The Ebay Advice Column

mcsquiggins · Mon Jul 07, 2014 5:34 pm

I've heard that the risk of falsifying customs forms is all on the buyer's side, however, I still refuse to do it as a seller unless I know the person I'm selling to. I'm not going to risk getting fined because someone else wants to cheat their government. Better safe than sorry. If you do falsify the customs form, make sure you don't include any type of receipt or invoice showing how much the buyer paid. Foreign country's postal services open these packages and make sure the contents match the declared value. I've had to email a guy a bunch of statements saying I sold him whatever for a certain amount before they'd release the item to him. Not worth the hassle.

bryndavies · Mon Jul 07, 2014 5:39 pm

mcsquiggins wrote:I've heard that the risk of falsifying customs forms is all on the buyer's side, however, I still refuse to do it as a seller unless I know the person I'm selling to. I'm not going to risk getting fined because someone else wants to cheat their government. Better safe than sorry.

Thanks. Anything else I should keep in mind when shipping internationally? This is my first international transaction and the buyer is a newish member, so I just want to make sure everything goes smoothly. I've read some horror stories about international shipping in this thread.

jjbehren · Mon Jul 07, 2014 5:40 pm

bryndavies wrote:Question about international shipping here. Is USPS the best bet? And what's the harm in lowering the declared value on customs forms? I'm going to be shipping something to France and have invoiced the buyer through paypal. Anything else I need to know? Thanks kindly for any advice and insight.

USPS is your cheapest option. The harm in lowering the value is that you can't insure for more than you declare. Thus, as the seller, if anything happens you're the one taking the loss, unless they paid by gift and specifically accepted the risk. Oh yeah, and it's probably technically fraud. So there's that.

Also, if you're sending to France, good luck. It's kind of a coin flip lately, if I remember correctly.

I'd look into a 3rd party insurer if it's something valuable. I've used InsurePost before, with no problems (although I've never had to file a claim).

EDIT: http://forum.expressobeans.com/viewtopi ... 5#p2667775

bryndavies · Mon Jul 07, 2014 5:42 pm

Ah. Good call. For some reason I hadn't thought about having the insurance and the declared value match up. Guess I'm having a case of the Mondays here.

mcsquiggins · Mon Jul 07, 2014 5:42 pm

Yeah, France's postal service is notoriously pretty bad.

bryndavies · Mon Jul 07, 2014 5:45 pm

mcsquiggins wrote:Yeah, France's postal service is notoriously pretty bad.

drymount. Really? But if I insure for the real amount can't I just wipe my hands once I send it off and put the onus on the buyer to deal with it?

halftonegraphics · Mon Jul 07, 2014 5:45 pm

just echoing the above. if you falsify the amount, you can only insure that amount. i wouldnt do that to France. France is up there with countries with horrible post systems.

would also agree with the part about using InsurePost or something similar to insure. i'm in the middle of a claim with USPS and France and its been five weeks and theres been no communication between the two. who claims fault or that, i dont know, but its been a huge pain.

and lastly, USPS will be the cheapest. i might even suggest paying the extra cash to upgrade to Express (assuming you were sending via Priority).

bryndavies · Mon Jul 07, 2014 5:47 pm

Thanks for all the advice and input folks. I might just cancel the deal. I'm not dying to sell these prints and just don't want to deal with any fudge on the backend.

mcsquiggins · Mon Jul 07, 2014 5:50 pm

bryndavies wrote:
mcsquiggins wrote:Yeah, France's postal service is notoriously pretty bad.
drymount. Really? But if I insure for the real amount can't I just wipe my hands once I send it off and put the onus on the buyer to deal with it?

Depends on how much you trust the buyer. They could always lie about receiving it and it's very difficult, but not impossible, to win a case through Paypal as a seller. It comes down to proving that the person that signed for it is the same person that bought it, which means having to contact the French postal service (LOLOLOL good luck) and ask them to email you a copy of the signed receipt, assuming it was even signed by the same person.

bryndavies · Mon Jul 07, 2014 5:52 pm

Jesus. Glad I asked about this. Seems like a total pain in the dick to deal with this, and given that the member is practically brand new here I have no reason to trust them.

earlgreytoast · Tue Jul 08, 2014 10:41 am

Anyone deal with geek express sal? Guy bought a print from me a month ago and it all went well - yesterday he made offers on 14 items.

