Gotta be a way to spend my greasy foreign money on the 'Bay

[Arkadin]

Ah, the travails of being a comic collector outside the US.

 

Forget the Global Shipping Program, as annoying as it can be. The biggest problem for international buyers is when you finally find the comic you've always wanted, and there are NO shipping options outside the US.

 

The easy solution seems to be using one of these US address services. That way, if there's a seller who won't ship internationally, you can have it sent to the address service, which sends your packages on to you in whatever godforsaken country you and your comics reside in.

 

Now, sure you can add a US address to your eBay profile, but you can't add one in PayPal (you can only add gift addresses that are in your home country). Some Pal!

 

So the question is this - will US sellers ship to an address that's different than the buyer's billing address? Or is that a big ol' red flag to sellers?

 

This isn't really about using the address service - you'd be in the same boat if you added a friend's address in the US or any address that doesn't match your billing address in your home country.

 

Anyone know if there's a way around this?

 

By the way, this isn't a gripe about sellers having international shipping-phobia - I accept that some just don't want to do it. What I need is a simple way around the situation.

[bb8]

Did you think about posting a WTB thread here? There are plenty of great dealers here that'll take your money.

[Neopacket]

As a buyer, I have changed my ebay shipping address, and name, many times to have an item shipped to someone else so i didn't have to pay the extra for shipping after it gets to me.

 

As a seller, I've had a few orders go through with different addresses than the payment address. My rule is, if the address is different, I double check the funds in paypal, and I ship through the "Print Shipping" link on eBay.

 

I've been told that i'm protected, as long as I ship to the address in the "Print Shipping" and I don't make any changes to said address.

 

I have a Canadian Customer that is setting up his US address right now. But then again, i'm not selling High Value books either.

[FlyingDonut]

Ah, the travails of being a comic collector outside the US.

 

Forget the Global Shipping Program, as annoying as it can be. The biggest problem for international buyers is when you finally find the comic you've always wanted, and there are NO shipping options outside the US.

 

The easy solution seems to be using one of these US address services. That way, if there's a seller who won't ship internationally, you can have it sent to the address service, which sends your packages on to you in whatever godforsaken country you and your comics reside in.

 

Now, sure you can add a US address to your eBay profile, but you can't add one in PayPal (you can only add gift addresses that are in your home country). Some Pal!

 

So the question is this - will US sellers ship to an address that's different than the buyer's billing address? Or is that a big ol' red flag to sellers?

 

This isn't really about using the address service - you'd be in the same boat if you added a friend's address in the US or any address that doesn't match your billing address in your home country.

 

Anyone know if there's a way around this?

 

By the way, this isn't a gripe about sellers having international shipping-phobia - I accept that some just don't want to do it. What I need is a simple way around the situation.

 

Simple.

 

Buy from me.

[Old Fashion PB and J]

I ship international

[gaz973]

So do I.

[Buzzetta]

Unfortunately, due to eBay and paypal rules, there are many people who no longer ship outside the United States. I am one of them. However, I DO ship internationally for items I offer here and on other message boards since I am not bound by eBay seller restraints.

 

Dealing with international eBay sales and shipping to conflicting addresses led to too many headaches for two reasons. I will present the straw that broke the camels back for each of them:

 

1 - International sales were ended after an Australian begged for the cheapest (and slowest) means of shipment then filed a claim that he did not have his item in time. Fought that with paypal and somehow won.

 

2- Conflicting addresses were ended after I sold something to an individual in California. I immediately noticed that her eBay address differed from her paypal address. When questioning it she asked me to send it to one of them (I think it was the eBay address). I would only ship to the paypal address which she claimed she was no longer residing in but her parents were. I still have all 16 correspondences saved. Here is where the problems started:

 

• Individual said to send it to the paypal address and she would pick it up
  
• Upon receiving the item she claimed it was a fake
  
• She filed a claim
  
• I called eBay and paypal and offered receipt of purchase for the item as it was an online order and still assessable from the account.
  
• eBay sided with her, paypal was on my side but it was too late. Item was supposed to be in transit back to me and $100 was returned to her.
  
• I am checking the tracking a week later and it still has not been sent out.
  
• Call paypal and they agree she is in the wrong. $100 back to me.
  
• She sends me angry threatening emails
  
• She says the item is being sent back and low and behold I check the tracking and it is now on its way back
  
• Paypal says she is out of luck
  
• I sat on the porch with a bucket of corona's and waiting for the UPS guy to come. Apparently I had to sign for it and I refused the parcel. Back it went.
  
• For all I know there was a brick or a German newspaper in the package.
  
• She left negative feedback (I had left positive feedback upon her paying)
  
• Negative feedback was erased. I just checked her account and out of 102 feedbacks left, 9 of them are negatives or neutrals.
  

 

[vaillant]

I see where the problem may arise, and although I have a pair of US addresses of gracious board friends helping me with the cumulative shipments, the only thing I do is (if the listing suggests problem with this) to ask the eBay seller if he’s OK to ship to a US address I provide in eBay.

 

Of course, PayPal might say it’s "unconfirmed" but it’s still on record in eBay and PayPal, and I generally go ahead and bid away and don’t even ask: 95% of the sellers trust you and obviously do not have a problem with this, as you are basically asking the favor to ship to a friend of yours in USA.

