International Shipping

Many Ebay sellers decide not to offer their items for sale to International buyers. One of the main reasons for this is the belief that shipping Internationally is a complicated, confusing process, full of pitfalls, and therefore, not worth the effort. Having felt the same way in the past, I completely understand where people are coming from when they say that. Fortunately, I went ahead and did it anyway in an effort to increase my Ebay sales, and it has paid off! Opening up my auctions to International buyers translated into more successful sales, and isn't that what we all do Ebay for anyway?

I will attempt to share what I have learned, and hopefully I can help someone else become comfortable shipping internationally.

Shipping With The USPS

I normally ship internationally using the United States Postal Service (USPS).

Why? For 99% of what I sell, they are the cheapest. I sell items that weigh 50 Lbs. or less, and the USPS is normally considerably cheaper than UPS, FedEx, or DHL. The few exceptions I have found are some items I have shipped to Canada, where UPS came out cheaper. But for all other international destinations, the USPS normally wins hands down.

The USPS allows you to send packages by International First Class, Priority, or Express Mail. All three of these classes are Airmail services, with First Class being the cheapest and Express Mail the most expensive and fastest. While International First Class Mail is the cheapest service, it is only available for items that weigh 4 Lbs. or less. Rates for all classes to individual countries can be looked up on the USPS.com website.

I also use the USPS because the Shipping and Customs Forms they require for shipping are simpler to fill out than what UPS, for instance, requires. The USPS requires only one of two forms to be filled out: PS FORM 2976 or the PS FORM 2976-A. Either one can be filled out online at usps.com and printed from your computer. Forms may also be ordered from usps.com for free and delivered to you by mail or they can be picked up at your local post office. The Postal Service does not charge for these forms.

So, when do you use which form?
That varies to some extent with each individual country, but here are some general guidelines:



PS FORM 2976 (Green Label, Single Piece Form):
This is the simpler of the two USPS forms to fill out. There are exceptions depending on the class of mail being used, but as a general rule, the PS FORM 2976 is required only for items that are considered potentially dutiable matter, weigh less than 16 oz. , and are valued at less than $400.00 USD.

You are responsible for filling out the Category of the item being mailed, selecting either GIFT, DOCUMENTS, COMMERCIAL SAMPLE, OR OTHER. Most items sold on Ebay would fall under the OTHER category, meaning that they are potentially subject to Customs Duty or VAT Taxes in the destination country. It is advisable to mention in your listing that International buyers are responsible for all Customs Duty or VAT Taxes assessed by their country. I have had buyers get upset about this and threaten to leave negative feedback because they had to pay Customs Fees once the package arrived. These fees vary according to each country and are based on the declared value as well as the type of item being mailed. You will save yourself some trouble if you make it clear up front that these fees are a possibility and that the buyer is solely responsible for paying them, over and above what they paid you for the item.

The next section of PS FORM 2976 is very important - Description, Quantity, Weight & Value.
Accuracy and Honesty are the important things to consider when completing this section.

DESCRIPTION: Be as detailed as possible when completing this box. There isn't a lot of room to write, so you can't be too wordy, but describe the item you sold in detail.
QUANTITY: If more than one identical item is shipped, list the quantity of each item beside it's description.
WEIGHT: This section can be filled out by you in advance if you have as accurate scale or left for the Post Office to fill in after they weigh it when you present the item for mailing.
VALUE: It is very important to fill this section out correctly. The value you list here must be the amount that the buyer paid you for it. The amount you declare determines how much, if any, customs fees or VAT tax will be assessed on the item when it passes through foreign customs. I have had buyers ask me to falsify the amount and put a lower value here so that they would be assessed a lower Customs Fee or none at all. I would recommend that you do not do this, as first of all, it's dishonest, and secondly, it is illegal to falsify a custom's document. If you claim a lower value for an item on the form, you also cannot insure it for it's actual value, which could present a problem if  it was necessary to file an insurance claim.

DATE & SIGNATURE: At the bottom of this section, put the date of mailing and sign the form.

The right side of the form simply requires you to fill in the Sender's name and address and the addressee's name and address. You also sign and date this side of the form at the bottom.

The left half of the form has adhesive on the back and it is attached to the package. The right half of the form is kept by the USPS for 30 days and then disposed of.

PS FORM 2976-A (White Form, 6-Page Form):

The PS Form 2976-A looks like a much more complicated form to complete, but it actually just requires the same information as the PS 2976.  It is used on packages over four pounds, packages whose contents are valued at over $400.00 USD, and on most APO-FPO AE Military packages. It is not required on packages if the contents would be considered non-dutiable material, meaning that the destination country would not try to assess a Customs Duty or VAT Tax on the value of the contents. If you are selling merchandise on Ebay, you should consider everything you sell overseas to be dutiable merchandise and use a customs form. If you are in doubt as to which one to use, you can ask your local postal window clerk for help or check the requirements on the USPS.com website.

Fill out the PS 2976-A before you go to the Post Office, if possible, to save yourself time. Sign it and date it at the bottom, and be sure that you have written all addresses clearly. List it's contents completely and clearly along with the accurate value, meaning the Final Value selling price you sold it for. It is illegal to falsify the item's value or list it as a "Gift", when it actually should be listed as "Merchandise".

In addition to the PS 2976-A, you will also need it's companion envelope to send it in, the clear plastic PS 2976-E. You can order these for free from the USPS.com website or pick them up at your local Post Office.

When you present your package at the Post Office, the window clerk will complete their portion of the form, remove the last two copies of the form, insert the top four copies into the clear, adhesive-backed 2976-E envelope, and attach the envelope to the package. They will give you the last copy of the form for your records and keep the 5th page for 30 days before disposing of it.

SHOULD YOU SHIP TO EVERY FOREIGN COUNTRY?

The answer to that question is a very personal one. It involves how much, if any, risk you are willing to take. The majority of countries are safe to ship to, but I personally have some restrictions I place on where I will ship.

It is generally agreed in the Ebay community that it is risky to mail a package to Italy, for instance. Their postal system is unreliable at best. I also choose not to ship to countries that I cannot insure a Priority Mail package to. I use Auctiva to insure my packages, and for instance, they won't insure a package mailed to Brazil. I'm not willing to take the risk of mailing to Italy or Brazil, so I choose not to offer my items for sale to those countries.

You have to make your own decision on where you feel safe selling, but in general, selling Internationally is a great way to increase your sales. Good luck!