Ebay international shipping rates go through the roof.

[Tinman]

EBay (USA) continues to restrict and limit shipping options when shipping through eBay's portal.  Either the USPS has raised domestic rates (I haven't read anything about that) or USPS has reduced the discount previously offered to the auction firm.  Domestic shipping for a single model in a light weight box is now $3.95 (USD) at minimum and goes up significantly as you near one pound in weight.

Most alarming is the fact that you can choose an option of low cost shipping when you set up an auction. However, when the auction closes, only higher options (via USPS Priority Mail) are available.  This means, if you've chosen to ship via a cheaper mode, that option is not available when you actually go to ship the model. Since you only collected enough shipping to cover the inexpensive mode, you have to come out of pocket, at minimum, with twice that amount and sometimes more.

Also disturbing is that all of the cheaper shipping methods are now unavailable upon sale to an international bidder. The lowest price option to ship a single model in a light weight box (four ounces) is now $35.60 (USD).  The first time I was hit with that I found a work around. The second time the issue happened, they had discovered the work around and fixed that.

The only lesser expensive option left is eBay Standard International Shipping (i.e. eBay "Global Shipping") and I have had to reset all my auctions to use that shipping method for all international sales. It seems many others have simply stopped shipping internationally due to this.

My first negative feedback was caused by this shipping debacle that eBay has created. So, I guess the bottom line is that USA sellers need to be really careful what option they select for international shipping and Buyers from any other country need to be aware that shipping through eBay is going to cost much more these days. Some of eBay's changes may very well be due to poor handling times by the USPS and international postal carriers and some may be due to internal issues and financial problems within the USPS.  Hopefully, the new administration can return the USPS to what it was before the current admin tore it all down and that Covid Vaccines will shorten the pandemic and help the world get back to normal.

[Squid]

Their business practices have been sketchy in the past, too. Many years ago, I complained to a seller about overpayment for shipping, only to find I had no recourse. After I learned that eBay started charging fees for everything a seller charges a buyer (to include shipping), I'm surprised I sold anything there again. If they're going to continue to pull that kind of crap, then I'll just stop using eBay altogether...and I'm sure I won't be the only one.

Maybe I'm just very aware of such things these days. I was recently going to purchase two tin whistles. When I found out the vendor was going to charge me $20 to ship two items with a combined weight of about two ounces...suffice it to say that my reaction contained language not appropriate for this venue.

[tractorboy]

Sadly the increased shipping charges from US are making these auctions not viable, plus some listings have separate invoicing where you have to pay separate shipping fees for each item won!. Seen prices quoted as varied between US$27 - US$62 to ship to NZ. Some UK sellers are still charging reasonable rates but not sure how long that will last.

Another issue is that with PayPal. I have quite a bit in my account but cannot transfer out as it is in US$ and they do not let you transfer US$ to a NZ bank or to my NZ credit card.
"The safety and security of your bank account information is protected by PayPal. You can only link a bank account in New Zealand dollars."

To get round this I'm starting to use PayPal to pay for other things if the option is given.

[Tinman]

Their business practices have been sketchy in the past, too. Many years ago, I complained to a seller about overpayment for shipping, only to find I had no recourse. After I learned that eBay started charging fees for everything a seller charges a buyer (to include shipping), I'm surprised I sold anything there again. If they're going to continue to pull that kind of crap, then I'll just stop using eBay altogether...and I'm sure I won't be the only one.

Maybe I'm just very aware of such things these days. I was recently going to purchase two tin whistles. When I found out the vendor was going to charge me $20 to ship two items with a combined weight of about two ounces...suffice it to say that my reaction contained language not appropriate for this venue.

Ebay now has a rule that you can not charge more for shipping than the going rate for the method of shipping that is listed. As an example, I purchased an item and the shipping was listed as "Expedited shipping via USPS Priority Mail." The listed shipping fee was $8.50. It was slightly high for a priority mail small flat rate box but I really needed the item and paid the price. Something like 10 days later, it arrived in a "bubble mailer" envelope and was shipped via the cheapest method which was First Class. The post mark was four days old meaning he sat on the thing for six days before even shipping it.

That's hardly "Expedited" and it sure wasn't Priority Mail. I took a photo of the package with the shipping label (postage clearly shown on the label was $3.26). I politely requested a refund of $5.00 to be sent with all due speed, pointing out that his listing clearly stated "Expedited" and "Priority Mail."  I also directed him to ebay's rules regarding shipping costs.  I received a refund and a letter of apology that same day.  I doubt the apology was sincere as he just didn't want a claim on his sellers record or negative feedback.  A looked in on his auctions about a week later and he was still listing "Expedited shipping via Priority Mail."  It's just a scam to make an extra five bucks on each sale and I doubt few notice and if they do, probably few complain.

