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EBay International shipping excessive cost
Summary: 4852sitayl is frustrated with the high shipping costs on eBay, particularly when buying low-value items like stamps from North America. They find the costs to be prohibitive, with sellers often being inflexible on shipping charges. Although some sellers adjust based on requests, contacting each seller individually is impractical. *vyolla* notes that the shipping setup depends on the seller, and red_magpie explains that eBay's global shipping may include duties and taxes, making them costly for low-value items. red_magpie suggests informing sellers about the issue, although many may prefer the simplicity of eBay's system despite the costs to buyers.
More and more frequently the quoted shipping cost is extortionate. I buy stamps from North America and the stated cost is C$22.39 which is absurd for a postage stamp that I might want to buy for $5. I have been told by various sellers “tough, that is just the cost” and they have been completely inflexible. In other cases I do the Contact Seller and they agree to a reasonable charge, but others just refuse. It is also not really practical contacting each seller as I show interest in an item.
Is there a way of getting around this ? If not, EBay shipping makes it no longer practical to buy from sellers who use it, cutting off vast numbers of potential sellers.
Can anyone help ?
red_magpie
Mentor3 months agoThis has been a problem ever since eBay started its global shipping. It's selling point for buyers is that all costs including import duties and VAT where payable are included in the price. (Also that eBay requires the seller to pay for the international return postage if an item is not as described.) The downside is that for small, relatively low value items the cost can be prohibitive!
You can try letting sellers know that using eBay's global shipping is making their items unaffordable in the UK. But some may prefer to stick with global because it's so simple to use, and the buyer meets the cost.
4852sitayl
OP3 months agoI’ve messaged a lot of buyers saying I just cannot bid, because of the shipping cost. About 50% change their settings for me ( a real pain for them); the rest just say “tough”
*vyolla*
Mentor3 months agoThere isn't a workaround here, it really is down to each individual seller as to how they want to set up their listings and shipping options.