On February 7th, eBay formally launched its eBay International Standard Delivery program. Billed as a more efficient means of getting product into the hands of the international customer it is also designed to save the seller some money, thereby making it a more economical choice than the standard means of delivery used in the past. Here’s what eBay had to say about its functionality:
“Beginning in February, eBay international standard delivery will be available to all sellers. This new program supports shipments to over 210 countries, offers better tracking visibility and includes late delivery protections for standards, service metrics, and feedback.
If you ship to international buyers directly (not using eBay’s Global Shipping Program), you can select the eBay international standard delivery option as an economical choice to deliver your product. eBay international standard delivery is a Delivered Duties Unpaid (DDU) shipping solution—buyers won’t pay duties and tax at checkout on eBay, but may have to pay the carrier for duties and tax on delivery.
It’s easy for sellers to save an average of 9% using eBay international standard delivery, as there is no change to the current process.
This new option is available in the listing flow, under Shipping Details. You have the option of selecting Calculated or Flat international shipping cost listings. For either of these options, select “eBay international standard delivery” shipping service from the drop down menu.
After your item sells, select the “eBay international standard delivery” option when you print a shipping label with eBay Labels for buyers in destinations outside of the US. Drop off your package at any US post office or schedule a pick up. Tracking will be automatically uploaded on eBay and tracked to its final destination.
Each purchase of the eBay international standard delivery service includes a shipping protection plan to help in case of lost or damaged items. eBay will also protect you by removing negative and neutral feedback and defects when things happen that are outside your control (like late deliveries due to weather or carrier delays.)”
As a result, we have begun using this shipping program for most international deliveries. In some instances, it could be possible that this new service is more costly than the traditional method of handing off to the USPS. So, we will compare the rates offered, and choose which is the most economical for us while still ensuring our customers get the very best service possible.
On a different subject, we will soon be rolling out additional marketplace options on Amazon, beginning with the United Kingdom. Essentially, we will be able to sell our products on the Amazon.UK web site just as we do on the US Amazon site, although Amazon Prime will not come into play. More on this subject later as we get up to speed.