Whassup with e-bay?

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Have they added new things to enhance your 'experience'?

I bought a $26 US item with free shipping which should cost me $26 converted to Canadian (and we aren't doing very well on that right now). The e-bay listing showed an estimated shipping (pre-calculated as they often do) and an estimate of import fees (thanks, but that's between me and the Canadian customs people). When the deal was done, e-bay automatically added these extra amounts to the $26 adding another $20 to the total. No matter, I'll just have the seller adjust as I've done in the past. No can do, and what's 'better' is that none of the e-bay 'shipping' charges makes their way to the seller. So e-bay scoops this? Likewise I have no idea where the import charge portion is supposed to go. Has e-bay made some kind of a deal to collect duty (for a fat fee of course)? As-is many parcels arrive across the border with no duty collected so such a partnership between e-bay and customs would benefit them both.

Can't send electronic payment outside of e-bay/paypal because e-bay snips e-mail addresses out of e-bay seller/buyer communications...even if you disguise it with 'dot' or 'at'. Darn, they're good.

Is this the new normal? If so all you remaining bidders will have one less competitor.

[Andrew]

Ebay has offered this type of shipping now for US sellers. What happens, you win the auction, the seller ships to a central shipping location (not you), then they ship it to you, and they declare items and pay duties and taxes. Its an option that the seller can use it or not. I wont buy from sellers that use this shipping method. Usually the seller doesn't realize this, and that it usually doubles the selling price for the bidder. Ebay advertises this to us sellers as a win win for them and the buyer (ya right) saying it makes it easier for them (seller) to sell outside the USA without paperwork headaches.

[rob love]

Pitney Bowes has the contract to bring the goods across the border. But it ends up being 3 stages: Seller sends it to PB, PB brings the shipment across, then dumps it off onto Canada Post.

I have contacted the sellers before to get them to remove the option, and often they will. However, if they ship cheapest method with no tracking, then it is at the seller's risk if the parcel disappears or an unscrupulous buyer denies receiving the parcel. In the end it comes down to the buyer looking at your feedback and weighing the risks.

I think I used the service once, and the costs outweighed any benefit to the buyer.

[David Dunlop]

Bruce.

Not sure how close you are to the US Border, but my wife and I just discovered last Fall that there are companies on the US side of the border you can have US goods shipped to and they email you when received. We just pop down (about a one hour drive) and pick them up. Charge is only $5.00 USF for up to 70lb parcel for two month holding with the company we deal with. Take a printout of your internet purchase order with you for Customs. Works great for items shippable in the USA free, or any of those eBay Sellers that are terrified to sell anything outside of the USA.

David

[maple_leaf_eh]

You could trick ebay with a text message to the seller that gives your address as bill dot terwilliger at gmail dot com, no?

[cletrac (RIP)]

I use davidpope then the a with the circle followed by sasktel then the period and finally net. It took several tries before I got it to work. You can't use at or dot or likely not com.
Anything under about $150 or anything used goes right by customs anyway but ebay still wants to charge you. The same goes for UPS. They want their brokers fee no matter what.

[Tony Mathers]

Ebay shipping is very very bad.... I bought a bren gun barrel, not realising that the seller sent it to Ebay shipping, who promptly confiscated it.... Citing it was a restricted import... Restricted yes but not illegal. I had gone to a lot of trouble getting all the correct permits etc, but Ebay refused to return my item....

Never again will I deal with a Ebay seller who uses Ebay shipping!