The only real downside is figuring out what to spend your money on.
Skip cookie jar insurance with extreme prejudice...that is already your money anyway. There is zero reason to put it in a can for when something breaks. Make your buyer pay ACTUAL insurance.
Yes, But I think there is a greater chance with International Destinations
Maybe so but at least with EIS eBay is providing the seller with almost foolproof protection against any type of scam, returns or chargebacks. There is FAR more seller risk with domestic sales these days than there are with internationals sales under the EIS program.
As others mentioned if you are referring to the EIS program the seller protections are outstanding, far better than they are for domestic shipments, and the seller is covered in almost every situation, including chargebacks.
The only down sides to the program are:
1. No combined shipping available at the moment but eBay is supposed to be working on that issue.
2. Some current restrictions with regards to item eligibility, package size and weigh limits and
item value limit.
3. Shipping timeline is a bit more protracted due to the dual shipping legs to the hub then to the buyer.
4. Buyer pays a bit more for shipping since they are covering the cost of both the domestic shipping
leg and the international leg.
5. In some case if a seller had shipped directly they could have used first class international on a
package up to 4 pounds but having to ship package to the domestic hub limits the new
ground advantage lower cost to items under 1 pound.
As others mentioned if you are referring to the EIS program the seller protections are outstanding, far better than they are for domestic shipments, and the seller is covered in almost every situation, including chargebacks.
The only down sides to the program are:
1. No combined shipping available at the moment but eBay is supposed to be working on that issue.
2. Some current restrictions with regards to item eligibility, package size and weigh limits and
item value limit.
3. Shipping timeline is a bit more protracted due to the dual shipping legs to the hub then to the buyer.
4. Buyer pays a bit more for shipping since they are covering the cost of both the domestic shipping
leg and the international leg.
5. In some case if a seller had shipped directly they could have used first class international on a package up to 4 pounds but having to ship package to the domestic hub limits the new ground advantage lower cost to items under 1 pound.
As others mentioned if you are referring to the EIS program the seller protections are outstanding, far better than they are for domestic shipments, and the seller is covered in almost every situation, including chargebacks.
The only down sides to the program are:
1. No combined shipping available at the moment but eBay is supposed to be working on that issue.
2. Some current restrictions with regards to item eligibility, package size and weigh limits and
item value limit.
3. Shipping timeline is a bit more protracted due to the dual shipping legs to the hub then to the buyer.
4. Buyer pays a bit more for shipping since they are covering the cost of both the domestic shipping
leg and the international leg.
5. In some case if a seller had shipped directly they could have used first class international on a package up to 4 pounds but having to ship package to the domestic hub limits the new ground advantage lower cost to items under 1 pound.
Why? The new GA goes up to 70 pounds, I believe.
Yes the GA goes up to 70 pounds but there is still a larger price break between those items that are under 1 pound and those that are over. Had the seller shipped directly to the foreign destination they could have used first class international package up to 4 pounds at a reduced rate. EIS may in fact utilize that method for the international leg who knows. However, the sell shipping to the EIS hub may use the GA but not get the price break for the 4 pound package that they would have gotten on the first class international package. Hope this makes sense difficult to explain.
EIS is a lot cheaper for the buyer than Ebay Global Shipping was.
No customs paperwork, you are not the shipper of record. Returns are Ebay's problem not yours.
But it is SLOW.
It was initially pretty fast, but since DHL eCommerce has been showing up in the process it is very slow with packages sitting at the hub for a week or two. Particularly bad to the UK.
Amazingly, my buyers have been patient about the delays. Although one told me he was able to use "magic" to correct an error in the process on the UK side.
I have a low hassle strategy and Ebay Global Shipping made me turn on International after years of restricting my sales to US shipping addresses. I'll leave EIS on until I have buyer complaints about the shipping, if they appear I will turn it off and tell international buyers to deal with a freight forwarder.
EIS is a lot cheaper for the buyer than Ebay Global Shipping was.
No customs paperwork,
This is actually my concern as a Canadian buyer.
One reason for the apparently high cost of the GSP was that import fees were paid by the buyer before the seller shipped.
This stopped the "customs hold" scam where the buyer did not pick up the shipment until they had a refund for Not Received, then paid only the import fees and got their stolen goods.
Now the system is open to that scam again.
But it looks like eBay will be losing the money, not the seller, so there's that.
I use EIS and only have positives to report. It can be pricey for the customer as they're paying seller's domestic shipping cost as well as intenational shipping.
You can give the illusion of more affordable shipping by incorporating the domestic cost of shipping in the total price of your item and offer free shipping. The buyer is still paying for international shipping.
I am not sure of all the in's and out's. However, since international shipping has started, I do not think I have sold anything with it. The very few overseas buyers I have are still using forwarders. No one has told me why, and I have not asked.
