EBay International Shipments
KSorbo
Posts: 159 ✭✭✭
I just had a very negative experience using EBay’s global shipping service (Asendia). I sold a coin via auction to a buyer in Kazakhstan and shipped it to the US address from which the international courier takes over. Approximately one month after I shipped it I got a refund request from the buyer for item not received. The tracking said it cleared customs a couple weeks before but nothing after that. I contacted eBay who walked me through the claims process with the shipping service. In the end I got charged the entire amount of the return (around $280) and only got $100 back from the shipping service.
For those of you who ship worldwide, how do you manage those risks? It seems that a lot of countries carry a risk of items being delayed for long periods even if they aren’t stolen, and then the seller has to do a refund even if the item finally arrives later. Is there an option to purchase insurance for these shipments? I know that some insurers may exclude numismatic items. I was under the impression that EBay was liable after my shipment arrived at the US distribution center but I guess I thought wrong.
I found the function in my eBay account to restrict buyers from specific countries and changed it to exclude non first world countries. But there is a lot of demand from the Eastern Bloc and I would be happy to sell to people there if I could protect myself from the risks.
Comments
This must be different than the eBay Global Shipping Program? I’ve used the Global Shipping Program dozens of times with success. Twice, the buyer had problems which necessitated a refund. eBay refunded the buyer both times at their expense and there were no actions that I had to take after the buyers made their claims. I know this info doesn’t help you, but that is my experience.
That doesn’t sound right. You must did something wrong? If you use eBay international shipping program eBay should take care of the claim for you. You should not have to do anything. I used it many times for amount less than 2500, no lost other than slowness
I did the shipping label through eBay. The transaction is listed as “eBay International Standard Delivery”. The label was addressed to a distribution center near Philly, from which the courier took over.
Is international shipping worth the hassle these days?
It provides a larger pool of buyers, especially for world coins. If the highest bidder is a foreign buyer, the coin would have sold for less without that bidder.
This is what ebay said"eBay International Shipping
Your listing will show up for buyers worldwide, where applicable. Ship to our domestic shipping hub, and we’ll handle the rest, including customs and returns—at no extra cost to you"
This is what ebay said:
eBay handles returns
Your sale is complete when your item arrives at our domestic shipping hub, no matter what. If the buyer opens a return, eBay issues refund at no cost to you. All returns communications are handled for you.
You should talk to ebay to find out why you have to refund the buyer.
I've used Shipsurance in the past. I've never used eBay's international shipping program.
Most of the coins I sold on eBay were South Africa Union and ZAR sold to South African buyers when the Union series was my primary collecting interest. I haven't sold hardly anything on eBay in roughly 10 years.
I still buy intermittently on eBay but will avoid selling directly there absent a better option. It's also another reason I won't buy coins I used to buy or might have bought before.
Never had an issue with their global programme.
Last time that happened to me, ebay forced me to refund the buyer and then, on my own submit a claim to ebays insurance program. It was covered by seller protection but I had to go through that process. It wasn't entirely fun.
I've had more problems sending to China than anywhere else. I assume it's partly because the alphabets and the address blocks are completely different between here and there.
IG: DeCourcyCoinsEbay: neilrobertson
"Numismatic categorizations, if left unconstrained, will increase spontaneously over time." -me
That was what I had to do. Was your claim more than $100?
KSorbo: "The transaction is listed as “eBay International Standard Delivery”."
MedalCollector: "I’ve used the Global Shipping Program dozens of times with success."
eBay's international shipping policies can be confusing. "eBay International Standard Delivery" and "Global Shipping Program" (replaced by "eBay International Shipping") are two different things. From perplexity.ai:
Q. What is the difference between eBay international Standard Delivery and eBay International Shipping?
A. The key differences between eBay International Standard Delivery and eBay International Shipping (formerly known as the Global Shipping Program, GSP) are as follows:
eBay International Standard Delivery
Delivered Duties Unpaid (DDU): Buyers do not pay duties and taxes at checkout. Instead, they may be billed for customs fees upon the item’s arrival in their country, which can cause surprise charges and dissatisfaction for buyers.
Shipping Process: Sellers ship the item to one of several eBay international shipping centers in the US, from where eBay handles the international shipment.
Cost: Usually slightly cheaper for buyers compared to GSP, but can be slower and less reliable in terms of tracking, depending on the destination country.
Liability: If the package is lost during international transit, the seller is liable, although eBay may refund the seller if the item is lost after reaching the US shipping hub.
Customs Fees: Buyers may receive unexpected customs bills, which can lead to complaints as sellers have no control over customs charges.
Tracking and Delivery: Tracking may not always work in some countries, and delivery times can be longer due to economy reshippers.
eBay International Shipping (New Program replacing GSP)
Delivered Duties Paid (DDP): Buyers pay all duties and taxes upfront during checkout on eBay, so there are no surprise customs fees upon delivery.
Shipping Process: Sellers ship items to a designated eBay shipping hub (e.g., Kentucky), and eBay manages all international shipping logistics, customs clearance, and duties payment.
Cost: Typically higher shipping costs for buyers because eBay includes duties and taxes and adds a service margin, but this transparency reduces buyer complaints
Liability and Returns: eBay covers the risk of lost packages during international transit and handles returns and refunds, allowing sellers to keep the sale without additional costs or risks.
Buyer Experience: Buyers see the full cost (item price + shipping + duties) upfront, which improves transparency and reduces surprises.
Seller Benefits: Sellers get protections such as removal of negative feedback related to international transit issues, and detailed seller ratings benefits if shipping conditions are met.
In essence, eBay International Standard Delivery is a lower-cost option with more risk and potential customs surprises for buyers, while eBay International Shipping provides a more streamlined, transparent, and risk-free experience for both buyers and sellers, at a higher cost to buyers.
291fifth: "Is international shipping worth the hassle these days?"
IMO, if you use eBay International Shipping, it's preferable to domestic shipping since you never have to deal with returns.
I wouldn't sell to Kazakhstan. I don't think it's one of the places covered by GSP, which might be the problem. They pretty much exclude Africa, large parts of Asia and a few other places.
GSP just requires you to ship to eBay's own hub and they repackage/send it on. Their freight companies are awful and lose things all the time, but eBay always pay in full if that happens and you got it to the hub ok. GSP costs the buyer a fair bit, but that's why.