eBay and international shipping - I feel like I'm doing it wrong.

[Ichinisan]

What is the most economical way to ship something from USA to Norway? It looks like the shipping + import fees would cost my buyer around $200! It's just a $600 upgraded Nintendo 64.

I had sold some upgraded Nintendo 64 systems on eBay. Previously, I had used the option for eBay's "Global Shipping Program." I would ship the package to an eBay facility and they handle the international shipment.

Well, I know my items weren't getting listed in some foreign countries. Also I learned there was some incredible extra expense that gets added to the price + shipping presented on the other international eBay sites.

I hoped I could minimize the expense of eBay's GSP by handling more of the international shipping myself; so I switched the auction to "calculated shipping" and selected "USPS Priority Mail International" as the service offered. Shipping and import fees to Norway will be around $200 for a $600 item. That's pretty crazy!

Any ideas how can I reduce the shipping cost for an international buyer?

 

[esquared]

What's the size of the package and the weight?

 

[lxskllr]

I'm not a big shipper, but it's been my experience that shipping across the ocean requires taking vaseline with you to the post office.

 

[highland145]

I'm not a big shipper, but it's been my experience that shipping across the ocean requires taking vaseline with you to the post office.

Nearly the same when I wanted to send something to Canada.

 

[Mike64]

What is the most economical way to ship something from USA to Norway? It looks like the shipping + import fees would cost my buyer around $200! It's just a

You don't say how much of that $200 is shipping and how much is "import fees", but those "fees" are probably really "import duties", which are basically "taxes", not "fees". And so not variable dependent on shipping method or carrier. And short of declaring a lower value on the contents - which would not only be illegal under US law (and probably Norwegian law. for whatever that's worse in either case) but (probably more importantly) it could bite you in the ass if something goes wrong - there's not much either you or the seller can do about that.

As for minimizing shipping costs, you don't say what shipping method(s) you've priced so far, but sending it by the slowest, least trackable method available would presumably be cheapest, though presumably not desirable.

 

[CZroe]

You don't say how much of that $200 is shipping and how much is "import fees", but those "fees" are probably really "import duties", which are basically "taxes", not "fees". And so not variable dependent on shipping method or carrier. And short of declaring a lower value on the contents - which would not only be illegal under US law (and probably Norwegian law. for whatever that's worse in either case) but (probably more importantly) it could bite you in the ass if something goes wrong - there's not much either you or the seller can do about that.

As for minimizing shipping costs, you don't say what shipping method(s) you've priced so far, but sending it by the slowest, least trackable method available would presumably be cheapest, though presumably not desirable.

That’s the problem. There is no way to distinguish the value of the items (console; upgrade kit) and the value of the service when something like eBay Global Shipping Program just slaps the final price on there. I would declare the value as the cost it would for me to replace it ($70 console plus $160 kit). We are in talks with another Norwegian buyer who plans to send his board for modification. He’ll buy the upgrade kit from the creator (not me) and pay for shipping the board both ways. The board is already his property as is the kit where I would only be providing the installation service.

The shipping fees are a service, which is why they don’t get taxed on that. I order from some Japanese eBay sellers with very high shipping costs that are reflected/offset with lower bid prices (Yamatoku, hit-japan, etc). This often results in keeping the declared value of items under some threshold that would otherwise trigger me to pay taxes. They refuse to declare anything other than the bid price and yet they are still drastically lowering the import fees with this huge “handling fee.”

 

[esquared]

You don't say how much of that $200 is shipping and how much is "import fees", but those "fees" are probably really "import duties", which are basically "taxes", not "fees". And so not variable dependent on shipping method or carrier. And short of declaring a lower value on the contents - which would not only be illegal under US law (and probably Norwegian law. for whatever that's worse in either case) but (probably more importantly) it could bite you in the ass if something goes wrong - there's not much either you or the seller can do about that.

As for minimizing shipping costs, you don't say what shipping method(s) you've priced so far, but sending it by the slowest, least trackable method available would presumably be cheapest, though presumably not desirable.

He still hasn't posted a size/weight for the system. I went to the USPS website to find this.

I quickly looked and a 5 lb package to Norway (16"x12"x12") box is around 65.00. for International Priority mail
A 10 lb box of the same size is around 95.00.
Stuff is expensive to ship to Europe. I don't know what Norway's taxes are but adding 100+ to the shipping sounds like a lot.

Who are you looking to ship with (What delivery service) that is giving you a 200 estimate?


Using FedEx or UPS will be a lot more. USPS will be the cheapest unless you go somehow by a slow post (ship).
Insurance is relatively cheap (5.00 for 600.00)
https://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/mo_028.htm

I have shipped to Italy and Germany before, but just CDs and Video Games. Twenty something from what I remember for flat rate envelopes.
Looks to be 32.00 now.

 

[Ichinisan]

What's the size of the package and the weight?

4 pounds 2 ounces
12x10x6 inches

 

[Ichinisan]

Nearly the same when I wanted to send something to Canada.

This.

 

[Ichinisan]

You don't say how much of that $200 is shipping and how much is "import fees", but those "fees" are probably really "import duties", which are basically "taxes", not "fees". And so not variable dependent on shipping method or carrier. And short of declaring a lower value on the contents - which would not only be illegal under US law (and probably Norwegian law. for whatever that's worse in either case) but (probably more importantly) it could bite you in the ass if something goes wrong - there's not much either you or the seller can do about that.

As for minimizing shipping costs, you don't say what shipping method(s) you've priced so far, but sending it by the slowest, least trackable method available would presumably be cheapest, though presumably not desirable.

