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Post by brcthrift on Apr 10, 2013 7:39:46 GMT -6
One thing foreign buyers do that really bothers me is asking to mark items as a gift or to understate the value. Sorry bro. I'm not commiting customs fraud so you can save 4 dollars.
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Post by drekkus on Apr 10, 2013 23:42:18 GMT -6
One thing foreign buyers do that really bothers me is asking to mark items as a gift or to understate the value. Sorry bro. I'm not commiting customs fraud so you can save 4 dollars. I think you are underestimating the savings part. Let me tell you how it works for somebody like me from the Netherlands. In theory when we receive anything from outside of the EU with a value of over $45 (shippingcost included ) then we have to pay a clearingsfee of 12,50 euro (about $16) plus we have to pay a tax percentage. The height of this percentage depends on the kind of goods that are in the package. For toys this is 19% of the total value including the shippingcosts. I've had a package that was $50, 20 for the item and 30 for shipping, and had to pay more for clearingsfees than the actual value of the item. I even one time bought a $10 item and the seller thought to do me a favor by unasked putting a $90 value on the packing slip. Thats the other way around That cost me big bucks. Luckily customs does not stop all packages but still if 1 out of 4 or 5 is stopped the costs will run up quickly. So there is a lot to be won. And always the packages from the US seem to be picked. I have not had customs charge me for packages from Australia or South America yet. Because of this i rarely buy from the US anymore and when i do in my mind i will add the custom costs to my final bid. This way i know what i have to pay when the customs decide to hold back my package and if in that case its still worth the while. So i can understand people asking to understate/ mark as gift from sellers. If its just a question and not a demand i can't see why this is bothering you? Asking something has never hurt anyone. Isn't the saying: "It never hurts to ask?" On another note i have no problem whatsover to put a lower value on a package or mark it as a gift if someone asks me to do that. But I do respect and understand people that are not willing to do this, everyone has to do what he is comfortable with. Maybe the punishment per country differs. It might be a more severe crime in the US than for example here in the Netherlands. I case of toys i wonder how customs is ever going to determine the real value of the contents of a package in case they suspect the value is understated? I'm triggered by this post to look into what kinda trouble i can get into if i ever get caught with custom fraud. I only sell ocasionally, and don't standardly understate value, so chances i get caught are slim but it never hurts to know. Might even cause me to reconsider my policy. In that case i will explain to anyone who asks me to understate value/ mark as gift why i can't do that. Just to create some awareness and understanding. I certainly would not dismiss these questions as being out of the order.
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Post by brcthrift on Apr 14, 2013 21:00:37 GMT -6
It bothers me when people ask me to do things that illegal and unethical. When a buyer makes such a request he is asking me to violate both the customs code (for which I could be heavily fined) and ebay terms of service (for which I could be suspended).
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Post by drekkus on Apr 14, 2013 23:47:47 GMT -6
It bothers me when people ask me to do things that illegal and unethical. When a buyer makes such a request he is asking me to violate both the customs code (for which I could be heavily fined) and ebay terms of service (for which I could be suspended). A lot of sellers from the US state in their auktions they will not understate value/ mark as gift. That should theoretically prevent people from asking (i know theoretically, not practically ). If they then still ask then thats annoying. But peepz who can't seem to read is another can of wurms we could go on about all day . I hope, with my example in mind, you can understand why people are sometimes asking to do this illegal act. Its really about more than just a lousy $4. Plus peepz just don't realize or can't imagine you can get into serious trouble for that. Just to be clear I'm (and was) not attacking you, just voicing my opinion. Something that bothers you does not have to bother me. To each his own and I respect your (and any other's) opinion. Its nice to have discussions like this from time to time. It broadens my view and gives me insight in how other peepz look on subjects.
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Deleted
Mar 29, 2024 10:00:47 GMT -6
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Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2013 2:22:27 GMT -6
eBay has provided a forum for obtaining a lot of great pieces in my collection and I've been able to sell a lot of great pieces (and junk) to other collectors or people that liked the "junk" I had, but I agree, it seems like more folks are trying to recoup fees with shipping these days. I reuse everything for shipping and I've never had an item I shipped arrive to my buyer in damaged condition. Granted, a dirty box on your door step may not look like Christmas morning, but getting the cool freakin' toy inside AND paying cheap shipping sure as heck feels like Christmas morning to me!
