U.S. eBay sellers refusing to sell to Canadian buyers

bling-nut · Nov 28th, 2007, 07:02 PM

O.K. you guys, I buy and sell on eBay. My feedback is at 134 with 100% positive feedback and everyone (so far) has said extremely nice things about me. You know,like super fast payment, exc communication, authentic LV and so on. But there has been times that I have been searching ebay forever looking for somethg in particular and when I find it, wouldn't you know, the seller refuses to let me bid because I am in Canada!
What is going on??????

PinkSuadeSoho · Nov 28th, 2007, 07:07 PM

Nothing is going on, they just don't want the hassle of having to deal with Canada. It's much easier if they ship within the US. Also, border issues. It's individual choice.

designermummy · Nov 28th, 2007, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bling-nut

O.K. you guys, I buy and sell on eBay. My feedback is at 134 with 100% positive feedback and everyone (so far) has said extremely nice things about me. You know,like super fast payment, exc communication, authentic LV and so on. But there has been times that I have been searching ebay forever looking for somethg in particular and when I find it, wouldn't you know, the seller refuses to let me bid because I am in Canada!
What is going on??????

Personal choice!! I cant see the problem- some of my auctions i do my country only because I cant be doing with the hassle. If you send your own country it can be there the next day and the transactio is over and done with. No hassle with taxes, tracking and waiting etc

If you really like an item there is no harm in emailing the seller and asking them- they can only say no!

caannie · Nov 28th, 2007, 07:25 PM

Unfortunately, international transactions are full of problems, not to mention the added expense of extra paypal fees (they charge 4.5% for international, but only 3% for same-country payments), and much higher shipping costs that lots of bidders don't want to pay. I had trouble recently with an international buyer who couldn't understand why a 12 ounce package would cost her $35 in shipping. It's because USPS Internation Express mail costs that much!! And I wasn't about to ship internationally using anything but a service that requires a signature for delivery.

My Purse Addiction · Nov 28th, 2007, 07:39 PM

I don't ship internationally anymore because I had too many problems when I used to. People didn't understand longer shipping times, higher shipping, customs, etc. It just wasn't worth the hassle. Sometimes I'll make an exception if the buyer has good communication with me.

sweetneet · Nov 28th, 2007, 07:57 PM

i agree with caannie. i sold an item to someone in Canada (was my first eBay sale) and got hit with the "cross-border payment" fees with Paypal--indeed, it's 4.5% as opposed to 3%. Not much if it's something small but if it's a bag over $1000 it can get up there.

also, certain carriers (like UPS) cost a fortune to ship to Canada. so usually to ship there USPS is used but i can understand why someone doesn't want to use it (tracking isn't as good, i've found).

and then another big issue is CUSTOMs. sure, it is the *buyer* who must pay any customs fees, not the seller..however because of this, many buyers try to haggle the sellers into marking items as a "gift" in order to not pay the customs fees. Many sellers state this in their auction (that they refuse to lie on customs forms) but it still happens that winning bidders ask the seller to do just this (i've read many examples of this in this sub-forum). Or, the buyer doesn't say anything until they get the notice to pick up their item, and upon seeing how much $$ they owe in customs they refuse to pick it up, and complain to the seller (some even leave neg feedback--as if it's the sellers fault! lol). So some sellers want to avoid this hassle and thus only ship within the US.

Jayne1 · Nov 28th, 2007, 09:45 PM

^^ Sometimes I think these buyers must be very young, if they think they can avoid customs fees and get angry about higher shipping costs or expect a really fast delivery when the sale is an international one.

By the way, marking the item as a 'gift' will still result in customs fees, anything over something like $20 results in customs fees.

I always ask if I may bid and if the seller says no, then I just go look for something else. It can often mean the seller is a bit lazy to go to the Post Office and fill out the paperwork. I've had a number of sellers email me and tell me how long they had to wait in line to fill out the paperwork.

They don't need us, the US is such a big country, they have enough buyers, I guess.

4theluvof-it · Nov 28th, 2007, 10:11 PM

I used to not ship out of the US because I wasn't familar with all the procedures and forms of doing so. Now I will, but I will only ship to confirmed addresses to protect myself. I haven't any problems or hassles as of yet.

jmcadon · Nov 28th, 2007, 10:29 PM

I put it in the listing that I only ship to the US, but people still bid anyway. Since I only show shipping to the US, it is a hassle. I wish people would read the listing before they bid. I write it in large font and even spell out United States now. I just don't want to deal with customs and extra fees and all.

My Purse Addiction · Nov 28th, 2007, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmcadon

I put it in the listing that I only ship to the US, but people still bid anyway. Since I only show shipping to the US, it is a hassle. I wish people would read the listing before they bid. I write it in large font and even spell out United States now. I just don't want to deal with customs and extra fees and all.

