Using Candian International Shipping hub
Summary: The discussion revolves around the challenges of using eBay International Shipping (eIS) for shipping items from Canada to the United States. marnotom! highlights the higher costs associated with international shipping, suggesting that raising the product price or using a higher shipping rate might be necessary. They explain that shipping to the U.S. involves additional costs due to the need for items to first be sent to a Canadian hub before reaching the U.S., despite eBay's preferential rates with Canada Post for certain shipments. marnotom! also mentions the benefits of using eIS, such as the protection it offers to sellers, although they note that selling low-priced items might not justify the costs involved.
Hi, I am looking for some help/advice with someone with way more experience. I contacted ebay live chat support and it wasn't really helpful. Using one of my items (397987953530) as an example.
I have this music CD posted for $1.49. I can use letter rate mail in Canada for $5.79 and the buyer will see that, buy it and ebay will send me the $1.49 and $5.79 payout, minus the fees of course. no problem with this one, I've done it before. Here is the issue, I wanted to try international shipping by sending to the hub. The $5.79 letter rate is not an option since it needs tracking and the cheapest way for me to send it with tracking to the hub is $12.05. I tried adding that as an option into the shipping results and the rep told me that buyers would see the lower of the two shipping options only so that won't work. I can't collect $5.79 in shipping and pay $12.05 to get it to the hub. he suggested I just raise the price, I don't want to do that. He then suggested I ad another service in the international area. So I did that, added the $12.05 as a standard shipping option and he said that was good and I would be responsible to handle all the duty, fees and all the paperwork. Well, I mentioned I did not want to do that. the point of the international shipping is so ebay takes care of that so that service was removed. His only option was for me to increase the price which I don't want to do. I don't know if there is a way to have my Canadian buyers see the $5.79 letter rate shipping is usual which has never ben a problem........and now ad an international option with the tracking using canada post lite for $12.05 and international buyers need to use that option only. If ebay is only going to send me $5.79 as part of my payout for international sales, that just won't work. hoping this makes sense and someone can help if they have experience with this. **I had to remove the music CD listings from international purchase for now until I can get help so nobody can purchase them from outside Canada so they won't show up using the VIEW LISTINGS link. I included the number of the item earlier in the message if someone does a search for it. Thanks
reallynicestamps
·4 months agoThe $5.79 letter rate is not an option since it needs tracking and the cheapest way for me to send it with tracking to the hub is $12.05.
No.
We are never required to track our shipments.
If we are in a high fraud category or if the shipment is high value, it is wise, since an Item Not Recieved (INR) claim can only be disproven by showing the tracking information, but it is not required.
I have been sending eIS shipments to Mississauga without tracking, when the shipment meets LetterRate requirements (under 500 grams, less than 2cm thick) and is inexpensive.
I use Expedited Lite when I want tracking on a more valuable item.
Most of what I sell easily fits in an envelope although the value might be $10Cdn or $1500USD.
A note about Expedited Lite-- there have been intermittent problems with eBay offering this service, but keep in mind that with your Solutions for Small Business account, you can still buy those labels directly from Canada Post.
https://sso-osu.canadapost-postescanada.ca/pfe-pap/en/registration/business?language=en&sourceApp=SMB&sourceUrl=https:%2F%2Fwww.canadapost-postescanada.ca%2Fcpc%2Fen%2Fsmall-business.page&targetUrl=https:%2F%2Fsso-osu.canadapost-postescanada.ca%2Fpfe-pap%2Fen%2Fregistration%2Fbusiness%3FforceVouchFor%3Dtrue&icid=cta_smb-pme_100
Once the shipment gets to the Mississauga plant, eIS tracks it.
And in any case, it is eIS that is responsible for delivery not the seller.
You would likely find more knowledgeable advice on the dotCA Boards.
sakic92710
·4 months agoFor regular first class mail (not considered a parcel), I charge $3-4 Cdn for shipping to the hub. I do not worry about tracking. I let EIS attach the tracking when they ship it. I only add tracking for expensive purchases & parcels.
ryry-jj
·4 months agoThe $1.49 + shipping you say is not a problem...its a huge problem. I show your net at about .15 before material cost or any error/miscalculation of shipping. And if any FVF on sales tax, if collected puts you in the negative.....I think your bleeding and don't know it.
Btw, I read nothing else, as your first statement was a critical one to address before anything else
Or am I reading wrong, your item isnt posted for sale for $1.49 it's posted for shipping at $1.49?
marnotom!
·4 months agoYour question would be better posted on the eBay Canada community boards as you'll get more responses from experienced Canadian sellers there than you would here on the US eBay community boards.
My understanding is that you don't need to use tracked shipping to get your items to the hub in Mississauga, but reports back from sellers who have used letter-mail for shipping to the hub are that untracked shipments seem to take longer to be accepted at the hub than tracked ones, so that's something to consider.
caldreamer
·4 months agoJust so you know EBAY charges "selling fees" on entire amount (purchase price + postage + tax) plus 40 cent handling fee. If you list item for $1.49 and postage is $12.05 (you will lose money after EBAY deducts their "selling fees").
I just viewed Lot of 26 car magazines you listed, and it shows postage is $105 to California (where I live). You will have to pay EBAY "selling fees" on the $100 postage also.
Most customers hate paying "high postage" rates and will not purchase items from another country (unless item is extremely rare and they cannot find it in their own country).
Good luck to you!
allen_installs
OP4 months agoThanks. I won't be offering the CD's for international purchase, kind of figured that wouldn't work. And the cost ebay is charging to go to the U.S. for the magazines you mentioned is really high. I wouldn't expect anyone to get it. Just thought I would put it as an option. I used to be able to ship to the U.S. all the time for pretty reasonable rate. The removal of the diminimus exemption kind of made it impossible.
dhbookds
·4 months agoI don't see much you can do for EIS international shipping except raise the product price or use the higher shipping rate......... It does cost more to ship to the US than to ship within Canada.......no way around that since it has to go to the Canadian hub and then to the US. Shipping directly to US is also expensive as I understand it and you don't have any of the protections that come with EIS. For $1.49 item.......the profit would not seem to be enough to justify the possible problems. (just my opinion)........
marnotom!
·4 months agoBut with eIS the seller would still be shipping within Canada and the buyer would be paying eIS for the leg of the item's journey between the hub and the buyer's location, so the seller's cost to ship to the US via eIS would not be any more than it would be to ship to a Canadian buyer at the same location as the hub. In fact, it might be a little less to ship to the hub as eBay has negotiated preferential rates with Canada Post for tracked shipments to the hub originating from certain locations.