[jpzk]

What's this trend about sellers at the Market Place shipping "CONUS" only?

Is there a truly bad disadvantage to ship to Canada (closest neighbour) or any European country or any country as long as
if the sellers charge fair and reasonable shipping costs? They can ship just about anywhere in the world.

I once shipped to Australia from Canada ... expensive shipping? Yes, and the buyer sure did not complain.
And I often ship items to the USA ... believe me: more expensive for me and I always charge LESS than the actual shipping cost ...

What's the problem ?

JP

[p38arover]

I can, to a degree, understand why Americans won't ship internationally but limiting to CONUS seems odd.

I understand Americans can put the postage stamps or sticker on a parcel and leave it in their letterbox for pickup by the postman. To post internationally requires them to go to the post office, fill out a customs declaration, etc. all too much trouble.

Having said that, when I was in the States on holiday, I wanted to post some stuff back home to Australia. I downloaded the USPS software to my laptop, printed the postage stickers and the customs declaration, package ec it all up, etc., and went to a post office. The lady at the PO was very helpful.

[crewl1]

Sending to Canada has been nothing but trouble for me in the past so I will no longer offer it.
Packages have been delayed for excessive time to the point where it seemed they were lost so I decided to refund a buyers money and then weeks later the package was eventually delivered.
Customs in Canada holds packages until they find it convenient to work on them, it seems.
I don't want to put myself or the buyer through the stress, so I avoid it by not offering items for sale in Canada.
So CONUS ONLY is right - for me.
YMMV

[RobA_Oz]

I've bought quite a lot of gear out of the USA and never once had to wait a long time for it to be delivered. Maybe perceptions of "long" differ. The worst experience I had was with a Refconverter out of Germany, which the seller must have put on a boat out of Bremen in winter, while still ice-bound, or maybe it went via Greenland. Canada, though, is next door to the US, so maybe they're more suspicious of small parcels. My kilometrage does, indeed, vary.

[p38arover]

So CONUS ONLY is right - for me.
YMMV

Why exclude Alaska and Hawaii?

[sam-joseph]

I've bought stuff from the US and A before and it only took a week to arrive, compared to 3-4 weeks from China. I'd certainly like to be able to buy those CONUS Only items too.

Regards

[Lowell Goudge]

Personally, there are a lot of people who do not know the world outside of CON US. No offence intended to those here on the forum but just watch any weather broadcast. It may have changed now, but even the main networks did not display weather except for the lower 48. As if the weather magically was different or non existent north of the 49th parallel.

I to have bought a lot from the US. My biggest complaint is UPS. They charge $25 customs brokerage fee to the receiver of the goods even though the sender pays the duty. Talk about double dipping.

Packages received from US by USPS are just fine, come right through the mail, no issue. But yes, it does require somebody to go to the post office.

[wildman]

What's this trend about sellers at the Market Place shipping "CONUS" only?

Perhaps because the domestic market here is huge so there is almost always a domestic buyer available thus no need to bother with the hassle, cost, and uncertainty of international shipping which can be a pain in the a** for an individual?

[Miguel]

I don't understand that practice either. While the Canadian postal practices seem to ensure slowness (even though I live about 200 miles from Vancouver, BC, my postal clerk tells me that my BC bound package is initially routed to Montreal, and then it heads back west), that's not a show stopper. I've successfully shipped photo gear to the Crimea, Australia, and even Arkansas. The world is a good market.

M

[reeftool]

Personally, there are a lot of people who do not know the world outside of CON US. No offence intended to those here on the forum but just watch any weather broadcast. It may have changed now, but even the main networks did not display weather except for the lower 48. As if the weather magically was different or non existent north of the 49th parallel.

I to have bought a lot from the US. My biggest complaint is UPS. They charge $25 customs brokerage fee to the receiver of the goods even though the sender pays the duty. Talk about double dipping.

Packages received from US by USPS are just fine, come right through the mail, no issue. But yes, it does require somebody to go to the post office.

I have bought a few items from Canada with no issue but tend to stick with Conus just to avoid hassles.

They now display Canada on the weather radar maps. Up until a couple of years ago they didn't which presented a BIG problem where I live in NY as Canada is west as well as north. A line of thunderstorms could be 100 miles away but the map on your smart phone showed clear sailing, only to be caught somewhere in the central Adirondacks an hour later in a downpour on your motorcycle. I stopped using Weather Channel and Weather.com for exactly that reason. I once got caught in a bad thunderstorm while hiking near Lake Placid after looking at a Weather Channel map in a shop just prior to starting out. There must have been some complaints because they now show what's coming on the other side of the St. Lawrence River.

[p38arover]

I have bought a few items from Canada with no issue but tend to stick with Conus just to avoid hassles.

Again I ask, why do you exclude Alaska and Hawaii?

[Tom S.]

Some sellers stick to ConUs because they don't offer PayPal or other payment programs. The rules cite if you sell internationally and the item is over $100, you must offer some type of payment program such as PayPal. This was put in place after a seller came here and took several members for lenses that were never delivered and since they were paid for by check or money order, the buyers were all screwed.

As for Alaska and Hawaii, it could be a matter of shipping costs, I don't know. However sellers are permitted to sell to whoever they wish. they could for example list an item available only in the state of Texas if they wished. It would be foolish, IMHO, but it's their item and their sale.

[stormtech]

Why exclude Alaska and Hawaii?

I don't understand that either. USPS Priority Mail service from me in the east to Alaska or Hawaii is one more day than to California - 3 days instead of 2 days.

Now as far as shipping to Canada, I had a bad experience also and just don't want to bother. It seems some folks in Canada do not realize their own laws concerning duty fees (or whatever they call it). I had shipped a fairly expensive lens to Canada where the buyer insisted on insurance. So right on the package was the insurance value ($650). I then get a PM from the buyer just screaming that he had to pay $84 at the post office to pick it up. All worded as if it was my fault. To keep the peace I sent him a refund for half the $84 which made me end up loosing money on the sale.

Since then I have at times offered shipping to Canada. I put an entry like this in my listing:

I will gladly ship to our Canadian neighbors. I will not alter the customs form. Also please be aware of your country's custom laws and duty fees as I will not be responsible for them. Here is a link to an duty estimator for your convenience:

Duty and Taxes Estimator

So I have nothing at all against shipping to Canada if the buyer actually knows what his own laws are.

[thazooo]

I've shipped out of the conus several times. Price of shipping insured is one problem. IIRC the USPS will only insure 1st Class packages up to $100.
After that I was required to do Flat Rate International which doubles the shipping cost. When giving a price now I just use the Flat Rate price and in most cases never hear back. PayPal and insurance are required for anything I send.

[savoche]

Yes, shipping cost from the US to the outside world seem to be rather steep. But still, since the prices here in Europe tend to be quite a lot higher it makes economical sense to import from the US. If people are willing to ship.

I have bought from the US without issues, but I will insist on using USPS. The other "services" are useless, at least in my past of the world.

My latest international purchases have been from France, Germany, Japan, and Italy, though. No restrictions there