Problem: US ebay sellers who won't ship overseas

[TerraHertz]

I suppose this is an annoyance for everyone outside the USA. It's certainly been a nuisance for me on multiple occasions.  The latest instance being this:
  http://www.ebay.com/itm/160989292321
  Boonton Radio Corporation Q-Standard Inductor Type 518-A1 And 518-A2 Lot of 2

These are for that HP 4342A Q-Meter I bought recently, see http://everist.org/tales/20130215_The_Q_meter.htm

For proper calibration, one needs several of these Q-standard coils. I've bought three so far. See: http://everist.org/archives/scans/Boonton_Q_Standard/!_Boonton_Q_standards.htm
(Complete data as a RarBook here: http://everist.org/archives/scans/Boonton_Q_Standard/RarBook-Boonton_Q_standards.jpg )

Sometimes US sellers legally cannot sell items overseas, due to restrictions on resale of govt/mil surplus gear. The restrictions may be stupid, but it's not the seller's fault. In other cases, like this nextstepreuse mob, what's their problem? If it wasn't so annoying, their hypocrisy would be amusing. Check out this moral babble from their listing:

NextStep Recycling seeks to create a network of people who are committed to the shared values of the preservation of our environment and to bridging the digital divide. NextStep recognizes that the ability to use technology is becoming increasingly important in the workplace. NextStep understands that social and economic injustice, racial and ethnic inequality, and ecological loss affect all people. NextStep s mission is to address the digital divide and the impact electronics waste has on our environment.

But they're not going to sell to any nasty non-USA people, outside the 'digital divide' of the US borders, oh nooooo.

This bit is especially good:

International customers, please ask about shipping options before bidding.

Which implies they actually have international customers. But I don't think so. Their ebay store refuses to accept questions from non-US members, and they totally don't respond to queries via the contact form on their website. It seems they are just hypocrites, and don't even want to admit they refuse to deal with international customers.
I tried snipe bidding anyway (nearly twice the value it went for) but got 'bid blocked'.

Well, rant over. Other ones of these will come up eventually, I'm sure.

My question, for forum members in the USA and elsewhere, does anyone know of a reliable, reasonably priced proxy bidding and parcel forwarding service in the USA? Something that provides a way to get around these petty ebay seller types that refuse to deal with 'damned foreigners.'

[PeterG]

I no longer look at US sellers on ebay. They either don't ship to aus or try to charge $150 shipping fir a $20 item.

Regards

[TerraHertz]

I no longer look at US sellers on ebay. They either don't ship to aus or try to charge $150 shipping fir a $20 item.

Hmm... Your experience is atypical, I think. Most are OK, and although USPS rates went up recently, generally I find shipping rates are acceptable. I've tried several shipping methods - USPS, air and surface, Fedex, direct airport-to-airport air freight, and even a pallet load one time. It is a long way, and you pay for the weight and volume. It's just necessary to learn the ropes.

If you can win the item you want, and know what to expect in shipping costs, the biggest risk is idiot sellers who won't pack items well enough for international freight.
But with sellers who just refuse to even speak with you, and block bids, something besides flexibility is required.
Sledge hammers come to mind.

[johnh]

Thats were a freight fowarder comes in.

I have signed up for Shipto     http://www.shipito.com/ 

I asked a question several weeks ago about frieght fowarders and digisys mentioned Shipito.
I was talking to a colleague about this and he mentioned that he has been using ShipIto for over a year. ( He is into music stuff, amps, guitars etc).  He initially was using the per item service but changed to the yearly subscription.
He is very happy with the service.    You can store stuff for 90 days and consolidate packages and then select who/how you want to ship it back home.

[ignator]

My observation is the problem is eBay, and it's way over the top, the customer is always right.  When the seller gets screwed with selling something that the end customer say's was misrepresented, or never was delivered, adding in the extra pain to ship outside the country with EARS and ITARS paperwork (and electronics falls in this category).  All it takes a one memory of being screwed to shut the sales off to anywhere outside the USA.  And eBay keeps making changes that "improve" the customer experience, which beats the sellers into "we don't ship outside the continental 48".

[TerraHertz]

I have signed up for Shipto     http://www.shipito.com/ 

Thanks! From their website, that sounds very promising.
One problem though - they'll only do buying assist for ebay buy it now items.

Which leaves the problem of how to bid on items, via an ebay account that appears to be someone in the USA.

