HIGH cost of postage from US sellers?

[littlepuss3]

I wanted to buy a bottle of essential oil 15ml. from a US seller; their cost to post it was $28.22 for goodness sake. I checked out others from the US and they seem to have the highest post rates in the world!  It's unfair and unrealistic.  What is going on here. Are these prices legitimite and if not how are these sellers getting away with this?? 

[lyndal1838 · Accepted solution]

The US sellers are using the GSP...Global Shipping Program which is extremely expensive as everything is sent with full tracking and insurance.  Also, the company that does the shipping (Pitney Bowes) gets paid for their services.

[littlepuss3]

It explains some of it, even so, it's still expensive. Some buyers may not want insurance, tracking, etc. It's a big deterant when trying to buy and look for bargains with these high costs added on. Simple solution: we just go elsewhere. Thanks for reply. 

[davewil1964]

Try buying in Australia.  Helps our economy and creates jobs.

A bargain for a buyer is generally a loss for a seller. Ever consider that?

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@mydadopi wrote:

It explains some of it, even so, it's still expensive. Some buyers may not want insurance, tracking, etc. It's a big deterant when trying to buy and look for bargains with these high costs added on. Simple solution: we just go elsewhere. Thanks for reply. 

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buyers may not want the added costs, but many USA sellers get burned because overseas buyers put in Item Not Received claims when their item hasn't arrived after 8-10 days.  Without the insurance/tracking, they then end up with no item, no money for the item, and out of pocket for the international postage.

For sellers not using the GSP but charging the higher rates, they are just covering the costs involved in ensuring that they have full PayPal protection through having proof of delivery and not just proof of sending.  And this proof of delivery for these international sales is what is costing the extra $.

Thing is, if you don't like the high postage price from USA then don't buy.

[goldie-1967]

Simple . Buy from an Australian seller !!!

[retailtherapist_8]

All for buying OZ whenever possible, unfortunately there is a lot thats not available in stores or online here, specialty designer items at least.

I therefore buy a lot from the USA & Europe & Japan.The cost from the USA is huge, from the UK very reasonable albiet a slower delivery.

OP, are you sure your porduct is not available in OZ? If not try UK ebay. 

[cyclonic_thai]

However, if the Buyer walks away -- which is all we can do, those charges make the txns not worth doing -- how does that help the Seller? Fewer Buyers = fewer bids = lower selling prices (or no sales at all). Seems these shipping companies are just pricing the Sellers out of their own market!

[phorum_junkie*]

 Some buyers may not want insurance, tracking, etc

Of course they don't, they don't need it as they have buyer protection but the only way a seller can be protected is if they use fully trackable postage with proof of delivery.

[cyclonic_thai]

Er -- that was mydadopi's posting you were replying to, not mine. But I'll forgive you

Update: I've been browsing the formums for other threads on this subject, and in one of them I came across the statement that US Sellers don't actually need anything more than proof of posting when they sell/send to Australia to be protected (but we need all the bells 'n' whistles when we sell/send to the US).

If anyone could confirm that authoritatively, I'll pass the good news to some US eBayers I'm in touch with. Hopefully business between Aussie Buyers & US Sellers will become a bit freer. But as things stand, the only solution for those Aussies not wishing to be gouged is to not do business, and that's sad. Surely there's a better way...