eBay international shipping not working for specific countries?

Question

Hi there. I have a few buyers wanting to order from my store and they live in Germany and the UK. They are telling me shipping costs are outrageous ($20+). Isn't eIS supposed to make shipping costs lower for overseas orders? I have an order from Australia right now and they only paid $5 for shipping through eBay international shipping. What is going on with Germany and the UK? Does eIS not work for those countries?

inceptions · Answer

Hi @videogamecases

No, shipping through EIS is not supposed to make shipping costs lower. That's not it's purpose. It's purpose to to entice sellers to ship internationally, easily and with seller protection.

What you see as the shipping cost is from your location to the hub. What the buyer sees for the shipping cost is from your location to theirs.

($20 in shipping to an international location doesn't sound high to me. Domestic shipping from the east to the west coast can be easily higher than that. In addition to the shipping, the buyer will most likely be paying quite a bit for import fees.)

fashionsandbeauty4u · Answer

@videogamecases

Shipping for overseas Buyers via the eBay International Shipping Program (eIS) is quite expensive. They may need to pay you to ship to the eIS hub in the United States, plus pay eBay to ship from the hub to their country. That can also involve customs fees, etc.

In looking at your listings, it seems the items you sell can be sent to the UK and Germany but it will be costly. That's why it is critical that you enter the correct weight and dimensions of your package before you list. If not, your overseas Buyers will see an inflated cost.

With the Australian sale, the $5 is just to get it to the hub.