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Post by brcthrift on Apr 15, 2013 10:04:28 GMT -6
It bothers me when people ask me to do things that illegal and unethical. When a buyer makes such a request he is asking me to violate both the customs code (for which I could be heavily fined) and ebay terms of service (for which I could be suspended). A lot of sellers from the US state in their auktions they will not understate value/ mark as gift. That should theoretically prevent people from asking (i know theoretically, not practically ). If they then still ask then thats annoying. But peepz who can't seem to read is another can of wurms we could go on about all day . I hope, with my example in mind, you can understand why people are sometimes asking to do this illegal act. Its really about more than just a lousy $4. Plus peepz just don't realize or can't imagine you can get into serious trouble for that. Just to be clear I'm (and was) not attacking you, just voicing my opinion. Something that bothers you does not have to bother me. To each his own and I respect your (and any other's) opinion. Its nice to have discussions like this from time to time. It broadens my view and gives me insight in how other peepz look on subjects. I appreciate the perspective.
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Post by victoryleo19 on Apr 17, 2013 8:32:32 GMT -6
The problem is, in today's world, almost nothing costs more than 20.00 to ship. The cheapest shipping methods almost always go below that mark. When you have some REALLY heavy items, you can use flat rate that I believe is only around 25. When I buy an auction of junk figures for 10 dollars, and the seller turns around and tells me 30 dollars for shipping, I know what they are doing. It's frustrating that they act like 'I have no idea what you mean!!' and then open ebay cases against me.
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Post by else3573 on Apr 17, 2013 10:45:55 GMT -6
The problem is, when paying for something as a gift, or sending it, you can't get your money back if someone screws you. To me it's more about covering my ass.
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Post by brcthrift on Apr 17, 2013 12:37:19 GMT -6
Another issue with understating value is insurance. You can't insure a 49 dollar gift for 200 dollars. If ebay didn't hold sellers to such rediculous levels of accountability I could be a little more flexible.
I insure all items that go over seas that are valued over 100 dollars. I also require the item to be shippied via priority mail. The one time I didn't do this I got badly burned.
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Post by galaxystarshooter on Apr 22, 2013 11:27:04 GMT -6
Yes, this is annoying, someone had the shipping at $200 and it was just a small Doll.
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Post by else3573 on Apr 22, 2013 22:33:47 GMT -6
brcthrift, I hear you. Actually, regardless if it's domestic or international shipping, anything I sell over say $80 or so is insured. I'm not taking a risk of being out the cost of the item AND the item itself.
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Post by cyberwolf76 on Apr 25, 2013 3:12:19 GMT -6
There are 3 regular sellers on ebay that sell G.I Joes in seprate listings and they send the figures internationally uninsured and the figures usually sell for $10 - $20 each ...then I watch other USA sellers who insure packages to the hilt $40 a figure etc ...they sell figures for $5-$10 each because only USA buyers are buying them. There are lots of figures sitting on ebay that would sell instantly if the shipping was $7.50- $10 instead of $35.00 - $40 . These 3 sellers are cleaning up and good luck to them
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Post by brcthrift on Apr 25, 2013 9:21:41 GMT -6
If you can't ship a single loose action figure any where in the world for under ten dollars you are doing something wrong. I never have buyers pay for insurance because insurance doesn't protect them. It protects me. I never understand why some buyers ask for it. I just tell them no, and that I will replace or refund for any damage.
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Post by victoryleo19 on Apr 25, 2013 18:51:58 GMT -6
Absolutely right. Nothing 7 inches of less costs more than 10 bucks to ship, anywhere really. I ship stuff internationally quite regularly now, and single figures are usually 6-10 bucks to Australia or to the UK.
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Post by sharpfork on Jun 3, 2018 16:20:08 GMT -6
Some people refuse to ship standard.
On top of that, ebay fees have become so ridiculous that people are trying recoup their losses. Also the post office has gotten insane with their prices, i sent an 8 ounce package to Boston, about an hours drive from me and it cost $11.00. 3-4 years from now I see a drastic drop happening in people willing to sell on ebay. Ive stopped over a year ago and have had just enough success by posting sales on instagram. No fees to worry about!
