eBay

grann-4629 · ‎01-25-2026

Got another one today from a US seller. The cost of the item was reduced to a point where it was more than reasonable, but the guy wanted over 30 bucks to mail it to me (DVD). Obvioulsy, I turned that one down.

Are these offers actually coming from sellers, who should be embarassed by the high shipping costs, or are they coming from eBay who don't seem to understand they have pretty well cut off Canadian buyers from US sellers with their eIS program?

Or, do US sellers not see how much their buyers have to pay for shipping?

Or do US sellers just refuse to deal with Canadians, in which case, stop teasing me with these stupid offers!

😎

mrdutch1001 · ‎01-25-2026

something that one must consider these days when it comes to searching on eBay, checking out items on eBay or putting items on a watch list... if sellers have opted into these programs, the offers are automatically sent to any person that looks at one of their items or puts any of their items on a watch list.. I no longer put anything on a watch list! ...and I immediately decline/delete any offers from those sellers...

ypdc_dennis · ‎01-25-2026

A Seller making an offer does not know where a Buyer is located.

They only know the location if the buyer made an offer first.

The basic offer process is very automated. eBay lets sellers know which items can have offers sent on, the seller gets to choose whether they will have an offer sent out. Shipping cost not involved.

...

Most American sellers are not willing spend the time to find the best way to ship out of country (and there are many who do not want to mail outside of the continental 48 states). They will use a shipper that gives the best value for the USA. Which is why eBay's eIS program is popular in America for any of those pesky foreign sales.

-;-

reallynicestamps · ‎01-25-2026

The USPS has raised prices, including tracked international shipping prices, 17 times since 2001. And at holiday time, it uses "surge" pricing just like Uber does if they are busy.

Then, the price list starts with the most expensive Priority service with the cheapest First Class International, still a tracked service, at the bottom of the list.

Then eIS, if the seller is using it, includes in the cost of delivery any duty and sales tax along with the cost of shipping from the seller to the eIS plant in Illinois, and a small service fee.

EIS it should be remembered is a Seller Protection program, and is not intended to be helpful to the buyer.

Sales tax depends on province but will be at least 5% GST. Duty depends on place of manufacture (not where it was purchased) with a duty free allowance of $20 ($150 if made in Mexico or USA because of NAFTA/CUSMA).
The Trump Tariff does not affect imports into Canada.

marnotom! · ‎01-25-2026

@reallynicestamps wrote:

Then eIS, if the seller is using it, includes in the cost of delivery any duty and sales tax along with the cost of shipping from the seller to the eIS plant in Illinois, and a small service fee.

Not quite. Sometimes eIS will charge taxes and duties at Checkout, sometimes it won't, and sometimes it will give the buyer a choice between paying them at Checkout or deferring them until delivery. Where taxes and duties are charged at Checkout, they're separate line items. As far as I know, the service fee is folded into the shipping charge, but that may have changed.

marnotom! · ‎01-25-2026

@grann-4629 wrote:

Got another one today from a US seller. The cost of the item was reduced to a point where it was more than reasonable, but the guy wanted over 30 bucks to mail it to me (DVD). Obvioulsy, I turned that one down.

Are these offers actually coming from sellers, who should be embarassed by the high shipping costs, or are they coming from eBay who don't seem to understand they have pretty well cut off Canadian buyers from US sellers with their eIS program?

Is that 30 bucks US or 30 bucks Canadian? Remember what we discussed in another thread: The cheapest that merchandise can be sent by mail from the United States to Canada by mail as a "one off" is around US$19 now, or about C$26 at current exchange rates. I just checked out listings for CDs by one of my favourite eccentric British musicians and came up with over 600 results. Not too many of them had shipping rates of less than C$10, though. Even the ones where eIS or the GSP (UK version of eIS) weren't being used often had higher shipping rates than ten loonies.

