XXX Country Buyers Only

Precisely! =__=

I prefer to sell within the Netherlands. So I put it for sale on the dutch fora. When in won't sell, I put it up on DoA.
I'm so very afraid to ship internationaly, because I don't have control over the shipping. And I feel responsible somehow.
I have send a head over to the UK once. (which is like very close to the Netherlands :P) And I was stressed out for a week. Everything went ok.
When I sell something in the Netherlands, it arrives the other day. So I'm only stressed for a day. The strange thing is when I buy someting I'm not so stressed. I feel it's at my own risk, and I'm willing to take that.

So I prefer to sell within the EU, but if people from other country's want to buy something from me I wouldn't refuse.
But they must know shipping is more expensive and I can't fully insure the package above € 146.

 

Besides the fact that businesses who ship regularly/ in volumes can often get some kind of a discount plan, it probably also reflects whether the post office and/or the buyer fully understood their shipping options. In the US post offices have occasionally given people bum information. Someone once shipped a doll to me with no tracking because the PO told them tracking would have added an extra 50 dollars to the price. In reality, she could have gotten delivery confirmation, that comes with tracking, for under 2 dollars. If you ship a lot, you know to ask for these things; if you only ship once in a while, you don't know and you're dependent on the PO.

There are also usually at least 3 or more options to ship something internationally, all at different prices, so depending on what option you pick will affect the shipping. The post offices also introduce new options from time to time so if someone's last international shipping experience was, say, last year, they may not know all of what's out there this year.

Also, sometimes the shipping makes a precipitous jump when you get past a certain weight or box size, so if you mostly buy and sell tinies or MSDs then you could be looking at a very different shipping from someone who buys and sells SDs and larger. Unstringing the doll to ship it in a smaller box can really make a difference. For example, shipping from Europe to US for an SD-size doll is usually around 70 USD in my experience. If you take the doll apart to ship, or it's a smaller doll, you can get the shipping down to 40 USD because it goes in a smaller box.

 

1. Have you ever refused to sell outside your own country? Outside your continent? Would you?
I prefer to sell within my own country because for me it is much less stressful to be honest ^^; I get extremely nervous shipping overseas...

2. What are some reasons people limit potential buyers geographically?
I think most people limit shipping due to expense and the possibility of the package getting lost.

3. Do you think buyer education plays a part in the decision? I.e. do people prefer not to ship internationally to avoid angry buyers saying “You’re charging how much for shipping?” What about seller education? Are sellers preferring to stay in-country to avoid educating themselves about international customs requirements?
not really

4. Does a seller’s willingness to ship internationally (if stated) influence your decision to buy from them?
no

 

My girlfriend and I have shipped dolls worldwide for the past 3 years but circumstances have happened to limit ourselves to our own country. We reluctantly ship even in Europe.

Over the last 3 months we have had 2 dolls go missing on route to other countries, with the use of Airsure and International Signed for.

Long story cut very short...Airsure lied and lied and lied to where the package was, saying it had been delivered, and caused alot of stress and chasing the package around. We went through a lot of channels, recieved alot of lies, from both our own postal service and the country that we posted to. In the end the package turned up back at our house in a bad state three months later. We are currently going through a settlement of money because of how we were treated and an investigation into why this happened.

Now another package has gone the same way. I think we have every right to choose who we ship to, for the safety of the package and our own peace of mind. We dont want to go through this again or put the person who is buying the doll through it either.

 

I am honestrabbit's girlfriend and i would like to add my agreement to what he said. I am currently fed up with the amount of grief that comes with posting anything of value to other countries, neither of the supposedly secure airmail services in the UK (Airsure and International Signed For) seem to be reliable (I have had parcels go missing with both) so I would be reluctant to use them again. I don't understand if it is Royal Mail or the other countries at fault but if I post a doll in the UK it has arrived safely the next day every time. So while I will not rule out posting anywhere else, I always state that I prefer to post within the UK. Also I think that the high cost of Royal Mail postage is enough to put off overseas buyers anyway. I don't mind posting smaller things overseas by regular airmail such as wigs, clothes, eyes etc, it's just dolls that cause the problems.