When I set up my eBay auctions, I always check the box that says "Do not ship to users registered in countries to which I don't ship." That way, if I say no but they still try to bid, they can't.

bellafleur · Nov 28th, 2007, 10:46 PM

I have to say that I'm considering not shipping to Canada anymore, because the postal system is pretty messed up. I will only ship EMS internationally, and it takes items half the time to get to Australia than it does to Canada, which makes NO sense. I asked the manager at my local post office once why that is, and he said it's because the Canadian postal service requires every package to go through customs in every single province it travels through. I'm not good with my Canadian geography, but that means an express mail package could be held up for days in several different customs locations. It's quite normal for the process to take about 2 weeks, whereas things arrive literally halfway around the world in 4 or 5 days. It's certainly not your fault, but Canadian buyers who don't know this get frustrated with how long it takes to arrive, and they blame it on the seller, which is unfair.

Vernissima · Nov 29th, 2007, 12:53 AM

I find that most international areas are full of buyers that haggle and are generally a pain in the @zz. Exceptions included Japan and most of Europe, so I still ship to Japan and Europe. But Canada, ugh, seems like nearly every one of my canadian transactions, the buyer claimed they didn't receive, said it took too long, or threatened me a negative feedback if I didn't pay their custom fees. Frankly I am sick of it, I have better things to do than sit at my computer all day arguing over $50 customs when they are already getting something at a great deal.

SOLIDGOLD2 · Nov 29th, 2007, 01:01 AM

i only ship with the U.S. because i don't want to be bothered with border issues more fees whatever...i want to ship it and be over and done with it

colleen03 · Nov 29th, 2007, 01:03 AM

I'm Canadian and I live in the States. Sorry to say that I'm one of the people who won't ship to Canada. The duty payments are huge and I'm not comfortable marking something as a gift, when it's not. Also, sometimes when it is marked as gift, there are still duty charges.

My family still lives in Canada, and when I ship to them, sometimes it will arrive in a week and sometimes it has taken over a month. It's just easier shipping within the states. bummer, but that's how it is.

lorihmatthews · Nov 29th, 2007, 01:19 AM

I still ship to Canada and every other country, but I have noticed that fees are higher and shipping costs are higher. Many times bidders complain about high shipping fees, but like others have said, the only way to protect yourself is to mail your item via usps express. That's because it's the only way you can get tracking. I'm shocked at how high the prices have become. I'm not surprised that less and less people are shipping out of the US.

Nov 28th, 2007, 07:02 PM	#1
bling-nut Member	U.S. ebay sellers refusing to sell to Canadian buyers O.K. you guys, I buy and sell on eBay. My feedback is at 134 with 100% positive feedback and everyone (so far) has said extremely nice things about me. You know,like super fast payment, exc communication, authentic LV and so on. But there has been times that I have been searching ebay forever looking for somethg in particular and when I find it, wouldn't you know, the seller refuses to let me bid because I am in Canada! What is going on?????? Last edited by Swanky Mama Of Three; Nov 28th, 2007 at 10:48 PM.

Nov 28th, 2007, 07:07 PM	#2
PinkSuadeSoho Live the Life U Love Location: British Properties,Beautiful By Nature! Spectacular by SIGHT! :)	Re: U.S. ebay sellers refusing to sell to Canadian buyers Nothing is going on, they just don't want the hassle of having to deal with Canada. It's much easier if they ship within the US. Also, border issues. It's individual choice. __________________ Close your eyes to the faults of others What is needed is less: less greed, less fear, less hatred, less prejudice Nothing can make your life more beautiful than perpetual kindness

Nov 28th, 2007, 07:25 PM	#4
caannie Will Work for Hermes Location: Montgomery, AL	Re: U.S. ebay sellers refusing to sell to Canadian buyers Unfortunately, international transactions are full of problems, not to mention the added expense of extra paypal fees (they charge 4.5% for international, but only 3% for same-country payments), and much higher shipping costs that lots of bidders don't want to pay. I had trouble recently with an international buyer who couldn't understand why a 12 ounce package would cost her $35 in shipping. It's because USPS Internation Express mail costs that much!! And I wasn't about to ship internationally using anything but a service that requires a signature for delivery. __________________ To the world you may just be somebody, but to somebody you may just be the world

Nov 28th, 2007, 07:39 PM	#5
My Purse Addiction Member Location: The Sunshine State	Re: U.S. ebay sellers refusing to sell to Canadian buyers I don't ship internationally anymore because I had too many problems when I used to. People didn't understand longer shipping times, higher shipping, customs, etc. It just wasn't worth the hassle. Sometimes I'll make an exception if the buyer has good communication with me.

