Evidently now ePay will let foreigners bid on your items even though you'd rather not?

Despite huge red letters in my ad stating SHIPPING TO LOWER 48 USA ONLY, some feller in Australia pulled a buy it now. PayPal says to ship an address in KY which I thought was weird. I inquired at work for shipping to Australia and they said $110 minimum. I got about $16 for shipping out of ~$85 TOTAL.

Buyer then started a PayPal dispute.

Investigation on the net shows MANY people getting surprised by this ePay tactic of having buyers send to this KY address. ePay evidently does not tell us sellers about this event or how it works.

It looks legit, so I ship the pkg to the address that PayPal says to ship to. Send Tracking # to buyer.

Paypal puts my balance at -$85
says to add money to get it squared away.

Currently not real happy with these two idiots [paypale and ePay].

 

You are part of eBay's International program, which they DID mention via emails last year - this is not some kind of surprise. What happens is that you send the item to KY, and eBay handles the rest to those countries that are part of the program. This helps keeps costs low for buyers from overseas.

I suggest you read further on eBay's website or call them up and have a Philippino explain it to you.

 

This isn't weird at all. I think you jumped to a conclusion that was unwarranted. Even though the bidder was in Australia doesn't mean you were required to ship it there. I've seen this several times on ebay. The buyer has some arrangement to get it from Kentucky to him, but that's not your concern. Once you received payment, just ship it to Kentucky.

I DO think the buyer could have done you a courtesy to tell you that he was bidding but that, if he won, you would be shipping to a U.S. address, but there was no requirement that he do so.

 

I have had this a few times, but make sure that you save your tracking information, and that you properly address and identify the package. There are specific addressing rules that you must follow. Once it is delivered to the "overseas shipper", and you have the "proof" in the form of the tracking number showing that it is delivered, you are done with the transaction. I have no idea what happens if the buyer decides that the item isn't "as described", etc., but I would have to believe that the return shipping will be on him. For this reason, make sure that whatever you are selling has good pictures, and a full disclosure of the condition. I particularly hate selling NOS items that go overseas, because the buyers are under some misconception that GM made show quality parts. They must believe that GM used the crappy ones on the cars, and all the NOS on the dealers shelves were the show quality parts.

 

Awesome... I sold 65 starfire turn signal assemblies as basically "good lenses" with the rest included just 'cuz.

Any way to opt out of this program?

I'd rather just not get involved in LOOOOONG distance sales...

 

I've done it with no issues or hassles.

I appreciate how easy it is to sell and ship internationally.

 

When you make a listing, you have to option to accept or deny "International Shipping". If you say no, you don't have to participate in that program.

 

The buyer should have made contact, I always do. Just because its not listed outside the 48 often with negotiation some will. Sucks living so far from the source of the goodies

 

I frequently buy from Epay stateside, it's the only place to get the Olds' bits I want. Always contact the vendor first and get actual shipping price and go from there, even if they say no international shipping. I find being polite, courteous and up front gets me across the line. I haven't been knocked back from a LOOONG distance transaction yet, it's easy really.
My only beef is the outrageous shipping costs to Australia, but what you gonna do..

 

On topic...sort of. I sold a set of NOS wire wheel covers that shipped Michigan to Perth for about $200 USD through the US postal service. Took about 10-12 days. USPO TRavking followed it all the way to Austatian first landfall.

Brett

 

The new Ebay Global Shipping Program allows a seller to sell to a foreign buyer without being responsible for international shipping. The seller ships to an Ebay drop point in the US (Maybe your Kentucky address) then Ebay does the rest. The seller only pays for the US shipping part but the buyer pays the whole thing, including upfront customs fees. This was designed to increase international sales by removing the sellers responsibility for potential international shipping problems. The only problem is that the only shipping option they offer the foreign buyer is Priority Mail which is crazy expensive.


You can definitely opt in or out of this program and refuse to sell internationally, although you give up a big potential market by doing so. I have sold internationally for many years with very few problems so for now I am opting out of this new program because I think the shipping cost will scare buyers away.

 

This is indeed the concern that now faces International buyers. Personally I've paid shipping fees way in excess of the purchase price of items on Epay, but once locked in to the 'Global Shipping Program' vendors cannot do individual deals on shipping to help us out, so I pay.
Vendors not with the program have been most helpful in getting quotes and shipping items Internationally far cheaper than those sent by Epay's Global Shipping Program.

I would also add I have bought items from several forum members, all of which I have had an excellent purchasing experience with.

There are no wrecking yards here we can visit to get our Old's parts from or shops to buy literature from, so we are over a barrel and rely on Epay sellers among others, like CO forum members in the US.
Personally, I would have spent up to 50% of the total cost of Olds related parts and literature on shipping alone. What can I say, hooked.

 

Like 73Aussie I too have bought a number of things the freight has exceeded the part, but our choice comes at a price.
Oddly a member wanted to buy some parts from me and the freight from Aus to Us is ridiculous, seems Aussie posts lack of competition means that us sending stuff is crazier than what we pay from the US so im not bothered by it.

Scott

 

Let's clarify this one point here:

Shipping cost has NOTHING to do with item cost.
They never have, and never will.
You may be used to shipping being on the order of 5-10% of an item price because that is USUALLY how things work out... but rare cases occur. Think about it... if a guy in Alaska buys an intake from me for $1, the shipping from MI to AK for 70 lbs of cast iron well boxed will be far, far more than the item cost. If I sell a diamond ring for many thousands of dollars to a buyer across town, the cost of delivery will be only a fraction of the item cost. Two completely unrelated things.

I am constantly amazed at how inexpensively shippers can get stuff delivered here. Amazon brings stuff to me for less $ than I can start the car and drive to the store.

If shipping seems too costly, you an always jump on a plane with the item as luggage and deliver it yourself, or start a delivery company in this lucrative market. I hear heroin delivery boys make very good money, with some risk associated.

As for my current ePay/ PayPale experience, I thought it was a scam at first, and balked, then the buyer started a "dispute" or some such via paypal, who then set my balance at negative [his transfer amount] and therefore basically locked my acct. I am so NOT sending paypal that money after I sent the parts. So, until they decide that my tracking number means the parts are sent, I am using means other than PayPal.