International Selling - Know what's important for new seller, 6 Oct, 4-5 PM

[sapana@ebay.com]

Dear Users,

At eBay, our sellers have acess to a huge buyer base of 203 million registered users spanning across 150 countries. This opens a wonderful opportunity of international selling for our sellers. Many sellers from India have already tapped into this opportunity and started selling globally.

We are sure that you will be keen to know more about this opportunity and have a lot of queries regarding this. To help answer them, we have Amarjit from International Selling Team who will help you by answering your questions on what all to look out for when you want to start you international business.

If you have any questions related to international shipping, check out the Online workshop where DHL answered various questions on International Shipping.

To find answers to your questions, or to just say a hello, drop in this Open House discussion on 6th October, 4 -5 PM

See you on 6th!

Warm Regards
Sapana
Community Development Team

[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.

List directly on International eBay Sites

Or

List on eBay.in and offer an international shipping option

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 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
-To get an estimate of cost and timing to ship to international locations, speak to a reputed courier company that specialises in International couriers

Thanks
Amar

[amarjitb2005@ebay.com]

Communicating with Buyers

Effective buyer communication is a powerful tool. In an International 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.

A quick response to their queries go a long way to build trust and credibility.

Thanks
Amar

[amarjitb2005@ebay.com]

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.

Thanks
Amar

[amarjitb2005@ebay.com]

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 post, express courier, normal courier
-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

Thanks
Amar

[amarjitb2005@ebay.com]

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.

Thanks
Amar

[amarjitb2005@ebay.com]

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.

Thanks
Amar

[amarjitb2005@ebay.com]

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.

Thanks
Amar

[amarjitb2005@ebay.com]

Now I will try and respond to the queries that are posted. Feel free to ask more questions now.

Thanks
Amar

[amarjitb2005@ebay.com]

Dear Olkarts

It is always good to have systems in place if you are serious about running a business. I am quite sure no one starts a business to sell 1 or 2 items. Getting an IEC number has become very easy as DGFT has simplified the process, so recommend you to get the same.

Re. your questions on documentation required for shipping, suggest you either talk to your courier company who can advise you better or post your question to the workshop thread
http://forums.ebay.in/thread.jspa?threadID=600001084
that DHL had conducted on our boards as they would be in a better position to answer that

Thanks
Amar

[amarjitb2005@ebay.com]

Dear narasimhan_network

If the product that you have mentioned is permitted to be sold in the US, UK and other countries, then you can list directly on the ebay.com site or ebay.co.uk site. But before that you should check on these sites if this particular product is allowed to be listed on the site.

As you may by aware, the sale of food is regulated by the federal government and most state governments. Sellers who list food and food-related products should familiarize themselves with these laws before listing such items on eBay. Prior to listing any food on eBay, sellers should read the ‘Additional Information’ section to learn more about what food items are not permitted

The link to the ebay.com food policy is http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/food.html

For checking out the laws relating to food sales in US, do check on the following links, as there are restrictions on many food products:
-Gateway to Government Food Safety Information
-FDA's Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition
-USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service
-National Food Processors Association
-FDA Import Procedures

Re. your question on the payment. You cannot use PaisaPay when you are listing on eBay sites other than India. For the payment options available on eBay.com, please go through this Accepted payments policy http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/accepted-payments-policy.html to find answers to your query

Thanks
Amar