International shipping

[gaylharve-0]

I have a question about international shipping. I was so excited to start offering International sales. I just read in a FB group that I could be criminally charged for selling to certain countries, and that Ebay doesn't protect us (not allow shipment to those countries). Is this accurate? Please inform, thanks.

[slippinjimmy]

---

@gaylharve-0 wrote:

I have a question about international shipping. I was so excited to start offering International sales. I just read in a FB group that I could be criminally charged for selling to certain countries

---

In theory if you were to sell to one of the countries that the State Department has imposed sanctions on you could be criminally charged.

The current list includes Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria. In addition Russia could be on the list but for different reasons

Buyers in those countries can't have eBay accounts so the odds of it happening are pretty much nil.

[dbfolks166mt]

     If it's on the internet it has to be true. 😁  In all seriousness it is highly unlikely that you would be criminally charged for selling to other countries unless you are violating the US export laws. This is why eBay has certain items on its prohibited items list. 

     What is more likely to happen is your item would be seized but the customs service in the foreign country for violating that countries import laws/regulations and the buyer could potentially be the one in trouble for violation of those laws. 

     That could leave you in a situation where the buyer never receives an item they paid for and may have a number of  options either with eBay or their CC company is seeking a refund. Looking at your listings I am not aware of any country that has an import restriction on clothing so you are probably pretty safe. 

[fashunu4eeuh]

As an eBay seller, it is unlikely that you will be shipping contraband to international destinations. As long as you are a law-abider, there is little to worry about. 

But it is up to each seller to educate (or at least familiarize) themselves about what is, and is not, allowed to be shipped overseas (or domestically, for that matter). eBay assumes the seller has done his homework and is prepared to broaden his customer base by selling internationally.

It would not be eBay who would be in trouble if a violation occurred. It will be the sender, and in some cases, the recipient, who will be held accountable. It is the seller who selects what to sell, and to which locations he will ship to. It is the seller who selects the carrier. So it is the seller who must protect his own interests.

The only way i see that eBay would figure into this equation would be if the seller uses eBay’s international shipping to mail his items. After reviewing the policy covering this new service replacing the Global Shipping Program, i am not clear as to liability. See link below for more information about eBay’s service.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/setting-shipping-options/ebay-international-shippin...

[fashunu4eeuh]

” I am not aware of any country that has an import restriction on clothing so you are probably pretty safe.”

There are a number countries that you cannot ship used clothes to, including Mexico, the Philippines, and several East African countries as well: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Other countries require special citations like fumigation before accepting used clothing. 

[reallynicestamps]

There are countries that are automatically blocked as buyers on eBay.

And there are products that are blocked because they come from those countries.

It is impossible to sell stamps from Cuba for example even if they are pre-Revolution.

And then there are the strange ones.

I listed a sealed pre-stamp letter from Tibet earlier today and could not use Item Specifics to say it is from Tibet.

(I was able to use Tibet in the title.)

With a tad of research I found the same problem for stamps of Taiwan.

An example of eBay kowtowing* to the government of China which claims both nations as 'provinces', without ever having asked the people who live there.

*Yes. I know. And yes, the word was chosen deliberately.

[harafkac0]

I believe Venezuela is on that list too.