International Fees charged to sellers

[nancyc5581]

I am fed up with being charged international fees because someone from another country bought something from me. I clearly state that I do not sell outside of the USA but eBay now has US hubs all over that buyers from other countries can have things shipped to so they think it's okay to buy.  It is not good enough, you have to be BASED in this country to not have the fees charged to the seller so maybe getting an additional account to buy in the US is an answer for the buyers to not upset the sellers or get their orders cancelled.

Sellers get charged an international currency conversion fee because someone is based in another country.

Just today I tried to get the $15.18 Int. fee refunded to me but I was told that I had it refunded on 4 other items on items that were sold to foreign buyers in the past and they cannot refund this amount. So I guess 4 refunded fees is the limit before they say tough luck to you. That would have been good to know so I wouldn't have wasted a call for a 38 cent refund on one of those times.

I am so upset.

If any fee has to be charged make the buyer pay for it not the seller especially since I clearly state I don't sell outside my country.

eBay said they cannot do anything about this. They cannot block people based  from other countries from buying. They cannot charge the buyers this fee either evidently.... why the heck not?

Totally not fair to the sellers at all.

[nancyc5581]

When I called eBay and talked to a rep I was told the international fee was a currency conversion fee.

I just go by what the so called experts tell me.

[nancyc5581]

I choose to not deal with anything international at all and as soon as the stuff the foreign folks like gets sold or I delete the listings I will never list those types of items again. I am only doing eBay as a hobby of sorts and do not make my living at it so I'd rather not hassle with any of this stuff.

eBay gets quite a nice chunk (15%) off these higher dollar items I sell and that will soon go by-by for them once the rest get sold.... hopefully to US based folks.

[fern*wood]

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@nancyc5581 wrote:

When I called eBay and talked to a rep I was told the international fee was a currency conversion fee.

I just go by what the so called experts tell me.

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eBay reps, experts.  😁

[nancyc5581]

I can certainly search for ones that align with my beliefs, sir or mam.

[nancyc5581]

Gee you are filled with warm fuzzies aren't you. I can still have a point of view and opinion and will soon not sell the stuff the foreigners like anymore which might be small pickings to you but ebay will be losing 15%.

[nancyc5581]

I actually lost money on this last sale because of the int. fees. The next bidder that was a few dollars down from the winning bid was US based and I would have made more had this other foreign buyer not swoop in at the last second in the auction.

[nancyc5581]

I was told by an eBay rep when I called about all this and he told me it was a currency conversion fee. I can only go by what the sold called experts tell me.

[nancyc5581]

I try to keep my prices low to reasonable on most things I sell so either I'll have to jack my prices up to accommodate the occasional foreign buyer or just quit selling the stuff they buy from me. I am leaning towards the latter.

I will gladly give you the foreign buyers that come my way so you can happily serve them. I don't want to deal with them ever again because I firmly believe all fees charged due to them being based in another country is unfair to the sellers and should be charged to the buyers.

[nancyc5581]

It truly is laughable isn't it? For one you can barely understand them and have been lied to by them before but they are the first line of contacting anyone at eBay so you are stuck dealing with them and their so called "supervisors" are no better.

[fern*wood]

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@nancyc5581 wrote:

I actually lost money on this last sale because of the int. fees. The next bidder that was a few dollars down from the winning bid was US based and I would have made more had this other foreign buyer not swoop in at the last second in the auction.

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If your profit is so slim that a 1.65 percent fee caused you to lose money, it seems that item shouldn’t even be listed to begin with. 

[buyselljack2016]

Without the 2nd bidder the sale would have been $31 less, and if that buyer had to pay sales tax there would have been a 15% fee on the sales tax.

$31 less and 15% on the sales tax seems it would be more than the 1.65% international fee, so it seems that there would be less profit than selling to the winning bid.

[dbfolks166mt]

@nancyc5581 wrote:

I actually lost money on this last sale because of the int. fees. The next bidder that was a few dollars down from the winning bid was US based and I would have made more had this other foreign buyer not swoop in at the last second in the auction.

If your profit is so slim that a 1.65 percent fee caused you to lose money, it seems that item shouldn’t even be listed to begin with. 

     Have to agree. If the OP lost money over a 1.65% fee and their eBay net profits are that slim odds are they are loosing money on EVERY order by the time they factor in the rest of their costs/selling expenses which is going to include the COGS as well as around 30+% in Federal and State Income taxes. That is unless of  course they don't claim the income on their taxes.

[nancyc5581]

I'm sorry I even said anything to begin with. You people are just plain mean.

[robbie31415]

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@nancyc5581 wrote:

I'm sorry I even said anything to begin with. You people are just plain mean.

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You have to accept selling to international buyers if you sell on eBay. It's just how the platform works. Ebay doesn't and most likely never block it.

Ebay does however make it so you don't have to deal with international shipping and the headaches that can come with it.

If you turn off EIS ( eBay international Shipping ) you harm yourself more. Not only is the program the safest sales on eBay ( since eBay pays for returns and has better feedback protection). But by having it off then all your international buyers are forced to use third party freight forwarding services.  (EIS orders also not subject to 1.65% fee)

[mam98031]

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@nancyc5581 wrote:

Any **bleep** fee that I am charged beyond the normal fees charged especially due to selling to someone based in another country is not right. The seller should not have to pay those international fees and it should go to the buyer.

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OMG, it is a "NORMAL" fee.  It IS a fee we have been charged for almost 18 years.  Because YOU just discovered it does not make it new.  You should have known about it years ago.  That is YOUR responsibility to know the selling fees.  Ebay doesn't hide it, they never have.  

It is a lot of protest for a small fee that has been around for so long.  IDK you may be a bit upset with yourself for not knowing about it all these years and not realizing that you have actually paid it a few times over the years.  

You have the right not to like the fee.  I respect that.  If that is enough to drive you off the site, that is your right to make that decision.  Is that a good business decision, only you can answer that.