posted on October 15, 2003 10:43:45 AM new
Although I clearly state I don't ship outside the USA, (most of you have heard my rants before) I still wind up with one or two a week who think that does not mean them, or simply cannot read.
I don't have time to go into each item right before it closes to make sure they are really from United States bidders, so I don't know about it unless they send me an email with their address after they receive my invoice.
Then, of course, I have to either refund the Paypal payment, send another email with the correct shipping etc.
Anyway. The two I sold to last month both wound up being deadbeats.
And, now one is sending threatening emails and the other is begging me to retract the NPB because it wound up getting him suspended. I guess threatening emails from his is next.
I should have stuck to my original statement and made no exceptions. I was trying to avoid a potential neg by going along with them once the sale was made, but that $68 I could have made from them was just not worth it. I continue to have a 90% deadbeat rate with international sales and that is with me being nice and polite.
posted on October 15, 2003 11:01:48 AM new
There are probably many sellers with a 5% or less deadbeat ratio with international buyers as well. Personally, I don't think I've ever had an international deadbeat.
-------------- sig file ----------- *There is no conclusive evidence that life is serious*
posted on October 15, 2003 01:30:46 PM new
I got so tired of international bidders bidding on items that were clearly marked "Ship to USA Only" that I now have a big flashing notice that they cannot possibly miss. However, I still have an occasional person ask if there is any way I will ship out of the USA and if I'm not getting many hits on that item, I will consider it.
posted on October 15, 2003 02:52:41 PM new
I had one ask me yesterday 'why won't you sell to the UK?' I just deleted it, if I don't want to, it is my business, not theirs.
posted on October 15, 2003 03:45:20 PM new
I sell to several countries now and it has really increased sales. I have had many from the United Kingdom and a few from Switzerland who have really bid up the price. I haven't had any trouble at all with International sales and glad I decided to enlarge my market which has enlarged my bank account.
posted on October 15, 2003 05:19:27 PM new
A healthy percentage of my ebay sales is from international sales. I even sold items to buyers in France and Poland this week at ioffer.
-------------- sig file ----------- *There is no conclusive evidence that life is serious*
posted on October 15, 2003 06:00:57 PM new
Ace,,,,I must have 200 auctions on ioffer,,,,,things I sell hundreds of times on e bay,,I have NEVER once sold ANYTHING on ioffer. (8 months ago I gave it a try)like Dean Martin said, yer one lucky Fella........
I have never had any trouble selling to other Countries. I mean this is the WWW. Yes, Some,,,,,things I click U.S.Only,,,,,but that is Only because I know the shipping would be and is MURDER! Not worth any overseas sales.
posted on October 15, 2003 08:09:14 PM new
I sell internationally and have not had a problem. This past month, I've sold to UK, France, Japan, Italy & Canada! Almost all of these are instant PayPal purchases.
posted on October 16, 2003 08:44:33 AM new
I think I read it here, one way to get rid of international bidders is to quote an international rate that is really high, say double or triple. While I welcome international bidding, I think if a seller does not want to ship internationally, they should not need to. It would be SO easy for ebay to block. I am convinced there are people out there taking advantage of this, because I do deal with people who pay the US shipping rate without contacting me. I bet some sellers have shipped and taken a loss.
posted on October 16, 2003 11:53:56 AM new
For the most part 99.9% I do not have any problems with international buyers....
BUT..
I have one now,, and guess what ?? He does not like the shipping amount.He never asked before he bid and just assumed I would combine shipping...He bought 2 items.Some items I will, these 2 I will not.
Says all sellers do it...NOT !!!!!
I think I see red coming for this one..Oh Well, I can deal with it.
posted on October 16, 2003 08:11:12 PM new
We use to sell all over the world, and even when there were obvious problems, I “tried” to continue, but FINALLY, I threw in the towel and quit. 1st – charge back via credit cards or PayPal, since there is not a good way to authentically PROVE that the buyer got the item, and too many were “claiming,” they never got the item, and this can quickly add up. Then others wanted the item till they learned what it cost to ship to their country, etc., then between the time the item shipped and it got to the buyer’s hands, they write constantly asking when it will arrive – their customs department gets it, decides for any reason to sit on it a while, and of course at the same time the customers is writing endless e-mails – I even sold an antique sewing machine to a gentleman in the upper part of the Canadian government, and customers held it almost a month – no reason, and try as he might, he couldn’t get it released! We’ve had crystal lamps ship to Australia, and take well over a month.........FINALLY, I got tired of the endless e-mail, the charge back by dishonest over seas buyers who “claim” they never received their product – etc., and I quit, and when I quite, I quit. I just won’t ship, except to already established customers in several countries.
To me it isn’t worth the hassle – when the economy is good here, who needs foreign orders, and when the US economy is slow, normally the rest of the world is dragging behind us.
Bottom line, I got tired of dishonest foreign buyers who claim never to have received items, and put in charge backs, and when a customer asks me why I won’t ship to their country I tell them the truth, that dishonest buyers, unfortunately forced us to stop shipping because of their claims.
On eBay we encounter about 1/10 of 1% deadbeats, or less, hardly ever have a eBay dead beat. On our web sites, since we basically only take credit cards, I encounter about 1 "Declined" card every 15 to 20 orders - and at times it isn't actually a decline, but someone who wrote their card number wrong. But one way or the other there is no loss to us.
INTERNATIONAL selling was costing us, and we just don't need the hassle or business enough to put up with it.
and that is with me being nice and polite.