International selling

[christinpatterso_6]

Hey - 

I need some help with international sales! I have read EBays policies on shipping and selling abroad. I am looking for a seller that ships internationally to the UK. I am trying to confirm if there are sale limits of 2,500.00 USA dollars. Question: Are there custom limits and purchase value limits? I was looking at a chart that reflects the $ 2,500.00 dollar limit on sales/purchaser can essentially purchase??? Is that true?

I have a painting valued more and an interested purchaser from the UK. I only sell in the USA, so need some knowledge and assistance from one of my peers that is an international seller.

I understand Ebay has a shipping center that I can ship to and they will take it from there to see it ships with proper parcel fees and customs regulations.

EBay is very hard to contact, the return call option online is not functioning? I have search for their phone number for support, but have not found a way to contact them!

Thank you for any help you can provide.

[toyshnip]

First, do not ship to ebay or use ebay. Not worth it.
I would suggest to contact FedEx or UPS or other delivery company directly. Explain to them the value, give them the dimms/weight of the box and ask for a quote including insurance (you don't want an expensive item get lost or damaged). 
With a high value item like this I am not sure it is worth USPS (and then Royal Mail), but a more (yet secure) delivery company.

[fashunu4eeuh]

Ebay had shut down its call center due to the pandemic and is working now on a limited basis. I recommend you try to contact eBay thru chat or email. Try one of the Help & Contact links found on most eBay pages. I have also heard good things about customer service thru eBay's Facebook page, so you might try there as well. Good luck with your sale, sounds like an awesome one!

[slippinjimmy]

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@christinpatterso_6 wrote:

Hey - 

I need some help with international sales! I have read EBays policies on shipping and selling abroad. I am looking for a seller that ships internationally to the UK. I am trying to confirm if there are sale limits of 2,500.00 USA dollars. Question: Are there custom limits and purchase value limits? I was looking at a chart that reflects the $ 2,500.00 dollar limit on sales/purchaser can essentially purchase??? Is that true?

I have a painting valued more and an interested purchaser from the UK. I only sell in the USA, so need some knowledge and assistance from one of my peers that is an international seller.

I understand Ebay has a shipping center that I can ship to and they will take it from there to see it ships with proper parcel fees and customs regulations.

EBay is very hard to contact, the return call option online is not functioning? I have search for their phone number for support, but have not found a way to contact them!

Thank you for any help you can provide.

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There is no import limit in the UK.

However, some shipping services have a maximum value that you can use and on the import side in the UK a high value shipment may require a more formal customs clearing procedure.

Where did you find this "chart" that you referred to? Perhaps you are misunderstanding what it says.

Post a link and I'll have a look at it.

[duncanvr]

Do not use UPS couriers they lost $5000 worth of my inventory in the UK. I ship there from Aust. If you use a better courier make sure you ensure the package for the full value but warn the buyer he maybe hit with import taxes. You can go to block bidder list and allow one UK bidder id to buy from you rather than shipping to all of UK if you only ship in USA. I would actually use ebay Global shipping in this case , its expensive to buyer but you'll be covered once your item hits their Kentucky warehouse. It is pricey but the extra cover will help you if some sort of dispute is opened for item not received. On that note if you do ship to UK make sure you warn them of lengthy delays in the shipping time.

[reallynicestamps]

About 85% of my sales are international ( to the USA since I am in Canada). About five percent go overseas.

To my knowledge there is no limit on the value of the items that can be imported to the UK.

Our family business (a public and international philatelic auction house) ships to the UK constantly and some of those shipments are well in excess of $2500.

However, it is my understanding that the highest payment that can be processed by Paypal is $5,000 USD.

I understand Ebay has a shipping center that I can ship to

I think you are talking about the Global Shipping Program, which is a Seller Protection program run for eBay by Pitney Bowes.

At its simplest, the GSP removes the buyer's protection under the Money Back Guarantee.

Before you are told to ship, the buyer must pay UK duty and VAT plus a small service fee to GSP.  The GSP will then pay any duty and VAT for the buyer.

When you ship, you only ship to Erlanger KY, and once the shipment is accepted there, you are no longer responsible for DELIVERY.  (You should still use Signature Confirmation however since the shipment is valued over $750)

You are still responsible for  Not As Described claims, however, so packaging becomes all important. 

When we moved from Ontario to here in BC, we had professional packing by a local art gallery for one of our collection. Packing *cost cost $250Cdn  and was worth every penny.

You may also, if you plan to sell high end art works, want to get in touch with a specialist insurer, like Hugh Woods International of London New York and Toronto. We have used them for decades for both our business and our personal collection and they are very good to deal with. Their rates are better than the big boys and they understand the quirks of the collectibles trade. They are for example the insurer for the American Philatelic Society and insure not only their exhibitions and conventions, where millions of dollars in stamps are on public display.

EBay can also be reached through Facebook and through Twitter.

The main thing to remember when you are shipping high value items is that YOU must be in charge of shipping and packaging and that YOU must take responsibility for it. 

Do not allow a customer to bully you into anything you find uncomfortable.

BTW, as a general policy, I do not think anyone should sell internationally until they have at least 10 DSRs, know what DSRs are, and understand their utter unimportance.

*The painting is by George Heriot of the Duchess of Kent and the infant Princess Alexandrina.  It is five feet by four feet and in its original 1819 frame. An absolute horror to move about.