How do you handle international shipping? Or do you bother?

OnWithTheHunt · October 15, 2010 8:11AM

Going to list some coins on ebay this weekend, and have a few darksiders I thought might benefit if I was willing to ship outside the U.S. Faced with this situation in the distant past (pre-paypal), I simply said I would ship anywhere as long as the buyer paid the postage. Then I'd get an estimate from the Post Office and inform the winning bidder. Surprisingly, it worked in every case, but it's been quite a while since I tried it. Of course, there was no insurance. Nothing rare in this case, just a few silver crowns that my extremely out of date world coins catalog says are worth $25-50 apeice.

SaorAlba · October 15, 2010 8:45AM

There are countries, like Russia, Italy, Mexico where you will only want to ship registered, which is about $12 now. I send stuff all over the world, never had any problems - but I am doing mostly trades and private sales, no fleaBay for me. I find that people in Europe pretty much understand postage rates, since they usually pay a lot more to send stuff than in the USA.

BTW - just a suggestion, try the BST here on the board before suffering the ignominy of being fee'd to death on fleaBay.

ormandh · October 15, 2010 9:47AM

It usually costs me $13.45. I will say that the only way that is safe is to send it express mail. I know that there are a few threads that go over this topic, but I really do not see any great answer, especially when the coin(s) is lost. -Dan

mrpotatoheadd · October 15, 2010 10:13AM

I send 5 or 10 packages out of the country every week by first class mail. I use bubble envelopes and I haven't yet come across a country where the cost for a 1 ounce package is more than $1.44. Up to two ounces is around two bucks. IMO, you might as well forget about registered mail or express mail if your coins are valued $25 to $50, as bidders are not likely to be happy about spending as much for the coin as for shipping when there is a less expensive way to go (and they almost certainly know that).

Aethelred · October 15, 2010 10:26AM

I ship anywhere from 5-20 international packages per week. I find that 99 of 100 are problem free. Of the other 1%, about half of those are resolved to my satisfaction and the other half results in a loss for me.

ormandh · October 15, 2010 11:34AM

I sent about 100 out last year. I send them in 00 bubble packages and I had 6 that never made it. Most were over $150. I decided to not go that route with these types of coins. Registered for anything over $50 for me. If you do not want to pay it then don't buy it.

jt88 · October 15, 2010 12:33PM

I ship registered mail for under 2k, express mail for over 2k with insurance.

mrpotatoheadd · October 15, 2010 12:55PM

Everybody has to make their own determination, but registered mail only provides about $50 of coverage for an additional $11.50 fee, which seems a bit excessive to me. Disclosure- I've only used registered mail for international shipments three times, and one package was lost.

jt88 · October 15, 2010 1:14PM

It is not about insurance for registered mail but to meet Paypal's requirement of providing tracking number. If the buyer claim he/she did not receive the coin then you need tracking number to prove that you mail the coin out.

mrpotatoheadd · October 15, 2010 1:21PM

<< It is not about insurance for registered mail but to meet Paypal's requirement of providing tracking number. If the buyer claim he/she did not receive the coin then you need tracking number to prove that you mail the coin out. >>

PayPal requires that you can show the shipment was delivered, not just shipped. Registered mail (at least for international shipments) does not provide that proof.

edited to add...

11.3 Eligibility Requirements.

To be eligible for Seller protection, you must meet all of the basic requirements listed below; plus, you must meet the Item Not Received requirements listed below to be covered for Item Not Received protection and you must meet the Unauthorized Transactions requirements listed below to be covered for Unauthorized Transaction protection.

a.Basic Requirements:

•You must have a Proof of Delivery as described below.

11.4 Proof of Shipment, Proof of Delivery, and Signature Confirmation Requirements.

""Proof of Delivery" is online documentation from a shipping company that includes all of the following:

•The date the item is delivered.
•The recipient’s address, showing at least the city/state or zip code (or international equivalent).
•Signature Confirmation as described below for payments of $250 USD or more or the following foreign currency equivalents:

jt88 · October 15, 2010 1:27PM

<< 

<< It is not about insurance for registered mail but to meet Paypal's requirement of providing tracking number. If the buyer claim he/she did not receive the coin then you need tracking number to prove that you mail the coin out. >>

PayPal requires that you can show the shipment was delivered, not just shipped. Registered mail (at least for international shipments) does not provide that proof. >>

Well, if it get lost in transit then seller protection will cover it or if the buyer claim that he/she did not receive the coin, the tracking number will help you. Anyway, it is up to every seller decide how he want to mail the coin out.

mrpotatoheadd · October 15, 2010 1:29PM

<< Well, if it get lost in transit then seller protection will cover it or if the buyer claim that he/she did not receive the coin, the tracking number will help you. Anyway, it is up to every seller decide how he want to mail the coin out. >>

Check the info in my edited post above.

