24 Apr
2001
24 Apr
'01
10:23 a.m.
What's the
problem with International shipping???? The World's a big
I have always shipped anything anyplace the person needs it, but shipping
is just ONE tip of the international sales iceberg. Here is my short list
of troubles.
Payment
About half the time I get cash, fortunately nothing lost in transit, but I
know that will happen. The rest of the time averages about 4 emails back
and forth settling on what to send. Please, just use a postal money order
in US funds.
Wrong item
Computers can be confusing, but sorting it out and educating a person over
a $7 cable gets old.
Cultur clash
Item listed as "as is" untested, but with 1 year left on 5 year warranty. I
get
a series of gripe emails back, first because its old (duh 1 year left out of 5
does kind of mean its 4 years old), then (I love this) "I bid too much". This
person made a mistake, and they want me to make it all better, not a little
better mind you, but all better, ie refund purchase price and shipping both
ways. They don't think about how unreasonable their request is, only what their
own personal problem is.
That is true of any epay transaction and not specifically international.
Shipping
With $4 USPS priority mail I am provided free shipping materials, boxes,
tape, mailing labels and I get 2 to 3 day delivery with online
confirmation. International shipping is in general totally unpredictable,
ie the mouse that took 4 months to arrive in Germany, and costs keep moving so I
have to "check shipping costs" for every transaction since I am such a small
time seller. Global Priority mail is OK, but expensive if it can't be stuffed in
one of two fairly small envelopes. Everytime I ship I KNOW I am rolling the
dice regarding some problem coming up.
Well since the buyer pays that shouldn't be your problem. I have a small
program that gives me shipping cost based on weight and region. I was
under the impression that the US postal service also charges according to
weight and distance. Why do US sellers ask for your ZIP code ?
Dishonest
This is nothing to do with international specifically, in fact most of my
international customers are the best.
Screw ups
Ugh, this is the one that drives me nuts. People who are screw ups, ie
don't tape the box closed, don't pack the item. Worst, I ship a guy
priority a keyboard he just has to have immediately, so I don't even wait
for a check to arrive. A week later I get a package, my same box loosely
taped closed with the keyboard loose on top of the packing materials. I get
stiffed for the auction price, the shipping, AND the moron tried plugging my DEC
LK401 into some Wang/Wyse and blames me that it didn't work and now he looks
dumb to his wife.
Again this is something not related to International sales. Jerks are
everywhere.
One of the problems related to US sellers is that in some of the auction
programs, the default entry is "we ship only within the continental US"
In many cases I've found that they will indeed ship to Canada but just
unthinkingly accepted the default. Some have responded insultingly "can't
you read" and others have not responded at all. I think in some cases it's
just the ignorance of not knowing the process of shipping internationally.
To my mind they're missing out, since there's a market of 30 million in
Canada alone.
One of my big beefs are the guys that ask a big shipping and handling
charge. I sometimes wonder if that is how they really make their money.
I've passed on many desired things due to that rip-off.
larry
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lgwalker(a)look.ca