 

As long as the buyer is willing to take responsibility for the extra cost of shipping internationally and the unlikelyhood that something could go wrong I will ship anything anywhere. I have had lots of problems shipping domestically and none with international buyers so far... :: crosses fingers::

But I understand why someone would not want to deal with international shipping. It really can be a hassle.

 

THIS is seriously interesting

 

I'd just note that the video is UPS. I suspect it's a little different for USPS because they aren't dependent for their business on volume handling of packages. There have been a lot of horror stories about UPS's poor package handling on these boards and I would never use them to ship a doll, nor do I really enjoy having dolls shipped through them. In one case a doll was shipped to me from Canada using UPS and I got hit with extra fees for "customs inspection," never mind that the doll is not subject to US customs and the US Post Office never charges such fees, UPS being a private company is allowed to charge them and I can't do a darn thing abou it. In another case a doll was shipped to me with UPS and took some weeks to arrive and the tracking number I was given did not work. They also routinely leave dolls off on my porch without getting a sig from me. I would say out of the five or six times something's been shipped to me with UPS, which is usually because the seller either did not bother to ask me about the shipping first or she happened to have free UPS shipping through her employer, something has gone haywire the majority of the times.

UPS...just say NO...don't use it.

 

No way! The only difference with USPS is that they don't feel obligated to obey your "Fragile" sticker-- because they know their jobs are safe. I have gotten USPS packages that look like they're TRYING to destroy things on purpose. Stomped flat, squished into a puddle, corners ripped clean off the box, and then stuffed into a plastic bag with a note that basically says, "Sorry! USPS Cares! But what do you expect from a government agency? We're not responsible for this damage, it's your fault for trying to send something in the mails. Have a nice day. "
And then let's not get into the sweet little notes that say "Hi! Your package was 'randomly' selected to be torn open by Homeland Security, because it came from Canada so we thought it was a two-legged Iraqi bomb. Have a nice day. "

You're just as safe with UPS or any other private service as you are with USPS. Which is to say, it's still all up to fate.

No, USPS wasn't lying about that-- "Tracking" and "Delivery Confirmation" are different things. With actual Tracking, you can track that package's progress at every stop on its journey, en-route, which is why you need to buy a special service for it, and send your package at the special rate (i.e. the $50 pricetag). Delivery Confirmation doesn't come with tracking. All Delivery Confirmation does is prove the package was delivered, which is why it's so cheap ($1.75).

But what they did was confuse the two things. Or, at least, that person failed to ask the difference between the two services. USPS office people are bitchy and brusque and treat you like you're stupid if you don't already know all their details... but ask them for details anyway. They will tell you.

Long story short: Domestic shipping is a big hassle & risk in itself, anyway. So I don't find International shipping to be that much worse. It's just a little more paperwork, a little more money, & a bit more keeping-your-fingers-crossed during Customs. If sellers don't feel like doing the extra work of shipping out of their own countries, I can't fault them... if it's an item I really wanted, then I am sad for awhile. But when I buy or sell, I don't mind shipping everywhere. (But it must be said that I don't sell very often. If I sold frequently, I might change my tune.)

 

1. No, I already have. I prefer shipping within the US, but if a potential buyer is from out of the country I'm willing to ship it to them.

2. I'm usually just scared that something will get held by foreign customs and my item won't reach my buyer. Usually currency conversion is no problem because I accept paypal only and I don't actually deal with the foreign postal service. Though sometimes I'm nervous that something will happen to the package between countries.

3. I think it's a mix of shipping rates and not trusting other countries post offices. Also customs. I always hate waiting for things to pass customs so I'm sure other people hate it too.

