A Link To 86 Items I Have Listed On Ebay

Good morning. Below is a link to my ebay auction's.
All US, some back of book, but mostly classics.
The first group of 41 will end on Saturday the 19th.
The second group will end on Sunday the 20th.


http://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?item...s2012&_sop=1

You're in the Global Shipping Program, which is fine as your choice. But just to let you know that since you are charging $25 to mail one stamp, you probably shouldn't expect any international bids.

Thank you Jenny2U, that was not at all what I wanted. I will try to change that. That would make no sense.

I suspect that the dreaded GSP is ebay's default, and that you have to opt out.

Thanks to both of you.

GeoffHa, that was a default issue. I was able to change the ones that had not been bid on. Not quite sure how that got by me. Now I am very happy that I added this link this morning.

Live and learn!
Thanks

As jenny2u pointed out postage is too high for international. Postage: US $13.75 (approx. AU $18.24) USPS First Class postage for one stamp to Australia, its just off putting to even bid from this location. GSP sellers wonder why your international sales are down this is the reason, we see postage charges of $18-$51 for a small item like a stamp or a stampless letter we just don't bid and give up looking at GSP sellers altogether.

Duncan, those are the shipping rates after the seller opted out of GSP. I'm a beader and frequently buy beads from the US weighing between 50 and 100 grams. These are shipped to me USPS First Class Mail tracked for around $10. I refuse to pay $13 to have one stamp mailed to me. While I believe the ebay postage calculator may be at fault and not the seller, like you, I avoid these listings.

rlmstamps my comments are no reflection at all of you as a seller. You come across as very honorable. It's just frustration at ebay's solution to sellers who used to gouge shipping costs. Now ebay itself is the gouger, resulting of course in additional fees in its pockets.

Presumably, once you indicate to ebay that you will post items abroad, it makes a calculation for you. In Duncan's case, I think he gets around this by offering free postage, and, with relatively high value items that will fit into a small envelope, that works. My approach is not to say that I'll post internationally, but to indicate in the listing that I will, at my discretion, and that I'll do so at Royal Mail cost price. This doubtless loses some overseas buyers, but I do have a few. And it means the price of a 100 gm item to, say, the US or Australia is £2.25.

If Oz $18+ is the price for postage of one stamp after the seller opted out of GSP that is way to high. Has the seller set up postage rules for international buyers? I see many USA sellers will sell international for under $3au so $18au is a bit over the top for a postage charge. I avoid sellers with rates that high, maybe they are not actually checking how their international postage rates appear to international buyers on ebay? It pays to have postage as low as possible to attract bidders as mentioned by GeofH I set many of mine to free postage especially buy it now lots so anyone in the world does not have to wait for invoice. Small auctions won by bidders I can dispatch world wide for only $2.95 and that can be up to 10 old stamped envelopes. My postage rules set for that in Oz amount so a buyer in USA will see an even lower postage charge. I only charge single letter rate for multiple items. Its also annoying when some sellers combine two old stamped covers and up the postage. Like they wouldn't fit in the same envelope at one of the stated postage charges.

Thank you all for your interest and suggestions. What made the
shipping costs so high was that I had somehow checked package instead
of a letter. When I ship US I use a bubble wrap envelope with a heavy chipboard to make sure the item does not get folded. We also send every item with tracking. I was told by my post office that there is no tracking for international shipping. They offer a customs #. I am not sure if that is the way to go.

The change has been made to all of my listings that did not have bids on them. The new cost to send to Australia for example is $3.12. I will also combine multiple purchases so that one charge is all anyone will have to pay.

If the ebay system does not make the adjustment automatically, I will
issue a credit back through Pay Pal. I have done that with domestic sales.

Thank you all again, if it was not for this thread, I would have just gone forward without realizing how many buyers I was losing.

If you are using a bubble envelope, the post office will charge you an additional 21 cents for non-machineable surcharge. Also if it's too thick then it will be charged the parcel/package rates.

Also custom numbers do not offer any protection from the USPS nor ebay. Only way to protect international mail is registered mail and even that can be iffy as the costs are too high, it tends to take longer to ship, and it still can be stolen.

Even with the problems with international mail, there is a strong market outside of the U.S. for sales. Depending of what's in my auctions I would say 50-80% of my sales are overseas (and Canada). It's always best to find the cheapest shipping methods while protecting the goods. When you say it costs you to mail something to Australia for $3.12, is that for one stamp? I can mail one standard cover for $2.34 (2oz. rate with nonmachineable charge) and that's with cardboard protection. A stamp or small group of stamps can be mailed for even less at the 1oz. rate. with the same protection.

You don't need bubble envelopes for stamps. I use this sort of thing for cigarette cards, and a smaller (and cheaper) size would work for stamps

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product...e=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks to all!

Battlestamps, I used 3 ounces as my item weight. I did not realize
you can ship 1 or 2 ounce international. I will check into that. My fear is of sending an item that truly does not arrive at its destination, or someone says it did not arrive. Can this not open the door for someone leaving negative feedback? Maybe registered mail is the way to ship.

This has been an excellent source of information. As I have said in previous threads, I know that I have a lot to learn.

GeoffHa, I looked at the link. Thank you! I have bought similar envelopes that I would put inside of the bubble envelopes. I now know
that I was way overboard with my packing. I have purchased quite a few stamps and have never seen anyone ship this way. Maybe overkill is one of my compulsions. I figured better safe than sorry.

Jenny2U, thanks again for opening my eyes to this issue.

duncanvr, thank you for your input as well.

I use a standard airmail envelope and get very minimal did not arrive. In fact more so tracked items were stolen in USA sorting centers. I had a penny black that was $180 sale sent it registered and it never got there, stolen in LA. When I send airmail its generally quicker.

One point is you need to manually manage your postage locations. I block out a lot of places like India, China etc where the claims of did not receive item more likely come from. There are enough customers in Europe, UK, Canada and USA these should be your target countries. I also sent to Japan and Hong Kong without any trouble. If someone in a blocked country wants to buy my items he must agree on a door to door tracking service charge of $25+. If he does then I will add an exception for him to bid. I have sent a few like that to India but I'd never send airmail to India it will go missing.

I've sent to China, on a signed for basis, and it was fine. The guy in the Post Office nearly fell on the floor laughing when he came up with a cost for a full tracked and signed service.

Hi Geoff maybe I might try selling to China again, but if you just sell one item will buyer in China want to pay $25+ tracked? I doubt it, yeh its a crazy cost for tracked these days not just to China but anywhere. I had $29 tracked to Russia the other week for a small item. I prefer not to send tracked but to some places you have to. UK & USA sales are down right now on ebay in a bad way so maybe I have to try some of the countries in my blocked list and hope for the best with reg airmail. Hopefully it brings in more buyers.