Would you buy more records if international shipping was free?

[Sigs 79]

As a International buyer, would you purchase more records if shipping was free??

Sigs

 

[Peter99]

2 hours ago, Sigs 79 said:

As a International buyer, would you purchase more records if shipping was free??

Sigs

 

No. 

[Tattoodave]

I would if that included no import duty and infuriating post office handling charge.

[Sigs 79]

Anyway to get around the import duty and POHC?

[Sigs 79]

3 hours ago, Peter99 said:

No. 

I can respect that Peter. 

[Modularman]

Yes, definatley - I've pretty much stopped buying from the US after the postal service was forced into hiking up their prices. EBay's global shipping con doesn't help either!

[Britishbarry]

Yes. I don't always buy high value record's so it's off putting when the cost of shipping is more than the cost of the record. 

 

[Peter99]

1 hour ago, Sigs 79 said:

I can respect that Peter. 

My answer was a bit tongue in cheek mate. Generally it doesn't put me off. I only buy things occasionally now - things I really want.

 

[Tattoodave]

1 hour ago, Sigs 79 said:

Anyway to get around the import duty and POHC?

Ask politely for the seller to put a very low value on the customs declaration, some of them do automatically, some refuse, in which case I have them sent to a cousin of mine in New Jersey and she sends them on with a value of $2.  Sometimes the POHC is in excess of the import duty.

[Amsterdam Russ]

8 hours ago, Sigs 79 said:

As a International buyer, would you purchase more records if shipping was free??

Sigs

 

Absolutely. Just going by eBay alone, the number of purchases I've made this year has dropped by around two thirds - from 90-something down to 30-something. The cost of shipping has been a major factor in putting me off, especially when looking at items in the two-figure price range. Additionally, there is no consistency to mailing costs. Prices for mailing one 45 from the USA to Europe can range from around $8-9 to $40-something through eBay's global whatsit programme.

Even buying from the UK and shipping to the Netherlands can cost around £11 for signed for/insured delivery. And around £8.50-9 for standard tracked delivery is too much if the item is under a certain price range. 

Throw in the increasing likelihood of being hit by import charges as the receiver (something that'll affect UK/EU purchases in the not too distant future), and buying records across borders is becoming increasingly unattractive. 

[Vadnochka]

Recently Royal Mail lost a High Court case (on appeal) that they could not enforce the handling charge to collect money on behalf of Revenue & Customs and should charge R&C for the service not the customer - who had refused to pay/hand-over the money at the counter and as they had the package in their hands they walked away telling those always obliging staff to take the matter up with the R&C.

The Royal Mail duly began enforcement action on the customer and a long winded case ensued, which they eventually lost. GOOD NEWS ?

NO - the Royal Mail knowing that this would set a precedent settled this one particular case and then blithely ignored the ruling, reasoning that very few people would have the resources or determination to engage in a costly battle with them. So despite the handling charge verdict going against them we are all still having to pay.

What gets me is the £15 trigger point - what can you get for £15 nowadays (any category of product) - and the fact that you pay 20% VAT on the full amount - so a £15 item is duty free but a £16 item cops for a £3.20 duty charge and the Royal Mails £8.50 collection/handling charge - so a £16 item costs a further £11.70 on top of the postage already paid, invariably doubling the actual cost.

[Gointoagogo]

Yes I'd buy more. Particularly the $15 - $30 sounds. I just spent 30 minutes yesterday looking through a sellers stock on Discogs to see if he had anything else I wanted just so I could dilute the charges for the one I wanted. I think if you are going to pay top dollar for a record you don't want to be paying postal charges of 70% of the record price. For most US sellers their postal charges are fair so I can't see how a seller could offer free shipping unless they loaded the sales price?

 

[Dave Rimmer]

Not necessarily, but I would have more money available to spend on actual records.

I've just bought something that cost me £55.66, then Ebay's Global Shipping increased this by another £22.85, and I still have the risk of having to pay Customs duty and a PO handling charge.

 

[Stubbsy]

5 hours ago, The Zodiac Club said:

Yes, definatley - I've pretty much stopped buying from the US after the postal service was forced into hiking up their prices. EBay's global shipping con doesn't help either!

Me too!

[Guest johnny hart]

No , no such thing as a free lunch. Just do the maths ask for  a discount on total price , if not walk away. I buy from all of the 27 euro pals, unlike all the brexiteers above who think international is just Trumpton. Just bought Bloodstones "Feel" to total £50 ,from Ohio, way better than UK prices( Incidentally if you don't mind 12 inches ,with instro b theirs 48 on discogs from under  a quid). Negotiate my Soulful Chums, Bullshit baffles brains every time!LOL . PS'Are the current Happy Egg "do I " and Very's Tainted played off OVO,in their TV adds,? Adios, Johnny ?

[Ncfc]

Not the postage but the price of some of the 45s tbh.

[Chris L]

15 hours ago, Sigs 79 said:

As a International buyer, would you purchase more records if shipping was free??

