How about letting "internationals" decide if shipping is too much?

[bababooey]

I have in the past noted in my shipping terms that I will not ship internationally because it is "too expensive". This has mostly been for large "reader" lots for which the shipping charge would equate to many multiples of the asking price for the books themselves.

 

I suppose I could have listed hugely inflated shipping charges for these large, heavy lots, but I figured the nature of the items was such that any potential international buyers could easily see that it just wasn't worth it.

 

On the other hand, I've also listed similar lots with "no international shipping" (minus the "too expensive" part), and have then received PMs asking if I would re-consider. When I say, "okay...I'll send you a quote", and do just that, I've often received some version of this response:

 

"Wow...that's expensive. I'll pass."

 

So, as Mick said...what can a poor boy, do -- y'know?

 

These days, when I offer international shipping, it is ONLY via Priority Mail Express International (to be paid by the buyer): flat rate envelopes = $35.95, and flat rate boxes = $66.95 (prices include up to $200 of insurance coverage).

 

It's not cheap…but it's relatively quick, fully insurable, and reliably trackable on both sides of the border.

 

 

Internationals know what international postage costs. Just state postage is to be paid by buyer, and is dependent on location and weight.

I'm not sure if that works.

I know that if I was buying a $200 book I'd only want to pay for international postage that covered "tracking" - I don't want to pay for international that includes "proof of delivery & signature confirmation"

 

Some US sellers choose to be overly cautious with international, which is their right but many people don't want to overpay for services they feel are unnecessary.

 

For example, if I buy (takeit) 3 books for a $23.00 total that I want shipped to Canada - can I back out if the seller insists on a $65 postage rather than shipping it First Class like most people would?

 

 

[mschmidt]

So I have been at work during most of this conversation.

 

When I ship to the US, I print out the shipping label from Paypal and I package everything up at home. I will then either drop it off at the post office's drop box or if I'm not wanting to go out, I'll give it to our mail man to take with him.

 

So far, when I have shipped to Canada. I fill out everything again through Paypal. Both times, the cost of shipping turned out to be more than I had anticipated and I end up eating the difference. I print out the label/customs form at home. I then take them to the post office for the counter clerk to verify all the information is correct and they affix the label/form to the package and they send it off from there. It is a little extra work on my part to send it off. If I could easily do it all from home then it wouldn't be a problem.

 

Also, I think some people are afraid of the whole customs part. If customs decides to open the package, especially a very well wrapped slab, they could end up damaging the slab. And as far as I know, that could leave me responsible. At the very least, it will come back as some extra headache I have to take care of on some level. This may be pure ignorance as I have never really death with customs before, but I'm the type of person that is always prepared for the worst scenario, and if I do not know what that can entail, I'll just avoid it all together.

 

If anyone has insight on how to ship easily from home and/or exactly what happens at customs, I and anyone who could possibly purchase from me in Canada would appreciate it.

 

You're paying extra at the post office because the USPS charges a different postage cost depending on whether you print the postage online or do it at the PO.

 

You seem to be under the misapprehension that there's a major difference between shipping a USPS priority mail package domestically & internationally - there really isn't.

 

In both situations, you print the postage online, affix the postage to the box and either have the mailman pick up the box at your house or drop it in a mailbox at the PO. There's no need to go see a clerk - they don't need to "verify all the information is correct".

 

The only extra thing you need for USPS priority international packages is the USPS customs from envelope - which you can order for free here:

https://store.usps.com/store/browse/productDetailSingleSku.jsp?categoryNavIds=catGetMailingShippingSupplies%3asubcatMSS_MSS_PostalForms&categoryNav=false&navAction=push&navCount=0&productId=P_FORM_2976_E&categoryId=subcatMSS_MSS_PostalForms

 

[vaillant]

You're paying extra at the post office because the USPS charges a different postage cost depending on whether you print the postage online or do it at the PO.

 

You seem to be under the misapprehension that there's a major difference between shipping a USPS priority mail package domestically & internationally - there really isn't.

 

In both situations, you print the postage online, affix the postage to the box and either have the mailman pick up the box at your house or drop it in a mailbox at the PO. There's no need to go see a clerk - they don't need to "verify all the information is correct".

 

The only extra thing you need for USPS priority international packages is the USPS customs from envelope - which you can order for free here:

https://store.usps.com/store/browse/productDetailSingleSku.jsp?categoryNavIds=catGetMailingShippingSupplies%3asubcatMSS_MSS_PostalForms&categoryNav=false&navAction=push&navCount=0&productId=P_FORM_2976_E&categoryId=subcatMSS_MSS_PostalForms

 

That is very interesting to know, mschmidt, many thanks! (thumbs u

 

I still have the impression there are rates differences between how the USPS works across the various States (when shipping abroad), but it’s just an impression, maybe I am wrong?

