agree to sell me the FCD over the weekend and



https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=694695

 

That's not being lazy...that's being smart. I have seen numerous threads on here from disgruntled Canadian buyers who bought something from a forum member in the US and didn't receive it for a month or two, if ever. Shipping parts to Canada is a giant hassle.

 

He even states that he prefers to ship to the lower 48 only. This thread is out of here.

 

Hey, I was trying to be as nice as possible.

When I got your paypal I noticed that you were from Canada, so I sent you a PM asking if you were located in Canada.

I got no reply, and figured I would try to ship it out anyways.
When I found out I would have to do the paperwork again I chose not to because it was too much of a hassle.

So I refunded your money and told you why I could not ship it out.

If I was being lazy I could have waited till this next weekend or something and then told you that I didnt ship it out.
Instead I refunded you your money the very next day when I tried to ship it out and told you why.

So please don't bring down my name for something like this.

Thanks

 

LOL @ some of the stupids threads people start...

 

I fully agree with this seller's stance and I will also flatly refuse to ship to canada or internationally as well. There are too many variables for a successful and pleasant transaction to happen, and the money is never good enough to justify the bullshit, in my mind.

+1 to seller for being honest and telling the buyer exactly what he could and could not do. IF more sellers were this way, less buyers would be bitchy about not getting the level of service they expected.

But then, you run into the other side of the coin, buyers like this guy who will bitch because you won't sell to them. Damned if you do, damned if you dont.

 

I agree with the sellor in this instance since he was upfront about everything.

But as a Canadian I would be interested to know the complexities in actually shipping parts to Canada from the US. I have shipped many parts to the States from Canada and I remember being given a form that declares contents etc. that took at most 2 additional minutes to fill out. I have bought many parts from the US as well and never heard from the sellors that there was a huge hurdle to climb. Is the process very different from the US to Canada?

 

Many parts sellers these days use paypal for payment AND shipping. Paypal is integrated with UPS and/or the USPS, whichever the seller chooses, and brings up all the shipping info automatically, allowing the seller to create the label right there, have the cost billed from his paypal account, and have tracking info emailed to the buyer automatically. Obviously this is a nice tool to have at your disposal.

However, last I checked, paypal would not allow you to use their interface for international shipping. For someone like me whose time is important, this means that the shipping process will take 15 minutes instead of 1, and it also means I have to do everything by hand and pay out of pocket at the terminal/post office, rather than online. I normally pull up to the UPS terminal's front door with my prelabeled packages, walk in bypassing the line of people waiting to pay/ship, sit them on the floor behind the counter, and leave.

But, if I have to ship your shitty canadian package, I have to park, bring the address paperwork inside with me, and stand in line like everyone else. Fill out the customs form and address labels by hand, wait for the desk clerk to inspect the paperwork and figure out how to ring up the shipping cost. Then pay out of pocket (the money is still in paypal) and keep up with my copy of the tracking number long enough to get home and PM/email it to the buyer, typing it out by hand.

Oh, that's another thing. Usually when using paypal's online interface, the cost is 10-15% lower than actually doing the shipment in person, even though UPS claims the rates are the same. I have even gotten quotes online using EXACTLY the same numbers that the terminal used in their rate calculation, but the prices were drastically different, and no one can explain why.

What's that you say? Use the USPS because they are cheaper? Screw that. Their locations here locally are all out of my way, their parking lots are poorly accessible and are set up so that it'd be easy to get in an accident trying to enter or leave (they are all directly beside busy intersections). Their hours are crappy; most of them close at 4:30pm here, I think the latest one stays open until 5, whereas UPS and Fedex are 7 or 8pm.

There are always long lines inside, of old women wanting to buy 1 stamp. When you do get to the front, and you tell them what you need to do, they are usually rude and snap back that "you need to go over there and fill out forms X and Z and come back when you are done." Of course by then, the line has grown and you have to wait again.

