posted on January 27, 2005 10:53:54 AM
I received this question through the eBay Question to Seller-
Would you ship to Canada?
I answered that I would (I do ship a great deal to Canada). I do put USA addresses's on eBay auctions but if asked and they agree to shipping cost , I gladly send almost anywhere .
Next I received this email -
Could you not just bundle up the parcel and send direct like a
gift rather than do the customs papers?
My answer:
That would be illegal and certainly unethical since this would not be a gift , it would be a purchase.
Next I received this email -WELL AREN'T YOU GOOFY , I HAVE BOUGHT SWIMSUITS FROM 2 OTHERS (then she listed their ID's and they are in fact big sellers on eBay) THEY WERE VERY GLAD TO MARK GIFT
My answer.. I will not break the custom laws for you.Far more important,I will not lie to you or for you. Have a good evening
posted on January 27, 2005 10:59:13 AM
Whenever I get pretzel-chokers like this, I just...
BID-BLOCK and let Ralphie chew on a HOCKEY-PUCK!
"For too long, too many people dependent on Social Security have been cruelly frightened by individuals seeking political gain through demagoguery and outright falsehood, and this must stop.The future of Social Security is much too important to be used as a political football." ~ Ronald Reagan
posted on January 27, 2005 11:01:50 AM
I'd much rather explain to a buyer why I won't ship merchandise as a gift than to have to explain to a customs official why I did!
On second thought, send her an email and say you've changed your mind and will gladly ship as a gift. Handling charge will be $5K to cover fines and fees.
[ edited by ltray on Jan 27, 2005 11:04 AM ]
posted on January 27, 2005 11:55:42 AM
Tell them that do to your most recent conviction for online fraud, the conditions of your parole prohibit you from falsifying customs papers.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
posted on January 27, 2005 12:04:49 PM
"How much customs tax is on a swimsuit?"
I agree to do this once and forgot so I said I would reimburse the cost as the item was only $25.00 or so. When I got the customs form from my customer it was $17 - WOW.
Never agreed to mark as anything other than what it is after that!!!!!
posted on January 27, 2005 12:12:19 PM
Whenever I get worked up about taxes, I remember what Canadians pay and it calms me down a bit!
If they ask before bidding about it being a gift, I simply email and say I won't mark it as a gift. If they email me back after that demanding it or whatever, on the block list they go because as far as I am concerned they are trouble.
Most times, I get the request though AFTER they have bid and won on an item. I simply ignore the requests. If I feel like answering, my standard answer is I am well known at my post office, and they know I have a business. Marking an item as a gift would probably send a red flag, since I do not send gifts internationally. That answer seems to work, but as I said my latest strategy is to not get drawn in, and just ignore the request.
posted on January 27, 2005 12:19:53 PM
deur1 - I know a seller who sells a great deal of swimsuits to Canada, and she never marks the customs form as a gift. I don't know if she is one of the ones they referenced; but if she is, they are trying to pull a quick one on you
She also notes in her auctions that all customs forms are valued at the winning bid amount, so I don't think she even gets asked to mark them differently.
__________________________________
"The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work." - Richard Bach
posted on January 27, 2005 12:24:31 PM
I thought "Goofy" was an odd insult. She probably wanted to say something far worst.
She may have thought by emailing me two sellers' IDs that did it for her(or supposingly did it) I was "Goofy" for not doing it.
_______________________________
I would never be swayed by the fact that others may or may not do it. The fact of the matter is -it is illegal and of course it is lying.
posted on January 27, 2005 01:18:13 PM
I state in my about me which is a clickable link from the auction that I will not mark a customs form as gift. I also send the EOA notice from eBay along with the package to elivate confusion...
If they don't want to pay customs then they shouldn't bid but some don't mind as it is probably a better deal than they can get in Canada....
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posted on January 27, 2005 01:24:33 PM
deur1 - I know a seller who sells a great deal of swimsuits to Canada, and she never marks the customs form as a gift. I don't know if she is one of the ones they referenced; but if she is, they are trying to pull a quick one on you
She also notes in her auctions that all customs forms are valued at the winning bid amount, so I don't think she even gets asked to mark them differently.
-
---------------------------------------------
I stated in the beginning I ship to a great deal to Canada. I also ship to many other countries.
I do note in my auctions that I only ship to USA but still get asked several times a week to ship international. I do, and have several international sells a week - I say USA only to make sure the buyer agrees to the shipping cost and does not bid thinking I will lie on customs. Usually shipping cost to Canada is the same as the "set" price to USA price stated in my auction.
I have one customer in Great Brittain that buys about 10 items a month(does not even bother to go to EBay -direct sales) and often uses my photos on her auctions .. never a problem.
I have been ask before to mark "gift" and explain it and they either bid accepting the terms or move on.
Until today,I have never been sent other sellers ID s trying to vindicate the request or called "GOOFY" for declining.
[ edited by deur1 on Jan 27, 2005 01:26 PM ]
posted on January 27, 2005 01:37:59 PM
deur1 - Wow, you must have read my post wrong - I -did- read you sold quite frequently to Canada, and am sorry for not acknowledging it. I didn't attack your ability as a seller, and am very sorry you apparently took it that way.
If "Goofy" is the worst thing you are called in dealing on eBay, consider yourself lucky. I have been called too many things to count and received far too many rude emails - and just chalk it up to the mentality of the bozos emailing me.
__________________________________
"The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work." - Richard Bach
No offense taken, I didn't take your post in any way offensive.
I posted the thread because it was it was acomical approach to try to "scold" me.
Goofy to me was not harsh, I thought it was an odd term.
I do get annoyed when folks ask me to mark "gift" but just explain it and move on.
Wgm ... ya didn't ofend me at all, sorry if I came back harshly. I am in the middle of Quarterly Reports due Monday. We own a local construction company. I go from lumber, bricks, doing payroll to peddling underwear ...WHAT A LIFE --
BTW..I love this group
[ edited by deur1 on Jan 27, 2005 02:04 PM ]
posted on January 28, 2005 04:01:34 AM
"Goofy" is a typical Canadian insult. I knew a woman from Newfoundland who complained that other Canadians called Newfoundlanders "goofy newfies"....in this particular instance, the shoe fit!
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I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. - Confucious (551 BC - 479 BC)
posted on January 28, 2005 04:21:41 AM
I will never ship to Canada AGAIN!!!!. You all can have those goofy canadians. I shipped a set over x-mas it was a $150 set. Well becasue of the big x-mas rush I neglected to add insurance to the item (mistake #1). The buyer claimed that he never recieved the item. DARN, I am out $150 and an expensive set, had to refund the cash. Filed a claim with post office anyway, they came back with it was delivered therefore they can not issue a refund.
Many other times when I used to ship the items via fedex, I would get stuck paying the custom fees becasue the buyers would not pay for them when fedex send them the bill. If the buyer does not pay guess who has to pay, yeap the shipper. At first I did not know that fedex would close your account if you did not pay for the custom fees that the buyer was suppose to pay for. I found out the hard way. So I stopped sending items via fedex at least to canada. So I started shipping USPS to canada but that did not work either as to many packages got lost. So you all can have the canada orders to much head aches for this ebay seller!!!
posted on January 28, 2005 07:10:35 AM
I clearly state I do not make items as gift but ...... my TOS is not looked at. Just the other day I have a request to do so. errrrr
[ edited by ltray on Jan 27, 2005 11:04 AM ]
