I reside in India, buying expensive, import-controlled items only from ebay.in so that customs and octroi are clear. Hardly ever had a problem with those orders --- been a happy eBay customer for ages!
But sometimes I need to buy inexpensive (under 5--8 USD, free shipping) electronic items (semiconductor parts, tiny PCBs, never finished mainstream consumer items) on ebay.com, sold from Singapore, Hong Kong or Guangdong areas and shipped to a major Indian port and city.
Between 2009 and 2014, these items used to take 3--4 weeks in transit, but reach reliably. (As a reference, between 2014 and 2016 I shipped instead from those same places to a major city in USA, and that took only 4--5 days, free shipping!) Since 2017, shipping to India seems to have become less reliable, with 4 of about 15 shipments getting lost (or not reaching in two months or more).
First, have others faced similar problems? Is the issue that all such items, no matter how cheap, are subject to customs and I need to visit the customs office to get them cleared? Given their prices, this is worth no one's time even in India, least of all mine. If this is the case, I will just have to stop ordering these items. Too bad, now I will junk major electronic items that I repair with those ordered parts, leading to more landfill pollution and more money leaving the country for finished goods.
Second, is there any other recourse through eBay? I cannot keep asking for refunds without a backlash --- many eBay sellers already think all Indian buyers are sleazeballs who deny receipt and ask for refunds all the time. Is it possible for eBay to throw its clout behind this problem (if it is common) and arrange for customs clearance at a rate that will not break the bank? If I hire a clearing agent on my own, their minimum fee per item is like 100--200 USD, which makes no sense for items like these. Earlier ebay.in provided Global Easy Buy. That was somewhat expensive, but well worth it for big-ticket items like motherboards. Is it possible to extend to small items? There's no way an individual can get the same attention of customs as a business.
Thanks for any inputs on this issue.
