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Why is some ebay shipping so high?
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unknownparticle:
Should all be good soon though, for the USA and UK, when we get our new trade deal...............
Ed.Kloonk:
I don't buy too many heavy things on eBay but I mostly get free shipping. Most of the time is surf onto a product and the shipping is 11 dollars so I shop around and find a vendor with the same thing a bit dearer but free shipping.

I bought some double pluggers*. Enough for a long, hot summer. Shipping was supposed to be $20. The lady refunded me the shipping. So I went down to the village and bought myself a banana daiquiri.

* a type of footwear. Cheap ones last five minutes, expensive ones last five hours.
station240:

--- Quote from: james_s on February 19, 2020, 05:40:04 pm ---It's because international shipping is a big pain in the ass, and it's very expensive so it cuts significantly into any profit, none of that is our fault.

For domestic shipping you can purchase the postage online and schedule a pickup, print a label and set the parcel out on the porch near the scheduled time, it is picked up and you're done.

International postage means take time off work to drive to the post office while they're open, wait in line anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour to get to the one counter out of six that is actually open, find the correct customs forms and take time to fill those out, listing the contents in detail and answering questions from the rude clerk who usually barely speaks English...

--- End quote ---

Just take a few of the custom forms you usually use home with you.
When you have something to mail, fill them out then take to the post office.

This is what I do with the much simpler green customs declaration form most of the world uses.
Saves time and trying to use the crappy pens the post office have.

Trade with the US is a pain in general though, entire postage/subsidy/tax system conveniently forgets about other countries.
Yet I'm sure they would be pissed if we did the same crap to them.
james_s:

--- Quote from: station240 on February 23, 2020, 05:21:06 pm ---Just take a few of the custom forms you usually use home with you.
When you have something to mail, fill them out then take to the post office.

This is what I do with the much simpler green customs declaration form most of the world uses.
Saves time and trying to use the crappy pens the post office have.

--- End quote ---


That still doesn't solve the bulk of the problem which is that international packages must be handed over in person to a clerk at the post office which means taking time off work, driving to the post office and waiting in line for anywhere up to an hour.

Domestic packages I can either drop in bin of the self service kiosk which is open 24 hours, or I can schedule a pickup from my porch and just set it out there. It's easily an hour or more out of my day to ship international vs domestic and the buyer is still going to grumble about the high cost I have no control over.

If ebay would stop the outlandish practice on charging fees on the cost of shipping purchased through them it would at least mitigate the risk. As it stands right now I could sell a heavy item for $40 that ends up costing $100 to ship and then I'm paying fees on a percentage of $140 despite only $40 of what the seller pays me actually going to me (minus paypal fees of course). If it costs twice as much to ship international vs domestic then I pay twice as much in seller fees on the shipping which comes out of my pocket. The only solution as it stands is to pad the international shipping enough to offset the additional fees although that in itself increases the fees.

Substantially more fees + substantially more time and effort, why would anyone want to do this unless it results in a substantially higher profit? The way everything is set up it makes no economic sense to offer international sales on items that have sufficient domestic demand, absolutely everything is stacked against it.
CatalinaWOW:
I can't explain why, but I can relate my experiences as an Ebay seller.

First, the rules in the US changed about two years ago, making export declarations much more confusing and difficult.  I say this because the required form did change, not because I understand the rules.  I spent several days researching the rules and did not come up with a comprehensive understanding.  There are several branches of government with a finger in the pie, all with their own requirements and nuances.  Organic chemistry is far simpler.  In any case all of the information comes with dire warnings about the consequences of non-compliance so I can understand many deciding the risk and effort isn't worth it.

Second, the Ebay prices for the major shipping services are usually similar to what I get going direct to UPS, DHL, Fedex and USPS.  Sometimes a bit lower.   I don't know why Ebay doesn't get aggregator pricing.  I can go to aggregator vendors like Parcel Monkey and get prices about half of what I get going direct to the major vendors.  And after making these arrangements it is those same major vendors who pick up and deliver the package.  Obviously those big guys costs are low enough that they and the aggregator can make a living off the lower charge, so they are getting rapacious profits from their pricing to small volume shippers. 

Third, the GSP program is significantly lower than the rates going direct to the major vendors.  But the real attraction for a US seller is that Ebay handles all of the customs declarations.  Winner, winner chicken dinner.  No time and energy spent filling out the form, and much reduced or eliminated concerns about violating export laws.  But it isn't a problem free win.  As stated by others the shipping time is very slow, tracking is marginal and I have had buyers complain, even opening an issue with Ebay because of non-delivery.  Everything has shown up eventually but it is stressful on both buying and selling end.

I don't offer free shipping because prices vary so much with destination that it completely contaminates the overall cost.  Someone will get screwed no matter what.  Either the shipping charges will be so high that the seller actually loses money on the transaction or the shipping charges are minor and the buyer gets raped.
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