Just out of curiosity, what were the shipping fees?
I haven't used ebay in years, although that is where I first started selling years ago.
Fees were 17 dollars and upwards even on single item postcards, sellers in USA.
I saw a listing that I was interested in maybe buying on feebay, but the shipping was way to much in my opinion. So I message the seller and asked why he uses global shipping with high cost. He emailed me and said he did not charge that much for shipping and he removed global shipping from the listing.
Message the seller they may remove the global shipping.
In my opinion the issue is not eBays global shipping program (although it certainly is drawing attention to the issue).
At the 2015 UPU meeting all member countries voted to disallow ‘merchandise’ to be sent using First Class mail and instead require customs forms and declarations of value. The regulation did not go into effect for a year or two but this effectively prevents sending people in other countries lower value stamps in an envelope for cheap.
And of course another big issue is tracking, fewer and fewer sellers are willing to send to other countries without costly tracking because without it they see too many ‘item not received’ claims. These things have little to do with eBay but without question are having a significant impact for any online selling venues (including this community).
Don
I asked about the shipping costs because if regulations are followed for shipment of merchandise (something that is purchased, it doesn't matter if it is a single small stamp or a refrigerator) the minimum cost of shipment of something to Canada runs something like $11.00 for just postage. Other than for Mexico, the postage cost to other countries runs around $15.00.
In my HipStamp store I limit sales to only residents of the United States. It is not because of the postage costs as I still had some buyers, but because of the incessant complaining from those who thought my shipping charges were too high. I got some especially nasty comments from some individuals up north. So I dropped all international sales and my selling experience has improved immensely.
It is really the sellers who do not follow regulations "just because" and still charge very low shipping charges of around $1 that causes all the confusion with international buyers. They can't understand why my charges were so high when other sellers had such low shipping rates.
One question I would like answered is that if one is sending something where no payment is being made, such as a small packet of stamps to someone without expecting anything in return, is that still considered sending merchandise? Would that still require a customs form and the high postage bill? I am guessing "Yes" because if I remember correctly there was a place on the customs form where it is asked if the item is a gift. But one also has to fill in the value of the item. If you claim no value and the packet is being sent as a gift, can one skate around the "no sending of merchandise without a customs form" requirement? I need to ask here at my local post office and see what they say.
"the incessant complaining from those who thought my shipping charges were too high. I got some especially nasty comments from some individuals"
If I were selling at a reasonable profit margin i would say ok...i expect a loss now and then, but at a slim or break even profit margin considering postage,paypal and so on...i may have to adapt. I sold an early 1900s cover to someone in China 3 weeks ago..so far i have heard nothing back good or bad. If the transaction goes bad..thats another market that will no longer exist for me.
Since rekindling my scale-modelling hobby, I've ordered a lot of kits, tools, and supplies from on-line dealers. But not just any on-line dealers. If they demand a ridiculous amount more for shipping than the retail cost of the item/items ordered, I just don't give them my business. Maybe aren't trying to gouge their customers, but...maybe they are?
Bob
Even within the USA some eBay sellers want $4-5 shipping for a simple cover or postcard. I avoid those unless it's a must have item, such as unique or hard to find usage on my Ben Franklins. The responses go two ways... Sellers who wrap it to survive a nuclear attack, who do indeed spend the shipping amount with delivery confirmation. The second type are folks who charge you the fee.. then pop your item in an envelope with 55 cents postage! No reorders to them.
"The USPS apparently read the barcoded labels, detected the thick size, and correctly pulled the items to be rated as parcels, resulting in $5.90 due from me to retrieve them.
"
"...any gift item still isn't ”only non-negotiable documents or correspondence, ” it is merchandise. Therefore, a customs form is required."
According to the UPU definitions it is either 'documents' or 'goods'.
Definition of “documents” in the UPU Acts:
“a postal item consisting of any piece of written, drawn, printed or digital information, excluding objects of merchandise, whose physical specifications lie within the limits specified in the Regulations”
Definition of “goods” in the Acts:
“a postal item consisting of any tangible and movable object other than money, including objects of merchandise, which does not fall under the definition of “documents” as provided above and whose physical specifications lie within the limits specified in the Regulations.”
