"I am also opted out of the eBay International Shipping Program so there is no way anyone outside the U.S. should be able to purchase one my items. This is the 3rd time it has occurred in the past week! (This time from Canada)."
Oh, but there is a way that people outside the United States are able to purchase your items. For example, my selling ID has sold to buyers who live in China, Italy, Russia, and Ukraine (pre-war, of course).
Yet, I have never mailed any of my sold items to any of those countries, though.
How? By use of Freight Forwarding Companies.
What happens is this: Olga in Russia may find a lot of things from US eBay sellers that she is not able to buy in Russia. Or they might be sold in Russia but for very high prices. So, Olga looks up info about freight forwarding companies, and she makes a contract or arrangements with a freight forwarding company in Delaware. (Why Delaware? No sales tax.) Olga probably pays something to the freight forwarding company for their service, but that's between her and the freight forwarders.
And I, for one, have never, ever, not one time in my eBay selling life -- never had a problem in which a buyer in Ukraine or Italy had to return my item or filed any kind of complaint about late or non-delivery, when the buyer and I both know/knew the package would be forwarded from Delaware to their country.
Because eBay has set it up like this: sellers have eBay responsibility for delivery to US addresses. So, a cross-stitch kit addressed to Olga is delivered to Delaware. I think it probably will end up in Ukraine (or at one time would have), but as far as eBay is concerned, I have done my job, which was to send the package to the address in Delaware, and within my stated handling time, of course.
As for Canada -- not sure why you don't want to sell to Canada. They like us, and most of us like them. It's not like they want to build a wall along their southern border . . . . .
OK, yes, you probably will be charge eBay's international fee. It is charged to the seller on the total price paid by the buyer in either of two circumstances: (1) the delivery address is outside the United States or (2) the buyer is registered with eBay in a country other than the United States, regardless of the delivery address. For American eBay sellers, this international fee is -- I had to double check it -- 1.65% of the total amount paid by your buyer.
BTW -- since tax time is coming up -- fees, including these international fees, which we sellers pay to eBay can be considered costs of business, and could be deductible. Meaning you might pay less in income tax. But I am not an accountant; please do not rely on this post as tax advice.
BTW again, our Canadian cohorts, however, get a better deal on their eBay international fees. They pay only a 0.4% international fee when they sell to buyers in the US. That's virtually free, in comparison to our 1.65%.