[BravoV]

One problem though - they'll only do buying assist for ebay buy it now items.

Which leaves the problem of how to bid on items, via an ebay account that appears to be someone in the USA.

This, that made me reluctantly to use them for ebay purchase. 

[Neganur]

You can bid on US restricted auctions when your primary shipping address is set to an US address. The account itself does not have to be originated in the US.

You can rent a phone number in any US state with Skype. Add to that a shipping address provided by your Shopito account and you're ready to enter a new shipping address to your US account.

You cannot however, circumvent the seller's buyer restriction setting in his Paypal account. It won't let you pay unless you have a US PayPal account (impossible without a USbank account)

Sending the required legal documents to shipito takes time, be patient - this will not work if you're in a hurry and open an account today.

[ttp]

I no longer look at US sellers on ebay. They either don't ship to aus or try to charge $150 shipping fir a $20 item.

Regards

+1

[maca_404]

On a side note,  I have found if I want to buy something from a Chinese sellers on aus ebay who ships world wide if I search for the same items on us ebay alot of the time I can get it cheaper shipping and all.

[Wuerstchenhund]

My observation is the problem is eBay, and it's way over the top, the customer is always right. 

Not in my experience (which now goes back over 12 years). Many cases are decided against the buyer, it simply depends on the circumstances and the person looking at your case.

And not sending abroad does not protect you from complaints by the buyer. In fact, when I lived in the US I had less complaints from abroad buyers than from US buyers.

When the seller gets screwed with selling something that the end customer say's was misrepresented, or never was delivered, adding in the extra pain to ship outside the country with EARS and ITARS paperwork (and electronics falls in this category).

For proof of delivery there is tracked shipping (required by Paypal Seller Protection anyways), and for claims of misrepresentation proper documentation (i.e. taking some pictures before shipping the item) can help as well as requesting proof from the claimant.

And as someone who deals with ITAR regularly I can tell you that the majority of electronics stuff sold on ebay US does not fall under ITAR at all, so that's a non-isse. The paperwork for sending something like a scope or a multimeter abroad takes less than 5 mins, unless you ship stuff to countries like Cuba or Iran.

All it takes a one memory of being screwed to shut the sales off to anywhere outside the USA.  And eBay keeps making changes that "improve" the customer experience, which beats the sellers into "we don't ship outside the continental 48".

My experience with US sellers over the years is that this is less a problem with ebay and mostly a problem with their particular attitude. Some don't give a damn about what's outside 'Gods Own Country', and are just not interested in dealing with the outside world at all (or simply hate foreigners). Others are simply not familiar with the process (and imagine it to be much more complicated than it really is). And then there are those that think their old crap cannot be send abroad as they believe it falls under 'sensitive technology', completely ignoring that the same item has been exported without issues for over a decade and that dozens are available outside the US.

But at the end of the day, not selling outside the US means cutting off their access to markets much larger than the US one (i.e. Europe), which means they artificially limit their customer base and the profit they can make, essentially just harming themselves.

[justanothercanuck]

Heck, some US sellers won't even ship to Canada, and we're not getting any closer...   

[Anquietas]

I no longer look at US sellers on ebay. They either don't ship to aus or try to charge $150 shipping fir a $20 item.

Regards

This^10. $150 shipping for $20 item is somewhat exaggerated, but there was a very nice $350 almost new Tektronix 2465B rack mount for sale I would've been interested in obtaining, but it was $150 shipping, which is insane and ridiculous. I ended up going for a local-ish seller.

[Dagon]

I've used borderlinxs couple of times in the past. Good, but not particularly cheap when I used 'em. Basically courier prices which limited their usefulness for smaller items.www.borderlinx.com/

[vlf3]

I encountered this problem of not wanting to supply outside of the USA, some years ago now; one supplier I had used was Dan's Small Parts.

It turned out the US customs clamped down to the degree that; any single resistor or part, need to have a photo identification, it's weight, and monetary value, with a declaration form each...  thus, if I wanted 25 of the same item, he had to produce 25 repeat documents, one for each part no matter if it was the same part... for Dan's that was an impossible task, to supply overseas with too-much paper work.

A sad day for myself, as he had a great range of RF and hardware parts at good prices.   

[mikeselectricstuff]

I encountered this problem of not wanting to supply outside of the USA, some years ago now; one supplier I had used was Dan's Small Parts.

