How To Prevent International Sales

[hondamedic]

Don't want the hassle with Customs Forms, slow shipping complaints & hits on your Shipping Time DSR's, INR (Item Not Recieved) because there's no DC (Delivery Confirmation) on the shipping method the buyer insists you use or SNAD (Significantly Not As Described) and buyer won't return due to cost of S&H that you had to pay to get it there & you lost money on? There are 3 steps:

1. At Home Page after signing in wave your cursor over the Account tab & click on Site Preferences in the drop down menu.
Find Shipping preferences & click on Show at the end of the row.
Find Exclude shipping locations from your listings & click on Edit
Put a check mark on all options including North America as NA does not include US.

Put check mark in Apply to all current live listings & click on Apply.

2. Find Buyer requirements on the same page & click on Show then Edit.
Put a check mark in the box under Buyers in locations to which I don't ship.
Put a check mark in the box in front of Apply above settings to active and future listings.
If you truly do not want to be bothered with requests to ship internationally put a check mark in the box at the bottom of the page next to Don't allow blocked buyers to contact me.

Click on Submit.

3. Log into your PayPal account & click on Profile in the sub-menu bar at the top of the page.
Under Selling Preferences click on Payment Receiving Preferences.
Put a check on Yes under Block payments sent to me in a currency I do not hold:

Scroll to the bottom of the page & click on Save.

Needless to say, as you're in these areas & have other options that are available, you should adjust your settings for your comfort level. Hope this helps!

[hondamedic]

Good morning OMA.

Many International buyers are looking for items not available in their country (Things we would never think of as we see them all the time.) or are very expensive, like designer jeans.

[titus730]

Women's plus size clothing, which I sell, isn't as easy to find in other countries. Most US catalog and online retailers don't ship internationally.

[hondamedic]

Thailand, http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=passapolgrm2&ftab=FeedbackLeftForOthe...

[hondamedic]

I sent an International item with tracking and insurance. The item arrived in the country 5 days later and has been sitting at customs ever since. Customs tried to contact the buyer - with NO response!! They then contacted me through Aust Post for more info - so I gave them the buyers email address - my details and the buyers contact number as well as confirming the address. The Customs of that country tried yet again to contact the buyer to clear the item. late yesterday I receive a lett from Asut post stating the buyer didn't respond to customs and that now the item has been confiscated due to lack of response by the buyer - heaven forbid they would send it back to me.... The buyer then emails me first thing this morning saying - I don't have my item - I'll open a case - and within 4 minutes opened a case against me. Now - I have no items - my money held by PayPal and a buyer who is impatient and rude and a loss of my top rated seller status (and I get customers due to the fact I have that - in their own words). The buyer could've given me more than 4 minutes to respond. I'm NOT happy!!! How do buyers get more protection than a power seller with a long history of excellent service??? It just simply wrong!!!!

[hondamedic]

Update: Well I responded to the case and stated "return item for full refund".

I just got this response from the buyer:

Sir Im from srilanka and if i want to shipi this to USA i have to travel to colombo capital city of srilanka.It is far from my location and im a banker of proffession so i don't have time for that.Also seller state that he won't accept any returns too.And also he state that the item is an USA item not from Chaina.but it made in in chaina. its OK.I don't care what is the country.But i want to make it work.so I cant ship this item and I don't want to get a risk on that.

.....

I was unsure which thread this post from the SC board would be the best to post it to.

So I decided on both!:-p

[hondamedic]

Africa...Again!

Makes for an interesting read. Buyer and friends spamming seller and plastering the Internet with sellers information.

[hondamedic]

http://forums.ebay.com/db2/topic/Seller-Central/Facing-A-Possible/5200039138

1. Seller is lucky buyer did not file an INR but they still can.
2. While they can't file a SNAD if they used a CC they can file a charge back.

3. Never sell an item on eBay you can't afford to loose, in the US or International.

[hondamedic]

New Zealand> http://forums.ebay.com/db2/topic/Seller-Central/Advice-On-Inr/5200040066

I also learned something in that thread:

I was told by PayPal whom I contacted after I saw the case was opened that buyers often choose to file through PayPal for two reasons:

1. They can file sooner

2. They don't have to wait 7 days to escalate a case (i.e. they can do it immediately like this buyer did.

I was also informed that PayPal is going to make a ruling on the escalated case in 5 calendar (not business) days. This is regardless of what information I provide.

Interesting, no? With all the eBay hype about Buyer Protection it would seem PayPal's better for the buyer and worse for the seller! Who knew?:|

[hondamedic]

Australia> http://forums.ebay.com/db2/topic/Seller-Central/Help-New-Seller/5200040708

[connierebel]

I had a situation where an international buyer said he never received an item I shipped. I just refunded the money, and he gave me positive feedback, so it didn'tend too badly, but after reading about a lot of international shipping scams, I decided only to ship to the US and Canada. I'm only a casual seller of small items, so it's not worth the extra risk and trouble to me to sell internationally.

[hondamedic]

Hi ConnieRebel and welcome to The Part Timers Forum.

That's probably the #1 issue with selling Internationally, it is prohibitively expensive to get DC or SC and eBay/PayPal will find for the buyer in an INR case.

Good luck with your future auctions! 

[hondamedic]

Seller refunded $85 in S&H overage only to get Negged for Customs Charges> http://forums.ebay.com/db2/topic/Feedback/Negative-Feedback-For/5100035341

[hondamedic]

Germany> http://forums.ebay.com/db2/topic/Ebay-Chat/Buyer-Stole-My/5200049578

[hondamedic]

Brazil> http://forums.ebay.com/db2/topic/Seller-Central/What-A-Surprise/5200052403

I have read quite a few posts, like this one, that shipments to Brazil can take up to two months to arrive. A buyer only has 45 days to file an INR claim so the buyer has no option IMO.

[hondamedic]

Germany> http://forums.ebay.com/db2/topic/Seller-Central/Buyer-Has-Not/5200055031

I have rarely read about problems with German PO and this had DC to prove not delivered. Post #1 reports German Customs slow but OP reports there was an attempted delivery.