Don
i have yet to receive a purchase in an envelope that was not franked with first class postage,usually something like three stamps equaling 55 cents. From Canada i have received stamps mailed in a first day cover(and they arrived.)
"Received a PM from a long-time, generous donor (SOR Member) that his most recent letter was returned with a note that it required a customs form. Not surprisingly, he noted that having to fill out such paperwork for a regular envelope with a handful of stamps would be a barrier to future donations. At the same time, when I wanted to personally buy from an SOR member recently, he noted the same issue had lead him to previously stop selling to Canadian members."
Above post by David (lemaven / Holocaust Stamps)on Oct 1, 2020. Obviously all attempts to beat the system do not make it through. Also, as Anglophile noted there appears to be a new level of scrutiny. Time will tell. Not preaching, just noting reported events to date.
It appears that if you send a small letter, under 20 gms, abroad through Royal Mail it will be shipped without a problem or a customs form.
Why?
The new customs form is that large there is no room for the customs form, a stamp and the name and address of the recipient!!
Anything larger and a customs form must be applied.
Therefore sending a small amount of stamps more often rather than a large amount may get through without a problem.
"all attempts to beat the system do not make it through"
"a small donation of stamps (a gift - free of charge - not merchandise, and not valued over $20)"
Hi capn_ed. I think the current rabbit hole we are chasing down is a bit different, it’s about the nature of the transaction, not the nature of the item.
As I noted previously, even your Christmas card to me could be merchandise (if it’s nice and I could sell it, hint hint) ????
But it depends on the transaction that accompanies an “item”. If you SELL me a bike (especially from a store) it is merchandise. If you GIVE me a bike it is a gift.
lemaven, my understanding is that it doesn't matter what sort of transaction is occurring for the purposes of rules for what can go in an envelope without a customs form.
BIG CAVEAT: I don't know what the rules are. Everything after this line is what I understand the rules to be. If it's wrong, I would really like to be corrected! Thanks!
I'm not defending any particular rule, but unless there is a particular exception carved out for merchandise sent as a gift, I think the type of transaction is immaterial.
We should distinguish merchandise-for-the-purposes-of-customs (things that are not documents; in other words, "goods") from merchandise-as-in-goods-to-be-bought-and-sold (a thing that changes hands not as a gift). These definitions are not perfectly aligned, as you pointed out: My very nice Christmas card that you sell goes in an envelope to you, because it is not merchandise-for-the-purposes-of-customs, but if you sell it, it becomes merchandise-as-in-goods-to-be-bought-and-sold.
The rules for shipping seem to deal with the former and not the latter, and it's difficult to authenticate that something is actually a gift for purposes of enforcing the rules, so it makes sense that the rules would distinguish based on the kind of item rather than the kind of transaction: A bike is merchandise-for-the-purposes-of-customs, a letter to your Aunt Gertrude is not. If the rule was that gifts don't count, there's incentive for unscrupulous actors to claim everything is a gift.
We can discuss what the rules should be, and what would be a fair and right set of rules would look like, but there are rules, and we should understand what they actually say.
I'm with you capn_ed. I am not sure what the rules are, because like the bible and the Constitution (both yours and ours) the words can be interpreted in different ways. And so, like lawyers and Rabbis/priests, we can continue to argue the fine points forever. So my conclusion is that we have to decide on what we believe the intention to be and act accordingly.
That being said, there are certain people (possibly even some SOR members even) who feel themselves to be absolutely knowledgeable and infallible in their own "interpretations" (not seeing them as such). They are revealed by being confident to the point of over-confidence (an interesting area of Psychology I have studied in the area of financial and medical decision-making); by being overbearing "sticklers for the rules" not only for themselves but imposed on others; by accusing anyone with a different opinion or approach of violating or at least attempting to circumvent "the rules"; by exaggerating that the UPU regulations are holy and inviolable "laws" (ignoring that individual countries are permitted to adapt the UPU regulations differently as sovereign nations with specific needs/circumstances).
Personally, I'm suspicious of people who are (in their own minds) so tremendously self-assured of their absolutely correctness and therefore dismissive, insulting and judgemental of non-believers. David Koresh could never have been my minister or spiritual guide - I'd have asked him too many questions and he would have gone even crazier far earlier!
