International Postage costs make my sales cost me money!

[viva_celebrity_clippings]

I've recently sold 3 vintage books on ebay. I got a total of $11.95 for all three by two seperate buyers.

Now, international posting for the 2 books costs $40.40 (which I have let them know about) plus to send the single book is $18 + (and the book only sold for $1.99)

The second book is actually costing me money to sell as by the time the ebay & paypal fees come out (13.6% +0.30) it's more than the $1.99 for the sale. With the other 2 books I literally make less than $2.00

I think this % on the cost of the total sale including postage is absolutely pathetic. Isn't there another way to stop people charging extra for postage than costing the people who do the right thing $$!!!

As the sale just happened today I have a good mind to cancel the orders myself.

Anyone have any advice?

I'm seriously considering only posting within Australia from now on.

[horizon1907]

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@bonniesbargains06 wrote:

I've recently sold 3 vintage books on ebay. I got a total of $11.95 for all three by two seperate buyers.

Now, international posting for the 2 books costs $40.40 (which I have let them know about) plus to send the single book is $18 + (and the book only sold for $1.99)

The second book is actually costing me money to sell as by the time the ebay & paypal fees come out (13.6% +0.30) it's more than the $1.99 for the sale. With the other 2 books I literally make less than $2.00

I think this % on the cost of the total sale including postage is absolutely pathetic. Isn't there another way to stop people charging extra for postage than costing the people who do the right thing $$!!!

As the sale just happened today I have a good mind to cancel the orders myself.

Anyone have any advice?

I'm seriously considering only posting within Australia from now on.

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bonnie, you may be a little upset ATM but don't cancel the transactions. If you do, then you will even more upset becuase you will gain yourself defects. Not a good move. If the buyer asks to cancel, then that maybe an opportunity to do so. That may or may not happen. At this stage, there's really nothing you can do about it.

[croybooks]

bonniesbargains06

There has been no point in selling book item, more than 500gm, under $100.00, even if you bought them for 10cents. internationally for many years now. I just offer local post. If international buyers enquire via email, I tell them the straight Aust post price, I rarely get a taker.

Be careful with under 500gm,less then 200mm books. Air mail letter post is higher than air mail parcel, thought the opposite is true for Australian destinations.. another anomaly in Australia Post.

Never believe the eBay book weight in item specifics as every print run uses different size paper. It is a travesty eBay lacks diligence to know there are a variety of inputs into any item and leads sellers to believe an auto calculation will be right. Sometimes a book varies 100gm to eBay estimate which can be lead to a 5 dollar loss even in the domestic postage.

[viva_celebrity_clippings]

Thank you so much for the advice.

I have definately learnt my lesson.

I guess now I just wait until I hear from the 2 buyers.

Luckily I didn't actually pay for the books as they were given to me by a friend who was clearing out some stuff she wanted to get rid of.

[i-love-my-sheep]

If sending the books has cost you money, then you have technically paid for it...........in a sense!

A lot of buyers have stopped selling overseas due to the ridiculous costs associated with postage. It may not be so bad if you sell high priced stuff, but for us low value sellers, it's just not worth it. 

Hopefully when your buyers see the postage cost they might balk and ask to cancel. 

[max-power-models]

Simply charge an handling fee, (I charge $5) on international postage. 

[lane-ends]

international sales carry higher risk %. So why expose yourself to that given any loss is going to incorporate a high postage component.

Add in increased odds of where is my item? questions, leading to defect risk..

[chameleon54]

Around 25 % of my sales are to OS clients. I continue to sell OS as this is a growing segment of my business. I dont really have any more trouble with International clients than local sales, but the stress levels are probably higher, due to the high postage costs. I add ebays FVF on postage to my postage cost unless the item has an exceptionally high profit margin or it is old stock that I want to move.

International sales dont suit everyone, but could be worth considering if you sell higher value items or small collectables that are reasonably cheap to post. For low value items it would probably not be worth the worry.

[cherry*135]

bonnie - Another issue with international post to consider is -  if you send the items to international destinations without tracking and the item is not received by the buyer, the seller will be required to refund the buyer the item cost and the intl postage cost.

If the the buyers claim that item is not as described is accepted - seller has to refund buyer item cost and intl postage cost, and if seller wants their item back they have to pay the return intl postage costs as well.

[viva_celebrity_clippings]

Thanks everyone for all of your advice and suggestions!

I think I'm most likely going to stick to Australia as I am unemployed so I can't really afford to lose that much money.

The buyer of the single book paid for their item this afternoon so it will be posted on Monday.

I haven't heard from the other buyer yet. Hopefully the $40 is roo much for them and I can utilise the second chance offers I have on both books.