[Tinman]

After I learned that eBay started charging fees for everything a seller charges a buyer (to include shipping), I'm surprised I sold anything there again.

That was something they had to do because of widespread seller abuse of the fee system. Back before that rule change, it was very common to find expensive items where the item cost and shipping were reversed. For example, a name brand power tool that commonly sold for $200 dollars was listed at a "Buy It Now" of $10.00 and with a shipping cost of $200.00. That way the seller only paid the ebay fees on $10.00 and paid nothing on the actual cost of the item, which was the $200.00 shipping fee.

If you have an item that has an actual true expensive shipping cost, most sellers will add a "handling fee" that equals the percentage of the ebay fee on the shipping cost. The handling fee would commonly be $1.00 on a $10.00 shipping cost. Not enough to be detrimental to a potential buyer but just enough to recover the actual shipping cost (after fees).

[Tinman]

Sadly the increased shipping charges from US are making these auctions not viable, plus some listings have separate invoicing where you have to pay separate shipping fees for each item won!. Seen prices quoted as varied between US$27 - US$62 to ship to NZ. Some UK sellers are still charging reasonable rates but not sure how long that will last.

For one three ounce model, that is excessive. They must be sending it with all the bells and whistles such as tracking plus signature required upon receipt. I know ebay USA will consider a package delivered within the USA just from tracking information claiming it was delivered (meaning a buyer can NOT claim "item not received"). However, for international delivery I have to purchase signature upon delivery in order to meet that requirement. Since I can only get tracking and a signature with more expensive methods of shipping, that pushes the cost way up. If its not an item where I'm willing to write off the model and the international postage costs, I will want to be reimbursed for tracking and signature by using the expensive method. That passes along an average cost of about $36.00 USD for one three ounce model (that's to the UK, points further away are even higher).

Another issue is that with PayPal. I have quite a bit in my account but cannot transfer out as it is in US$ and they do not let you transfer US$ to a NZ bank or to my NZ credit card.
"The safety and security of your bank account information is protected by PayPal. You can only link a bank account in New Zealand dollars."

To get round this I'm starting to use PayPal to pay for other things if the option is given.

I know nothing about eBay New Zealand, but eBay USA allows you to set your currency. U.S. Dollars is a default setting but I can change it to G.B. Pounds if I so desire. If I do that, I can still transfer the funds to my bank, but my bank charges a nearly $20.00 fee for the conversion of each transfer. Maybe acceptable if moving $500.00 or more, but for smaller weekly amounts, it's a huge rip-off. I'm surprised there isn't a setting you can change to have all your sales in your currency and let paypal do the exchange.

[Squid]

Back before that rule change, it was very common to find expensive items where the item cost and shipping were reversed.

My memory has been jogged. That particular abuse, as I recall, was particularly rampant within eBay Motors.

I haven't shipped anything internationally for a while, but I'm pretty sure international shipping from the U.S. has always been expensive. I'm not sure what eBay is trying to do with these rate increases (force the Global Shipping Program on everyone, perhaps?). What I would do when shipping internationally would be: box everything up and weigh it, send an invoice with actual shipping costs, and take it into the Post Office. Of course, eBay could probably find a way to prevent me from doing that.

Makes me glad most of the stuff I was selling is gone. Only one item with a value of over $100 remains, and it's not worth the hassle to sell it outside the local area.

[matchboxmarcel]

it is the EBAY GLOBAL SHIPPING POGRAMM which makes it even worse.
This is used by more and more sellers and even with some UK sellers I see recently (while I buy from The Netherlands)


marcel

[kerbside]

Also I have had to pay 50% import duty on a model I just got.

That was charged by Ebay.

George T.

[Tinman]

Also I have had to pay 50% import duty on a model I just got.

That was charged by Ebay.

George T.

Is that the correct rate for an item from the originating country?

Ebay collects, from my domestic customers, the prevailing sales tax rates. They, in turn, forward that collected tax onto the state of Florida which collects it's share then sends the rest to local tax agencies. It's not really a "charge" but a collection of tax which they have to pay. If ebay collected the duty, they then have to forward that payment on to your government. There is an incentive for them to collect taxes here. If they pay the taxes before a specific due date, they get a discount on the monthly tax payment of anywhere from .5% up to 1% depending on the state. If you're collecting millions in taxes, you can see the financial incentive to perform that service can be rewarding. Factor in the equation of tax percentages. Often a sales tax will be (for example) a percentage of a cent. That is then rounded up to the nearest whole cent for purposes of collection. When the tax bill comes due, it's based on total gross sales. The collecting merchant gets to keep all those half cents it has collected on each individual transaction. Same for ebay, so it adds up quickly.