aff_link("https://sellercentre.ebay.co.uk/international-tracked-postage-service-ebay","eBay's International Tracked Postage Service","","UK"); ?> is now available for all sellers, with options for both low and high volume sellers.
If you ship less than 10 international parcels a week then there’s a Post NL with Collect+ option with typical transit times of 4 – 8 working days depending on the destination country. For those shipping more than 10 parcels a week there’s a DPD option with typically 3 – 5 days delivery times. With both options the item is sent quickly and is fully-tracked until it arrives in your buyers’ hands.
Costs will vary according to the option that fits your business, but as an example you could send a 1kg parcel to Germany £5.52 plus VAT (based on 15+ rate card). For the low volume option eBay have published a aff_link("https://sellercentre.ebay.co.uk/sites/default/files/ebay_tnt_brochure_0514_v10_1.pdf","full rate card available as a pdf","","UK"); ?>“>. If you’re a higher volume seller final rates will depend on your projected volumes.
You’ll either need to sign up for the eBay Sendit service or if you’re a higher volume seller integrate a Metapack solution. Once done you’re all set to access eBay’s rate card for your international shipments.
Are eBay’s prices better than those you are currently offered by your existing courier? Have you trialled the eBay international tracked postage service and if so how easy was it to set up?
6 Responses
There is a lengthy product exclusion list.
Ebay fees have to be added to these rates for UK sellers.. No other EU seller has to do this. Or do ebay say if you use this service they will waive their fees?
These aren’t the rates I saw when ebay announced this. I have registered interest with ebay twice, but they haven’t officially announced it going live (have they?) or contacted me as they said they would.
If you sell mainly 1kg or less why would you use this? Royal Mail Tracked is cheaper and faster.
A few things occur to me:
1) For items up to 2kg it is mostly much more expensive than Airmail but you do get tracking. For heavier items it is generally more expensive than most other courier services. There are exceptions. I don’t know what the product exclusions list contains but the rate card does not include eBay Final Value Fees or PayPal charges so these costs are an issue (think 15%) and along with packaging, handling, and taking it to a drop off point, must all be added when calculating what shipping to charge buyers.
2) A big positive is everything is tracked together with standard insurance cover of up to £300 – though in 5 years I have never had to make a claim for an international shipment so I’m not sure if the extra cost is worth the tracking and insurance cover. I expect different sellers will each have their own experience to judge the value of these benefits.
3) A major negative is the having to drop off and the long 4 – 8 days shipping time. For European deliverys UPS/ParcelForce typically take 3 days from collection and Airmail about the same. For USA and Australia they take typically around 5 days – all much quicker (and ofton cheaper) than this new eBay service.
4) All in all, I think is it an option worth considering for certain packages to a few countrys. From what I can see it is cheaper than Airmail for some weights going to certain destinations so it definately could be useful.
Only problem is I can not find where I register!
Can anyone help?
The varying prices dependent on destination country ? how would you incorporate that into a listing easily? or would be another ebay gotcha pricing scenario where they quote just the lowest price for international shipping and your poor buyer finds it has doubled at checkout? Italy v Lithunania etc.?