Selling on Ebay?

Go to USPS.com you can calculate international shipping there. I normally use 5-6 ounces for the weight.

 

Hi Aaron,

THANKS.... i appreciate the help!

Take care,
Jeffrey

 

Jeffrey - Go to http://ircalc.usps.gov/. Follow simple instructions to enter Japan and the weight. You will be presented with a lot of choices. Ask your buyer whether he wants it cheap or fast. You'll see what I mean when you look it up. If you have any further questions, just ask.

 

Hi Jay,

Thanks for the help!

Take care,
Jeffrey

 

Jeffrey, from my own experiences it's best to offer the options to the buyer with a little protection of your butt blurb should they not choose a tracked method. Either that or insist on tracking and charge accordingly. Keep that email somewhere safe. Should the CD get lost in transit, you have a binding agreement with the buyer. I know you know all the legal lingo to make this happen.

 

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the great advice.... i completely agree! Due to the final auction price, i'm going to by any tracking/insurance the USPS offers, at my cost, just in case.

Take care,
Jeffrey

 

An excellent plan Jeffrey.

 

... And the rich get richer ... Hi Jeffrey ...

 

Hi Jeff:

Make sure you use this handy-dandy calculator so you know what
the eBay and PayPal fees come to:

http://home.alltel.net/micrep/fees.html

Great selling price, BTW!

 

Hi,

Thanks..... that calculator rocks!

Take care,
Jeffrey

 

Some more advice:

If shipping anything of value outside of the US, ship ONLY by USPS. Using any other service, you run the risk of the buyer refusing to pay the import duties of their country and YOU getting stuck for them. This can and WILL happen with, e.g. FedEx, UPS, etc. You agree to these terms by using the service. I know people who've gotten stuck with duty charges almost equal to the value of what they sold...The USPS is the only service where you are not subject to such issues.

Also: Be sure to tell foreign buyers up front that they will be responsible for import duties.

I have sold tons of moderately priced stuff to foreign countries without a problem. In almost 100% of these cases, payment has been by unconfirmed PayPal payment. I figure I'll get burned eventually, but it's just a cost of doing business. To improve my odds, I only ship to countries not noted for a high incidence of fraud, i.e. Western Europe, Japan, Australia/NZ, Canada, etc.

I personally prefer to have fixed shipping costs to be listed up front. If the shipping costs are ridiculously high, I just factor that in. But I would rather someone tell me "Fixed shipping of $5.00 in the US" than tell me "I charge for shipping what it costs me" and then find out later that they factor into their costs a box they bought for an obscene amount, packing materials they must have purchased at Neiman Marcus, or the 100% markup that comes from shipping from a place like Mailboxes, etc. (UPS Store).

As for fixed rate shipping to outside the US: $10 is a fair number for small items (CDs, videos). For $10 you can ship via Global Priority Mail in a large fixed rate envelope. Yes, you can fit a CD in the small fixed rate envelope ($5), but you can't properly protect the CD in such a package. The large fixed rate envelope leaves room for a decent amount of bubble wrap protection. It costs $9 to ship, plus some part of a buck for the bubble wrap. And it gets to almost anywhere in the world in 3-6 days...When your customer gets your item properly protected in that short an amount of time, they are never upset about the shipping.

Kwad

 

Hi Kwad,

THANKS for the advice! I will definitely use USPS Global Priority Mail in a large fixed rate envelope.... GREAT advice!

Will i need to complete any type of customs forms since the buyer is in Japan?

Take care,
Jeffrey

 

Just the standard green Customs sticker with the correct value that goes on the envelope itself I believe Jeffrey.

 

Hi,

The USPS Global Priority Mail large envelope stated that you only needed to complete the Customs Declaration form if the package weighed more than 1 lb., which it does not. Our courier took the envelope to the USPS and they said he had to complete the form because it was more than 1/4" wide. Our courier did not know what was in the envelope so he wrote that it was a T-shirt. Is that an issue? Should i be concerned?

Thanks,
Jeffrey

 

As long as it doesn't say it's porn you'll be ok Jeffrey.

The deal is that if it remains a letter rate package (ie. less than 1/4" thick plus a specified length and width) then no Customs are required as it's considered media mail for the globe. As soon as you cross the line for size it bumps up to a small package, like in this situation, and Customs must be declared and charged if valued over a certain amount per country to be determined by the receiving country. Then your receiver (buyer) is responsible for the Customs fees on their end.

 

Hi Dave,

Thanks.... this is the first international package that i've mailed.

Take care,
Jeffrey

 

You mean there's domestic mail as well!?!? Well I'll be...

 

Hi Dave & Gary,

If you'll keep acting up, i'll have no option but to report both of you to a Gort!

Take care,
Jeffrey

 

Hi Dave,

Thanks.... tell me another one!

Take care,
Jeffry

 

So where's our commission?

 

Hi Mambo,

Sorry to report that your check fell out of the delivery plane and is floating somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.

Take care,
Jeffrey

 

Well you could always send me a replacement. I am a patient person

 

Hi Mambo,

Good point! ....... Why don't you go patiently wait at your mailbox?

Take care,
Jeffrey