4. Nope, not at all.

 

1. Have you ever refused to sell outside your own country? Outside your continent? Would you?
No, I haven't. If the buyer is willing to pay whatever shipping charges are required to mail the item to them, then I'm in.

2. What are some reasons people limit potential buyers geographically?
Cost of shipping for oversized/overweight packages.
For example, some of the huge costume props I've made/sold have been limited to my city and surrounding area. The cost of crating it up and securing safe delivery can be unreasonable, and I'd prefer to deliver the more delicate items in person.
If I'm buying a (second-hand) doll, I prefer to buy it from somewhere on my continent; lower shipping charges and less time for it to get damaged in transit.

4. Does a seller’s willingness to ship internationally (if stated) influence your decision to buy from them?
Yes! ...mostly because I'm in Canada: on several occasions, I've had American sellers refuse to sell me an item because I'm in Canada. :/ And it was for clothing/wigs, too... I was willing to pay the shipping, so I don't understand why I was denied...

On a side note, I mostly try to buy from American sellers, if I'm shopping internationally. I find that the cost is reasonable and the shipping time is pretty quick.

 

I realize some people have had bad post office experiences, but I get a few hundred packages a year (not an exaggeration), about 90 percent of which come through the post office, and I have received perhaps one damaged package from them (a box that was crushed on one end). I do have problems with not receiving proper notification on a box waiting at the PO or having something shipped back to the sender by mistake about twice a year. Perhaps this is the difference in individual post offices. By contrast, I've received maybe 10 total boxes from UPS and FedEx over the last few years and of those, one was delivered to a completely wrong house, several were left on my lawn (apparently thrown there) or put in weird places on my porch, one appeared to be opened and one was hit with excessive/ wrong customs fees. I suspect I may just be lucky with my US post office as I have some friends who constantly complain about theirs, but I really don't have big problems with my post office. Nor have I had any homeland security issues - again maybe this is just luck on my part but you'd think with the number of packages we get I would see more of this. The only thing USPS in my area has repeatedly lost/ damaged are shipments of books that weren't put in sturdy mailers, and junk mail (it comes in a bag with a "Sorry!" note). I completely disagree about UPS being "just as safe" as USPS. For me, it has not proved to be that way. YMMV.

My point was that a normal post office when you ask for "tracking" or a "tracking number" will go through the options of delivery confirmation, signature confirmation, and more expensive forms. If they don't, then you may need to explain that to them, which a person who isn't familiar with shipping would not know to do.

And at the two post offices where I do my business, there is exactly one guy working who I would call "bitchy and brusque" (and I avoid him due to some crumby experiences). The rest of them go out of their way to help me. Two of the ladies know me quite well because I've been picking up boatloads of mail there for years, and will call me at work to tell me I have EMS waiting so it doesn't get sent back. They deserve gold star employee of the year awards.

Again, I realize there are jerks who work in the post office, just like everywhere else, but you're basically relating your own experiences. I'm sorry they weren't good but to generalize that to everyone's experience is not correct. It's also unfair to the people at the post office who genuinely try to be helpful. Believe me, I hate bad customer service and will pitch a bitch about it faster than anyone here, and no one in my family or that I'm friends with works there or has anything to do with the place. But I just happen to have pretty dern good postal clerks at the two or three POs where I choose to do my business. I'm sure there are others out there as well. Maybe there are good UPS clerks too but I don't know any of them.

 

Before you read my response understand it doesn't apply to every transaction, I've had a lot of awesome international buyers, and still offer international shipping on most things.


1. Have you ever refused to sell outside your own country? Outside your continent? Would you?
Most things I have been glad to ship internationally, but there are a few times I'm not comfortable with it. it depends.


2. What are some reasons people limit potential buyers geographically?
Serveral I can think of (this is not just limited to me but others I know have thought like this.
1. Some international shipping methods require a trip to the post office, but your schedule doesn't allow it. (I have to go to the next town on Saturday in these cases, but fortunately a lot of international is now online and goes out at regular daily pickup.)