Nov 28th, 2007, 07:57 PM	#6
sweetneet オタク Location: at IKEA ♫	Re: U.S. ebay sellers refusing to sell to Canadian buyers i agree with caannie. i sold an item to someone in Canada (was my first eBay sale) and got hit with the "cross-border payment" fees with Paypal--indeed, it's 4.5% as opposed to 3%. Not much if it's something small but if it's a bag over $1000 it can get up there. also, certain carriers (like UPS) cost a fortune to ship to Canada. so usually to ship there USPS is used but i can understand why someone doesn't want to use it (tracking isn't as good, i've found). and then another big issue is CUSTOMs. sure, it is the buyer who must pay any customs fees, not the seller..however because of this, many buyers try to haggle the sellers into marking items as a "gift" in order to not pay the customs fees. Many sellers state this in their auction (that they refuse to lie on customs forms) but it still happens that winning bidders ask the seller to do just this (i've read many examples of this in this sub-forum). Or, the buyer doesn't say anything until they get the notice to pick up their item, and upon seeing how much $$ they owe in customs they refuse to pick it up, and complain to the seller (some even leave neg feedback--as if it's the sellers fault! lol). So some sellers want to avoid this hassle and thus only ship within the US. __________________ come check out my new purse closet! Last edited by sweetneet; Nov 28th, 2007 at 07:59 PM.

Nov 28th, 2007, 09:45 PM	#7
Jayne1 Working Canvas Location: Toronto	Re: U.S. ebay sellers refusing to sell to Canadian buyers ^^ Sometimes I think these buyers must be very young, if they think they can avoid customs fees and get angry about higher shipping costs or expect a really fast delivery when the sale is an international one. By the way, marking the item as a 'gift' will still result in customs fees, anything over something like $20 results in customs fees. I always ask if I may bid and if the seller says no, then I just go look for something else. It can often mean the seller is a bit lazy to go to the Post Office and fill out the paperwork. I've had a number of sellers email me and tell me how long they had to wait in line to fill out the paperwork. They don't need us, the US is such a big country, they have enough buyers, I guess.

Nov 28th, 2007, 10:11 PM	#8
4theluvof-it Member	Re: U.S. ebay sellers refusing to sell to Canadian buyers I used to not ship out of the US because I wasn't familar with all the procedures and forms of doing so. Now I will, but I will only ship to confirmed addresses to protect myself. I haven't any problems or hassles as of yet.

Nov 28th, 2007, 10:29 PM	#9
jmcadon Member	Re: U.S. ebay sellers refusing to sell to Canadian buyers I put it in the listing that I only ship to the US, but people still bid anyway. Since I only show shipping to the US, it is a hassle. I wish people would read the listing before they bid. I write it in large font and even spell out United States now. I just don't want to deal with customs and extra fees and all. __________________ Jmcadon

Nov 28th, 2007, 10:46 PM	#11
bellafleur Member	Re: U.S. ebay sellers refusing to sell to Canadian buyers I have to say that I'm considering not shipping to Canada anymore, because the postal system is pretty messed up. I will only ship EMS internationally, and it takes items half the time to get to Australia than it does to Canada, which makes NO sense. I asked the manager at my local post office once why that is, and he said it's because the Canadian postal service requires every package to go through customs in every single province it travels through. I'm not good with my Canadian geography, but that means an express mail package could be held up for days in several different customs locations. It's quite normal for the process to take about 2 weeks, whereas things arrive literally halfway around the world in 4 or 5 days. It's certainly not your fault, but Canadian buyers who don't know this get frustrated with how long it takes to arrive, and they blame it on the seller, which is unfair.

Nov 29th, 2007, 12:53 AM	#12
Vernissima Member	Re: U.S. ebay sellers refusing to sell to Canadian buyers I find that most international areas are full of buyers that haggle and are generally a pain in the @zz. Exceptions included Japan and most of Europe, so I still ship to Japan and Europe. But Canada, ugh, seems like nearly every one of my canadian transactions, the buyer claimed they didn't receive, said it took too long, or threatened me a negative feedback if I didn't pay their custom fees. Frankly I am sick of it, I have better things to do than sit at my computer all day arguing over $50 customs when they are already getting something at a great deal.

Nov 29th, 2007, 01:01 AM	#13
SOLIDGOLD2 Member	Re: U.S. ebay sellers refusing to sell to Canadian buyers i only ship with the U.S. because i don't want to be bothered with border issues more fees whatever...i want to ship it and be over and done with it

Nov 29th, 2007, 01:03 AM	#14
colleen03 Member Location: Hawaii	Re: U.S. ebay sellers refusing to sell to Canadian buyers I'm Canadian and I live in the States. Sorry to say that I'm one of the people who won't ship to Canada. The duty payments are huge and I'm not comfortable marking something as a gift, when it's not. Also, sometimes when it is marked as gift, there are still duty charges. My family still lives in Canada, and when I ship to them, sometimes it will arrive in a week and sometimes it has taken over a month. It's just easier shipping within the states. bummer, but that's how it is.

Nov 29th, 2007, 01:19 AM	#15
lorihmatthews Persian Love Location: San Francisco	Re: U.S. ebay sellers refusing to sell to Canadian buyers I still ship to Canada and every other country, but I have noticed that fees are higher and shipping costs are higher. Many times bidders complain about high shipping fees, but like others have said, the only way to protect yourself is to mail your item via usps express. That's because it's the only way you can get tracking. I'm shocked at how high the prices have become. I'm not surprised that less and less people are shipping out of the US.