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Post by sharpfork on Jun 3, 2018 16:22:08 GMT -6
One thing foreign buyers do that really bothers me is asking to mark items as a gift or to understate the value. Sorry bro. I'm not commiting customs fraud so you can save 4 dollars. Actually, depending on the country, something declared at $50 or more value will cost the receiver $20-60 dollars. I have no problem marking anything as a gift, you can still get insurance coverage!
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Post by sharpfork on Jun 3, 2018 16:23:48 GMT -6
Absolutely right. Nothing 7 inches of less costs more than 10 bucks to ship, anywhere really. I ship stuff internationally quite regularly now, and single figures are usually 6-10 bucks to Australia or to the UK. What if its 7 inches but weighs 11 pounds? I deal with art toys as well abd there are different mediums aside from your typical abs plastic. Ever feel how much resin can weigh? I take not from this statement.
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Post by else3573 on Jun 8, 2018 9:29:20 GMT -6
Well, that post was 5 years ago. I made this thread 6 years ago. Now most people, or many anyway, offer free shipping. But as far as I know, the fees haven't changed. Still take 10%, from any I've sold recently anyway, unless you mean listing fees, but you get a bunch for free, if you don't own an e business and have thousands of listings, you can sell quite a few toys for free listings.
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Post by Thor Laserpunch on Jun 10, 2018 11:26:11 GMT -6
One thing foreign buyers do that really bothers me is asking to mark items as a gift or to understate the value. Sorry bro. I'm not commiting customs fraud so you can save 4 dollars. Actually, depending on the country, something declared at $50 or more value will cost the receiver $20-60 dollars. I have no problem marking anything as a gift, you can still get insurance coverage! Insurance doesn’t help if you’re found to have made a fraudulent claim on a customs form. Absolutely right. Nothing 7 inches of less costs more than 10 bucks to ship, anywhere really. I ship stuff internationally quite regularly now, and single figures are usually 6-10 bucks to Australia or to the UK. What if its 7 inches but weighs 11 pounds? I deal with art toys as well abd there are different mediums aside from your typical abs plastic. Ever feel how much resin can weigh? I take not from this statement. Resin? How bout those pure adamantium figures all the kids are clamoring for? A 7” platinum bar would barely weigh a pound. Supposing you found some physics defying super dense material, how would that actually negate what he said? Well, that post was 5 years ago. I made this thread 6 years ago. Now most people, or many anyway, offer free shipping. But as far as I know, the fees haven't changed. Still take 10%, from any I've sold recently anyway, unless you mean listing fees, but you get a bunch for free, if you don't own an e business and have thousands of listings, you can sell quite a few toys for free listings. “Free” is obviously not free and just included in the price, because even first class postage has skyrocketed in price over the last few years. The only reason it seems beneficial to claim free shipping is that separate shipping and handling is not covered by ebay powerseller discounts. Ebay wants to encourage the notion of free shipping because buyers seem to think it means something. In reality, it has no value. Except when you get to Chinese sellers, where their cheap junk sales are subsidized by the system. They practically can ship an item for free.
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stan
Forum Lurker
Jul 11, 2018 0:12:12 GMT -6
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Post by stan on Jul 11, 2018 0:28:02 GMT -6
Yeah it is frustrating sometimes. From a seller perspective though, I realized that shipping an item also includes the cost of the actual package, plus the materials used to pack it, plus driving all the way to the post office. Include those costs in the item price than nobody can complain about overcharged shipping
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Post by bowheadwhale on Aug 7, 2018 13:42:43 GMT -6
Well, in my experience, when the shipping price is high, it is usually because sending Something through mail IS expensive. For example, last Winter, I sold a Dungeons and Dragons figure with its accessories to a fellow in Manitoba (I'm located in the province of Québec, to give you an exact idea of the distance). I made him pay 15$ CAD for shipping. Believe it or not, I had to pay 16,55$CAD to ship it to him!!! In other words, I UNDERESTIMATED THE SHIPPING COST. Don't worry, I paid the difference myself, it was not the client's fault. But this tells you what it costs to ship soething to someone. Even if that someone is just two provinces away...
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