International Fee

[dolphintale154]

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone has the issue that I have been having.  When selling an item, I exclude all countries other than the United States.  So when I sold an item,  Ebay sent me the shipping address which happened to be in Oregon.  Then after looking at the detailed transaction for the item, I was charged an International fee.  Apparently the registered owner is in another country but the shipping address is in the United States.  So when the registered owner is in another country (which you have no idea that they are) and the shipping address is in the US they charge you an international fee.  This happened twice in the same week.  Contacted Ebay and they did give me a credit, but what a pain, they should not be charging an international fee when you are shipping in the US and your settings are set to not sell outside of the US.  When I spoke to someone at Ebay, she stated that this rarely happens, well it happened to me twice in the same week!  Check your detailed transactions to make sure you are not being charged an international fee!!!!

[lepke1979]

The item is paid for probably outside the US, but going to a mail forwarder. In some cases, it could be someone visiting the US and having something mailed to them here. But, if it's going to Oregon or Delaware, it's probably unlikely.

Some don't like it. Would be nice I guess to exclude those buyers (apparently you could in PayPal). But I also don't care about the extra cost since I don't sell super expensive stuff and if I get scammed (someday I'm sure it will happen). While annoying, I shouldn't be out that much money. And in the end, I'd rather have the sale than squabble over the small amount I lost in the foreign transaction fee.

[biggymoe]

It actually happens fairly often.  When you exclude international countries, they often have a reshipper here in the USA.  If the buyer is registered in another country, you are charged the international fee.  On the positive side, you are only responsible, until the item is delivered to the USA address.

[stainlessenginecovers]

and the 'international fee' is about 1.4% of the total sale price (amount collected, item+shipping+tax).

Forwarders are fine and more times than not, are not an issue (unless you are selling high dollar (over $500) computer parts, video games/machines/parts, higher end jewelry, fashion. 

[klhmdg]

CS has been known to not be very knowledgeable. 

Anytime a buyer is registered in another country no matter where the item ships to, you will be charged an international fee.

Most of these buyers ship to freight forwarders in the US.

eBays MP no longer allows sellers to decline foreign payments. PayPal used to allow it.

Im surprised you were given a credit because this is how the system is supposed to work, BUT good for you.

[dolphintale154]

Thanks, EBAY should let you know that the registered user is from outside the US.  It's just one more fee that EBAY charges you and if I knew I would not have sold it to that person.

[argy_eyes]

@klhmdg @stainlessenginecovers  @dolphintale154 

From the thread I infer that the 1.4% is a currency exchange fee. I can't imagine what else eBay could justify.

In other words, if the buyer paid with U.S. dollars (e. g., a Paypal account funded with $), the fee would not be charged?

Mike

[stainlessenginecovers]

If the buyers payment is from an 'international' payment, which COULD also be PP, then you would still get charged.

PP always charged you that extra amount; you just didn't know it because it was not clearly pointed out as it is on MP reports. 

[stainlessenginecovers]

So for a bit over 1%, you wouldn't sell? A $1.40 on a $100 sale and you wouldn't sell? That seems a bit over the top. 

[glgenterprise]

With PP you could block foreign payment sources, regardless of where the item was being shipped.

eBay loves having all those international buyers who use freight forwarders, so they won't let you block foreign payment sources. I had thought it was the funding source, but the international fee is actually attached to the address of record on the account, not the funding source or the ship to address.

[dolphintale154]

It was more than that,  it was $2.00 on a $60.00 item.  Since I excluded those countries I had assumed that the buyer would be from the US and that is what makes me mad!

[lepke1979]

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@dolphintale154 wrote:

It was more than that,  it was $2.00 on a $60.00 item.  Since I excluded those countries I had assumed that the buyer would be from the US and that is what makes me mad!

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$2 seems high. For that amount, it should have been closer to a $1.

[flyingmvp]

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@stainlessenginecovers wrote:

So for a bit over 1%, you wouldn't sell? A $1.40 on a $100 sale and you wouldn't sell? That seems a bit over the top. 

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As sellers we are supposedly given the option to filter our sales and NOT sell internationally.

We should not get charged with international selling fees when we have no control over such purchases but yet again getting charged with one more Ebay fee.  

[pburn]

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@dolphintale154 wrote:

Thanks, EBAY should let you know that the registered user is from outside the US.  It's just one more fee that EBAY charges you and if I knew I would not have sold it to that person.

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How would you "not have sold it to that person?"

[downunder-61]

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@dolphintale154 wrote:

It was more than that,  it was $2.00 on a $60.00 item.  Since I excluded those countries I had assumed that the buyer would be from the US and that is what makes me mad!

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The fee is 1.65% and would be applied to the total the buyer paid, not just the cost of the item.