipping is offered there.

ricarmic · ‎01-26-2017

@ypdc_dennis wrote:
@triber wrote:
If I have a craft book for sale, I check the comps to get an idea of what they are selling for. Found a copy today from the US, it has free US shipping, but for Canada it's $60.95!! How can a little booklet weighing 34 grams cost that much to mail?
Could be:
(a) the seller really does not want to sell outside the USA
(b) seller wants only use the fastest, tracked service to Canada with a handling fee tacked on.
(c) same as (b) but seller uses the same high ship price for anywhere in the world

...

Look on the bright side, it will make you way more competitive outside of the USA.

-..-

.

I think there's another option:

(d) the seller has made an error and relisted/sell similared an item and forgot to change the shipping.

I took a look at their other items, and generally their shipping to Canada was $3 to $10 or so, but there are a few of the $60s scattered through the list. It looks to me like at some time they listed something big and have by accident copied the high shipping to non-big/heavy items.

Just like the rest of us they're only human, it is very likely the shipping is set that high by accident, especially when one sees they have many items priced at "normal" shipping amounts.....

I have done this myself, forgotten to reset the shipping prices to the correct, much lower amount when I've "sold similar".... I wonder if they're talking about me on a board somewhere too? 😉