UPS to Canada

[Turdus]

I just sold a $70 amp on Ebay. A guy from Canada emailed me (pre auction end) and asked if I would ship there. I figured it would be a hassle, so I said no. He bid anyway, and won my auction.

So now I can do one of 2 things... tell him to get lost, or find out what is involved to ship to Canada. Does this mean that I am going to have to fill out Customs paperwork, and get stuck with it, if he does not pay? I've never shipped to Canada, so I have no idea if UPS is reasonable, if Customs is involved for such a low dollar item, etc.

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks,

CB

[elduave]

UPS has recently become a cost-effective option for shipping gear to Canada. You can ship with multiple copies of an "invoice", which will cover your customs paperwork. Sucks that you told him not to bid, and he did anyway. Most Paypal accounts outside the US are "unconfirmed" which means yes, he can retract the payment and you're left holding the bag. I would ask that he pays via International money order, that way you're at least covered there.

[Turdus]

Dave -- thanks for the information. The paypal part is particularly interesting, as I was going to tell the guy that was how I wanted to be paid. I am thinking now that I might just tell him to forget it.

BTW.. what does "Multiple copies of an invoice" mean to a non business type like me?

[elduave]

BTW.. what does "Multiple copies of an invoice" mean to a non business type like me?

It means send like 3 copies of a receipt with it in a re-sealable pouch.

[jerseydrew]

As a seller on ebay, I only ship to a confirmed address when paying by Paypal. Anybody out of the US cannot be confirmed. Therefore IF you want to still sell to Canada, I would ask for an International Money Order or a personal check, and hold it until it clears.

How is the guy's feedback? If he has a ton of feedback with virtually no negatives, he probably is a straight shooter and I'd take a shot. That's just MY opinion.

[Armitage]

Where do you guys get all your bad information?

I'm Canadian and "Verified" through Paypal. I ship to the U.S. and back to Canada (to myself) often. To ship internationally, (US to Canada, Canada to US, US to the U.K.) all you have to do is write your address and his address twice, sign twice and put a value on the item.

DON"T be high, you're not doing anyone a favour, he gets taxed on the value. If he asks you to lower the value, it's up to you, it may lower his tax a bit. It has to be reasonable though. Remember it'll be in HIS country when someone looks at the value, they're not going to jump a plane to kick your ass for it. The truth is, it's your business what you sell something for, they may charge him it's "value" though. You have the right to sell a NOS '59 Les Paul for $5, but HIS Customs has the right to say it's worth more and charge him for it.

Anyways, it sucks he bid even after you said no. That's a bad sign to me. If he isn't going to follow the rules, what's to say it's not some prick trying to screw you around?

[chewie37]

I've done a couple of Ebay sales to Canada and UPS seems to have their act somewhat together regarding ground shipping. There are a couple of extra forms to fill out, but not as many as you might think.

Regarding your particular buyer; well, while he's already proven he can't follow directions . It's happened to me as well though - seems common to Ebay. Personally, I don't do PayPal anymore but that's just me. I lean towards money orders and a paper trail but like I said, maybe I'm just a luddite.

If you decide to do the deal, nail down the payment terms before you send anything out the door. In addition, make it clear that you won't under-declare the value so your buyer can save a buck or two on customs fees.

[elduave]

Where do you guys get all your bad information?

Oh, I dunno, UPS, USPS, Paypal, Visa, Master Card, experience...

As I mentioned, *most* non-US Paypal accounts are "unconfirmed". Simple fact is, if a seller ships to an unconfirmed Paypal address (or address other than billing address with credit cards) they become vulnerable to "chargebacks". There is a small percentage of folks that dot i's and cross t's and have taken the initiative to add a second address (work, relative) to their credit card accounts, but I've never seen it with Paypal. Keep in mind, "verified" members and "confirmed" addresses are two different things. At my previous job, I sold and shipped a guitar to an unconfirmed address and the money was taken out of the stores Paypal account (by Paypal) after the item shipped.

[Armitage]

The way Paypal worked for me was I had to give them my address and Visa number, they billed me a dollar, I got my bill for the dollar on my Visa bill with a code, I typed in the code to activate my Paypal account.

[DaveL]

If you do decide to proceed, you might want to

consider USPS. 1st off, it's likely cheaper, and

whenever I've shipped outside of the country

they've been very helpful helping fill out the forms

whereas sometimes the UPS clerks can be clueless

about international shipments and the package will

get held or returned etc... UPS and fedex also use

customs brokers which sometimes can mean you get

a suprise bill a month later.

That, said, not sure why the dude bid when you said

not to...

[GusS]

it's $70. ask for a postal money order if you don't want to take a chance on $70. I would take a chance on an unconfirmed address w/ good feedback cause it's way more convenient & i'm a lazy ass.

Also, cardinal rule: Avoid UPS or Fedex ground for int'l shipments, if you're at all concerned about your buyer getting reamed at the door by the man in brown/purple-green. USPS all the way.

I'd like to urge all US-based sellers to stop being afraid of shipping abroad. Just state that you're not responsible for the package once it leaves the country, and you're off the hook.