Ebay International Sales

[Californication | 1,477]

Someone is asking me to sell them my copy of Rendering Ranger R2 for $1,000 in Japan. The guy only has seven feedback. Idk 1,000 is seems super cheaps for this in Japan so I'm sure there is a good chance he just wants to buy the game.

Edit: The question is: would you feel comfortable sending an expensive game like this internationally?

Edited April 18, 2020 by Californication

[oops | 85]

what is your question?

[fcgamer | 4,723]

2 hours ago, Californication said:

Someone is asking me to sell them my copy of Rendering Ranger R2 for $1,000 in Japan. The guy only has seven feedback. Idk 1,000 is seems super cheapnfor thisnin Japan so I'm sure there is a good chance he just wants to buy the game.

Edit: The question is: would you feel comfortable sending an expensive game like this internationally?

I'm lost on the initial story too, but regarding your question:

I always send parcels abroad, basically to anywhere. Generally around $50 - $200 in one parcel, though I have sent some things such as $600 worth of merchandise to a guy in Argentina, higher risk country and larger amount of money at risk.

I personally have never had issues, and the times I've had minor issues, it's always been with situations where I got a bad feeling from the start. Less than 1% of my transactions.

If the guy is on a forum and frequently posts, or has a fine reputation band following on Twitter or something, it's probably fine, and I'd chance it. If the guy is a nobody, then maybe it's worth considering for longer. Just chat with the guy and feel him out, post people are honest, and people are less likely to screw you if they feel like they "know" you.

[Tanooki | 4,933]

3 hours ago, Californication said:

Someone is asking me to sell them my copy of Rendering Ranger R2 for $1,000 in Japan. The guy only has seven feedback. Idk 1,000 is seems super cheaps for this in Japan so I'm sure there is a good chance he just wants to buy the game.

Edit: The question is: would you feel comfortable sending an expensive game like this internationally?

No, no I wouldn't.  The money would be very tempting, but given the rigid rules both ebay and paypal have about money, refunds, and all that, I would never trust that large sum of money on a slow mail disaster waiting to happen.  I've seen enough online horror stories of so called lost boxes, or people playing blackmail games over condition issues, and being so so far away from home and destination borders you're basically stuck in a lose lose.

[LostLevel83 | 85]

Trackable, insured mail to Japan has not been an issue for me personally.

Shipping anything to anywhere carries some measure of risk. If the price is right, go for it.

[Californication | 1,477]

Ya, I mean I've super discounted it. The range of others on ebay is $1,000 - $4,000 more than I am asking. So maybe I will wait for someone else.

[Tanooki | 4,933]

6 hours ago, Californication said:

Ya, I mean I've super discounted it. The range of others on ebay is $1,000 - $4,000 more than I am asking. So maybe I will wait for someone else.

I don't keep up much on the high end stuff, but if you're right it can range that widely, just wait for domestic so you can minimize scamming risk.

[kell | 102]

What about using ebays global program?

[Californication | 1,477]

18 minutes ago, kell said:

What about using ebays global program?

I think it's really expensive for the buyer. Also, my listing was set up with a $20 max fee, and I am not sure if it is set with global. I think it sets up automatically, but I am not sure, if it's not I wouldn't want to create a new listing.

Edited April 19, 2020 by Californication

[Quest4Nes | 376]

10 minutes ago, kell said:

What about using ebays global program?

international buyers wont use that. Ebay overcharges duty fees for it

[Californication | 1,477]

I think I will sell the game and use the $45 USPS shipping service with $1000 of insurance. It says guaranteed. 

Do customs fees get added on at the post office?

[kell | 102]

1 hour ago, Quest4Nes said:

international buyers wont use that. Ebay overcharges duty fees for it

I know it is expensive and you have no control  over what eBay charges, but I've actually sold quite a bit using it.  Reduces my liability.  

Edited April 19, 2020 by kell

[Quest4Nes | 376]

6 minutes ago, kell said:

I know it is expensive and you have no control  over what eBay charges, but I've actually sold quite a bit using it.  Reduces my liability.  

I sold way better without I bet. I used to have 20+ a week internationall. Down to like 3-5 now. They arent buying.

[Cepp | 34]

11 hours ago, Californication said:

I think I will sell the game and use the $45 USPS shipping service with $1000 of insurance. It says guaranteed. 

Do customs fees get added on at the post office?

Customs fees get added in the country you're sending the package to, unless you use the eBay Global Shipping Program in which case I believe eBay charges it up front (it's one of the issues people have with it, no chance of your package slipping through with no charges if it's used).

Edited April 19, 2020 by Cepp

[AC Skywalker | 4]

Take it from a Canadian, the eBay Global Shipping program is the reason I won’t buy from the US anymore (on eBay that is)

[Tanooki | 4,933]

And what he said above, I've seen some disgusting price hikes bringing stuff into the US too so I won't by anymore from those people unless some weird combined shipping math negates it getting multiple items.  I've never had been hit with an import tax or any of that crap in over 20 years coming into the country which ebay claims is part of it.  It's a scam for ebay to line their own pockets.

[fcgamer | 4,723]

On 4/19/2020 at 11:03 AM, Quest4Nes said:

I sold way better without I bet. I used to have 20+ a week internationall. Down to like 3-5 now. They arent buying.

If I see folks that use this, I'll just send to my parents' house in the States. If I didn't have family there, I personally wouldn't bite, not worth it

[kell | 102]

On 4/18/2020 at 8:03 PM, Quest4Nes said:

I sold way better without I bet. I used to have 20+ a week internationall. Down to like 3-5 now. They arent buying.

Using the Global shipping isn't about selling more, it's about limiting your liability. Which the OP is concerned with.

Edited April 24, 2020 by kell

[Speedy_NES | 102]

On 4/19/2020 at 3:35 PM, Cepp said:

Customs fees get added in the country you're sending the package to, unless you use the eBay Global Shipping Program in which case I believe eBay charges it up front (it's one of the issues people have with it, no chance of your package slipping through with no charges if it's used).

The main issues (at least for me) are that

1. eBay's GSP charges customs duties for items that fall below the value threshold (which I can't imagine is legal btw) for customs duties. Items that should be exempt from customs charges are not exempted (threshold is legally 22 EUR for the EU, yet eBay's GSP includes the charges for items from ~16-18 EUR -- this is arbitrarily different between listings and may be linked to seller's shipping cost).

2. eBay's GSP shipping price increases with lower purchase price of items. In other words, as the upfront customs fee increases, shipping goes down. When you put in a best offer of, let's say $20, for a $50 item, the listed shipping cost in the best offer window at the time of the offer will be lower than the actual shipping you'll suddenly have to pay when the seller accepts the offer. I haven't been able to find any clarification on this in the GSP fineprint.

I'm not a lawyer, but their GSP fee structure (especially since the best offer shipping indications lack any statement about the listed cost being an estimate/dynamic) seems prone for a class action suit at some point.

Early on, when the GSP program just started, packages would also almost always be "repackaged" with horrible handling damage/cuts into structural integrity of boxes etc. I'm sure I'm not the only buyer who stopped buying GSP listed items and complained to eBay then, as thankfully that practice seems to have stopped.