Shipping internationally - Estimated delivery

[vip-marketplace]

Hey guys!

For the past 5 years I've only been selling in Canada and the US and rarely ever got any late deliveries issues.

About 4 months, ago I decided I would try selling in Western Europe and Australia.

I mostly sell stuff around 50$ so I have to use to cheapest shipping (non-tracked).

For about 30% of Europe and 55% of Australia orders I get contacted from the buyers saying the item hasn't arrived within the estimated delivery time-frame.

I know this isn't just scam attemps with so many buyers complaining about the same thing - the shipping takes clearly a lot longer than what eBay says in their estimate and I'm going to have to stop selling outside North America because of it.

Anyone else has faced this problem in the past?

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

@vip-marketplace 

The one point that is missed in the pudding with Estimated Delivery Times is nowhere does it state that the time "COULD" be affected by an item being held up in customs. This is especially important with non-tracked services which most sellers use due to the cost of shipping by Tracked or Express. Inexperienced buyers rarely think this could be the case they just go by "Well eBay says..."

Estimated Delivery Dates include seller's handling time, origin postal code, destination postal code and time of acceptance and will depend on shipping service selected and receipt of Cleared Payment. Delivery times may vary, especially during peak periods.

As long as you do your customs paperwork properly, most things go through without a problem and arrive in guesstimated time period. Miss filling in a 1 blank and that plan goes out the window.

-Lotz

[reallynicestamps]

When you say cheapest, are you using Surface?

Because those services take months to arrive.

To avoid disappointing your customers, only use Air services.

I agree that tracking is not important, but speed is.

And, not to put too fine a point on it, if you have to refund, it was not worth making the sale.

If the customer can't afford Air Mail, he can't afford to buy-- and you can't afford to sell.

[vip-marketplace]

Yes so far I've been only using ground service since air mail is more expensive.

I guess what I could do is charge a few bucks for shipping on internationnal orders to cover for the difference between ground and air...

[reallynicestamps]

I really hope you are not offering Free Shipping internationally.

A 500 gram Small Packet USA is $11.75, but the same service internationally is $20.55-23.46 depending on destination.

https://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/far/business/findARate?execution=e1s1

And by the time you hit two kilos, the cost of Small Packet has tripled over US!

[maximus7001]

"Yes so far I've been only using ground service since air mail is more expensive."

You are shooting yourself in the foot by doing this. Surface to Australia can take 2 months or more. By that time the buyer has already filed a claim and been refunded. If you frequently put up a fight when they make a claim then your time on ebay will end soon.

Surface anywhere outside of Canada or USA is a big mistake with ebay sales, you will regret it.

Small packet international air to Australia or any other country outside of Canada or USA for a package 23cm x 17cm x 4cm 99grams as an example is $11 cad through shippo. Add insurance for the first $100 in value will add about $1.60 cad. For this untracked service you need the Canada Post scan in receipt with a counter day stamp put on it by the postie at the point of mailing for the insurer to honour it. We ship this way all the time for more expensive items (like $40+ cad).  Anything low value and 100grams or less and 2cm thick or less goes lettermail for $6.25 cad in stamps to anywhere outside of Canada or USA.

[vip-marketplace]

Well I'm glad I made this thread.

I will stop using ground for internationnal orders now and will stop offering free shipping as well.

Thanks!

[flyhooks4less]

1. I use small packet international Air, which is only marginally more expensive then surface. it is not tracked.

2. My experience is between 9 and 22 days.  eBay calculates far less, but I send all my buyers individual notices for 9-22 days.

3. I have been late a few times, I have been scammed a few times, for the most part I have had little issues despite eBays poor estimates and non seller friendly policies.

4. I charge for all my shipping, I do not offer free. I ship letter-mail in Canada, Air to USA and Air to international

[terence427427]

Asia/Asian markets are now totally off my listings......nothing but trouble for the most part. l sell USA/Canada and top 3 EU countries only.   I wish EBAY would break down all the countries on a pick list so you could pick and choose  who to sell to.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

@terence427427 

I suggested that a while ago that that section of the selling form needed to updated to world standards. Was told that was not really on the radar. N & S America as an option? No rational split on Europe? Eastern Europe as an option? Makes no rational sense.

-Lotz

[femmefan1946]

Of course you can do that.

On the Sell Your Item form (the advanced one, not the steaming heap of the simplified) go to->Exlude  Shipping Locations-> Edit List->

You can now click on the box to exclude entire continents or on Show All Countries to exclude only those countries you don't want to ship to.