International Shipping

Well as shipping is in the news here at TVV, and based on recent discussion related to the RL Gift Card, I was wondering how many of you feel "safe" doing USPS International First Class Mail in the absence of ability to track it (so voiding PayPal Seller protection for item not received) and also not being able to buy USPS insurance for it.......and that it seems to often take a looooong time till it reaches the destination, plus, again in absence of tracking, that one has to contact the customer to be sure that it has arrived. What happens if they say "no" ???....there is no way to verify it according to USPS!

I am beginning to wonder if it is not wiser just to do Priority International to everywhere , and only do First Class to Canada, and possibly for repeat customers in other locations.

I realize this could costs sales as the Priority option is so much more, but not being able to track or insure really is of concern to me.

Interested in other POVs

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jan Story on February 12, 2012 at 9:56pm

Well, that depends on what you sell - obviously, if you're selling fine jewelry or other valuables you're going to want to be more careful, and maybe ship Registered or something. Most of what I sell is fairly low priced, so it simply doesn't make sense to make the customer pay more for shipping than for the item. However, I've never had an international package get lost (knock on wood) and I ship First Class International all the time. I offer Priority as an option, but nobody ever takes it.

As for USPS insurance, I never use it. I insure through ShipSurance (for eBay items - I get it through my listing service), InsurePost (for most RL sales) and occasionally UPic (because they insure to Russia). And if your package is insured, PayPal protection should be a non-issue.

Package turnaround time usually isn't much longer than it is for domestic mail. When it is, it's generally because the item is stuck in Customs, not because the mail takes a long time.

When I ship, I send the buyer the Customs number. If they send me an "I didn't get my item" mail, the first thing I do is explain that it's probably stuck in Customs at their end and send them the Customs number again. I also tell them that if they don't get their package by (insert date about 55 days from shipping) to let me know so that I can file an insurance claim. It's really funny how quickly their packages show up after I say the I-word!

Anyway, that's my experience - it's worked for costume jewelry, books, and model railroad stuff. If what you sell is expensive, fragile or heavy, your mileage may vary.

Permalink Reply by CheriShops - Admin on February 12, 2012 at 10:02pm

It took almost 7 weeks for an expensive handbag to reach a customer in Japan via 1st class, and prior to that, Poste Italiane lost a package for 3 months!!!!!!

PayPal does not provide seller protection if the package cannot be tracked, which first class cannot.

I'm surprised you can buy insurance for first class international from those other companies, as I would have thought they would only insure trackable packages as well?

I used to use UPIC but dropped them when they had the minimum monthly payment thing

Permalink Reply by Charmed Life on February 12, 2012 at 11:02pm

I ship a lot internationally. In 10+ years of selling online, I've had 2 items get lost.

When I sold on eBay, I used Shipsurance through inkfrog for my first class international items that required insurance. I will ship international first class up to a certain dollar amount, usually $50.

Once the item is over $50, then it goes priority or it doesn't go. High end, fine jewelry goes registered, generally. Or it goes priority and insured.

I sell quite a few $20-$30 items internationally and they make up a big chunk of my sales. I also sell postcards and small photographs, ephemera internationally, and those go first class.

I did have one thing go missing that had been shipped to Italy. I refunded the money and forgot about it. A month later it showed up, and the buyer actually contacted me and re-paid me !!!

Permalink Reply by 2Hearts Uptown @Ruby Lane on February 12, 2012 at 11:22pm

You can't track Priority International either.

My shipping varies by value of merchandise and reliability of the country. Under $100 I'll use first class; over $100 I use Priority to "first world" countries; insure via InsurePost. For all other countries it is insured Express International flat rate envelope, which is about $40.00 with USPS insurance and CAN be tracked (plus it is super quick). I subsidize the postage cost to equal about a 10% discount on the purchase. Often those buyers purchase multiple items and are very nice sales. Will consider priority mail (to non-first world countries) on a case by case basis.

So far, only one non-delivery, and that was by registered mail to Israel - a total SNAFU by the post office.

Permalink Reply by Antiques on Canaan St on February 12, 2012 at 11:26pm

I have used U-Pic for two years now and have never paid a minimum monthly payment. I think you are referring to their special business plan. Also, I filed a large claim on a damaged package and they paid promptly. They do require a tracking number so 1st class international would not qualify, I believe.