I really, really urge you to do some experimenting with the USPS rate calculator. A good buyer is an educated buyer, and knowledge is power. Perhaps that thirty dollar shipping charge is because the seller thinks the item has to go by parcel post (Priority International) rather than as a small packet (First Class Package International). If you go into this with some idea of what shipping method the seller is proposing and what would work better, you may be in a better position when back-and-forthing with the seller.

https://postcalc.usps.com/

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎01-25-2026

@marnotom! wrote:
@grann-4629 wrote:

Got another one today from a US seller. The cost of the item was reduced to a point where it was more than reasonable, but the guy wanted over 30 bucks to mail it to me (DVD). Obvioulsy, I turned that one down.

Are these offers actually coming from sellers, who should be embarassed by the high shipping costs, or are they coming from eBay who don't seem to understand they have pretty well cut off Canadian buyers from US sellers with their eIS program?
Is that 30 bucks US or 30 bucks Canadian? Remember what we discussed in another thread: The cheapest that merchandise can be sent by mail from the United States to Canada by mail as a "one off" is around US$19 now, or about C$26 at current exchange rates. I just checked out listings for CDs by one of my favourite eccentric British musicians and came up with over 600 results. Not too many of them had shipping rates of less than C$10, though. Even the ones where eIS or the GSP (UK version of eIS) weren't being used often had higher shipping rates than ten loonies.

I really, really urge you to do some experimenting with the USPS rate calculator. A good buyer is an educated buyer, and knowledge is power. Perhaps that thirty dollar shipping charge is because the seller thinks the item has to go by parcel post (Priority International) rather than as a small packet (First Class Package International). If you go into this with some idea of what shipping method the seller is proposing and what would work better, you may be in a better position when back-and-forthing with the seller.

https://postcalc.usps.com/

@marnotom!

@grann-4629

Many Canadian sellers had no problem discounting their shipping options. (Now with eIS...The Canadian Edition it too has made things very challenging to pass shipping discounts on to buyers. Based on the US eBay Postage calculator US sellers have a bunch of discounted options for domestic shipping (From 12 to 74%). Quite a number less for international with miniscule discounts (5 %). US sellers also have the option to buy postage from businesses like Stamps, ShipStation, PitneyShip and direct from USPS and very good discounts. Entirely up to the seller and depended on volume. Just a matter of deciding if you want your buyer to have best deal possible. When GSP/eIS kicked in those alternatives seemed to get pushed to the side. (Maybe intentionally?) Giving buyers and sellers choice is NOT a bad thing.

https://www.ebay.com/shp/calc/rates

grann-4629 · ‎01-25-2026

It was $30 USd.

It's strange that you can get a CD across the ocean for around 10 bucks Cdn, when it costs 3 times that to get one from the US.

On a few occasions, one just two days ago, I will ask a seller to clarify their shipping policy. I looked at one from a US seller who offers free International shipping. When I checked under 'details', it said

I asked the seller to clarify and I have heard nothing back.

😎

marnotom! · ‎01-25-2026

@grann-4629 wrote:

It's strange that you can get a CD across the ocean for around 10 bucks Cdn, when it costs 3 times that to get one from the US.

We're likely looking at an apples and oranges comparison when it comes to shipping methods. USPS hasn't offered international surface mail shipping at the retail level for quite some time now, but that's not the case for many other postal systems.

@grann-4629 wrote:

On a few occasions, one just two days ago, I will ask a seller to clarify their shipping policy. I looked at one from a US seller who offers free International shipping. When I checked under 'details', it said :

This is super confusing. You say this is a US seller, yet they seem to be listing on the .ca site? (There's no conversion from US dollars to Canadian dollars in your screenshot.) The seller may be registered in the United States, but where is the item claimed to be located? And why is the flat-rate shipping option "outside Canada to United States"?

Is this seller pretty established or are they new-ish?

reallynicestamps · ‎01-26-2026

I looked at one from a US seller who offers free International shipping.

This one is easy.

Free Shipping is adspeak for "my cost of shipping is included in the asking price"

Which is cheaper ?
A $10 CD with $15 shipping?

A $15 CD with $10 shipping?

A $25 CD with Free Shipping?

TANSTFAAL - Robert Heinlein The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.

The seller might also be planning to use eIS and has Free Shipping to the eIS plant outside Chicago.

Or as @marnotom! mentioned, they may just have their price for shipping to the plant (or anywhere in the USA) as Free Shipping, and the import fees will be charged on your doorstep.