[vaillant]

BTW, Arkadin, where are you located?

[999ghosts]

As a non-US it was easier to buy from ebay ten years ago as it is now.

 

I got a good comic dealer in the Netherlands for my moderns and most of my CGC and other books I buy from here. Ebay is getting less and less of my money.

[Arkadin]

I see where the problem may arise, and although I have a pair of US addresses of gracious board friends helping me with the cumulative shipments, the only thing I do is (if the listing suggests problem with this) to ask the eBay seller if he’s OK to ship to a US address I provide in eBay.

 

Of course, PayPal might say it’s "unconfirmed" but it’s still on record in eBay and PayPal, and I generally go ahead and bid away and don’t even ask: 95% of the sellers trust you and obviously do not have a problem with this, as you are basically asking the favor to ship to a friend of yours in USA.

 

Thanks for the answer - if that many sellers don't have a problem, it might be worth just going ahead and bidding. I do try to ask the seller, but sometimes they don't respond in time.

 

These situations don't happen too often - but when they do, it's always something incredibly rare that I've been searching for a long time.

 

[prez]

I'm from canada but lucky enough to be only 40mins away from a small US border town. I used to pay at least $25USD extra to get a $15 book.

 

Dark times....

 

[lscomics]

I feel your pain. I collect foreign editions and there's a lot of stuff I see that I'd like to have but the sellers don't ship to the US. Most recently I found a seller on eBay France that had about $200 worth of stuff I wanted to buy but didn't offer international shipping. I sent two messages asking if he would make an exception and even told him what I was looking to spend. No response.

[RockMyAmadeus]

Ah, the travails of being a comic collector outside the US.

 

Forget the Global Shipping Program, as annoying as it can be. The biggest problem for international buyers is when you finally find the comic you've always wanted, and there are NO shipping options outside the US.

 

The easy solution seems to be using one of these US address services. That way, if there's a seller who won't ship internationally, you can have it sent to the address service, which sends your packages on to you in whatever godforsaken country you and your comics reside in.

 

Now, sure you can add a US address to your eBay profile, but you can't add one in PayPal (you can only add gift addresses that are in your home country). Some Pal!

 

So the question is this - will US sellers ship to an address that's different than the buyer's billing address? Or is that a big ol' red flag to sellers?

 

This isn't really about using the address service - you'd be in the same boat if you added a friend's address in the US or any address that doesn't match your billing address in your home country.

 

Anyone know if there's a way around this?

 

By the way, this isn't a gripe about sellers having international shipping-phobia - I accept that some just don't want to do it. What I need is a simple way around the situation.

 

Simple.

 

Buy from me.

 

Orrrr....

 

Try from me.

 

I'll be happy to work out the best shipping arrangements for anyone overseas, provided it can be insured, and there's no declared value monkey business.

[RockMyAmadeus]

bucket of corona's

 

Corona's what?

[Buzzetta]

bucket of corona's

 

Corona's what?

 

You read through all that ?!

[RockMyAmadeus]

bucket of corona's

 

Corona's what?

 

You read through all that ?!

 

Of course.

 

Doesn't everybody.....?

[Rune]

To be frank, why do you use EBay? There are much better places to buy books. In the beginning I only used EBay too, now I use Comiclink, ComicConnect and occasionally HA and Pedigree Comics. Often they have better and cheaper books (after auction), and there is close to zero risk of fraud - because these sellers check your books, before sending them to you. And no more damaged holders - in my experience Comiclink never ships books in damaged holders, but makes sure a new holder is provided if needed (at the sellers' expense I assume). And they pack all books professionally, of course many EBay sellers are good at this too, but better safe than sorry...

 

Of course I still use EBay in the now rare occasion that a very special book emerges... (EBay sellers do not put those damn super-glue stickers on books, but I can think of very few other EBay advantages)

 

And why do sellers use EBay, because of ultra-quick payment? CLink, CConnect charge only 10% fee - are PayPal and EBay not much more expensive for sellers?

[Arkadin]

Rune, I do use CLink, CC and Heritage, quite a lot. But for some of the stuff I collect - ie. comic strips and vintage paperbacks - eBay is where the action is.

 

It's basically a giant garage sale or flea market, and sometimes the most amazing stuff just pops up if you're observant. But yes, for slabs and such, I prefer the Big Three auction houses - even if they do use Fedex

 

[vaillant]

All that I say about eBay sellers is that those who want to have a confirmed address are the minority. My strategy is that if they complain and don’t want to ship me the book I could either arrange payment through my US friends or just let go and pay them the (lost) fees so they’re good to relist the item.

 

My most adventurous purchase so far it’s been my keeper for this book (not this copy, a bit better), which is scarce in higher grades. The seller (Lee’s Comics) does not offer shipping abroad, and basically blocks foreign users, so I was unable to send a direct message.

I made some workaround so I was able to message him, and then asked him if I could have the book set aside and I would have managed local pick up.

I had the luck that I have a (non comic-book collecting) friend which works in Mountain View, where Lee is located. We even chatted a bit, but it was really weird.

Then my friend picked the book from the store, and gave it to me the following time he got back home to Italy for the holidays… Problem is that Lee lists nice books but still I can’t bid…