I have used 1st class once for Canada at the customers request. It was not an expensive item so I was willing to risk it. I lost out on a sale to Italy because I refused to ship without tracking. It just wasn't worth the worry to me.

Carol

Permalink Reply by Jan Story on February 12, 2012 at 11:29pm

For my eBay stuff I use $25 as an international-shipping insurance threshold - and that's item plus shipping. If I sold fine I'd probably think about registered or priority, but it just doesn't make sense for a $10-$15 item.

I really think the culprit in orders to Italy is Customs, not the mail. I've had two where's-my-item inquiries from Italy recently. In both cases I re-sent the customs number, advised them to check from their end, and gave them a notify-me-by date so I could file the insurance claim - and in both cases the package showed up before the notify-me-by date... and both were over the customs-duty threshold. On the other hand, I once shipped two items - same size, weight and packaging - on the same day, one to Italy (FCI) and the other to Los Angeles (Media), and it was the domestic package that took forever!

But Cheri, you don't need a monthly account to insure with UPIC. I don't like them because they don't take PayPal, but they do one-offs, as does InsurePost, and both insure First Class International packages. Check their web sites. And if you're going to ship priority, double check that it really is trackable - I think for some things it has to be registered, which is an extra service.

Permalink Reply by Out Of The Attic 2u on February 13, 2012 at 5:42am

I recently sent a package first class mail through insurepost and it had a tracking number, most stuff I ship priority. I prefer priority and will either pay the extra cost or refund the excess back to the customer if its over a dollar. I also don't like to ship overseas but will as long as its not to a country that is on my bad list.

Permalink Reply by CheriShops - Admin on February 13, 2012 at 8:06am

thanks for all the helpful perspectives

I print Priority International labels via PayPal and have always been able to track them?? It is tracked via the customs form number. It shows acceptance, then when it leaves the USA, then when it arrives in the other country, into customs, out of customs and then when delivered to the customer. Very detailed. Been doing it that way for ten years now! so I am sure of it being trackable.

That's why I prefer International Priority over First Class, because you CAN track it, print labels from PayPal(which you can't for first class) and it comes with a certain $ amount of free indemnity and you can then buy extra insurance if needed

So if I understand correctly, those of you using other insurers say they will insure a first class USPS international package even though you cannot track the customs number on those??

And from what I gather by these replies, UPIC allows single package insurance now? You don't need to have an account and pay their monthly minimum fee? Is that still lower than USPS rates?

Permalink Reply by Gardenartus Antiques on February 13, 2012 at 9:47am

Cheri we use Shipsurance and you have to use a tracking number for packages. You can use them without having an account and they are much cheaper then USPS. I had to file a claim and they paid within 2 weeks and were very good about it. I prefer Priority also but those low cost items I agree it doesn't make sense for the buyers perspective to ship other then First Class.

CheriShops - Admin said:

thanks for all the helpful perspectives

I print Priority International labels via PayPal and have always been able to track them?? It is tracked via the customs form number. It shows acceptance, then when it leaves the USA, then when it arrives in the other country, into customs, out of customs and then when delivered to the customer. Very detailed. Been doing it that way for ten years now! so I am sure of it being trackable.

That's why I prefer International Priority over First Class, because you CAN track it, print labels from PayPal(which you can't for first class) and it comes with a certain $ amount of free indemnity and you can then buy extra insurance if needed

So if I understand correctly, those of you using other insurers say they will insure a first class USPS international package even though you cannot track the customs number on those??

And from what I gather by these replies, UPIC allows single package insurance now? You don't need to have an account and pay their monthly minimum fee? Is that still lower than USPS rates?

Permalink Reply by Antiques on Canaan St on February 13, 2012 at 9:49am

Cheri- U-Pic charges $1 per hundred insurance thus a package insured for $300 within the US destination would be $3.00. No monthly fee. International is $1.30 per hundred and I don't know if that applies to 1st class.

Permalink Reply by Jan Story on February 13, 2012 at 10:44am

The rate is a little higher - I paid $2.61 to insure an $80 item going to Russia. But if you're shipping First Class, you have to use a third-party insurer as USPS won't insure those.

Permalink Reply by CheriShops - Admin on February 13, 2012 at 10:51am

I am still not seeing an answer tho to HOW you manage to insure a First Class International package with an outside insurer if it has no tracking?? Surely they require a trackable number. Not even the Post Office can track a first class International package after it leaves the USA? at least that is what they told me?? The customs number on those is not trackable, unlike that for Priority International