Leveraging eBay to sell globally - 29th April

[sapana@ebay.com]

Hi Everybody,

Reaching out to a global audience is one of the many opportunities that have come with eBay. There are many Indian users who are already selling to various eBay markets.

eBay staff members will be conducting a workshop, where we would like to discuss how you can leverage eBay to sell globally. Here we will be discussing various nuances of selling internationally, such as; identifying the hot selling products and categories, researching eBay to sell better, and more.

The workshop is scheduled for Friday, 29th April from 3 - 4.

Hope to see you there!

Warm Regards
Sapana
Community Development Team

[sapana@ebay.com]

Hi All,
Welcome to the workshop on leverage eBay to sell globally.

Today we have Amarjit from Category Team to answer queries on how you can sell globally.

We love the workshops to be interactive, so please feel free to post any queries or questions.

Amar will be starting with some basic steps on how you should start selling internationally.

Lets start with the workshop!

Sapana
Comunity development team

[amarjitb2005@ebay.com]

Hello all!
Amarjit here, your host for today’s ‘Leveraging eBay to Sell Globally’ workshop. I am in the Category Management team and look after the Global Trade and Lifestyle Categories. International Selling is a big, broad topic with lots of information to cover in a short period of time.
Workshop tips:
1. In the interest of clarity and time, please limit the scope of your questions t to only those relating directly to the topic of today’s workshop; International Selling.
2. Feel free to use this forum to share a tip or strategy with the rest of the community, but please let the workshop host answer all questions (that way, we can best avoid confusion and redundancy of effort).

Please note: The information in this workshop is provided to you as a starting point for general information purposes and may not be applicable or accurate for every international trading situation.

[amarjitb2005@ebay.com]

Why sell internationally?
It’s a question a lot of you might have and I have heard it from many sellers. The answer is simple: because there are millions of honest international buyers who are eager to trade with Indian sellers!

Hundreds of eBay sellers in India and thousands of Sellers worldwide have discovered the almost unlimited potential of the international market. Still, many new and experienced sellers refuse to open up their businesses to buyers from around the world. These same eBay sellers may find their businesses slowing or stagnating as their competition eagerly rush into the international market.

As the eBay phenomenon continues to grow and expand around globe, it only makes good business sense for every eBay seller to at least understand the procedures for listing for, selling to, accepting payment and shipping to eBay international buyers. A willingness to ship to anyone on the planet can be the “edge” you need to outdistance your competition or to keep your business growing and successful. International Trading can help you:

• Put your items in front of the largest possible buyer
audience
• Sell more effectively
• Benefit from differences in local markets

Amar

[darshorange]

Hi
My Ebay id is Darshorange. I am an artist, and have listed my paintings here for sale - only in India. I have received an enquiry from someone in the US. I would like to know:
1. SInce I haven't listed internationally, can I still make the sale?
2. What about invoicing? Is it required?
3. The mode of payment I would prefer is Credit Card, through Paisa pay...I haven't registered for that. Can I do so at this later date?
4. And, what about the currency? I have listed in Rupees.
Much Obliged,
Darshorange

[amarjitb2005@ebay.com]

Listing Items

Listing items internationally and in India puts your items in front of a worldwide audience. More buyers see your listings and you are more likely to find buyers with the greatest interest in your items.

This could help you
•Sell more items.
•Achieve higher prices.

Listing items is easy. Simply use the Sell Your Item Form, except in the "Ship-to Locations" field of the "Shipping & Payment Terms" sections of the form specify either:
 "Will ship worldwide" (for maximum buyer audience reach), or
 "Will ship to India and the following" and then select the countries/regions from the list to which you are willing to ship (provides larger reach than domestic only with less complexity than full International Trading).
To ensure a smooth experience for you and your buyers, it is advisable to include:
 An estimate of shipping costs to any region you have elected to sell to (USA, Europe, Asia etc), and/or the item's dimensions and weight so that bidders/buyers can calculate shipping costs
 An estimate of delivery times to any region you have elected to sell to
 Different shipping options, such as courier, express, air or sea
 To get an estimate of cost and timing to ship to international locations, visit the India Post website.