I'm still waiting for an answer from the Canada Post CEO and the US Postmaster General (10 months later, and slightly different from below) asking a very simple question I'm sure they will refuse to answer as ambiguity is their friend...
"As a small personal stamp collector, not a business-owner or investor, I enjoy trading stamps with friends around the world. We sometimes also offer to buy and sell stamps between each other as straight trading is generally unfeasible. The total amounts are often just a few dollars at most, possible as HUGE as $10-$25 if we are buying lots of stamps to sort through or a couple we really need to complete a collection area.
I live in Canada and have a fellow collector friend in the US. While she is not a lawyer or expert in UPU regulations, she has told me that we can no longer send each other even a single stamp that we bought/sold between us in a private transaction for 5c without declaring this as merchandise and filing an official customs form as a package not eligible for normal first class mail. Further, she says even if she doesn't charge me, and sends the stamp as a gift, the same rule would apply.
This rule (if correctly interpreted) seems to me to be onerous and could realistically dismantle the worldwide love of collecting stamps and sharing them with others arounds the world. Please tell me that isn't the case or the intent of the UPU."
It's not just stamps! I collect many things including a type of pottery that's collectively called "Torquay Pottery" from the area in England where it was made. I just checked on E-Bay for it as I occasionally do. I almost bought a piece I liked since the price was reasonable and it was a pattern I was looking for. I then checked out the shipping price and found $72 for a small pot - totally ridiculous!! I then checked out a bunch more pieces, a few were sensible (about $20), but most were totally out of line! I then checked another area of interest to me - silver age Marvel comics. People were charging $35 or more to ship a single comic. I know it's got a lot to do with this automatic shipping, but it's getting to the point where I will just refuse to buy on E-Bay any more. How many others are thinking the same thing?
Going through various categories on feebay and found a number of items of interest at decent BIN prices, but because of the global shipping program the s&h was 5 times or more cost of items.
Presumably this is a ploy to remove low value items from the site, whilst at the same time increasing earnings because of the fees paid.
Oh well guess I will not be spending so much from now on, perhaps that is the silver lining.
re: Shipping costs
Just out of curiosity, what were the shipping fees?
I haven't used ebay in years, although that is where I first started selling years ago.
re: Shipping costs
Fees were 17 dollars and upwards even on single item postcards, sellers in USA.
re: Shipping costs
I saw a listing that I was interested in maybe buying on feebay, but the shipping was way to much in my opinion. So I message the seller and asked why he uses global shipping with high cost. He emailed me and said he did not charge that much for shipping and he removed global shipping from the listing.
Message the seller they may remove the global shipping.
re: Shipping costs
In my opinion the issue is not eBays global shipping program (although it certainly is drawing attention to the issue).
At the 2015 UPU meeting all member countries voted to disallow ‘merchandise’ to be sent using First Class mail and instead require customs forms and declarations of value. The regulation did not go into effect for a year or two but this effectively prevents sending people in other countries lower value stamps in an envelope for cheap.
And of course another big issue is tracking, fewer and fewer sellers are willing to send to other countries without costly tracking because without it they see too many ‘item not received’ claims. These things have little to do with eBay but without question are having a significant impact for any online selling venues (including this community).
Don
re: Shipping costs
I asked about the shipping costs because if regulations are followed for shipment of merchandise (something that is purchased, it doesn't matter if it is a single small stamp or a refrigerator) the minimum cost of shipment of something to Canada runs something like $11.00 for just postage. Other than for Mexico, the postage cost to other countries runs around $15.00.
In my HipStamp store I limit sales to only residents of the United States. It is not because of the postage costs as I still had some buyers, but because of the incessant complaining from those who thought my shipping charges were too high. I got some especially nasty comments from some individuals up north. So I dropped all international sales and my selling experience has improved immensely.
It is really the sellers who do not follow regulations "just because" and still charge very low shipping charges of around $1 that causes all the confusion with international buyers. They can't understand why my charges were so high when other sellers had such low shipping rates.