 

 

[mschmidt]

You're paying extra at the post office because the USPS charges a different postage cost depending on whether you print the postage online or do it at the PO.

 

You seem to be under the misapprehension that there's a major difference between shipping a USPS priority mail package domestically & internationally - there really isn't.

 

In both situations, you print the postage online, affix the postage to the box and either have the mailman pick up the box at your house or drop it in a mailbox at the PO. There's no need to go see a clerk - they don't need to "verify all the information is correct".

 

The only extra thing you need for USPS priority international packages is the USPS customs from envelope - which you can order for free here:

https://store.usps.com/store/browse/productDetailSingleSku.jsp?categoryNavIds=catGetMailingShippingSupplies%3asubcatMSS_MSS_PostalForms&categoryNav=false&navAction=push&navCount=0&productId=P_FORM_2976_E&categoryId=subcatMSS_MSS_PostalForms

 

That is very interesting to know, mschmidt, many thanks! (thumbs u

 

I still have the impression there are rates differences between how the USPS works across the various States (when shipping abroad), but it’s just an impression, maybe I am wrong?

 

 

USPS international prices are based on weight (and to a certain extent size), so there's no price difference between shipping a package to the UK from, say, San Francisco or New York.

 

You can see it in action in the USPS postage price calculator - if you select an international destination, there's no originating ZIP code field in the form (because it's not relevant to the price):

 

http://ircalc.usps.com/?country=10150

[vaillant]

Great to know - thank you!

 

In case someone is curious about Italy’s postal rates to the Americas (USA, South America and Canada) for a comparision, they are the same (Zone 2) and as follows:

 

Priority:

http://poste.it/postali/estero/prioritaria_prezzieformati.shtml

 

Registered:

http://poste.it/postali/estero/raccomandata_prezzieformati.shtml

[vaillant]

P.S. Hulkdaddy, why did you say Italy is a "black hole": in 20+ years I had packages lost just very few times (and those times they weren’t tracked).

[VintageComics]

P.S. Hulkdaddy, why did you say Italy is a "black hole": in 20+ years I had packages lost just very few times (and those times they weren’t tracked).

 

I hear the same about Canada. Unfortunately, many people think once a package leaves the US it's in unsafe hands.

 

I've even had some sellers tell me that only packages that get shipped out of the US get damaged.

 

I've actually only ever had one package sent to me go missing. It was shipped with no tracking info about 10 years ago and it was dubious if it was even ever sent. It was a $40 item so I didn't worry about it too much.

 

Same with me shipping a package. Shipped one about 8 years ago with no tracking and the guy said he never received it. He was a board member and has never posted since that incident, again making it dubious that it was never received.

 

Personally, I think postal systems (in all civilized countries) do a top notch job in keeping track of and delivering packages.

 

Losing one or two packages in 100,000 is a pretty impressive margin if error.

[Meeklo]

I am paying for the shipping label at home through Paypal, there should not be any cost difference between what the USPS website initially quotes me and what I actually end up paying.

 

I also did not know you could get those customs envelopes for free! That was a big part of why I had to go to the post office.

 

Now if someone would like to explain why my shipping price is off and what happens if customs messes the package up, I'll be more than happy to run around here borderless!

[vaillant]

@Roy: Actually, the very few times a package of mine got seriously damaged was:

 

– In Italy to Italy transits (because of lack of care of seller's packaging);

– In an USA to USA transit (to a friend which is holding books for me).

 

So far, I shipped to UK, Greece, USA and Canada with no problem.

And I would surely have no problem shipping to any other destination, since our postal service makes little differences.

[Black Lantern]

I have been buying books from US sellers since 1998, must have been hundreds of packages in all those years and not a single package got lost. The distance doesn't really matter. Look how big the US is compared to Europe. The funny thing is, it always takes more days until a package leaves the US (often up to a week) compared to the time it takes to get over the Atlantic and delivered to my door.

 

I hope this confirms that it's not riskier to ship outside of the US.

[mschmidt]

I am paying for the shipping label at home through Paypal, there should not be any cost difference between what the USPS website initially quotes me and what I actually end up paying.

 

I also did not know you could get those customs envelopes for free! That was a big part of why I had to go to the post office.

 

Now if someone would like to explain why my shipping price is off and what happens if customs messes the package up, I'll be more than happy to run around here borderless!

 

It's kinda hard to figure out without specifics - do you have an example of a package you mailed recently with weight & the price you paid?