jt88 · October 15, 2010 1:34PM

<< 

<< Well, if it get lost in transit then seller protection will cover it or if the buyer claim that he/she did not receive the coin, the tracking number will help you. Anyway, it is up to every seller decide how he want to mail the coin out. >>

Check the info in my edited post above. >>

So what you are trying to say? Registered mail will not provide prove of delivery?

mrpotatoheadd · October 15, 2010 1:38PM

<< So what you are trying to say? Registered mail will not provide prove of delivery? >>

International shipments sent by registered mail do not provide:

Online documentation from a shipping company that includes all of the following:

•The date the item is delivered.
•The recipient’s address, showing at least the city/state or zip code (or international equivalent).
•Signature Confirmation as described below for payments of $250 USD or more...

jt88 · October 15, 2010 1:48PM

<< 

<< So what you are trying to say? Registered mail will not provide prove of delivery? >>

International shipments sent by registered mail do not provide:

Online documentation from a shipping company that includes all of the following:

•The date the item is delivered.
•The recipient’s address, showing at least the city/state or zip code (or international equivalent).
•Signature Confirmation as described below for payments of $250 USD or more... >>

Registered provided all of the above.

jt88 · October 15, 2010 1:58PM

Class: First-Class Mail International
Service(s): Registered Mail™
Status: Delivered Abroad

Your item was delivered in SINGAPORE at 9:33 am on September 22, 2010.

Detailed Results:

Delivered Abroad, September 22, 2010, 9:33 am, SINGAPORE
Out of Foreign Customs, September 21, 2010, 2:34 pm, SINGAPORE
Into Foreign Customs, September 20, 2010, 9:37 pm, SINGAPORE
Arrived Abroad, September 20, 2010, 8:37 pm, SINGAPORE
Arrival .............
Acceptance ..........
..................................................

mrpotatoheadd · October 15, 2010 2:06PM

<< Registered provided all of the above. >>

I had a similar report for a shipment to Germany, which PayPal denied. Maybe it'd work for you- I don't know.

jt88 · October 15, 2010 2:10PM

Can you provide more details? I like to hear about it. Thanks.

mrpotatoheadd · October 15, 2010 2:12PM

<< Can you provide more details? I like to hear about it. Thanks. >>

At this point? No- it was a couple of years ago. Sorry.

jt88 · October 15, 2010 2:18PM

That's OK. I try to learn how paypal handle cases. I once mailed a coin about $450 and it lost in transit or stoloen. The buyer filed a claim and I provided the info from the tracking number and my claim info to USPS (I did not buy insurance on the coin but I filed stolen claim anyway). Ebay took care of it and paid the buyer for the lost.

mrpotatoheadd · October 15, 2010 2:23PM

I wish I could tell you more. My third pary insurance company covered the loss with no hassles so I didn't worry too much about it after that.

jt88 · October 15, 2010 2:26PM

Good to hear that you boght insurance. I buy insurance for any coin over $200 now even I don't charge the buyer for the insuance.

wybrit · October 16, 2010 4:52AM

Your item was delivered in SINGAPORE at 9:33 am on September 22, 2010.

Just because you happened to see one package be noted as arrived in Singapore doesn't mean that registered post gives you traceability every time. It doesn't, in general. I have sent many, many packages overseas registered (because it is secure). There was seldom a time I saw that it was noted as "delivered." Unless something big has changed, you were lucky.

An overseas buyer can always claim that the package didn't arrive (even if it actually did) and you will lose almost every time. Shipsurance does offer protection for overseas shipments, especially for under $250 (they do it up to $500, but then you run into the "signature confirmation" snag.

All that said, I do ship a lot overseas and the only trouble I have is with UK Customs sitting on packages and then charging outrageous customs fees - for their own bloomin' coins!!! You always have a chance of being blamed for delays and charges, even though neither is your responsibility.

SaorAlba · October 16, 2010 7:13AM

On the inbound side I can tell you I got a registered from Mexico that was just thrown in my mail box without having to sign for it. In contrast I got one from Ireland this morning that I had to sign for, but they had to go and find it - it wasn't with the registereds, but with the certifieds!

I can track fairly well from Netherlands, Germany, Ukraine, and Romania crazily enough. The USA and Canada are so so. Right now I am wondering where the registered coming from Egypt is - a long long wait.

coinpictures · October 17, 2010 10:06PM

If you want to meet PayPal's seller protection policy guidelines when shipping internationally, you need to use Global Express Mail, not Registered Mail, as the latter will not always give the required information, depending on destination country.

If you're wanting to ensure delivery for YOUR purposes or with people you trust, then Registered is fine, but with PayPal that's another story.

If it's a PayPal transaction and the value is above the $250 limit on my 3rd-party insurance contract, it goes Global Express Mail. Period.

How do you handle international shipping? Or do you bother?

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