Then they finally take your package. IF you want tracking, you have to pay extra. If you want insurance...extra. Proof of delivery? Extra. Want it there in a reasonable amount of time (1 week) rather than a month? Extra. By the time you get the services you would have gotten at UPS, you're up to 20-30 bucks easy. The tracking service blows goats, and is only updated once every 2 weeks, and isn't really useful for anything as far as I can tell.

Then your package leaves town and you get to HOPE AND PRAY that it doesnt get damaged or lost altogether, and that it manages to 'clear" customs, whatever that really means. One would think that customs would be a big building full of airport type security, conveyor belts with x ray machines etc. that are looking for contraband etc. inside packages. BUt no, according to the shipping carriers, customs is a big, mean monster that hides at the border and randomly chooses packages to whorde and take back to it's cave, never to be seen again. When this happens there is no recourse, no one you can call and talk to, nothing you can do, your **** is just gone and now you AND the buyer are out of money/parts.

OF course the long waits, higher prices, issues in customs clearance that add to the wait, lack of ability to track items fully after they cross the border, etc. all serve to promote distrust between buyer and seller and lead to many disagreements, GGBG posts, paypal claims, etc.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Nothing good can come out of an international shipping transaction, it is an invitation for disaster and an excersize in futility.

Here is the latest thread that backs up my statements: https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showthread.php?t=695917

 

I see your point. Although I probably wouldn't have a blanket policy of no Canadian orders but rather charge the appropriate premium and leave it up to the buyer. And I am not suggesting that it be a "**** off fee" but rather a realistic premium.

Considering our current currency value there are a lot more people actually turning south towards you for business. It is not a huge market but 30,000,000 more potential customers is the equivalent to a very large state. Some US companies are actually making things more user friendly for Canadians. For example Tirerack has a process now that allows Canadians to pay all duty, taxes etc. in advance to avoid the surprises.

I'll will still sell you something Kevin, even if you will not sell it back to me.

 

As far as me personally, and most of the small part sellers on this forum, the money isn't that good regardless. For a medium or large scale company like mazdatrix, tirerack, electronics retailers, etc. of course it makes sense to serve canadians.

I dont really do many small parts sales any more so it is not that big a deal to me.

You suggest a premium for sales to canada. What exactly would be a fair premium for the possible damage to or loss of a good seller reputation on this forum or ebay due to a screwup made by a shipping carrier or customs? I dont know about you, but as a small business my reputation was hard earned and making 10 bucks on a part sale to canada plus another 10-20 bucks of a "canada premium" is not worth the risk to me.

 

I find it Kind of Funny,In a Way..How much Paperwork are we talking here?..When I send parts to the United States,all I have to is Say what the Part is..Write it down,With a Value.,Sign it,Pay the postage and I am done...but Ya,You are Right..as they say "we have the right to Refuse service to anybody..and this time,that "anybody" is YOU!"..(read that in a Restaurant!)..There are lots of parts kickin around anyhow.I have Had a couple guys Not want to Send to me.I inform them Right off the Bat where I am located.if they Don't want my Money,Fine!..I just find someone that Does.It usually pays off in the long Run.Good deal,Good price,Good Part..and If I am treated Good,I look for More of the forum Member's threads to See what else he has,Down the Line..I've done Multiple deals with some members.I like that,..Make friends along the way..anyhow,My .02(now maybe .03 because of the Cdn Dollar..haha!)

 

I guess my experiences are different. All of our overseas and Canadian shipments are processed through paypal shipping module.

All the paperwork is generated automatically. I just sign the forms. These shipments do require a special customs envelope and to be presented to a USPS counter or shipped from your normal mail box. You can not drop the box in one of the "blue" drop boxes.

USPS boxes and customs envelopes are free from the USPS website. You simply place your order and they show up in a few days. If you are dropping the box off at the post office they have the customs envelope behind the counter.

I find it just as easy as shipping within the US.

-billy