I am not sure of all the in's and out's. However, since international shipping has started, I do not think I have sold anything with it. The very few overseas buyers I have are still using forwarders. No one has told me why, and I have not asked.
International shipping has always been an option. Do you actually mean EIS?
The reason some international buyers use Freight Forwarders is because it is usually cheaper for them. The FF collects their packages and then at whatever intervals they have set up, they ship all the packages to the international buyer at once. That usually saves on shipping overall.
eBay's new EIS program seems like an great deal. I've shipped internationally since about 1999 and refused to have anything to do with ebay's "programs" as it's so easy to do myself and I didn't want it in some third party's hands. This program seems so fool-proof that even *this* fool has signed up for it! So I would recommend looking into it.
eBay's new EIS program seems like an great deal. I've shipped internationally since about 1999 and refused to have anything to do with ebay's "programs" as it's so easy to do myself and I didn't want it in some third party's hands. This program seems so fool-proof that even *this* fool has signed up for it! So I would recommend looking into it.
Understand your position.
That said, I don't have buyer issues internationally. If I ship direct I can undercut EIS pricing AND make a healthy handling charge plus International buyers will receive their orders faster.
As an alternative to not shipping at all internationally it's a good deal for sellers and maybe will bring back some International buyers that have drifted off in recent years.
eBay's new EIS program seems like an great deal. I've shipped internationally since about 1999 and refused to have anything to do with ebay's "programs" as it's so easy to do myself and I didn't want it in some third party's hands. This program seems so fool-proof that even *this* fool has signed up for it! So I would recommend looking into it.
Understand your position.
That said, I don't have buyer issues internationally. If I ship direct I can undercut EIS pricing AND make a healthy handling charge plus International buyers will receive their orders faster.
As an alternative to not shipping at all internationally it's a good deal for sellers and maybe will bring back some International buyers that have drifted off in recent years.
This is exactly it - I can do it more cheaply and quickly myself and if I were selling full time again I would simply start up international sales on my own (I stopped due to pandemic snarl-ups), as I would have more to offer, but at this point I'm giving this a try.
If you use the EIS program, Ebay assumes all the risk, so you will be fine. You just need to make sure you package the item well and ship it to their processing center, Ebay takes it over from there.
I was having issues with them arriving to the global hub, They were being dropped at the closest USPS hub & left with individual is all it would say, Then ebay telling me my orders were never delivered to them, Having to refund buyer & loss of product, I have since stopped using Global!
I was having issues with them arriving to the global hub, They were being dropped at the closest USPS hub & left with individual is all it would say, Then ebay telling me my orders were never delivered to them, Having to refund buyer & loss of product, I have since stopped using Global!
Are you referring to the EIS program, GSP or one of the other international shipping options that used to exist.
I've been shipping internationally since I started on eBay circa 1998.
Partly because I'm in Canada and the largest market in the world is the USA.
And we've been selling by mail order since 1979 or so.
As a seller you can have a No Returns policy, but that is not a No Refunds policy.
You can even with a No Returns policy, demand the return of the disputed item before refunding.
You may have to pay for return shipping and international tracked air mail is always expensive.
So.
Cookie Jar Insurance.
No matter where your customer is, they can do chargebacks.
You may be able to win a chargeback if you can prove the item was delivered or by demanding the return. But maybe not.
So.
Cookie Jar Insurance.
And scammers live everywhere.
If you are in the USA and use eBay International Shipping, you are protected against most scams including Not Received, and Late Delivery.
Unlike the GSP you are not covered against the Customs Hold scam.
So.
Cookie Jar Insurance.
You can protect yourself by Blocking countries you don't want to ship to at any time. I have only four of those.
You can protect yourself by not naming any foreign countries you will ship to. The customer in those countries still sees your listing, but has to ask for the shipping fee. This allows you to vet their Feedback Left for Others and consider your chances.
Or.
Cookie Jar Insurance.
This is just adding a few pennies to the cost of every transaction as a premium for self-insurance.
Those virtual pennies go in a virtual Cookie Jar.
If you have a problem, and less than one percent of transactions are problems. you pay out from the Cookie Jar.
This covers return postage, Not As Described where demanding the return is more expensive than the item (and that includes both specious and valid NADcomplaints), items damaged in transit, poor packaging leading to damage, and postal insurance claims.
You don't have to list everything with International Shipping.
First look at the USPS rate card for various countries. (UK, Australia, Japan, and Bulgaria for example).
monster-deals
·3 years agoThe only real downside is figuring out what to spend your money on.
Skip cookie jar insurance with extreme prejudice...that is already your money anyway. There is zero reason to put it in a can for when something breaks. Make your buyer pay ACTUAL insurance.
