Shipping Overseas

Sold an album of duplicates on ebay. Buyer is in Maldives. What is best (read cheapest) way to ship there with out buyer claiming that he never received it?

You can find out all the info you need at www.USPS.com

Use their Price Calculator. First-Class International Parcel will be the least expensive. I chose a 3 pound package, and it came to $31.85. For Registered mail, add another $12.95

Hope this is helpful.

I agree with the above poster, use USPS. I recently sent a 4LB box to Australia, UPS wanted $200+, Fed Ex was at $250.00, USPS was under $40

There are also Priority Mail International flat-rate packages. Same box sizes as for the domestic flat-rate ones, although I think you have to use the international ones to get the rate. If I'm remembering correctly, there's a price break if you actually purchase the postage online from the USPS, but then you would not be able to use stamps, which some buyers really like. (You can check with him and see if that'd be a problem.)

You'll need to file a custom's form for the package, and, if done electronically, is, I believe, supposed to cover you in the event of a PayPal claim.

You don't state how much $ is at stake, and that makes a difference with PayPal, too.

For additional peace of mind, you could also go with private 3rd-party shipping insurance. I've purchased from a couple of the companies, but I've (knock on wood) never had to file a claim, so I really can't recommend any of them in particular from experience yet.

-- Dave

Whatever the shipping type you deside, it Must include Delivery Signature Required at destination on arrival.

Then, whether the recipient gets the parcel or packet at home, business or at a Post Office he will have to sign for it and it would hopefully be reconded online, on paper if not, and you need to request a copy of that from the Post Office.

With higher priced delivery services this service is usually included,but it is best to check.

joe125us if it is to an address in Male then just send it via normal international mail with no special markings etc - you just need to be mindful that the Maldives is an islamic country - you will have the same type of non-delivery risk claim as for any other country - the mail system in the Maldives is not that bad at all

"you will have the same type of non-delivery risk claim as for any other country - the mail system in the Maldives is not that bad at all"

That was my question. How do I avoid the risk of an unscrupulous buyer claiming that he never received my $250 album, forcing me to compensate him again.

Like others have said, registered mail with a signed return receipt card via the USPS should satisfy PayPal and your best method. Here's the only problem - once a registered packages leaves the United States, tracking information may or may not be updated and it's up to the postal system of the Maldives to comply with sending back the signed return receipt card which may or may not happen. Some countries comply and others do not. Even if it is sent back, it can take quite awhile for it to come back. I've have one show back up over a month after sending the parcel out and I've had some that have never come back, but the buyers said they received the parcel.

The other problem is if there is a problem with delivery, the wheels of the postal systems turn so slowly when it comes to any inquiry that a buyer would get his money back anyway as PayPal will not give the seller enough time to prove it was sent or received. With PayPal, the seller is ALWAYS at risk and there is really no fool proof method aside from hand delivering it yourself (Maldives is absolutely beautiful).

Having said that, 99.99% of the buyers I've dealt with on ebay in the last 14 years are honest and I even ship to Russia, China PRC, India, Brazil, Italy, Pakistan and the like. You just got to have some faith and trust.