2. Paypal seller protection policy: If you ship outside of where they cover you are SOL is you get a chageback. This limits me on shipping some of the more expensive items (say a larger doll).

3. language barrier on used or damaged items.
(not had this happened on dolls but heard of it on otherthings)
You sell an item that is used or flawed listing the problems, buyer does not fully understand the description and thinks you ripped them off when they recieve an imperfect doll.

4. Customs forms / customs restrictions/ getting blamed for customs fees!
Honestly I can't mark sales as gift, its illegal, and the post office knows I sell
online.

6. Shipping cost (maybe this should be #1)
Shipping with insurance and tracking is expensive, had people ask then get offended thinking I was gouging on shipping when I wasn't. There are some items I won't send first class becase its not insured.

3. Do you think buyer education plays a part in the decision? I.e. do people prefer not to ship internationally to avoid angry buyers saying “You’re charging how much for shipping?” What about seller education? Are sellers preferring to stay in-country to avoid educating themselves about international customs requirements? Because they are un-informed or mis-informed about shipping options in their own country?
In the end its the sellers choice. Some people just dont want the extra hassle or risk of international shipping, its understandable.

It would help if more buyers were informed, understanding its not the same as buying in their own country, especially about customs fees and shipping. (Even Canada has had issues, like a few years back when they had that massive customs backlog and incoming international mail was weeks late. I had one Canadian buyer really PO'd at me but it was the Canadian postal system who did it)

Also not assume its "just as safe and easy as shipping inside your country is" (yes I have heard that line a few times.)

4. Does a seller’s willingness to ship internationally (if stated) influence your decision to buy from them?
Only if they don't ship to where I live.

 

I agree with bunnydots: it seems to be a matter of where you live for the type of service you get. I was chatting with a girl from Canada, and she said they don't get mail after 3, if its snowy, or on Saturdays. I'd go crazy living there! They are talking about not delivering here on Saturdays too in the US! Aahh!

And as for usps and ups, my usps has a better track record. I have received scuffed up boxes and envelopes, but the contents are usually fine. Ups on the other hand, I've received them crushed, and even wet one time. I had to send a mannequin back 3x because they kept breaking him. Even the delivery guy was like, "its ok, we'll just write it off." I've had stuff hanging open and contents missing (great when you're on a deadline). I hate them, and I avoid them whenever I can. My mother, on the other hand, loves her ups service where she lives across the country, and said her delivery people are great.

Package roulette, don't ya love it.

 

yeah, used to be like that here too, had ups deliver some boxes that it looks like were sat on or kicked, but they are doing much better lately and now the usps has gone downhill.

Just had a prime example of a delay today, a first class package arrived in Signapore today, exactly 1 month after it was shipped. Fortunately the recipient is really nice.

 

I don't know if your Post Office is overcharging you or what, but I went to one of my local branches to mail out a ton of packages yesterday and I paid for Delivery Confirmation on each of my packages and it cost all of $.65 No, it's not complete and full tracking but it will show that an item has been accepted and when an item is processed oftentimes as I was checking earlier to see how my packages were doing.

 

By Blackeyeliner: Just had a prime example of a delay today, a first class package arrived in Signapore today, exactly 1 month after it was shipped. Fortunately the recipient is really nice.[/quote]

Holy cow! A month?!!1! I would have cried! Thank goodness for nice and understanding buyers! Some times it is just out of your hands, and you've done all you can. I know I'm a package freak, and practically tackle my mailman on a daily basis, cause I want my dolly stuff, and I want it now! I try not to blame the sellers for the delays though.

 

I have no problem with sellers being unprepared to ship outside their own country, what does irrate me is when i carefully read through a marketplace thread and am interested, then realise they won't ship internationally- this info should be in the thread title, then i just wouldn't click it in the first place.

I'll ship anywhere, i just insist on adequate tracking and insurance