Note: Selecting either of the above options helps international buyers find your item in a Search. For example, if you select, “Will ship worldwide”, any eBay buyer on any eBay International site, can search for and find your listing when they use Advanced Search and select their country from the “Available to” drop down box.


Other considerations during Item Listing:

• Include the item's dimensions and weight in the description so that bidders/buyers can calculate shipping costs.
Or
• Determine a “worst case” shipping amount and use it as a set price to ALL international destinations. This option works best on small or light weight items.

Communicating with Buyers

Effective buyer communication is a powerful tool.In a domestic sale, potential buyers may email you questions. Such emails provide a forum in which you can address buyer concerns, build buyer confidence, and continue to merchandise your items. The same is true when communicating with international buyers. However, there are some important factors to consider:

1. Currencies
2. Languages
3. Time zones

Currencies:
When communicating with buyers there are two key features that help international buyers convert the price of your item to the currencies they understand:

•Bids and prices on the View Item page automatically appear in both the currency you specify and the approximate home currency equivalent for the site from which the buyer is viewing the item.

• A buyer can convert all Search and Listings prices to local site currency by clicking the "Show all prices in local currency" (for example, Pounds Sterling on the U.K. site) link in the "Show" box on the Search and Listings pages of all non-India. eBay sites.

NOTE: Buyers must pay you in the currency that you specify. To increase your item's appeal to international buyers, eBay also shows estimated prices in the buyer's currency. Additionally, if you offer Paisa Pay as a payment method, buyers can send you a payment in their own currency and you can easily convert it into your currency, accept it in the buyer's currency, or reject it and ask the buyer to re-send it in your currency

For more advanced currency conversion needs, use the eBay's Currency Conversion Calculator. Include a link to this page in your item description to assist international buyers convert currencies.

Languages:
Many members of the global eBay Community are comfortable communicating in English, but some are not. To minimize confusion, use simple language and avoid slang terms and abbreviations.

If you do not speak the same language as the potential buyer, you may want to use translation software or websites to translate key phrases. Some translation services are available free on the Internet (like babelfish- http://babelfish.altavista.com/translate.dyn), but many are not 100% accurate and eBay cannot guarantee their services. If you use such a service, provide simple, grammatically correct phrases free of abbreviations to maximize the chance of an understandable translation.



Time zones:
Email communication may take longer due to time zone differences. To help manage time zone complexities:

•Avoid waiting until the last minute to contact the buyer.
•Use eBay's Time Zone Calculator(http://pages.ebay.in/internationaltrading/timezones.html) to plan for time zone differences.

Receiving Payment

As the seller, you decide what payment methods you'll accept. However, not all payment methods are available to all buyers. To maximize the appeal of your item to international buyers, include payment options that they can use. For example, Paisa Pay lets you accept credit cards from buyers.

If no mutual electronic payment method exists, your buyer can use an international money order (available at most banks) to pay you safely.
•Review the international capabilities of your preferred payment methods so that you can highlight these to potential buyers and increase item appeal. If your preferred payment methods aren't available internationally, add new payment options that will work for the buyers you're trying to attract. Note: If you accept Paisa Pay payments, you can accept credit card payments from buyers in other countries
•Be flexible and responsive to buyer needs. If your buyer suggests an alternative payment method that is faster/easier/safer, consider using it. Such flexibility could get you your money faster and will improve your buyer's experience.
•If you are passing shipping costs on to your buyers, work with your courier/ shipping company to accurately estimate shipping costs. Your buyers can then add this to their payment. If there are any duties, taxes, or additional fees (for example, insurance) inform buyers accordingly.

