eBay

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎08-24-2025

Seeing where the consensus lands on paying the tariff on behalf of your buyer or not. Important to consider that even if you were willing to pay tariffs there would still be any processing fees for these transactions. Next to impossible to cover that out of any profit you "might" have left.

Please put me down on this side of the poll:

Or a hard no!!!

If you list on dot com are you planning on moving your listings over to ca?

sylviebee · ‎08-26-2025

lotz, yes while it's true that eBay would not be in possession of the actual goods, eBay has possibly the best tool available for ensuring that the seller has accurately described the item. Sellers' feet are constantly held to the fire to ensure items are described accurately. Of course some sellers will fudge a little, but so what? There is no possible way for customs to examine every package, and doing so would add a layer of complication that is way beyond the means of the system.

The GSP used to open a lot packages and cause a lot problems doing that. As far as I can tell the ISP and couriers do not open packages either.

Besides, you'd think they have their hands full with all the fentanyl we're shipping down there.

sparx_63 · ‎08-26-2025

Chit Chats absolutely opens every package they ship to the states.

marnotom! · ‎08-26-2025

@sylviebee wrote:

EBay is already trying to figure out how they can make an extra buck at this by adding a middle man. Canada does not need an International Shipping program. That was implemented in the US for sellers who didn't want to ship out of the USA. Not as a tool to collect tariffs, and it's expensive. Canada has ChitChat for that and he's doing a crack up job a it at a fraction of the cost!

I'd be really surprised if eBay International Shipping is doing better than breaking even at this point.

Remember the old US Global Shipping Program that was administered by Pitney Bowes' Global eCommerce division? That arm of Pitney Bowes declared bankruptcy about a year ago.

https://www.supplychaindive.com/news/pitney-bowes-global-ecommerce-bankruptcy-chapter-11/724545/

sylviebee · ‎08-26-2025

How do you know that ChitChat opens packages?

I've received perhaps a thousand or more packages from the States over the years. I only received a handful of GSP parcels and they were obvioulsy opened. However, other than GSP parcels, fewer than 5 packages were opened by customs when shipped by any other means, and they haven't opened any for years. It was obvious when they opened packages because they were either were very sloppy repackers or they tacked the package shut with yellow tape.

second-to-nature · ‎08-26-2025

L'orange stupide as only approved 2 companies as capable of handling customs DDU, one Zonos is a venture capital backed corporation based out of Utah and the other is (i can't recall the name of it, a few people have posted it around the forums) but they call themselve an AI solutions company. - Both charge a brokerage or fee to set up the DDU process. Previously it was handled in house, customs and via the broker either DDU or at the Buyers door. By only approving two private and questionable companies that charge a fee between seller government and government buyer there is a new middle man. Its corruption, a racket of sorts to favour private business, undermine public services, create chaos, and profit out of the middle.

ilikehockeyjerseys · ‎08-26-2025

If I recall, Chit Chats started opening packages in response to strict requirements about COI labeling (re: Chinese COI items no longer qualifying for the de minimis).

When customs would open up random packages, if even one was incorrect or non-compliant, their entire truck would get rejected.

I don't recall if they only did that for a period of time until they established their protocols for how to label things and their $1000 fine policy for packages that resulted in a truck being refused.

sparx_63 · ‎08-27-2025

I used Chit Chats many hundreds of times. I drop off the packages at their head office in Burlington where I live. I have had two packages rejected over the last five years. One was perfume which was not described as perfume and one was a camera that had a discharged lithium ion battery. I had a discussion with a Chit Chats supervisor over both items, in which she confirmed all USA bound packages are opened, and in both cases was informed that if I did it again my account would be suspended. BTW, both packages shipped Canada Post to the USA just fine...in the case of the battery it required extra labelling.

byto253 · ‎08-27-2025

I had one returned by Chitchats a couple of years ago as I had "with battery" in the description. The regs do say that for small batteries it is fine if installed in the device (camera for that one) and I do not think they need labels. But I understand that they are being very careful. My cameras have all gone by Canada Post since then, all without an issue.

reallynicestamps · ‎08-27-2025

I have seen some good approaches suggested here like plunking a blanket flat rate shipping charge on folks in the US.

My newest listings have a $10 shipping charge for USA in place of the previous Free Shipping. Canada remains Free Shipping.

As with tracked/untracked shipping, I hope that enough pieces go through without problems to make all thosse $10 charges pay for any tariffs that are charged back to me.

I mostly use lettermail and always use Canada Post.

reallynicestamps · ‎08-27-2025

@sylviebee

A duty is applied to a thing.

Every importer pays the same duty on every doowinkey they import, no matter where it is made.

A tariff is imposed on a country.

The importer pays a different tariff depending on where the doowinkey is made. Ten percent for Russian doowinkeys, 143% for Chinese doowinkeys , 35% for Canadian doowinkeys.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎08-27-2025

@byto253

@sparx_63

@ilikehockeyjerseys

In checking my most recent traffic report on both sites this is what I am now seeing. I turned off US shipping sometime on the 25th.

Dot ca:

Dot com: The spike on the 25th could have been me tinkering and testing. Shouldn't be but hard to know for sure. Could have been other ebay sellers from forum.

You may see a bit of a discrepancy between the 2 sites in totals. From my own personal occasional checks they only time I see a major dip or spike in traffic is when a block of promotions either start or end.

Will this be the new normal until DDU gets figured out in maybe October? Or when we can re add USA as a place we would be happy to ship to? I'm educated guessing so!!! My last Canadian sale was 18th. Last US sale was 19th.

Has anyone else that lists just on ca seeing similar dips (drop off a cliff) in traffic? What are Canadian sellers that list on dot com seeing for traffic. Both with USA turned on and off?

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎08-27-2025

Add on report where my items are being found. I understand many sellers are not big fans of promoting but it definitely can influence traffic and sales.:

thefruga-84 · ‎08-27-2025

“ Saying something is worse less than customs thinks it is a major no no. ”

I hear this a lot and it makes me wonder how auction houses that ship to the US are going to get swept up in this concept.

Prior to going full bore on eBay the last year, I ran a small auction house operating off hibid, we weren’t consistent nor did we manage to get many done but it was our first crack at unloading the chaff so to speak. We sold A LOT and a lot of it went well under eBay prices as one would expect.

My move right now is to pick up the digital gavel and sell things at well below market rates at a high volume. As I will have the ability to charge cards for shipping (and tariff fees) I’ll still be able to accept American business. However, when I say under market rate I mean we’ll under market rates. Most items would sell for 10-30 cents on the dollar with some special categories going for market rates.

To turn this back into an eBay issue, how is customs going to look at Auctions that go off well under market rate because there was only one bid and it was for say 30% of market value? There’s really no fair way to say what the value of an item is other than what has been paid on that item.

Not really a question just a concern about the concept of undervalued products and application of custom fees.