Pros and Cons of Selling Internationally


Let's start with the big question: Should you sell internationally? The answer to this isn't a simple one. It depends a lot on your tolerance for differences (in money, in language, in routine), and your ability to deal with unusual post-auction activityespecially in regard to payment and shipping.

The pros of opening your auctions to non-U.S. bidders include the following:

  • You might be able to attract additional biddersand thus sell more items at (presumably) higher prices.

  • You can offset some of the seasonality of the U.S. market; when it's winter here, you can still be selling swimsuits to the summer market in Australia.

  • You establish a reputation as a hard-working global trader.

  • It's fun (sometimes) to interact with people from different countries and cultures.

The cons of selling outside the U.S. include the following:

  • You might run into difficulties communicating with bidders from outside the United States.

  • You might have to deal with payment in non-U.S. funds, on non-U.S. banks.

  • You'll have to put extra effort into the packing of an item to be shipped over great distances.

  • You probably won't be able to use your standard shipping serviceswhich means investigating new shipping services and options.

  • Shipping costs will be higher than what you're used toand will need to be passed on to the buyer.

  • You'll need to deal with the appropriate paperwork for shipping outside the U.S.including those pesky customs forms.

  • If there are any problems or disputes with the item shipped, you have an international-sized incident on your hands.

Just looking at this list, it may appear that the cons outweigh the pros. That might not always be the case, howeverespecially if you're a real "people person." Many eBay sellers get great joy from interacting with people from different cultures, sometimes turning foreign buyers into lasting friends. I can vouch from my limited personal experience that most non-U.S. buyers I've dealt with are exceedingly polite and tolerant of the extra effort required to complete an international transaction.

If you decide to sell outside the U.S., you'll want to state this in your auctions, along with a line indicating that "shipping and handling outside the U.S. is higher," "listed shipping charge is for U.S. only," or something to that effect. If, on the other hand, you decide not to sell internationally, state that in your ad alsowith a "U.S. bidders only" type of notice.




Absolute Beginner's Guide to eBay
Absolute Beginners Guide to eBay (4th Edition)
ISBN: 078973561X
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 204

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