[OP]
Member
I have no experience buying anything from a forum member ,here or any other WW sites .I do know that the classified section is only for contributing members but I wonder if any one has ever sold internationally i.e,to Canada?I'm just curious and don't mean to imply anything by it but It seem most items are sold locally or" Mail Shipping within CONUS" .
Contributor
I think the "Con US" has to do with predictable shipping rates for items within the lower 48. So - that is usually specified when something is listed as "includes shipping".
I've bought a few items from Up North.
There is no real avoidance of Canada, as long as you promise to not come back and burn the White House again - for which, by the way, I don't think you ever apologized.
When I started woodworking, I didn't know squat. I have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat.
Contributor
It is not just for US, but as you say, a lot of folks prefer to ship only to US. I always laugh on eBay when people do that and the item ends up going for less than what I would have paid. Their loss! Usually I write a person and let them know I pay full shipping and explain how easy it is to ship to me and most of the time they agree. The fact that only paying members can post classifieds seems to make it fairly safe from scammers.
Member
No, I'm pretty sure it is for everybody. Everywhere.
Except maybe Turkey. I think I read in the TOS that you can't post to the classifieds if you live in Usak, Turkey.
Wait...let me check...
Oh, no...I misspoke. It says you are not allowed to sell "used turkeys".
(That was childish and silly. I am truly sorry.)
I am never wrong.
Well...I thought I was wrong once...but I was mistaken.
Guest
US only usually has to do with knowing what it costs to ship something, and not having to fill out a customs form.
Our PO makes it so that we can print a label and drop anything up to medium sized packages in a drop off box. If you have to fill out a customs form, then you also have to drop it off in person during open hours at the post office, and the instructions for our postal stuff are not very good when printing the customs forms (as in what goes on what side of the box, etc.
Same thing happens to us when you look at the UK only auctions on ebay. They've got planes selling for a fraction of what they'd sell for here, but I can say as a seller, I'm often just unloading something and I care more about convenience than I do about getting top dollar, and taking an extra 20 minutes to go to the PO and stand in line is a pain in the butt.
I have shipped plenty of things international, though, so I pick and choose what I do, as I'm sure a lot of folks do.
Contributor
I recently shipped something to Canada and it wasn't as big a deal as I thought it might be. It did cost the buyer $40 to ship something that would have cost $15 in the USA. I was able to do the whole thing online with the Post Office including the customs forms. You do need one of those resealable plastic envelopes so the customs agents can pull the forms out.
A big reason why not to ship internationally on Ebay is because you can't offer free or cheap flat rate shipping which most buyers want. Nobody could afford to offer free shipping to Canada unless they were charging too much to start with.
I got burned by offering $10 shipping on an item on Ebay a while back. I limited it to the USA, but that includes Alaska and Hawaii. I figured it would cost $15 to $20 to ship the item in the 48 states. The buyer was someone in Anchorage, Alaska. The Post Office cost me $60. UPS ground and Fedex Ground were both over $225 for a smallish 10 pound package. The buyer was willing to pay my Buy It Now price probably because he knew he was getting a heck of a deal on shipping.
Administrator
We ship SawMill Creek DVD's all over the world with free shipping (conus) which means the lower 48 states.
Our Classifieds Forum is indeed open to all Contributors anywhere in the world.
.
Contributor
Huh? that is a confusing statement Keith. Are you saying you ship to the lower 48 for free, and charge for any other location outside the lower 48?Originally Posted by Keith Outten
Contributor
Oh, there have been a few cases where the seller didn't hold up their end of the bargain. But being a forum, the word gets out quickly and they usually don't sell here again.
Brian
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger or more complicated...it takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." - E.F. Schumacher
Contributor
Just ask them what they will charge to ship to Canada. We have numerous members in Canada. Note that I have also seen things ship back and forth overseas. So, do not be worried about asking.
Contributor
I've shipped to Canada. It's more expensive than shipping to a US location and things can get hung up in customs, but they eventually get through. You can now get tracking to the destination so you can see when it's delivered.
Prior to tracking, I'd get a certificate of mailing from the post office when I put it into the mail and would tell the buyer that the risk of loss in transit was on him/her. Now that you can see the progress of the package and when it's delivered, I don't have to do that, and the buyer can see the package as it moves through the system.
Mike
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
Member
I've shipped things all over, with the exception of Indonesia and North Korea.
Mostly to English speaking countries.
The catch getting things to and from Canada - Canada Post.
They're notorious for "losing" interesting packages.
It might cost more to use a private carrier,
but they're better about reimbursements.
I shipped a machine to Nova Scotia, a couple years ago.
I got the address wrong by three houses, on a road with only 16 houses.
The package was returned to me.
That was a jaw dropper.
[OP]
Member
Interesting comments so far,keep it coming,I do agree ,the inefficient canada post charges 2 -3 times more than USPS for even a small parcel ,that alone must be the biggest deterrent,unfortunately UPS and others like them also have their ways of gouging us with importation fees and other hidden fees that sometimes cost more than the shipping/price of the item, combined .
Over all, I'm happy to know ,regardless of all obstacles,some of the deals on the classified are still available to Canadian buyers .
Administrator
Matt,
Let me correct my statement
Shipping is free in the lower 48 states. There is a fee added to cover the additional costs we incur shipping outside of the continental USA.
Contributor
I just bought some Volvo parts[cam, lifters, cam gears] from BC and was surprised that shipping FedEx was only $40. I expected more. I've passed up deals in Canada because I do not know the ins and outs of getting things across the border. Apparently Nafta is just for multinationals....
Larry
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