Some lowballs, others not. Anyone deal with a big purchase from him and/or know if he's on the boards?

Thanks.

maddog76 · Wed Jul 09, 2014 7:53 pm

bryndavies wrote:Jesus. Glad I asked about this. Seems like a total pain in the dick to deal with this, and given that the member is practically brand new here I have no reason to trust them.

Sell it on ebay and use ebay global, then its ebays headache.

jampar5000 · Thu Jul 10, 2014 6:29 am

maddog76 wrote:
bryndavies wrote:Jesus. Glad I asked about this. Seems like a total pain in the dick to deal with this, and given that the member is practically brand new here I have no reason to trust them.
Sell it on ebay and use ebay global, then its ebays headache.

Ebay global shipping program is an interesting one. they opened and damaged some vinyl i bought from the usa - they ended up refunding both me and the seller. I would never ever buy a print using this method. the noobs at the global shipping program have absolutely no idea what they are doing, and damage is a fairly regular occurrence as far as i am aware. they also charge the full rate of VAT of 20% (that's marked value + shipping cost = total then plus 20%!). while the actual fee is only 5% on screen printed art.

Shipping to france does seem to be a massive pain in the ass though. properly rubbish.

also for the record - the first class usually arrives a lot quicker in the uk than express despite being cheaper.

Fattyramone · Thu Jul 10, 2014 9:29 am

maddog76 wrote:
bryndavies wrote:Jesus. Glad I asked about this. Seems like a total pain in the dick to deal with this, and given that the member is practically brand new here I have no reason to trust them.
Sell it on ebay and use ebay global, then its ebays headache.

No don't use Ebay global.....run by the American shipping company Pitney Bowles

Using Ebay Global makes sure that I will NOT receive the carefully packaged bomb proof tube that you think you've send me.

Your sent package ,no matter where you are in the USA , will be sent to a central point (I think its Kentucky?) then stripped out of all it's packaging that you carefully prepared and put into a space saving package of EBAYS ...Pitney Bowles...choosing so that the package will economically fit into the pallet destined for wherever (Europe , Australia , etc) ....

That's how they make their money ....by charging me (the customer) top dollar for you (The seller) to send it to them to strip down what THEY ,Pitney Bowles consider excessive packaging weight.

When it arrives undamaged no-one is any the wiser , everything is ok ....but when it arrives damaged no one thinks to show the seller a picture of the packaging it arrives in so that they can say "hey that's not how I sent it?" .....and EBAY nor Pitney Bowles DONT CARE.

Ebay will compensate out of the profits they are making in this idiotic scheme of theirs that's loves pandering to paranoid Americans who have barely awoken to the fact that there is a world outside of their own countries border ...harsh guys , but sadly true.

I will be compulsory wrongly charged 20% import tax at the Ebay checkout for artwork that I should only be charged 5% for......you try claiming back wrongly imposed taxes that another country , another continent has decided arbitrary that's it's going to take from me , that's why I won't buy from anybody that uses it.

Please , don't use the Global shipping programme , it's ripping us off here something chronic.

Fattyramone · Thu Jul 10, 2014 9:40 am

bryndavies wrote:Jesus. Glad I asked about this. Seems like a total pain in the dick to deal with this, and given that the member is practically brand new here I have no reason to trust them.

Bryn , don't let a few paranoid , mostly Ill informed comments make your mind up.

Yes , there can be problems , there can be problems everywhere in every country.

Think about how this happens , it's happening right now to you....

Six months down the road when this conversation your having right now has been forgotten and another guy , just like yourself asks the same question your asking now , you will be chiming in "yeah , don't trust country XXXX , they are bastards" ....and your evidence will be what??? ....tittle tattle that's what! ...and you'll pass on the paranoia that your soaking up as fact right now.

Your a lawyer ........start thinking like one.