Noticed over the past few months on Ebay, how much postage has gone up in the States. Some Sellers are charging £12-£25 for one 45 on the assumption you require tracking. Surely it's up to the buyer how they want to receive the record, or is this security for the seller if the record goes missing etc..

 

I always thought there was a limit on Ebay or has postage genuinely increased?

 

Craig Moerer still only charges £4.85 so not too sure what the score is?

 

It's really putting me off buying records from the States, especially cheapies when the postage is 100% more than the actual record!

Apologies if this topic has been discussed before but was just wondering what other people's thoughts were!

 

 

POSTAGE WENT UP ABOUT 80% JUST AFTER LAST XMAS,

ONE OF TWO DIDN'T PUT UP THERE PRICES YET Craig Moerer FOR ONE,

MOST NOW CHARGE AROUND $12 / $16 SOME ARE A GOOD BIT MORE,

IT WAS BAD ENOUGH WHEN THEY STOPPED SURFACE MAIL AND NOW THEY'VE BUMPED IT UP AGAIN,

LP'S ARE EVEN WORSE, I SHOULD THINK LP'S HAVE MORE OR LESS HAD IT NOW. UNLESS IT'S RARE,

JOE.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mutt-Records-M27318-The-Sophisticates-/171059643857?pt=Music_on_Vinyl&hash=item27d3f305d1

 

postage prices have gone up allright!

the tracking is to protect the seller from chargebacks, not the buyer. there is a significant problem with fraudulent chargebacks, especially with certain genres and certain countries. I think it's rare for UK buyers and soul 45 buyers but unfortunately many US sellers don't differentiate.

 

the increased US overseas shipping cost was supposed to eventually come with tracking implemented but it hasn't happened yet as far as I know.

 

craig moerer has to pay the increased shipping costs but eats the costs as a cost of doing business and selling at a premium.

 

another thing affecting overseas buyers is the increasing refusal of sellers to falsify customs information. The US is now entering in all the data so sellers don't want to be associated with false data since it could be tracked back to them.

JUST PURCHASED THESE FROM THE STATES  APPROX $35 INC SHIPPING ONE OF THEM COST A LOT MORE THAN THE REST OTHERWISE DIRT CHEAP, BUYING SINGULARLY NOT AN OPTION THESE DAYS.SHIPPING WAS $15

 

ATB KEV

 

ARTISTICS GLAD I MET YOU BRUNSWICK

 

BOBBY POWELL I'M GONNA LEAVE YOU WHIT

 

HAROLD BURRAGE MORE POWER TO YOU  M-PAC

 

BENNY SPELLMAN FORTUNE TELLER  MINIT

 

PERCY SLEDGE HELP ME  ATLANTIC   

 

THE SHOWMEN  TAKE IT BABY  SWAN

 

       
 

Edited June 23, 201311 yr by kevinsoulman

I find that a bit of haggling helps me through but I now try to avoid buying from the US, not just because of the postage costs, but the big possibility of being hit with customs charges also. And that's before I get onto the bollox that is the Global Shipping Program.

I recently brought an item from the US on a "Buy Now" that went unsold on the listing at the time. I asked the seller if he would re-list and he was happy to do so but wanted $29.99 shipping as registered. The original listing stated only $12.

I just said that if I was to pay the cost of shipping, then I need him to declare low value for customs. It wasn't an attempt at blackmail...was that I just couldn't afford to be hit again, and as the item was registered to the door "signed for" Then he knew there wouldn't be a case against him for not receiving. Got the damn thing in record time too...3 days, yet I've been waiting 3 weeks for something brought here in the UK!

If the postage costs are genuine...then I'm ok and happy. What really pisses me off, is when I'm being overcharged to bolster up the costs for the seller, as I have been today. I know it's only pennies but....Just been charged £3.50 for UK 1st class. Item was received with no mailer, just 2 pieces of card, no stiffeners and a 2nd class stamp on it.

Seller claims.... "I don't make much from the record, and what I do make hardly covers the hassle of the listing"!!!

What a scrote!!!

i hate when i win something for cheap and sellers then skimp on the packaging, like use a mailer with no fillers so it's rattling around. how do they know it wasn't a $250 record for me and would have sold for such if someone else had also bid? a reputable seller ships consistently and safely and doesn't try to nickle and dime buyers.

  On 23/06/2013 at 12:00, boba said:

the tracking is to protect the seller from chargebacks, not the buyer. there is a significant problem with fraudulent chargebacks, especially with certain genres and certain countries. I think it's rare for UK buyers and soul 45 buyers but unfortunately many US sellers don't differentiate.

 

the increased US overseas shipping cost was supposed to eventually come with tracking implemented but it hasn't happened yet as far as I know.

 

craig moerer has to pay the increased shipping costs but eats the costs as a cost of doing business and selling at a premium.

 

another thing affecting overseas buyers is the increasing refusal of sellers to falsify customs information. The US is now entering in all the data so sellers don't want to be associated with false data since it could be tracked back to them.