You get $50-$100 of it with Priority.
soh.maryl
·3 years agoAren't those all problems that could happen with any transaction, not just those using global shipping?
meme6253
·3 years agoYes, But I think there is a greater chance with International Destinations
mam98031
·3 years agoDoes it matter if that is true or not since with EIS, Ebay takes the risk, not the seller??
@meme6253
dbfolks166mt
·3 years agoYes, But I think there is a greater chance with International Destinations
Maybe so but at least with EIS eBay is providing the seller with almost foolproof protection against any type of scam, returns or chargebacks. There is FAR more seller risk with domestic sales these days than there are with internationals sales under the EIS program.
tck210
OP3 years agoExcept with global shipping there are other fees/costs that may need to be reimbursed??
buyselljack2016
·3 years ago@tck210
"Global shipping program" (GSP) is done, or is about to be. GSP ............seller can be on the hook.
"eBay International Shipping" (EIS) is a different program. EIS ...............eBay takes the heat.
mam98031
·3 years ago@tck210
Not if you are using EIS. Have you read the policy page about the program. Sellers using this program are NOT charged the 1.65% FVF.
The program is very good for sellers.
dbfolks166mt
·3 years agoAs others mentioned if you are referring to the EIS program the seller protections are outstanding, far better than they are for domestic shipments, and the seller is covered in almost every situation, including chargebacks.
The only down sides to the program are:
1. No combined shipping available at the moment but eBay is supposed to be working on that issue.
2. Some current restrictions with regards to item eligibility, package size and weigh limits and
item value limit.
3. Shipping timeline is a bit more protracted due to the dual shipping legs to the hub then to the buyer.
4. Buyer pays a bit more for shipping since they are covering the cost of both the domestic shipping
leg and the international leg.
5. In some case if a seller had shipped directly they could have used first class international on a
package up to 4 pounds but having to ship package to the domestic hub limits the new
ground advantage lower cost to items under 1 pound.
toomuchstuffagain35
·3 years agoWhy? The new GA goes up to 70 pounds, I believe.
dbfolks166mt
·3 years agoWhy? The new GA goes up to 70 pounds, I believe.
Yes the GA goes up to 70 pounds but there is still a larger price break between those items that are under 1 pound and those that are over. Had the seller shipped directly to the foreign destination they could have used first class international package up to 4 pounds at a reduced rate. EIS may in fact utilize that method for the international leg who knows. However, the sell shipping to the EIS hub may use the GA but not get the price break for the 4 pound package that they would have gotten on the first class international package. Hope this makes sense difficult to explain.
tobaccocardyahoo
·3 years agoEIS is a lot cheaper for the buyer than Ebay Global Shipping was.
No customs paperwork, you are not the shipper of record. Returns are Ebay's problem not yours.
But it is SLOW.
It was initially pretty fast, but since DHL eCommerce has been showing up in the process it is very slow with packages sitting at the hub for a week or two. Particularly bad to the UK.
Amazingly, my buyers have been patient about the delays. Although one told me he was able to use "magic" to correct an error in the process on the UK side.
I have a low hassle strategy and Ebay Global Shipping made me turn on International after years of restricting my sales to US shipping addresses. I'll leave EIS on until I have buyer complaints about the shipping, if they appear I will turn it off and tell international buyers to deal with a freight forwarder.
femmefan1946
·3 years agoEIS is a lot cheaper for the buyer than Ebay Global Shipping was.
No customs paperwork,
This is actually my concern as a Canadian buyer.
One reason for the apparently high cost of the GSP was that import fees were paid by the buyer before the seller shipped.
This stopped the "customs hold" scam where the buyer did not pick up the shipment until they had a refund for Not Received, then paid only the import fees and got their stolen goods.
Now the system is open to that scam again.
But it looks like eBay will be losing the money, not the seller, so there's that.
cardxcraft
·3 years agoI use EIS and only have positives to report. It can be pricey for the customer as they're paying seller's domestic shipping cost as well as intenational shipping.
You can give the illusion of more affordable shipping by incorporating the domestic cost of shipping in the total price of your item and offer free shipping. The buyer is still paying for international shipping.
pennysdream
·3 years agoI am not sure of all the in's and out's. However, since international shipping has started, I do not think I have sold anything with it. The very few overseas buyers I have are still using forwarders. No one has told me why, and I have not asked.
mam98031
·3 years agoInternational shipping has always been an option. Do you actually mean EIS?
The reason some international buyers use Freight Forwarders is because it is usually cheaper for them. The FF collects their packages and then at whatever intervals they have set up, they ship all the packages to the international buyer at once. That usually saves on shipping overall.
chapeau-noir
·3 years agoeBay's new EIS program seems like an great deal. I've shipped internationally since about 1999 and refused to have anything to do with ebay's "programs" as it's so easy to do myself and I didn't want it in some third party's hands. This program seems so fool-proof that even *this* fool has signed up for it! So I would recommend looking into it.
slippinjimmy
·3 years agoUnderstand your position.
