Why Am I Blocked From Bidding?

Jubiliee:

I'm guilty of that -- I haven't sold on ebay in years, but when I did, I sometimes restricted my shipping to US & Canada only. I did it for one primary reason: international shipping is a little confusing for a newbie. And the process for calculating, and adding shipping to the ebay invoice weren't simple (at least not back then).

In fact, on some of my auctions, I offered "free" shipping on some items -- UPS for larger items and USPS for small ones -- just to avoid the hassle. Because of that, I couldn't afford to ship free outside the US/Canada.

KirkS

No offense taken.

I can relate to your frustration as I have also encountered a U.S.-based seller that has blocked me from not only bidding but also from contacting him through the ebay email system.

And there is absolutely no indication on his site that he has imposed any type of restrictions on bidders.

I have never conducted a transaction with him and have none of the potential "blocking triggers" mentioned in the previous posts so his action has really irked me.

Sadly, he is listed as a "Dealer of Integrity" on the Swedish Tiger's website.

I love bidding on items in strange countries and locations, hoping that I win and get the stamp(s) and envelope that the stamps are sent in. That is part of the fun for me.

Someone I know (non-stamp collector) does not like to bid on Asian auctions froma bad experience had on one, and thus all the rest became coloured by that.

I realize, after having some bad experiences with sellers from supposedly civilized countries, that everything happens everywhere and that stamp collectors and sellers are generally really nice people. (Usually lol).

To expect everyone to be nice and friendly and easy to get along with all the time is unrealistic.

Some US sellers may like to sell at home more than abroad but those that do sell internationally (to Canada too, eh?) now and years ago, have figured it out to their satisfaction and know that there are sales to be had out there in the wilderness.

I don't like shipping to some countries that I expect will have postal delivery and/or theft problems but gee, that happens here in Canada and the USA too you know.

Take 25c out of every sale and put it in a jar to save. When something bad happens that is your insurance money. Happens in bricks and mortar stores, happens in approval services and happens in online sales. If you have too large a percentage of loss then maybe you are doing something wrong or not paying attention to a detail you maybe should. Might be time to block a few buyers. Maybe not. Everyone has a bad day.

The biggest challenge I think, is finding a postal worker that delivers to our igloo's up here in the great white north.

I think KGV's post illustrates how barriers can be created without the seller being aware. I occasionally sell on ebay (not stamps, just the usual household junk!) and I sometimes find the "system" does strange things - seems to reset defaults you have set, etc. Sometimes I just check/don't check a box by accident. What I'm trying to say to those who have had problems is not to take it personally, as it is likely to be a glitch or error. The frustrating thing is not being able to contact a seller to enquire. I'm sure if you could, 9 times out of 10, it would be sorted out.

hey, we got that covered!
Good Day, and welcome to Canada, ay?
(One of the 'Methods of Delivery' stamps due to be released May 13, 2011.)

Is that where those big white bears eat the mail people?

Well, if the boys don't get their mail properly cancelled they tend to get a little restless.

The biggest reason for the block is scams. Some of us sell very high end items, not even necessarily stamps. Those items are an immediate tip off to all the scam artists who will buy the items and tell you that they will include shipping in the price, but they want their transportation company to come and get the item. When that transportation company comes, they want to be paid (that is why the buyer added extra money). In a couple of days after that you find out that the buyer is bogus and the money that you gave to the "trucking company" is untraceable. Now you can file a grievance with ebay and MAYBE get you ebay money back but not the "trucking company" money. Many sellers therefore will not allow overseas bids just for that reason. It hurts a lot of legitimate buyers, but seriously cuts down on fraud and hassle. Several times buyers have TRIED to do that on my account. Luckily I have been aware and will not sell to them, but it does cause considerable concern. I hope that at least explains some of it. In the future, I would be happy to bid or buy for any SCF member. - Jeff

"I've never understood any seller, in any country, refusing to post to other countries (excluding the well-known "problem" countries). I subscribe to another site where many US sellers think the world stops at their borders."
I think for some situations, some US sellers simply don't want to have to mess with going to the post office and filling out the customs forms. For US transactions, postage can be purchased online, but shipping product out of the US usually means you have to go to the counter and fill out a form. I suppose it would be inconvenient to people who have time constraints or physical limitations.

As a believer that politics should not have a part of our hobby [except when depicted on the stamps or covers],it is quite sad to see sellers that will not send to Israel ONLY !

I wrote to one once but never did get a reply.

Many US Sellers have stopped selling to other countries due to the hand tying by ebay & Paypal. Paypal US offers sellers no protection as the burden of proof is on the seller. If someone in another country claims they did not receive their goods it is upon the seller to provide proof of delivery, not proof of shipping. Registered mail is quite expensive and only works with a few countries and if you ship to Asia for example, you are completely on your own as there is no delivery system with a reasonable rate that provides proof of delivery. Many sellers have lost Money and goods shipping out of the US and when you have no protection from the cheaters in life, you must protect yourself.

Sorry stallzer, none of that cuts the ice with me. I'm in Australia, and the same rules apply to me as an ebay seller and Paypal user. However, I will sell to all the usual "safe" areas.

As Australia has a population of 22 Million, of which a tiny percentage are collectors, the majority of our market is overseas. Without wishing to offend, having a population the size of the US might make decisions about where to sell to a bit easier.

In the last month alone, I have sold to the UK, USA, New Zealand, Kenya, South Africa, Israel, Italy, Germany and France. In ten years of ebay and Delcampe selling, I haven't had a single dispute over non-receipt, and have never been ripped off.

If I can sell to the world, why can't US sellers?