anyone had to deal with internation return labels?

[jersey..authentix]

I am at my end with Ebay and this stupid return shipping labels. (international)

I have a return where Ebay sent be the request and says to print a label to my USA customer. GREAT! How do I do that. Doesnt seem to be away in Canada.

Then I get another message ( which I can not respond to),

Your eBay Money Back Guarantee case

We allow 5 days for you and the buyer to agree on how to return the item. It's important to work together because, once the buyer returns the item, you’ll be required to cover the cost, whatever method is used. You can contact the buyer by clicking on their username in the Sold section of My eBay.

If no resolution has been reached by 5/31/15 we'll close the return in the buyer's favour, even if they haven’t returned the item.

There are a number of options for return shipping:

• Provide the buyer with a link to prepaid return shipping label (recommended). If you are not part of eBay’s Hassle-free Returns, you’ll find advice on the websites of all the major carriers on how to do this. (cant find a link anywhere)
• Use PayPal’s Send Money option.
• Issue a full refund without a return in the Resolution Center. Doing this will close the case immediately.

I explained to my customer that I cant do it , so please find out what postage is and send me a money request. The customer refuses because Ebay has told him that I must print him a label. What a farce this is. Another what could be a nice scam. How does Ebay at this time know what is taking place?

If Ebay says we need to print a shipping label then let us print a shipping label. Easy, no?

Anyone who has gone through this or has the answer, I would love to hear from you.

[toadandsin]

My problem is I cannot send a label with eBay, PayPal, USPS, or Stamps.com. Just cannot do it without a US address. I spent hours & hours on the phone, mostly on hold trying these. The buyer will not send the item back without a label. I have asked for a shipping quote to send money and he refuses. A label is the only way. EBay has led him to believe he is not safe any orher way. I am worried they may judge in his favor because I am not sending a label.

[sylviebee]

---

@toadandsin wrote:

My problem is I cannot send a label with eBay, PayPal, USPS, or Stamps.com. Just cannot do it without a US address. I spent hours & hours on the phone, mostly on hold trying these. The buyer will not send the item back without a label. I have asked for a shipping quote to send money and he refuses. A label is the only way. EBay has led him to believe he is not safe any orher way. I am worried they may judge in his favor because I am not sending a label.

---

I just created a stamps.com account.  Took a couple of minutes.

You do have to type in a US address to join,  but since you'll be paying via CC it won't ever be called into question.

If I wanted to, I'd be able to buy a label now.

I assume that the process then involves emailing a copy of the label to the buyer.

Thank You treasure!

P.S.  Not quite that simple after all.  There's monthly service fee after the 4 week free trial period.

[sylviebee]

Welcome to Stamps.com Stamps.com

Thank you for trying Stamps.com. Your account is now active and you can start printing postage right away. If you are a new customer, $5 in postage has already been added to your account to use during your 4-week trial period*. When you’re ready to get started, simply click the red button below, log in and start printing postage.

LOG-IN NOW

*The $5.00 in postage is for new customers and can only be used during the 4-week trial period. There are no long-term commitments with Stamps.com and you can cancel anytime.The Stamps.com monthly service fee is just $15.99, including the first month. Call us toll-free at 1-855-608-2677 to cancel your account within the 4-week trial period and pay no service fees. Your service will continue uninterrupted as long as you do not cancel.

So much more than just stamps...
Anything you can do at the Post Office you can do with Stamps.com (plus a whole lot more)...
Print stamps for any denomination
Print shipping labels (on standard shipping labels or plain paper)
Print postage on envelopes (with delivery and return address)
Print exact postage for any mail class - domestic or international
Track packages
Receive discounts you can't get at the Post Office
Import, manage and ship your e-commerce orders (Desktop Software only)

[pjcdn2005]

I wonder if it will matter that your cc billing address won't match the address you registered with. Please let us know when you use it how it works out.

There is a free stamps account for ebay sellers but I remember reading that it is easy to miss it and lots of people register for the trial by mistake instead of the free one.

[sylviebee]

I cancelled the account as soon as I saw that there's a monthly charge.  I'm not good at remembering to cancel 4 weeks down the road and get nailed every time.

For someone who wants to buy one label right away it might work.  It looks like they even get $5 for free towards the label.

I'm pretty sure I could have processed the label right away if I wanted to.

I'll look for the free stamps account.

[rose-dee]

---

@toadandsin wrote:

My problem is I cannot send a label with eBay, PayPal, USPS, or Stamps.com. Just cannot do it without a US address. I spent hours & hours on the phone, mostly on hold trying these. The buyer will not send the item back without a label. I have asked for a shipping quote to send money and he refuses. A label is the only way. EBay has led him to believe he is not safe any orher way. I am worried they may judge in his favor because I am not sending a label.