 

I've shipped 100s of international packages and have never had a package messed up by customs.

[Meeklo]

I am paying for the shipping label at home through Paypal, there should not be any cost difference between what the USPS website initially quotes me and what I actually end up paying.

 

I also did not know you could get those customs envelopes for free! That was a big part of why I had to go to the post office.

 

Now if someone would like to explain why my shipping price is off and what happens if customs messes the package up, I'll be more than happy to run around here borderless!

 

It's kinda hard to figure out without specifics - do you have an example of a package you mailed recently with weight & the price you paid?

 

I've shipped 100s of international packages and have never had a package messed up by customs.

 

I cannot remember the details of any of the past ones. This most recent one, it turned out okay…maybe I was just paying attention better this time?

[lizards2]

I am paying for the shipping label at home through Paypal, there should not be any cost difference between what the USPS website initially quotes me and what I actually end up paying.

 

I also did not know you could get those customs envelopes for free! That was a big part of why I had to go to the post office.

 

Now if someone would like to explain why my shipping price is off and what happens if customs messes the package up, I'll be more than happy to run around here borderless!

 

It's kinda hard to figure out without specifics - do you have an example of a package you mailed recently with weight & the price you paid?

 

I've shipped 100s of international packages and have never had a package messed up by customs.

 

I cannot remember the details of any of the past ones. This most recent one, it turned out okay…maybe I was just paying attention better this time?

I suspect it is because you either have an inaccurate scale, or you are not using an equivalent weight to the postage label, tape, customs form when you weigh the package. If you are right on the edge of a weight/price change, that itty-bitty amount of weight can throw it into the next price up.

 

After this happened to me several times on domestic packages, I began throwing an extra sheet of paper on when I weighed packages, to account for the weight of the tape and the shipping label.

[Arkadin]

International shipping is just the beginning of the pain for us internationals - the freaking import duties can be out of this world!

 

But,what are we gonna do - stop collecting comics?

 

Internationals just suck it up!

[RockMyAmadeus]

As a non US collector with 15000 US comic books, I thank those sellers that have send all these books to me in the past and thank you to all those who will in the future!

 

As I collect US comics, they all have to make there way over here from the USA one way or another. It's a good thing enough sellers still want to do the little extra effort to make us collectors from another part of the world happy.

 

I pay between $17 and $60 depending on quantity and weight! I can live with that. Those asking $100 postage for one book (they are out there), you are !

 

I really, really, REALLLLLY wish my European buyers would buy more than one book off of me at a time. It's absolutely inexpensive to ship 2, 3, 4, 10 books compared to just one to the same destination, it really mitigates the "cost per book" price....but so far, very, very few takers.

 

[COI]

P.S. Hulkdaddy, why did you say Italy is a "black hole": in 20+ years I had packages lost just very few times (and those times they weren’t tracked).

 

I've been scammed in a significant way in this hobby three times; all three times, the scam was perpetrated by sellers based in the USA. How silly would it sound for me to generalize the entire country on that basis? Pretty silly.

[RockMyAmadeus]

P.S. Hulkdaddy, why did you say Italy is a "black hole": in 20+ years I had packages lost just very few times (and those times they werent tracked).

 

I've been scammed in a significant way in this hobby three times; all three times, the scam was perpetrated by sellers based in the USA. How silly would it sound for me to generalize the entire country on that basis? Pretty silly.

 

Italy is a well known shipping black hole.

 

Not quite as bad as, say, Kazakhstan...but definitely deserving of the reputation as near the top of European dead zones for packages.

 

It's not the country, so much as their postal system.

[RockMyAmadeus]

By the way, I have heard this for Italy:

 

Since the EU acts as a single trading unit, you can have someone in another EU country act as a relay. Ship to them (say, Switzerland, which has a better customs process), and they can then ship to Italy, without having to go through Italian customs (which is apparently much of the problem.)

 

I don't know how accurate this information is.

[COI]

P.S. Hulkdaddy, why did you say Italy is a "black hole": in 20+ years I had packages lost just very few times (and those times they werent tracked).

 

I've been scammed in a significant way in this hobby three times; all three times, the scam was perpetrated by sellers based in the USA. How silly would it sound for me to generalize the entire country on that basis? Pretty silly.

 

Italy is a well known shipping black hole.

 

Not quite as bad as, say, Kazakhstan...but definitely deserving of the reputation as near the top of European dead zones for packages.

 

It's not the country, so much as their postal system.

 

I wonder how much of that is reality vs perception.

 

[Dick Pontoon]

Purely anecdotal, but last year I shipped a Priority envelope to Italy for work and it took several weeks.