Sigs

 

I'd buy more record if international post was less expensive. If a seller puts "free postage" be sure he/she'll put the starting price to cover that, fine if it's $12.00 from the US but not so good if they ask $20 - 25. I know it's not easy but best way is to buy a whole bunch from the same seller or get a local mate to collect all your record purchases and ship as one lot.

[Billy Jo Jim Bob]

16 hours ago, Sigs 79 said:

As a International buyer, would you purchase more records if shipping was free??

Sigs

 

Shipping from the US is costly and some sellers are milking it to get a better return if their record doesn't sell for a high price. The most costly issue at the moment is Pound Vs Dollar, which is making it really difficult to be cost effective when buying from the US. A couple of Ebay sellers asked my why their items weren't selling and I explained this but it fell on deaf ears - they still want $30 for a record they were selling at $8 two years ago.

With the X-rate and postage its almost US=UK prices.

Free postage would help BTW - just to answer your question.

Edited December 21, 2016 by Andy Mac
Grammar

[Guest]

I would buy more if the shipping was free. There are a lot of cheaper items that are a good price, but not when I add postage charge.

I never buy a record that is part of Ebay's Global Shipping programme, so that does not effect me!

Edited December 21, 2016 by Guest

[Jason S]

4 hours ago, conchitta said:

 Just bought Bloodstones "Feel" to total £50 ,from Ohio, way better than UK prices

Dunno about that - there's one on my site at £35 (£37.50 all in inc UK post) and you don't run the customs gauntlet 

[Mister Fish]

Absolutely. I would buy far more, especially in the $30-50 range.

[Sigs 79]

Great post!

I might be opening up a can of worms here but I think as a global community (that understands and respects each other) we should work together on a new buying/selling system that includes free shipping.

How can we we make this work?

Respectfully, 

Sigs 

 

[Rudzy]

It's high time that the powers that be came up with a good deal to encourage trade between the US/UK/EUROPE.
Stupid slappy-happy tariffs/fees/high postage will only hinder and not encourage trade.

[Jnixon]

No more than i already do i guess but my habits have changed in that i tend to look more to buy a few things from one seller so am probably buying more as a result. 

When im buying bulky itemsfrom ebay in the uk ill usually take the lowest price (obviously) and usually it comes with free shipping. As a concept free shipping is tried and tested so would work with tunes from the us but icant see it catching on other than domestically unless its for bigger ticket single items the it would usually have it built inti the price

[Frankie Crocker]

You COULD buy more records if postage was free as the savings would mount up.

But, postage is not free so the question is hypothetical. A practical matter worth mentioning is should record dealers absorb postage charges abroad into their business costs to market their items more appealingly? A couple of top US dealers subsidise postage costs anyway.

When possible, I try to offer free postage when selling records at home in the UK but generally charge extra when selling abroad.

[Homage]

What bothers me is that most things in the U.S. (petrol, food, clothing, housing) are cheaper than here in the U.K. & most of Europe, so how come their postage charges for International are among the highest of 1st world countries!!!

It cost's about half the price to mail stuff over to the U.S. from U.K., and It's cheaper to get stuff mailed from Japan these days that it is in the States, some kind of con going on somewhere with the standard U.S. Mail Postal prices (not couriers).

[Larsc]

I recently bought from a US seller who sent through DHL Global Mail, at a rate of $7 for one 45. I don't know if he has any special deals going on, but that's a very old-fashioned price.

Free shipping would free up more money which I'd spend on other items from my wantlist. It would be nice but not realistic. The only version I know of that does free shipping is "Punk-Post" which basically is a buddy system where people who travel bring packages for other punks.

[Billy Jo Jim Bob]

Craig Moorer uses a different shipper. The last 45 I got from him a few months back was $8 post in a really thick mailer.

Maybe more dealers should look at postage options, but its probably only worthwhile if you are doing thousands of transactions. For the casual US Ebay seller it may be too much of a hassle.

[Ncfc]

20 minutes ago, Andy Mac said:

Craig Moorer uses a different shipper. The last 45 I got from him a few months back was $8 post in a really thick mailer.

Maybe more dealers should look at postage options, but its probably only worthwhile if you are doing thousands of transactions. For the casual US Ebay seller it may be too much of a hassle.

Yep same here.Took a bit longer but no complaints.

[Mustang]

Here's one for you,purchased an original record from the States this week for a total of £54,that includes the Pitney Bowes postage charge on eBay,the condition of the record is VG++ to Excellent.

An identical original record is advertised on a UK seller site for £70 plus the UK postage on top,the condition of the record is VG.

Very often it is still cheaper to get the record you want from other Countries.

A few weeks ago i received a mega rare original white Demo of a great Northern Soul Dancer from Canada,you simply can't get hold of the Demo.

The point i am making is if you want the records you may have to pay or wait a very long time for one to appear in the UK.

It is your choice,simple as that.

Edited December 25, 2016 by Mustang