It turned out the US customs clamped down to the degree that; any single resistor or part, need to have a photo identification, it's weight, and monetary value, with a declaration form each...  thus, if I wanted 25 of the same item, he had to produce 25 repeat documents, one for each part no matter if it was the same part... for Dan's that was an impossible task, to supply overseas with too-much paper work.

I don't believe that for a minute - sounds like he either misunderstood or was just fobbing you off.

[c4757p]

It turned out the US customs clamped down to the degree that; any single resistor or part, need to have a photo identification, it's weight, and monetary value, with a declaration form each...  thus, if I wanted 25 of the same item, he had to produce 25 repeat documents, one for each part no matter if it was the same part... for Dan's that was an impossible task, to supply overseas with too-much paper work.

Bullshit.

[TerraHertz]

Bullshit.

You took the word out of my mouth. Good 'ol Dan was laying it on thick there.
Considering the piles of stuff I've bought from the US, and no mention from the sellers of any such problems.
Also given examples like a Tek 7104 1GHz analog scope, and *two* HP 54121T 20GHz digital scopes. All of which were most definitely on US export restriction lists once upon a time, but no longer. No special paperwork at all required.

[vlf3]

For all your Bullshit... I am telling it as I was given.   

[c4757p]

Dan was full of crap then.

[c4757p]

(Quote from another thread)

You might find the BNC from Dan's USA: 

http://www.danssmallpartsandkits.net/

Dan's page looks rather... interesting. I know I shouldn't judge people by how good they are at the Internet, and blah blah small businesses, but I can't help being entirely unsurprised by your experience with him.

[Bored@Work]

It turned out the US customs clamped down to the degree that; any single resistor or part, need to have a photo identification, it's weight, and monetary value, with a declaration form each...  thus, if I wanted 25 of the same item, he had to produce 25 repeat documents, one for each part no matter if it was the same part... for Dan's that was an impossible task, to supply overseas with too-much paper work.

Dan must have stepped on the wrong guy's foot, badly.

[Wuerstchenhund]

It turned out the US customs clamped down to the degree that; any single resistor or part, need to have a photo identification, it's weight, and monetary value, with a declaration form each...  thus, if I wanted 25 of the same item, he had to produce 25 repeat documents, one for each part no matter if it was the same part... for Dan's that was an impossible task, to supply overseas with too-much paper work.

I guess he also had some bridges to sell then 

[SeanB]

I have met those kind of government worker. Either change office to another, or snow them under paperwork, or better still get the supervisor to snow them under.

[tom66]

So, according to Dan, if you sold a packet of e.g. salt, you would need documentation for each individual part?

[AlfBaz]

One thing I have found weird is the difference in shipping charges from the states. For a single given item from different sellers one might quote $150, another $600! I mean seriously, are they serving it drinks on the way over?

[mikeselectricstuff]

One thing I have found weird is the difference in shipping charges from the states. For a single given item from different sellers one might quote $150, another $600! I mean seriously, are they serving it drinks on the way over?

There can be big differences, depending for example on whether or not you have an account with a big courier. Digikey charge $12 for small orders to UK, but the base cost for someone in  the US without a Fedex/UPS account to send anything starts at around $60
 

[mrflibble]

Dan's page looks rather... interesting. I know I shouldn't judge people by how good they are at the Internet, and blah blah small businesses, but I can't help being entirely unsurprised by your experience with him.

Nothing wrong with a bit of 90's retro html.

[gregariz]

One thing I have found weird is the difference in shipping charges from the states. For a single given item from different sellers one might quote $150, another $600! I mean seriously, are they serving it drinks on the way over?

There can be big differences, depending for example on whether or not you have an account with a big courier. Digikey charge $12 for small orders to UK, but the base cost for someone in  the US without a Fedex/UPS account to send anything starts at around $60

The cheapest way to send from the US overseas - for a small operator or person - assuming that what you have fits - is a USPS global priority mail flat rate envelope or box. The cheapest of which is now around $24

So its not worth Dan's effort as he is a small surplus seller and most likely orders are small. BTW I've used him in the US and he does just fine with shipping them out, although I must say I think he enjoys a good cigar when packaging.

Some years back I used to order from the US when in Australia and various other places. Global priority mail flat rates at that time was less than $10 so it was a reasonable deal.

Also for those overseas... the USPS is having money problems so if anything postage is probably going to go up in future.