---

I assume your buyer is an American?  If so, is he/she fully aware that you are in a foreign country and that labels can't be purchased by you online?  

Honestly, if I were in this situation, with a buyer who refuses to return the item without a label, rather than spending hours on the phone with the companies you mentioned, I'd probably telephone the buyer personally.  Often I find that a friendly voice on the other end of the phone can reassure a buyer that you are trying to work out the problem. 

If the buyer won't give you a shipping quote, then tell the buyer (over the phone) that you'll gladly look it up on USPS and will forward the funds to him directly through Paypal.  He can then either buy his own label, or use the money to take the item to his Post Office and pay for shipping there.  Since you already know the weight and size of the parcel, and you'll know the buyer's "ship from" address, you should be able to get a pretty close idea of the cost to return it to you.  

Don't forget to account for the currency exchange from $US funds when you calculate how much money to send, and choose a tracked service if you possibly can (it will be less expensive than Canada Post's tracked services in any event).  Once you've sent the shipping money, print out the transaction page from Paypal so you have a paper record of it, and leave the ball in the buyer's court.  You can then close your portion of the returns request on eBay, indicating you have paid the buyer for his label. 

After doing this, I would probably call eBay Customer Service and report to them that you were obliged to send money to the buyer to cover shipping, since the buyer insisted on getting a label but there is no way a Canadian seller can buy a shipping label for a return from the U.S.  If you can get CS to confirm that you have fulfilled your obligations as a seller to this point under the MBG, so much the better.  However, watch your Dashboard over the coming weeks to see if they smack you with an unresolved case in the event the buyer escalates over not receiving a label in time.  

This part of the eBay returns process is a mess for anyone not dealing domestically.  Whatever the outcome of your particular transaction is, I would bring this matter up at the next Wed. board hour (after the holidays), as it will sooner or later affect a large number of Canadian sellers. 

[toadandsin]

EBay has just sent an email saying they are refunding the buyer. This is after I already sent money (plus a few dollars extra to cover any expenses). I just had to spend another half day, stressed out, trying to correct this. I was told "sorry, we over looked your confirmation of transaction email that was sent."

EBay must review this "return label" process.

They also need to check the facts of a case before sending an email saying you loose $4000

I'm sure there is going to be buyers who use this to scam free items, crating false claims of "not as described," leaving sellers scrambling to get things right, if possible.

What if I was on vacation, and didn't get the email in time to reverse the decision?

I know my selling internationally days are over. 

Way too much stress 

[jersey..authentix]

Welcome to Stamps.com Stamps.com

It costs $15.95 usd a month. Why would you want to pay a fee for using their service. Online shipping labels with Canada post is free as is USPS ( of course you need a US address).

I don't understand why there is a charge with Stamps .com. What other services do they offer to warrant monthly fees

[sylviebee]

I called Stamps.com but was put on hold like forever.

I'll call again next week and ask them to add something which would allow Canadians  to buy USPS labels without a monthly fee.

[treasure.hunter.d]

---

@sylviebee wrote:

I called Stamps.com but was put on hold like forever.

I'll call again next week and ask them to add something which would allow Canadians  to buy USPS labels without a monthly fee.

---

I believe the monthly fee is a small amount to offset the discounted postage prices that are available as compared to the rates through USPS.

If you are doing any volume at all the fee will be of no consequence as the discounted prices will more than offset it.

Cheers,

thD

[pjcdn2005]

I didn't try it but it looks as if you get the free account if you click on the get started link at the top right

http://www.stamps.com/shipping/ebay-plan-features/

[pjcdn2005]

---

@treasure.hunter.d wrote:

---

I believe the monthly fee is a small amount to offset the discounted postage prices that are available as compared to the rates through USPS.

If you are doing any volume at all the fee will be of no consequence as the discounted prices will more than offset it.

Cheers,

thD

---

The way that  I understand it, they are offering rates that USPS gives to volume customers. I don't think that Stamps.com or eBay pays the USPS anything extra for the discounted shipping. But since many businesses wouldn't qualify for a discount like that on their own, it makes sense for them pay a company like Stamps for the service.

I don't think Canada Post fully subsidizes the discount that we get for postage. I believe that eBay pays for part of it which is likely part of the reason that the discounts are better for USPS.