Shipping Internationally

International shipping requires just a little more effort than sending a package domestically. Here are some of the points to consider when shipping internationally:

Shipping Costs
Shipping costs are typically higher for international destinations and can vary greatly based on a number of factors. International buyers tend to understand this point but you should always specify the higher rate for international clearly in your item description. If your item is small or lightweight, consider stating a set international shipping cost. Some International Courier companies have built Shipping calculators on their website which can be referred to.

International shipping costs are based on a combination of the following:

•Weight and dimensions of package
•Method of shipment such as Ground, Next Day Air, etc.
•The location you're shipping from (city, state, country)
•The location you're shipping to (also called the destination country)

Therefore, costs may vary greatly depending on what, where and how you are shipping. Costs can be considerably higher for international destinations.

Generally, buyers pay additional costs that may apply such as duties, taxes and customs clearance fees. For example, international rates may or may not include pickup and door-to-door delivery with customs clearance. Your package will arrive at your buyer's door, but he/she might need to pay extra international fees.

Some carriers will offer customs and brokerage services to help you learn more about what you need to tell your buyers about additional charges, duties, and taxes. An "extended area surcharge" may apply to your buyers depending on their international locations.

Customs

All shipments being exported or imported must clear customs to enter the destination country. Specific documentation is required in order to clear customs. Customs is the government agency of a country responsible for regulating shipments entering that country. All shipments being sent to and from a country must clear their customs first.

As an eBay seller, you'll need to provide the correct documentation so that your item won't be held indefinitely by customs. Your carrier can easily arrange for customs clearance before you ship.

Your Courier/ Shipping Company can provide you the documentation required to clear through customs. Accurate documentation such as an invoice is often required for shipping anything other than letters and documents.



Note: Additional costs may need to be paid by the seller if items have to be returned because they don't clear customs. Also, goods can be held up if your carrier does not arrange for a customs broker in advance. (Most carriers provide this service automatically).



Managing Risk

eBay seeks to minimize trading risk and create a safe trading environment regardless of geographic distance and differences. To manage risk:
•Review buyer's feedback.
•Always require payment receipt prior to shipping the item.

Dispute resolution services:
If a transaction is not completed according to the agreement in the View Item page, it is critical that you email the buyer to understand the basis of disagreement - the problem may be a simple oversight or misunderstanding. You and the buyer should attempt to resolve the issue and complete the transaction.



Insurance

Always insure international shipments if courier does not provide automatic coverage. Some couriers automatically protect package from loss or damage up to a certain amount of the item's value. If your item is worth more than that amount, then additional insurance is recommended.


This is the end of the main content for this workshop. Feel free to ask your questions now


-Amar

[amarjitb2005@ebay.com]

Hi Darshorange

PLease find the replies along each of your points
1. SInce I haven't listed internationally, can I still make the sale?
Yes, You can make a sale. If it is an enquiry, the buyer has to bid /buy for the item.
2. What about invoicing? Is it required?
Could you explain what invoicing you have in mind?
3. The mode of payment I would prefer is Credit Card, through Paisa pay...I haven't registered for that. Can I do so at this later date?
First you need to register for PaisaPay ( registration is free). You can edit your listing if there is no bid on the item and then add PaisaPay to the payment option. If there is a bid on the item then you cannot add paisapay on this item.
4. And, what about the currency? I have listed in Rupees.
PaisaPay will take care of the currency exchange. The buyer will make payment in his currency and you will receive the payment in Indian Rupees.
-Amar

[darshorange]

Hello again,
I have another question:
What about Sales Tax for products sold to the US? Isn't it 12.5% on product cost if sold in TamilNadu?
Thanks,
Darshorange

[amarjitb2005@ebay.com]

Hi Darshaorange

Your question:
What about Sales Tax for products sold to the US? Isn't it 12.5% on product cost if sold in TamilNadu?

There is no Sales Tax on Exports

-Amar

[darshorange]

Hello,
About the invoice...
Do I have to send the US buyer an invoice for the painting? I do not have an invoice actually...Is it a must?
Darshorange