[Bored@Work]

And the Asian sellers are laughing all the way to the bank, still having surface/sea mail. And post offices accepting almost everything in any kind of shape or form. The only requirement for a parcel seems to be the ratio of bubble wrap to content needs to be greater 5:1 

[ve7xen]

And the Asian sellers are laughing all the way to the bank, still having surface/sea mail. And post offices accepting almost everything in any kind of shape or form. The only requirement for a parcel seems to be the ratio of bubble wrap to content needs to be greater 5:1 

And fully-manufactured boxes are banned. I guess they sell those to the western companies making stuff there...

[peter.mitchell]

I get this feeling all the time, $150 shipping on a $20 item... the worst bit about it though, is that it is still cheaper than buying it locally - by a significant margin!

[iloveelectronics]

And the Asian sellers are laughing all the way to the bank, still having surface/sea mail. And post offices accepting almost everything in any kind of shape or form. The only requirement for a parcel seems to be the ratio of bubble wrap to content needs to be greater 5:1 

As a seller from Hong Kong I can completely understand why bubble wrap is preferred to boxes in most cases (except for really heavy or fragile items). Post office in Hong Kong charges by increments of 10 grams, in China I think it's even per gram. A cardbord box weighs at least a couple hundred grams on its own, which translates to a few dollars of postage right there. With the “free shipping” and low margin most of us work with it's simply out of the question.

[lewis]

Shipping large and heavy items anywhere without an account with a big courier is expensive. But...

In the UK we have websites like www.interparcel.com or www.parcel2go.com which are brokers for the big couriers. They use their large buying power with UPS, Fed-ex, DHL, TNT etc to pass the savings onto their customers. We regularly use them to send large boxes around the world for tens of pounds, not hundreds.

Are there sites like these in other countries? There's gotta be one in the USA.

[johnh]

As I mentioned earlier in this thread Shipito is one of those places.

Blurb on  there website says that get a better deal because of volume they shift

[pelule]

Just shortly ago I have baught a tool-set for $199 in the US, the seller didn't want to ship outside US.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/what-did-you-buy-today-post-your-latest-purchase!/msg1158231/#msg1158231

Thats were a freight fowarder comes in.
I have signed up for Shipto     http://www.shipito.com/

Shipping was simple and not expensive.
Total cost for ShipItTo.com
   (FedEx Economy)             = $128.56 (121,70 EUR)
   (charge for the shipping)   + $2
   (charge for Label)           + $1
   (charge extra taping)   + $1 - I recommend for global shipping
   (charge secure taping)   + $2 - I recommend for global shipping
   --------------- = $134.56 / 127,38 EUR
German Import Tax                  +  73,24 EUR
   --------------- = 200,62 EUR + 188,38 EUR ($199) = 389,00 EUR in total
So, I paid 389,00 EUR in total for a complete and near to new 68k in-circuit emulator

[Iwanushka]

I encountered this problem of not wanting to supply outside of the USA, some years ago now; one supplier I had used was Dan's Small Parts.

It turned out the US customs clamped down to the degree that; any single resistor or part, need to have a photo identification, it's weight, and monetary value, with a declaration form each...  thus, if I wanted 25 of the same item, he had to produce 25 repeat documents, one for each part no matter if it was the same part... for Dan's that was an impossible task, to supply overseas with too-much paper work.

A sad day for myself, as he had a great range of RF and hardware parts at good prices.   

Bullshit, we ship anything from US office to EU office (note different companies) and its like random electronic parts and Bob's your uncle

[Iwanushka]

One thing I have found weird is the difference in shipping charges from the states. For a single given item from different sellers one might quote $150, another $600! I mean seriously, are they serving it drinks on the way over?

There can be big differences, depending for example on whether or not you have an account with a big courier. Digikey charge $12 for small orders to UK, but the base cost for someone in  the US without a Fedex/UPS account to send anything starts at around $60

Lucky UK, DigiF**kers ask 100$+ for shipping to LTU (EU too)

[james_s]

I usually put US-only shipping just because it's a big pain for me to ship international because I can't just buy the postage online. I have to take time off work and drive to the post office, stand in line and fill out all the paperwork, the whole process takes at least 40 minutes.

If someone contacts me ahead of time I'm usually willing to do it, I just don't want to have to jump through the hoops all the time. I'm not a business with a shipping department, I'm just a guy who sells extra stuff now and then.