One question I would like answered is that if one is sending something where no payment is being made, such as a small packet of stamps to someone without expecting anything in return, is that still considered sending merchandise? Would that still require a customs form and the high postage bill? I am guessing "Yes" because if I remember correctly there was a place on the customs form where it is asked if the item is a gift. But one also has to fill in the value of the item. If you claim no value and the packet is being sent as a gift, can one skate around the "no sending of merchandise without a customs form" requirement? I need to ask here at my local post office and see what they say.
re: Shipping costs
"the incessant complaining from those who thought my shipping charges were too high. I got some especially nasty comments from some individuals"
re: Shipping costs
If I were selling at a reasonable profit margin i would say ok...i expect a loss now and then, but at a slim or break even profit margin considering postage,paypal and so on...i may have to adapt. I sold an early 1900s cover to someone in China 3 weeks ago..so far i have heard nothing back good or bad. If the transaction goes bad..thats another market that will no longer exist for me.
re: Shipping costs
Since rekindling my scale-modelling hobby, I've ordered a lot of kits, tools, and supplies from on-line dealers. But not just any on-line dealers. If they demand a ridiculous amount more for shipping than the retail cost of the item/items ordered, I just don't give them my business. Maybe aren't trying to gouge their customers, but...maybe they are?
Bob
re: Shipping costs
Even within the USA some eBay sellers want $4-5 shipping for a simple cover or postcard. I avoid those unless it's a must have item, such as unique or hard to find usage on my Ben Franklins. The responses go two ways... Sellers who wrap it to survive a nuclear attack, who do indeed spend the shipping amount with delivery confirmation. The second type are folks who charge you the fee.. then pop your item in an envelope with 55 cents postage! No reorders to them.
re: Shipping costs
"The USPS apparently read the barcoded labels, detected the thick size, and correctly pulled the items to be rated as parcels, resulting in $5.90 due from me to retrieve them.
"
re: Shipping costs
"...any gift item still isn't ”only non-negotiable documents or correspondence, ” it is merchandise. Therefore, a customs form is required."
re: Shipping costs
According to the UPU definitions it is either 'documents' or 'goods'.
Definition of “documents” in the UPU Acts:
“a postal item consisting of any piece of written, drawn, printed or digital information, excluding objects of merchandise, whose physical specifications lie within the limits specified in the Regulations”
Definition of “goods” in the Acts:
“a postal item consisting of any tangible and movable object other than money, including objects of merchandise, which does not fall under the definition of “documents” as provided above and whose physical specifications lie within the limits specified in the Regulations.”
Don
re: Shipping costs
i have yet to receive a purchase in an envelope that was not franked with first class postage,usually something like three stamps equaling 55 cents. From Canada i have received stamps mailed in a first day cover(and they arrived.)
re: Shipping costs
"Received a PM from a long-time, generous donor (SOR Member) that his most recent letter was returned with a note that it required a customs form. Not surprisingly, he noted that having to fill out such paperwork for a regular envelope with a handful of stamps would be a barrier to future donations. At the same time, when I wanted to personally buy from an SOR member recently, he noted the same issue had lead him to previously stop selling to Canadian members."
Above post by David (lemaven / Holocaust Stamps)on Oct 1, 2020. Obviously all attempts to beat the system do not make it through. Also, as Anglophile noted there appears to be a new level of scrutiny. Time will tell. Not preaching, just noting reported events to date.
re: Shipping costs
It appears that if you send a small letter, under 20 gms, abroad through Royal Mail it will be shipped without a problem or a customs form.
Why?
The new customs form is that large there is no room for the customs form, a stamp and the name and address of the recipient!!
Anything larger and a customs form must be applied.
Therefore sending a small amount of stamps more often rather than a large amount may get through without a problem.
re: Shipping costs
"all attempts to beat the system do not make it through"
re: Shipping costs
"a small donation of stamps (a gift - free of charge - not merchandise, and not valued over $20)"
re: Shipping costs
Hi capn_ed. I think the current rabbit hole we are chasing down is a bit different, it’s about the nature of the transaction, not the nature of the item.
As I noted previously, even your Christmas card to me could be merchandise (if it’s nice and I could sell it, hint hint) ????
But it depends on the transaction that accompanies an “item”. If you SELL me a bike (especially from a store) it is merchandise. If you GIVE me a bike it is a gift.
re: Shipping costs
lemaven, my understanding is that it doesn't matter what sort of transaction is occurring for the purposes of rules for what can go in an envelope without a customs form.
