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CONUS...

Hello,
This is a question specifically about Gear for sale, or want to buy.
As a Sydney based photographer, I am often fazed by 'USA only' items. It really puzzles me.

Why do so many sellers only sell in the USA, or Canada?

Thanks,
Henry
 

Hosermage

Active member
Personally, just ease of shipping. I usually cover the paypal and shipping in my sale price, so I have a good idea (or the max) of what shipping would cost. International shipping varies drastically especially when you want delivery confirmation.
 

brianb032

New member
Hello,
This is a question specifically about Gear for sale, or want to buy.
As a Sydney based photographer, I am often fazed by 'USA only' items. It really puzzles me.

Why do so many sellers only sell in the USA, or Canada?

Thanks,
Henry
Probably due to security, the extra expenses, and added hassle. When I do sell overseas, I find it nearly impossible to pay for a signature-confirmed overseas delivery service due to exorbitant additional costs. The signature would, to a certain extent, protect me in the event that the buyer issued a PayPal dispute claiming that the package never arrived.

Personally, if I'm selling to buyers overseas, the buyer must either compromise on the original terms and send me a gift-payment or pay the additional shipping fees. Shipping isn't too expensive overseas, but it destroys the budget for both parties when it requires a signature and some form of insurance. The former situation requires complete trust from the buyer to the seller, and the latter from the seller to the buyer.

In the end, for me at least, when it comes to international sells its all about where the trust lies and who's going to compromise towards an affordable solution that works for both parties.
 

jstaben

Member
Probably due to security, the extra expenses, and added hassle. When I do sell overseas, I find it nearly impossible to pay for a signature-confirmed overseas delivery service due to exorbitant additional costs. The signature would, to a certain extent, protect me in the event that the buyer issued a PayPal dispute claiming that the package never arrived.

Personally, if I'm selling to buyers overseas, the buyer must either compromise on the original terms and send me a gift-payment or pay the additional shipping fees. Shipping isn't too expensive overseas, but it destroys the budget for both parties when it requires a signature and some form of insurance. The former situation requires complete trust from the buyer to the seller, and the latter from the seller to the buyer.

In the end, for me at least, when it comes to international sells its all about where the trust lies and who's going to compromise towards an affordable solution that works for both parties.

USPS priority mail or express mail international is quite inexpensive. I've sold lenses worth thousands of dollars on ebay and shipping is always under $100 US. Not sure what you are talking about there but as long as the buyer is willing to foot the bill for international shipping I don't find it to be a problem.
 

tom in mpls

Active member
Shipping hassle. Yes, USPS shipping is fast and rates are reasonable. But it's a chunk of my life spent in line and filling out forms.
 

darr

Well-known member
Shipping International from the USA requires custom forms and this means having to stand-in-line at the Post Office for acceptance (no exceptions). At my local post office the line can go out into the lobby during lunch times and it can take close to an hour which I cannot do due to my employment. This makes it impossible for me to ship M-F and I do not want to be at the Post Office on Saturday.

Shipping within USA is easier; pack item, weigh it, print postage from computer and drop it in a USPS box or Office Depot.
 

monza

Active member
I ship international all the time, and welcome it.

You don't have to stand in line, and the customs forms are simple: for those of you who aren't aware, usps.com will do all this for you...drop the box at the post, skip the lines, and you are done. :) Or schedule a pickup and you don't even have to leave your house!

We'll see what happens when the USPS finally dies, as it's bankrupt...prices will be higher, but Fedex is faster delivery and the process is just as easy. You'll need to look up harmonized codes, but that is not difficult.
 
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brianb032

New member
USPS priority mail or express mail international is quite inexpensive. I've sold lenses worth thousands of dollars on ebay and shipping is always under $100 US. Not sure what you are talking about there but as long as the buyer is willing to foot the bill for international shipping I don't find it to be a problem.
I only said it was expensive for signature service. Priority is always cheap, but I find a lot of intl. buyers unwilling to pay for the additional funds for express service; which comes with a signature, I believe.
 

monza

Active member
Express is pretty cheap, actually, far cheaper than Fedex or UPS. Never had anyone complain about the cost...
 

lattiboy

New member
I ship a fair amount internationally, and it is more of a pain, but the Asian market is so worth it (for higher-end glass)

You do have to physically go to the PO to drop off the package, but that's it. You don't have to wait in line if you have the envelope and forms already put together.

Express Mail is the only way I ship internationally. No tracking or confirmation with Priority, and Express Mail is incredibly fast.

I shipped a rather heavy Leica 90/2 Summicron-R to Hong Kong, insured for $700 for a measly $48 total. The buyer got it in 3 days flat.
 

monza

Active member
One can also schedule a pickup online if you don't want to drive to the post; they will come by the next business day. :)
 

xtianyves

New member
I'd like to add that it's just as hard for Canadian buyers to buy gear from our neighbours just south of the border as many are unwilling to ship to Canada.

I have a hard enough time finding used Leica gear, but have an even harder time finding used Leica gear that sellers are willing to ship to Canada so I am with the OP on this one.

It is disheartening but I supposed it's no different than my avoiding buying from sellers from Europe or Australia due to the lengthy wait times and let's no get started about batteries from there or Japan...
 

monza

Active member
The odd thing about Canada: shipments from the US can take a lot longer going there, sometimes twice as long as to Australia or Hong Kong...
 

xtianyves

New member
monza I agree. Actually shipping from here is faster to the US than it is to go within Canada. I run an online store where items shipped the same day get to Florida faster than they do to Toronto!
 

jstaben

Member
monza I agree. Actually shipping from here is faster to the US than it is to go within Canada. I run an online store where items shipped the same day get to Florida faster than they do to Toronto!

I've had problems with crazy Canadian customs...lots of hold ups there when shipping to Canada. Not sure why that would deter someone from shipping to Canada from USA though as the wait on the buyer's part due to their country's customs isn't something I can control.
 

tom in mpls

Active member
I ship international all the time, and welcome it.

You don't have to stand in line, and the customs forms are simple: for those of you who aren't aware, usps.com will do all this for you...drop the box at the post, skip the lines, and you are done. :) Or schedule a pickup and you don't even have to leave your house!

We'll see what happens when the USPS finally dies, as it's bankrupt...prices will be higher, but Fedex is faster delivery and the process is just as easy. You'll need to look up harmonized codes, but that is not difficult.
I assume it becomes an easy routine when one does this frequently. For the once a year sale, it is a long, time consuming affair whether one goes to the post office or tries to learn all the things to get done on line. I agree I would welcome overseas sales if that was something I was doing on a regular basis.
 

monza

Active member
Tom, it's actually no more difficult that placing an online order on a shopping cart. Pick the method (express mail) enter the weight, enter the description and value, and your credit card... :)
 

mediumcool

Active member
I think a point that the OP may have been unconsciously thinking about is that the-rest-of-the-world seems to have less of a problem with international shipping. [generalisation]

Some of the replies/justifications here do sound like rather like laziness and/or centre-of-the-universe exceptionalism to this antipodean correspondent. :D
 
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