 

Hi Boba , if i,m sending a high value 45 to the states from the UK, and i declare full value on the customs sticker do you guys get hit with import tax ? 

Won a record a few days back. Seller stated only ships to US, record I really wanted and thought may have a chance of winning as a result. Asked seller if they'd ship to UK before bidding, they tell me they would and state price. I'm happy, bid and win record. Now the problems start as Ebay won't let me pay as listing states doesn't ship to UK! I message the seller 4 times In 2 days and haven't had a reply yet. Getting extremely worried that I'm going to lose out on a want.

  On 26/06/2013 at 17:36, franky m said:

Hi Boba , if i,m sending a high value 45 to the states from the UK, and i declare full value on the customs sticker do you guys get hit with import tax ? 

 

I'm not Boba, but if we in the US receive packages that require import tax from the UK we throw bags of them into the Boston Harbor (while disguised as Indians)

Edited June 26, 201311 yr by George G

  On 26/06/2013 at 17:36, franky m said:

Hi Boba , if i,m sending a high value 45 to the states from the UK, and i declare full value on the customs sticker do you guys get hit with import tax ? 

 

no, US doesn't charge import tax on anything. It's funny, people tell me that they're declaring low value, I just tell them "okay, thanks". I guess it keeps it from drawing attention to the package. 

 

US customs is mainly concerned with intercepting drug shipments and "terrorism".

actually, there are some sorts of tariffs on some things, like sugar, which is why all the soda manufacturers initially switched to corn syrup. but consumer packages don't get charged anything based on value, as far as I know. There isn't any mechanism to collect money at least.

  On 26/06/2013 at 21:20, Supercorsa said:

Won a record a few days back. Seller stated only ships to US, record I really wanted and thought may have a chance of winning as a result. Asked seller if they'd ship to UK before bidding, they tell me they would and state price. I'm happy, bid and win record. Now the problems start as Ebay won't let me pay as listing states doesn't ship to UK! I message the seller 4 times In 2 days and haven't had a reply yet. Getting extremely worried that I'm going to lose out on a want.

Just email the guy through ebay and ask him for his personal email address so you can go in to Paypal and send him the money (as goods purchased).

You don't have to pay through the ebay page link page, just as long as you pay him via Paypal for the item!

  On 27/06/2013 at 04:54, Homage said:

Just email the guy through ebay and ask him for his personal email address so you can go in to Paypal and send him the money (as goods purchased).

You don't have to pay through the ebay page link page, just as long as you pay him via Paypal for the item!

 

the issue isn't payment, the issue is that ebay won't allow bids from a UK registered seller if the seller has blocked the UK from his buyer destinations

  On 27/06/2013 at 04:54, Homage said:

Just email the guy through ebay and ask him for his personal email address so you can go in to Paypal and send him the money (as goods purchased).

I've done this 4 times and got no response. Then this morning Ebay send me a reminder asking me to pay. I don't know what more I can do. Unless anyone lives in Phoenix and could knock on the seller's door for me.

You don't have to pay through the ebay page link page, just as long as you pay him via Paypal for the item!

  On 27/06/2013 at 07:17, Supercorsa said:

 

 

 

I had a very similar problem only last night. I suspect the seller is trying to send you email details and eBay are blocking the mail, he may be just as frustrated as you. Until a only few days ago you could write ...

 

yourname AT domain.com

 

... and you could work it out (for ages the @ symbol has been zapped. But yesterday even AT had been blocked) so ask him to write is as ...

 

yourname  domain  com

 

... and send him yours in the same way. Alternatively ask him to go to the item page, click the bid history and click "view email address"

 

Good luck

Mick

Edited June 27, 201311 yr by Mick Holdsworth

The postage hike in the USA has been good and bad for me as a buyer and a seller!

 

I've hardly bought a 45 from the States this year as cheap 45's become virtually the same (in general) as buying in the UK, so I am buying more from the UK these days! 

 

BUT as a seller it has been good for me because collectors in the the UK are realising that UK dealers are selling cheap 45's at competitive prices that now match anything (in general) from the States

 

One thing I have also noticed is that cos of the UK overseas price hike we got hit with in April, is that sales to overseas collectors has slowed down a bit? 

 

Cheers

Steve

  On 27/06/2013 at 07:17, Supercorsa said:

 

 

 

The easiest way is to contact the seller through the Ebay auction page and ask him to send (resend), you an invoice with the correct shipping costs.  You then pay that invoice. Worked for me lots of times.

 

Regards,

 

Dave

Seller responded via EBay messages when agreeing to post to UK.

They have not responded to 4 requests to send an invoice with postage, all requests sent via EBay messages. Unfortunately I don't have any email address for the seller.

I think I will end up losing out on this one, unfortunately if I was to buy a copy in the UK, would probably be another 40% more expensive at least.

I don't know if it would help you, but you can get the seller's email address and phone using "request contact information" if you have a completed transaction. if s/he doesn't respond to email, a cheap skype phone call should get their attention.