International buyers

[SlightlyMadScientist]

Hi,

I normally have a policy where I only post to UK. I have an item where some one from hte far east has asked if I can post to them. My first reaction is no, but then I check their feedback, which is good and 20 out of her last 23 feedbacks relate to the same characters and/or baby items to what I am selling - so they are obviously an avid fan of this character, i.e. they are a genuine buyer.

One of my reasons for not selling abroad is that I know that there are scams operated from abroad (but I am sure there are many other genuine internationals). Given the collection of a theme - would you sell abroad?

Is it easy to arrange payment and stuff? Do you just ask for UK sterling into you paypal account
Then I assume you just go to the post office with buyers address and parcel and they will sort it out. Are there any special packaging requirements?

As long as you insist on Paypal, it's not a problem. It's the same process - they pay you, you get confirmation, then you post. The complication comes in the postage, as there are different rules. I only ever post small items abroad, items that qualify for the "small packet" rules. This means it has to weigh less than 2kg, and the height, width and depth must add up to less than 90cm, with no side more than 60cm. In this case, postage is roughly double UK rates - that's the way I work it.

Anything bigger becomes astronomical to post, and just not worth the hassle.

You need customs labels for your packets if outside the EU, and you need to write SMALL PACKET on the packet, and use an airmail sticker.

For valuable items, an extra £3.50 buys you "International Signed For", which is basically international version of recorded.

Have a look here for more info.

Sounds complicated....package is only 1kg, but is probably a bit bigger than a small packet. I will have to measure it I think...where do you get the customs labels?

BTW, I started out like you, UK only, but once you get over the payment issue, it's so much better, as you have the whole world potentially bidding on your items, and therefore get a better price. I've sent things all over - clothes to the States, CDs to Japan and Argentina, bit of old cars to Australia, Italy and Canada.

P.O. will give you the labels and I think you can download them too.

It's not that complicated, honestly - just try it with a few small things to start with, see how you get on.

www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/content1?info on customs labels

whoops:

info on customs labels

Do you just give a UK sterling price and let Paypal sort out the currency issues? Are there any losses on sellers part due to exchange rates etc?

As I understand it, they bid on your auction in Sterling, with a conversion shown underneath so they know how much they're bidding (a bit like if you buy something in dollars). They then pay via Paypal, which comes in to your account in Sterling, and they are charged in their currency. You get what the auction ends on - so if the high bid is £40, you get £40, less the normal fee. They pay whatever that converts to - does that make sense?

Yeah make sense. Thanks for your help. Parcel won't be as big as I thought so I think it should qualify as a small package (10cm30cm40cm). I will have a proper look at those links after tea but it all sounds reasonable.

Can I ask another quick question.

When you do the customs lable do you do it as a 'gift' (sounds easier) or as a 'commercial sample' as you haev recieved money for it?

I assume there is no charge involved with the customs stuff.

sms, where were you yesterday?

Up to my eyes in stuff.

I was on a school trip in the afternoon, parents evening after school, babyitting a friends 2 kids after that, being hijcked by an electric salesman that wouldn't take no for an answer, tried to book holiday with 5 kids running round, DP was working late so I was still trying to get my 3 in bed at 8pm, sat down to tea at 8:45, watched life on Mars, tried to find cheaper electricity, went to bed....

...a bit busy .

I want to try and get a game tonight - but I am trying to sort this ebay stuff out at the moment and then it wil be tea and then I have to sort a shopping list for tomorrow......

[its gonna be like this all week]

I miss isketch

we all missed you last night

Really? I was desperatly trying to get done to get on - Kelly only plays on Tues. But it was 10:30 before I had time and I knew that loggin on at that time was suicide (so I MNetted until midnight instead )

Hello again! Sorry, early night, didn't get back on.

I always tick gift. You can't put any correspondence in anyway, so there's not anything in there to prove that it's not, IYSWIM.

Did I mention that you shouldn't enclose any correspondence?

No worries I figured you weren't a late nighter!!!

So you don't put an invoice in or anything?

No, I don't put anything in. I think there's a limit on what you're allowed to enclose, but as the P.O. always check with me that there's no documentation inside, I just don't put anything in, makes life simpler.