That said, I don't have buyer issues internationally. If I ship direct I can undercut EIS pricing AND make a healthy handling charge plus International buyers will receive their orders faster.
As an alternative to not shipping at all internationally it's a good deal for sellers and maybe will bring back some International buyers that have drifted off in recent years.
chapeau-noir
·3 years agoThis is exactly it - I can do it more cheaply and quickly myself and if I were selling full time again I would simply start up international sales on my own (I stopped due to pandemic snarl-ups), as I would have more to offer, but at this point I'm giving this a try.
safan80
·3 years agomam98031
·3 years agoIn EIS Ebay takes care of forms.
tdrake
·3 years agoI think I had one buyer, back around 1999 or so, ask me to mark something as "gift". YMMV but I don't see that as a concern.
inhawaii
·3 years agoThe only bad side is that it can be a little pricey for the buyer, but hey, if they are willing to pay the extra, why not? Better for all of us.
caseypl
·3 years agoI haven't had any issues with any of the international shipments I have done. Car parts. Customers seem to be pretty happy to get the items.
mam98031
·3 years agoIf you use the EIS program, Ebay assumes all the risk, so you will be fine. You just need to make sure you package the item well and ship it to their processing center, Ebay takes it over from there.
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/setting-shipping-options/ebay-international-shipping-program?id=5348
https://pages.ebay.com/internationalshippingprogram/seller/terms/
slippinjimmy
·3 years agoRead the details of the program here:
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/setting-shipping-options/ebay-international-shipping-program?id=5348
Basically you are covered for any issues after your order is delivered to the eBay shipping hub.
kensgiftshop
·3 years agoFrom what I understand, if you use Ebay International shipping, you just have to get the package to the US hub.
After that, Ebay takes care of everything else.
meme6253
·3 years agoI was having issues with them arriving to the global hub, They were being dropped at the closest USPS hub & left with individual is all it would say, Then ebay telling me my orders were never delivered to them, Having to refund buyer & loss of product, I have since stopped using Global!
dbfolks166mt
·3 years agoI was having issues with them arriving to the global hub, They were being dropped at the closest USPS hub & left with individual is all it would say, Then ebay telling me my orders were never delivered to them, Having to refund buyer & loss of product, I have since stopped using Global!
Are you referring to the EIS program, GSP or one of the other international shipping options that used to exist.
femmefan1946
·3 years agoI've been shipping internationally since I started on eBay circa 1998.
Partly because I'm in Canada and the largest market in the world is the USA.
And we've been selling by mail order since 1979 or so.
As a seller you can have a No Returns policy, but that is not a No Refunds policy.
You can even with a No Returns policy, demand the return of the disputed item before refunding.
You may have to pay for return shipping and international tracked air mail is always expensive.
So.
Cookie Jar Insurance.
No matter where your customer is, they can do chargebacks.
You may be able to win a chargeback if you can prove the item was delivered or by demanding the return. But maybe not.
So.
Cookie Jar Insurance.
And scammers live everywhere.
If you are in the USA and use eBay International Shipping, you are protected against most scams including Not Received, and Late Delivery.
Unlike the GSP you are not covered against the Customs Hold scam.
So.
Cookie Jar Insurance.
You can protect yourself by Blocking countries you don't want to ship to at any time. I have only four of those.
You can protect yourself by not naming any foreign countries you will ship to. The customer in those countries still sees your listing, but has to ask for the shipping fee. This allows you to vet their Feedback Left for Others and consider your chances.
Or.
Cookie Jar Insurance.
This is just adding a few pennies to the cost of every transaction as a premium for self-insurance.
Those virtual pennies go in a virtual Cookie Jar.
If you have a problem, and less than one percent of transactions are problems. you pay out from the Cookie Jar.
This covers return postage, Not As Described where demanding the return is more expensive than the item (and that includes both specious and valid NADcomplaints), items damaged in transit, poor packaging leading to damage, and postal insurance claims.
You don't have to list everything with International Shipping.
First look at the USPS rate card for various countries. (UK, Australia, Japan, and Bulgaria for example).
https://postcalc.usps.com/?country=10440
Don't list anything that would be expensive to ship and is prone to damage.
Avoid listing electronics and games which are a scammer's paradise.
Some categories are higher in scams than others.
If it appeals to men between 15 and 35, it is a high scam category.
Jewelry is high scam, but most of the scammers are sellers. Not all, but bad sellers abound .
Sneakers are high scam which is why there is Authentication.
Purses are high scam which is why there is Authentication.
But most people are honest.
Overseas buyers want your item, and will pay for expensive shipping, because they can't get it where they live.