Is it uncool to open up shipping internationally after an item has received a bid?    I got an email asking me to do so.   The only reason I don't have international shipping available is because I'm new and don't really understand it.   It seems like some sellers have had problems with it.

You'll typically make more on an auction, especially for a rare or "wanted" item... so, unless you don't want to ship internationally, or don't like money, I'd say keep it local-only.

yes, most (not all) are very patient when it comes to shipping times...

Brette:)

JasonZavoda wrote:The reason I don't ship internationally is paypal. They require a tracking number and if you ship without one then you take a gamble with the order. If the item goes missing on the way or if the customer says they didn't receive it, you are simply screwed.

Has this changed? Can you ship internationally with tracking now or does paypal still require a tracking number to secure the transaction for the seller?

pretty sure you can track with priority international.

You can send it Registered Mail. It is expensive, $12 or so on top of the Priority price.

I use the paypal provided postage printing thingie (damn, that's a lot of P words) and it provides delivery confirmation for all of it's options (for .18 ).  That's one way to make sure you're covered is to use the service provided by the company (not to mention it mirrors the tracking information to the customer).

I ship internationally all the time.  The dollar is relatively weak, so our prices are more attractive.  As many of you know, I ship mostly minis, and many of my auctions sell for $3.00 to $5.00, so I just don't pay for insurance or registered mail unless someone makes a large or expensive order.  I just wouldn't much money anyway.

Maybe this is bad karma, but I've had very few non-receipt claims over the years, and I've come out way ahead by basically self insuring.  My customers are certainly a lot happier by not paying outrageous shipping fees, and I get plenty of repeat customers.  The few non-receipt claims I've had has resulted in my blocking that buyer and requiring insurance on all future purchases from that country for a year or so.  I insure using registered mail which includes about $50.00 of free insurance and it satisfies the tracking requirement by Paypal.  Overall, gamers are an honest bunch.

I say, ship internationally!

I know I can edit my wording to say I'll ship internationally but will international bidders be allowed by eBay to bid?   Is there something else I have to do?

95%+ of my purchases are international... usually if an auction doesn't specify worldwide or North American shipping, I just pass it by.

I ran across a seller once (forget who) who tagged his auctions "I specialize in international shipping!"... that got my attention

I would think increasing attention to your auctions would only mean more bidders = more sales.

Good Luck!