[recped]

Anyone can get the exact same discounts from Canada Post that eBay offers if you spend at least $5000/year with CP. If you buy more than $7500/year you can get a slightly higher discount.

https://www.canadapost.ca/web/en/pages/smallbusiness/default.page

The exact same situation exists in the USA except that the volume requirements are higher. The maximum discount is also higher.

https://www.easypost.com/usps-volume-discounts

http://www.fp-usa.com/commercial-base-pricing-unmasked/

The FREE Stamps.com eBay account is still available, when you go to sign up you have to be VERY careful to click the correct button or you will find you have signed up for a paid account.

The only real difference between the accounts is that the free account won't pull orders from any source other than eBay although you can still manually enter recipient information if you have a non-eBay shipment.

You can sign up for the free account on the following page. Click the Get Started Button and make Make sure to click the Promo Code box on the registration page or it won't be the free version.

http://www.stamps.com/welcome/ebay/?source=si10731218

[pjcdn2005]

Anyone can get the exact same discounts from Canada Post that eBay offers if you spend at least $5000/year with CP. If you buy more than $7500/year you can get a slightly higher discount.

https://www.canadapost.ca/web/en/pages/smallbusiness/default.page

Hi recped, nice to see you back.

So do you think that Canada Post is giving the discount that we receive with ebay purchases or is eBay actually subsidizing  a portion of it?  The impression that I got from Raphael at ebay is that eBay is subsidizing it which is why they stopped access to paypal/shipnow for Canadians.  They haven't stopped access to it in the U.S.

[pjcdn2005]

The one problem with that small business discount for me is that I send so many items by light packet and lettermail so they wouldn't count in with the total amount spent.  If I used small packet instead, I would be paying more than I pay now with light packet even if I qualified for the maximum discount.

[recped]

---

@pjcdn2005 wrote:

Anyone can get the exact same discounts from Canada Post that eBay offers if you spend at least $5000/year with CP. If you buy more than $7500/year you can get a slightly higher discount.

https://www.canadapost.ca/web/en/pages/smallbusiness/default.page

Hi recped, nice to see you back.

So do you think that Canada Post is giving the discount that we receive with ebay purchases or is eBay actually subsidizing  a portion of it?  The impression that I got from Raphael at ebay is that eBay is subsidizing it which is why they stopped access to paypal/shipnow for Canadians.  They haven't stopped access to it in the U.S.

---

eBay subsidizing? That's rich!!!!!!

Of course they are not subsidizing anything, they are simply passing along a portion of the discount that Pitney-Bowes gives them which is just a portion of the discount that PB gets from Canada Post.

Neither eBay nor PB give ANYTHING away that they don't have to, unlike a lot of eBay sellers they are in business to make money not for "kicks".

[recped]

Forgot to add.....

The discount you see on the Canada Post Small Business page are not the max discount available they are the max "small business" rates. High volume users get additional discounts. I'm not sure what they are currently but there used to be 10 discount levels, the highest being up to about a 45% discount off retail rates. Discounts at Purolator are even higher for large users.

As for being "back", I never left, just been in lurker mode for the past few months. It's an attempt to try to avoid insulting the overly sensitive!

[pjcdn2005]

---

@recped wrote:

---

eBay subsidizing? That's rich!!!!!!

Of course they are not subsidizing anything, they are simply passing along a portion of the discount that Pitney-Bowes gives them which is just a portion of the discount that PB gets from Canada Post.

Neither eBay nor PB give ANYTHING away that they don't have to, unlike a lot of eBay sellers they are in business to make money not for "kicks".

---

Ok so I am a little gullible at times. lol

Any idea then why they took down access to Paypal/shipnow for Canada Post?

[pjcdn2005]

As for being "back", I never left, just been in lurker mode for the past few months. It's an attempt to try to avoid insulting the overly sensitive!

Well,  I missed your posts and haven't noticed them being insulting.  In my opinion you do tell it exactly how you see it based on your experience and common sense. But I think that if anyone posts their opinions on a public board they have to expect that not everyone is going to agree with them or look at things the same way. It's too bad when someone is overly sensitive because then they probably don't try to look at things from another point of view...only their own.

[mr.elmwood]

---

@pjcdn2005 wrote:

As for being "back", I never left, just been in lurker mode for the past few months. It's an attempt to try to avoid insulting the overly sensitive!

Well,  I missed your posts and haven't noticed them being insulting.  In my opinion you do tell it exactly how you see it based on your experience and common sense. But I think that if anyone posts their opinions on a public board they have to expect that not everyone is going to agree with them or look at things the same way. It's too bad when someone is overly sensitive because then they probably don't try to look at things from another point of view...only their own.

---

There are points of view and then there is ranting and raving. There are people I avoid because if I say anything that has the potential to slightly offend their delicate sensibilities, they fly off on insults and rants. That is hardly a point of view.

That is not them having their own POV, that is them being narrow minded.