[Bigfoot]

I usually put US-only shipping just because it's a big pain for me to ship international because I can't just buy the postage online. I have to take time off work and drive to the post office, stand in line and fill out all the paperwork, the whole process takes at least 40 minutes.

Now that solves the mystery and I have heard of this before but I agree this would be a PITA so how do you get the domestic shipping stuff in the mail? Do you not have to drive to the post office? or is it simply a matter of dropping a package into a box on the street corner?

For us in Aus to post international it is no more time consuming than posting domestically. Really no trouble at all.

[edavid]

I usually put US-only shipping just because it's a big pain for me to ship international because I can't just buy the postage online.

You absolutely can.  If you don't have a postage account (stamps.com etc.), you can use PayPal shipping:

https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_ship-now

Or open a free account at ShippingEasy:

http://www.shippingeasy.com

It's still painful compared to domestic shipping, but you don't have to leave your chair.

You do get a discount compared to post office pricing.

[james_s]

Now that solves the mystery and I have heard of this before but I agree this would be a PITA so how do you get the domestic shipping stuff in the mail? Do you not have to drive to the post office? or is it simply a matter of dropping a package into a box on the street corner?

For us in Aus to post international it is no more time consuming than posting domestically. Really no trouble at all.

There's an automated kiosk in the post office along with a secure dropbox which is accessible 24 hours a day. I can buy postage online, print the shipping label at home, attach it to the box and then drop by the post office on my way home from work which is after the main part of the post office is closed. Run in, drop it in the bin and go, no waiting in line. If it's a small enough package I can drive through and drop it in the collection box without getting out of my car, although technically after all the "post-9/11" stuff you're not really supposed to do this.

If there is a way to ship international parcels without going into the post office during business hours and waiting in line to talk to the clerk, I haven't found it. If you try to ship international using the automated kiosk it tells you to come back during business hours and use the regular service counter. Even when I buy postage through ebay and fill out the customs forms online I still have to have the postal clerk look over and stamp all the forms, I can't just drop it in the bin.

There is another issue I forgot to mention, since ebay charges a final value fee based on the full cost including postage, it is a much greater risk to me if I use a low starting bid. If something only sells for a couple dollars and I spend ~$12 on domestic postage I may just about break even. If the same thing costs $45 to ship international I will lose money on the transaction and then it doesn't make financial sense for me to sell the thing in the first place. International postage has gotten *really* expensive in recent years, they've dropped the surface economy option and only the expensive airmail services are offered for the past 6 years or so, it costs several times more to ship international, that isn't something I can control.

Like I said though, if someone asks nicely and sounds like a legitimately interested buyer I'm usually willing to go through the process and ship something internationally. I have no prejudice about other parts of the world, it's simply a matter of effort required on my part when there are only so many hours in a day.

[LaserSteve]

One, the new "harmonized tariff paperwork" that goes to Customs and Homeland is a witch to fill out. If you don't have the right code number for a part or instrument, it can be daunting and very time consuming to find the number. It's even worse if your a small business and can't  submit it electronically. Essentially  it was not  designed for rapid human handwriting.
And, yes, it is number per item. Shipping companies  review it
Electronically, there is no way around it, not even the old "Under 50$ rule.

Two, often I try to find low cost shipping for international customers to be so expensive that the customer will want to cancel the transaction. Some nations, like Oz, cost a fortune for even a small boxed item.

EBay will freeze your account or money at the slightest notion of a complaint or even at the loss of tracking data.

Thus it's just not worth it for transactions of multiple items or stuff under 250$.

Sorry, I don't make the rules.

Steve


Honestly, that is why I do not do

[edavid]

If there is a way to ship international parcels without going into the post office during business hours and waiting in line to talk to the clerk, I haven't found it. If you try to ship international using the automated kiosk it tells you to come back during business hours and use the regular service counter. Even when I buy postage through ebay and fill out the customs forms online I still have to have the postal clerk look over and stamp all the forms, I can't just drop it in the bin.

You can request a free pickup by your regular mail carrier.

There is another issue I forgot to mention, since ebay charges a final value fee based on the full cost including postage, it is a much greater risk to me if I use a low starting bid. If something only sells for a couple dollars and I spend ~$12 on domestic postage I may just about break even. If the same thing costs $45 to ship international I will lose money on the transaction and then it doesn't make financial sense for me to sell the thing in the first place.