Looks like it went through eBay Global Shipping Program, even though I removed the check mark to disable it this time when I created the listing. I called eBay and they said something about GSP being enabled by default for all listings based on my account settings. Anyway, I guess that means I can't see a breakdown of the shipping costs. I'd have to ship to an eBay facility and I can't change any of the shipping parameters.

 

[Ichinisan]

He still hasn't posted a size/weight for the system. I went to the USPS website to find this.

I quickly looked and a 5 lb package to Norway (16"x12"x12") box is around 65.00. for International Priority mail
A 10 lb box of the same size is around 95.00.
Stuff is expensive to ship to Europe. I don't know what Norway's taxes are but adding 100+ to the shipping sounds like a lot.

Who are you looking to ship with (What delivery service) that is giving you a 200 estimate?


Using FedEx or UPS will be a lot more. USPS will be the cheapest unless you go somehow by a slow post (ship).
Insurance is relatively cheap (5.00 for 600.00)
https://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/mo_028.htm

I have shipped to Italy and Germany before, but just CDs and Video Games. Twenty something from what I remember for flat rate envelopes.
Looks to be 32.00 now.

The buyer told me "almost $200." eBay GSP doesn't allow me to see a breakdown of what they present to the buyer. Probably adds some fee to cover their GSP facility operations, then shipping, then full declared value with import taxes.

I chatted on IRC EFnet in #n64dev and bumped into another Norwegian N64 enthusiast (the third one today!). He said hey get charged 25%.

0.25 * $610 = $152.50

The Norwegian guy on IRC says that sounds about right since shipping can easily be $50, pushing it close to $200. Also there's probably an eBay GSP handling fee of some kind.

 

[esquared]

So you cannot just ship this yourself from a USPS account?

 

[jana519]

$200 is probably air shipping. You want to do freight shipping which is 6-8 weeks but much cheaper.

 

[Ichinisan]

So you cannot just ship this yourself from a USPS account?

Apparently not. eBay doesn't give me the buyer's address. If eBay doesn't receive it at their GSP center in Kentucky, it would be like I never shipped it. I also don't think it will let him pay except through eBay GSP.

We canceled the order. I sold it to the second-place bidder. He's in USA and paid immediately. I'll do another one for my Norwegian friend and we'll try the handling fee thing.

 

[Ichinisan]

$200 is probably air shipping. You want to do freight shipping which is 6-8 weeks but much cheaper.

Well, $152.50 of that is import taxes or something. Probably an eBay GSP handling fee of some kind rolled in there too.

 

[jana519]

Well, $152.50 of that is import taxes or something. Probably an eBay GSP handling fee of some kind rolled in there too.

the fuck? there is some bureaucracy problem going on here. I mean they paid $600 for your N64 but no country should have a 25% import tax on shipped items, that's ridiculous. When I used to ship things to China/Korea, the import tax was like 2% or something.

I'm too lazy to Google but I'm sure you just need to go through other channels. Good luck

 

[esquared]

Well, $152.50 of that is import taxes or something. Probably an eBay GSP handling fee of some kind rolled in there too.

That's some eBay scam they have going. That 25%, who does that go to who? How much to the Norwegian gov't?
There is VAT for Norway (12-25%), but does that include used goods?
http://www.uscib.org/valueadded-taxes-vat-ud-1676/

 

[Mike64]

There is no way to distinguish the value of the items (console; upgrade kit) and the value of the service when something like eBay Global Shipping Program just slaps the final price on there.

Looks like it went through eBay Global Shipping Program, even though I removed the check mark to disable it this time when I created the listing. I called eBay and they said something about GSP being enabled by default for all listings based on my account settings. Anyway, I guess that means I can't see a breakdown of the shipping costs. I'd have to ship to an eBay facility and I can't change any of the shipping parameters.

Oh, I got the impression from Ichinisan's OP that the $200 was if he were shipping it directly, (I checked the USPS website too and came up with the same guesstimate esquared did, and went from there.) I don't have the slightest idea how shipping through Ebay works, so can't even begin to speculate how they came up with their figure or what, if anything, one can do to minimize their "net" charge... Wouldn't it be possible for the buyer to just email his address? Or is there a (lack of) trust issue doing that, or a potential problem in terms of Ebay's TOS or buyer/seller protections?

Stuff is expensive to ship to Europe. I don't know what Norway's taxes are but adding 100+ to the shipping sounds like a lot.

Leaving aside the issue that the OP isn't getting a breakdown of the included costs so we really have no idea what that's all about, in theory I suppose it's possible the figure also includes some sort of "customs brokerage" or "duty collection" fee, either from the shipper or whoever collects duty in Norway. In the UK, I believe the Royal Post charges some sort of fee for collecting the duty in addition to the duty itself. But from what I've seen on other forums, while that UK charge is high enough to be a barrier to small, relatively low-value shipments, it's not outrageously high. I've also seen Canadians complain about FedEx and UPS tacking on collection/brokerage fees for shipments from the US, but I don't recall even ballpark dollar amounts...

PS: You have to (or are supposed to) pay sales tax on used goods in the US, too, and that's ignoring the fact that "VAT" isn't technically a "sales" tax and is calculated differently than sales taxes are determined in the US. As for imports, even in the US, which generally has very lenient Customs regs and liberal duty-free allowances on things imported for personal use (only), duties are payable on used goods, unless the goods belong to and have been "used" by the "importer"... (And even then, I think those allowances only apply to "household goods" shipped when you move, or items personally carried back when returning from overseas travel - not ordinary things "shipped" back, even if an international traveler buys them elsewhere and personally ships them to their US address...)