International Fees when shipped inside the US - 1.65%

[letsmakeadeal2024]

Shipping to DE from Wisconsin, been trying to cut the fees eBay snags from your sales, and bam here goes another one. Because the person has another address outside the US that they send their items to YOU get to pay, and I bet if we looked into it they have to pay as well.  

Is there a way to protect yourself from eBay doing this, a box to check that eliminates that group of buyers?

Are there any other sneaky fees that eBay has added that are hard to discover until they hit you with them?

[nobody*s_perfect · Accepted solution]

The international transaction fee is based on the buyer's banking location, not on the shipping address for their package. It has been around for ages, and AFAIK there's no way to avoid it.

[letsmakeadeal2024]

Thank you for that information.  Is there a way to block that group of buyers or are we just stuck and have to keep raising our prices as Nonstore people who are selling their collections?  

[chapeau-noir]

You can't block that group because it's a domestic address.  However, I don't mind paying 1.65% periodically for a $40-50 sale, which is what I usually ship to freight forwarding companies. 

[evelyb30]

Freight forwarder buyers often pay more, and when I was still selling often bought multiples.  I LOVED my international buyers.  The extra fee was worth it.  Promoted armtwisting wasn't, but international jewelry buyers were great.  

[theteamsetguy]

Sales 101. Why would anyone want to shrink your potential buyers pool? I love my foreign buyers they tend to spend more and many are repeat buyers. The fee for foreign buyers has been around since credit card payments were invented. Previously the fee was charged by PayPal and now eBay as they have taken over payment processing for sellers. 

My margins can easily absorb the $1.65 per $100.00 fee. Sounds like penny wise pound foolish idea to eliminate foreign buyers.

[monica-sells]

Nothing 'sneaky' about this fee that is as old as I am...plus, it is clearly spelled out on the selling fees page.....

As far as I know, there is no way to prevent it at the seller level....

"....My margins can easily absorb the $1.65 per $100.00 fee. Sounds like penny wise pound foolish idea to eliminate foreign buyers...."

---worth reprinting....well said

[dryophelia]

The listing mentions 

“

• International Buyers - Please Note:
• Ship to an export agent only, you must make arrangements for a state side location to ship to and have them inspect all items for return within 14 days.  Your are responsible for all export duties and taxes.  Thank you, I am a individual selling and not a professional store I can not manage the” (it cuts off mid sentence)

You’re balking at 68 cents?

Sellers can block international shipping, but there is no way to block international buying. 

[ebeths_eclectic_collectibles]

Aren’t the extra fees on these transactions based on not on location but on the fact that they are paying with a foreign currency

[714ricki]

Unforunately, you can't block those type of transactions to freight forwarders in the USA. In the big picture, you will rarely see this type of transaction. The fee is minimal & typically everything will be OK. 

I wouldn't stress over it.

Hang in there!

[monroe67]

"Aren’t the extra fees on these transactions based on not on location but on the fact that they are paying with a foreign currency[?]"

No. 
The extra fees on these transactions are based on addresses.   
The extra fees on these transactions are based on locations.

Here's what eBay's User Agreement says about the International Fees that are charged to sellers who are in the United States, with certain words highlighted by me:  

"International fee

If your registered address is in the US, we charge an International fee if either:

• The delivery address for the item (entered by the buyer during checkout) is outside the US, or
• The buyer's registered address is outside the US (regardless of the delivery address for the item)

This fee is calculated as 1.65% of the total amount of the sale and is automatically deducted from your sales.

If your registered address is not in the US, please refer to the fee page for your country or region of residence  for your International fee information."

The words "foreign" and "currency" do not exist in this policy.  
The word "address" is mentioned five (5) times.  

[ms.rodriguez*]

You are crying about 64 cents?   Just raise the price of your next item by 64 cents.  This has always been the policy even with Paypal.   Be grateful that someone in another country liked your item and bought it.  This is a very, very small fee.