Have your international sales slowed, or perhaps disappeared?
Just curious -- with all the recent on-again, off-again, on-again tariff wars emanating from the United States, have American eBay sellers been encountering any severe declines in international sales?
My last international sale was March 23; but zip since then.
Perhaps the eBay International Shipping (EIS) hub should be turned into a bowling alley, or parking lot, or a factory for manufacturing non-stick Dole Plantation Lychee Gummi/Gummy Candy for sales by @inhawaii .
20 comments
ekmadonna
·1 year agoI consistently used to get one or 2 a week and especially around the 1st of each month-several. Have not had a single International sale since the Tariffs went into effect!
sfau
·1 year agoYes - I had a lot to Canada and not so much anymore.....
sin-n-dex
·1 year agoI used to get lots of international sales, but now I get very few. (Although in Canada my item location is USA, so for all intents and purposes buyers see me as a USA seller).
There's been a few Canadians who made small purchases from my eBay store and then come back to make much bigger purchases when they found out I'm in Canada.
C.
tarotfindsandmore
·1 year agoNope! My sales have been slow this past week but two of them were international.
luckythewinner
·1 year agoJust curious -- with all the recent on-again, off-again, on-again tariff wars emanating from the United States, have American eBay sellers been encountering any severe declines in international sales?
Before the tariffs took effect, I would have expected an INCREASE in buying with people trying to make purchases before the tariffs kicked in.
dirk12955
·1 year agoUsing myself as an example. I'll have a Monday where I ship 15 packages to Canada or overseas.
Then the following Monday I'll have none.
Go figure.
12345jamesstamps
·1 year ago'on-again, off-again, on-again tariff...
I got a big surge of International Buyers like for a few days up until Midnight of the Day tariffs kick in.
Then after no tariffs again...no International Sales.
It was a good few days...I mean really good.
The 'NO' cannot combine items in a cart to ask for a shipping total keeps my buyers away.
I tried everything but nothing works...so guess who profits...
dirk12955
·1 year agoPeople are watching to see what kind of damage
WWIII is going to cause.
dirk12955
·1 year agoThat shopping cart issue is driving me crazy.
I sold a buyer 8 stamps. She bought each one at time, So, 8 sales, 8 invoices,
8 X as much work since she either can't or won't use the shopping cart.
She's have saved $5.00 if she had as I'm running a sale.
I can't figure out how to explain to my buyers that they'd save money and
simplify things if they'd use that stupid cart that eBay has failed to educate
out buyers about. They got all offended when you try to help or educate them.
And of course, By the time the explanation would help, It's too late.
bbcardzman
·1 year agoUnfortunately eBay tells NOTHING to buyers about how the site works or how to use it but is quick to hold and take sellers funds and not take sellers sides on issues that should be no-brainers!
sin-n-dex
·1 year agoI've had a few of those recently... one guy bought some stamps, 10 transactions, one item each. The items are less than $2.00, that's a 40 cent fee on each item cut out of profits, instead of one 40 cent fee for the whole order.
I told him next time to send me a list of what he wants and I'll combine into a listing with combined shipping and a multi purchase discount. He won't have to commit to purchase and pay 10 times, I don't have to pay 10 fees, I just have to round up the product to make a listing. (I've been doing those custom listings a lot lately, since buyers don't like paying shipping on each item, the combined order in one listing solves the problem).
C.
inhawaii
·1 year agoMy international sales are booming since I started selling MAGA (Make America Go Away) hats. 😉
12345jamesstamps
·1 year agoLOL..you don't sell any...unless you sold out..😢
Why don't you create a HAT that saids 'Make Tariffs Go Away'?
Think of the money opportunity there!
bbcardzman
·1 year agoIf only people knew what tariffs are for and what they accomplish it might help but all you get is doom and gloom from all the news media. Tariffs WILL make America wealthy again, stocks will go back up like they always do and if you STOP watching CNN you'll have a better outlook. ALSO my international sales have been double what they usually are so tariffs don't have anything to do with that either.
lakefor94
·1 year agoBetween the MAGA hats and the Possum in a Peanut toys, you have to be raking, big time.
Many of us are quite envious.
You go, man!
sin-n-dex
·1 year agoI thought of getting some of those since I think they'd be popular, but it's not the message I want to send to buyers (especially USA buyers). Canada has no tariffs with China except EVs (and China has tariffed our food), but once the de minimis goes away those Chinese hats will be subject to tariffs. (I'm assuming that's where the hats are made...)
C.
12345jamesstamps
·1 year agoIt's been really bad.
I think when International Buyers(potential) can't combine items in a cart and request a combine total that really hurts us sellers.
I manage to get one buyer a few days ago stating I would refund combine shipping charges...now remember I sell items usually at 2 bucks a pop...it came out to a $39.60 negative in my 'available funds' immediately refunding the buyer.
Luckily I was able to tell the buyer to combine everything and not pay each one separately...so it was only .40 for a sale rather than .35 for each sale to me...this is how eBay makes a big profit from me...it was like 20+ items sold.
Why would eBay fix it when there's a profit?
I went free 'domestic shipping' to get around that.
I keep thinking can I afford 'FREE International Shipping' also to attract the International Buyers as well.
Thought keeps crossing my mind.
If I can get a good huge discount on USA postage 50 % off face value this month at the stamp show I might do that for some items to try for getting 'repeat International Buyers'
'Repeat Buyers' are like the 'bread and butter' for sellers.
lakefor94
·1 year agoMy EIS has increased over the last couple months and I won't pretend to know why.
Several to Mexico and one today to Austria. Canada has been good along with Australia.
Luck of the draw.
Unavailable member
·1 year agoI've received 12 international orders in the past couple of months. That's more than I usually get , the majority being UK and Canada and a couple from Australia.
lakefor94
·1 year agoUK only allows about 20% of my items to be sold there. Australia shows 90% of my wares.