BIG CAVEAT: I don't know what the rules are. Everything after this line is what I understand the rules to be. If it's wrong, I would really like to be corrected! Thanks!
I'm not defending any particular rule, but unless there is a particular exception carved out for merchandise sent as a gift, I think the type of transaction is immaterial.
We should distinguish merchandise-for-the-purposes-of-customs (things that are not documents; in other words, "goods") from merchandise-as-in-goods-to-be-bought-and-sold (a thing that changes hands not as a gift). These definitions are not perfectly aligned, as you pointed out: My very nice Christmas card that you sell goes in an envelope to you, because it is not merchandise-for-the-purposes-of-customs, but if you sell it, it becomes merchandise-as-in-goods-to-be-bought-and-sold.
The rules for shipping seem to deal with the former and not the latter, and it's difficult to authenticate that something is actually a gift for purposes of enforcing the rules, so it makes sense that the rules would distinguish based on the kind of item rather than the kind of transaction: A bike is merchandise-for-the-purposes-of-customs, a letter to your Aunt Gertrude is not. If the rule was that gifts don't count, there's incentive for unscrupulous actors to claim everything is a gift.
We can discuss what the rules should be, and what would be a fair and right set of rules would look like, but there are rules, and we should understand what they actually say.
re: Shipping costs
I'm with you capn_ed. I am not sure what the rules are, because like the bible and the Constitution (both yours and ours) the words can be interpreted in different ways. And so, like lawyers and Rabbis/priests, we can continue to argue the fine points forever. So my conclusion is that we have to decide on what we believe the intention to be and act accordingly.
That being said, there are certain people (possibly even some SOR members even) who feel themselves to be absolutely knowledgeable and infallible in their own "interpretations" (not seeing them as such). They are revealed by being confident to the point of over-confidence (an interesting area of Psychology I have studied in the area of financial and medical decision-making); by being overbearing "sticklers for the rules" not only for themselves but imposed on others; by accusing anyone with a different opinion or approach of violating or at least attempting to circumvent "the rules"; by exaggerating that the UPU regulations are holy and inviolable "laws" (ignoring that individual countries are permitted to adapt the UPU regulations differently as sovereign nations with specific needs/circumstances).
Personally, I'm suspicious of people who are (in their own minds) so tremendously self-assured of their absolutely correctness and therefore dismissive, insulting and judgemental of non-believers. David Koresh could never have been my minister or spiritual guide - I'd have asked him too many questions and he would have gone even crazier far earlier!
I'm still waiting for an answer from the Canada Post CEO and the US Postmaster General (10 months later, and slightly different from below) asking a very simple question I'm sure they will refuse to answer as ambiguity is their friend...
"As a small personal stamp collector, not a business-owner or investor, I enjoy trading stamps with friends around the world. We sometimes also offer to buy and sell stamps between each other as straight trading is generally unfeasible. The total amounts are often just a few dollars at most, possible as HUGE as $10-$25 if we are buying lots of stamps to sort through or a couple we really need to complete a collection area.
I live in Canada and have a fellow collector friend in the US. While she is not a lawyer or expert in UPU regulations, she has told me that we can no longer send each other even a single stamp that we bought/sold between us in a private transaction for 5c without declaring this as merchandise and filing an official customs form as a package not eligible for normal first class mail. Further, she says even if she doesn't charge me, and sends the stamp as a gift, the same rule would apply.
This rule (if correctly interpreted) seems to me to be onerous and could realistically dismantle the worldwide love of collecting stamps and sharing them with others arounds the world. Please tell me that isn't the case or the intent of the UPU."
re: Shipping costs
It's not just stamps! I collect many things including a type of pottery that's collectively called "Torquay Pottery" from the area in England where it was made. I just checked on E-Bay for it as I occasionally do. I almost bought a piece I liked since the price was reasonable and it was a pattern I was looking for. I then checked out the shipping price and found $72 for a small pot - totally ridiculous!! I then checked out a bunch more pieces, a few were sensible (about $20), but most were totally out of line! I then checked another area of interest to me - silver age Marvel comics. People were charging $35 or more to ship a single comic. I know it's got a lot to do with this automatic shipping, but it's getting to the point where I will just refuse to buy on E-Bay any more. How many others are thinking the same thing?