Why don't you charge the actual shipping cost including FVF 

[Bigfoot]

I've been using a forwarder to get stuff sent to me from the USA. They have an arrangement with Australia Post and it's very cost effective. They also seem to be offering a slow surface mail option which is very cheap but not through Aus Post.  In some cases there is free domestic shipping within continental USA which helps reduce costs.

As an aside here in Aus we have the option of using prepaid express envelopes and satchels. I recently had to send an item interstate which would cost about $45 for 3kg (6pounds) in my box but it would only cost $13 using the prepaid 3kg satchel and my box fit inside it! plus it was express delivery.

[james_s]

You can request a free pickup by your regular mail carrier.

Will they pick it up when I'm not home? I've never tried this so I don't know. I work pretty much 9-6 M-F which also happens to be most of the time that the post office is open. If there's a painless way to ship international then I'll look into it.

Why don't you charge the actual shipping cost including FVF 

I try to be honest and charge actual shipping rather than inflating the shipping cost to cover the fees. I suppose I could try padding the shipping, at least for international stuff but I moan about inflated shipping charges so I try not to do it myself.

Like I said, I'm not a professional seller, I don't do much selling and the more ebay rules get slanted to unconditionally favor the buyer the less inclined I am to sell stuff. For reasons of convenience I normally list US only but as I've mentioned, ask me ahead of time and if you seem legit I'll work with you and ship wherever, it's really not a big deal. I just don't want to have Prince Abdul Falaekfjgwe buy an expensive item and want it shipped to his cousin's mother's sister in Nigeria.

[edavid]

You can request a free pickup by your regular mail carrier.

Will they pick it up when I'm not home?

Yes.

[CatalinaWOW]

If you read through the answers here you can summarize into something that fits my own experience from both sides of this fence.

1.  There is some extra rigmarole associated with international shipping.  It isn't earthshaking, but it is there.  If your volume leads you to ship internationally a few times a week you learn the routine and it becomes less of a problem.  If your international volume is low it becomes a relearning opportunity with each shipment, which makes it a problem.

2.  Standard shipping costs are high.  I have researched costs through all of the major carriers for origination in the US (USPS, DHL, FEDEX, UPS, ...) and their posted rates are typically $200 and up for a package typical of a small piece of test gear.  There is little variation between the carriers.  Either the market is perfect and they are all driven to the same cost, or they are colluding.

3.  Large volume shippers can get price breaks.  I don't know how big those discounts get, but I know they go to at least 50%.

4.  Small volume shippers can go to freight forwarders like ParcelMonkey and others and get big discounts.  Half price or less.  But not always.  Bids and offers change daily and even hourly.  The time and effort in going to multiple sites, possibly multiple times is lost productivity for those doing this as primary income, and a royal pain for those whose involvement is more optional.  As a shipper there is a degree of risk in using these sites since the actual carrier changes with each transaction, and not infrequently is a name you have never encountered before.  Tracking is also more convoluted on these sites.

5.  The high costs irritate both buyers and sellers, who often assume that the other side is trying to gain advantage through the shipping cost part of the transaction.  While this may sometimes be true, it is my sense that most people on both sides are trying for value and that little actual chiseling is going on.

[edavid]

4.  Small volume shippers can go to freight forwarders like ParcelMonkey and others and get big discounts.  Half price or less.  But not always.  Bids and offers change daily and even hourly.  The time and effort in going to multiple sites, possibly multiple times is lost productivity for those doing this as primary income, and a royal pain for those whose involvement is more optional.  As a shipper there is a degree of risk in using these sites since the actual carrier changes with each transaction, and not infrequently is a name you have never encountered before.  Tracking is also more convoluted on these sites.

Another problem with forwarders/resellers is that the package recipient will often get hit with "garbage fees".  If you don't pay, you don't get the package.

[batteksystem]

On the other hand, Hong Kong Seller have no restriction, we ship almost everywhere. I would say it is in our blood.

[boffin]

Heck, some US sellers won't even ship to Canada, and we're not getting any closer...   

Many canucks (like myself) have a mail drop in the United States (in my case 800m south of the 49th parallel).  Lots of companies that offer this service.

I just wish Canada would get on with it, and drop the US and join the EU instead.

[james_s]

Shipping to Canada is no easier, and not even much cheaper than shipping to Europe. I've done it a number of times and was always shocked at the price, much of Canada is actually closer to me than many parts of the US yet it still costs way more if it has to cross the boarder. It's similar to the way anything that says "marine" on it is at least twice the price.