Won’t Send To The UK - how annoying is this?

[Frankie Crocker]

Some USA sellers declare they won’t send auction records to the UK. The Steinways on Oliver is a case in point right now. How frustrating is this for UK collectors and dealers? Why the discrimination? Surely the sellers want to realise a high price! How many of these records ultimately sell for below the going rate? Here’s hoping someone in the USA or the rest of the world can grab the Steinways for under $60.

[Winsford Soul]

11 minutes ago, Frankie Crocker said:

Some USA sellers declare they won’t send auction records to the UK. The Steinways on Oliver is a case in point right now. How frustrating is this for UK collectors and dealers? Why the discrimination? Surely the sellers want to realise a high price! How many of these records ultimately sell for below the going rate? Here’s hoping someone in the USA or the rest of the world can grab the Steinways for under $60.

there is currently uk sellers not trading abroad so it seems to me like a virus thing . Not sure

[Lionelonthevinyl]

Just about to ask why....bit bonkers to me. If people feel that strongly a good disinfect of box and record would be fine wouldn't it?? Maybe I'm missing something...kind regards...Rob

[Frankie Crocker]

5 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

there is currently uk sellers not trading abroad so it seems to me like a virus thing . Not sure

But this has been going on for years though. If it is a bad time to do mail order sales, then why not wait until the Covid-19 situation improves?

[Frankie Crocker]

The Steinways just sold for $187 so both the seller and buyer should be happy with the result. Nevertheless, I remain baffled by the reluctance of some sellers to send records to the UK. Maybe sending items abroad is just too much hassle? Is it the Royal Mail that’s a problem, or heavens forbid, the dodgy Brits?

[Lionelonthevinyl]

5 minutes ago, Frankie Crocker said:

The Steinways just sold for $187 so both the seller and buyer should be happy with the result. Nevertheless, I remain baffled by the reluctance of some sellers to send records to the UK. Maybe sending items abroad is just too much hassle? Is it the Royal Mail that’s a problem, or heavens forbid, the dodgy Brits?

Would say that's a good buy for someone. The royal mail have always been good with my postage. How do you mean dodgy frankie? Think I'm to honest and maybe naive...Rob

Edited September 9, 2020 by Lionelonthevinyl

[Modernsoulsucks]

With postage $200 for a VG+ copy.

Isn't that what it's worth ?

[Ladymidnight]

Quite a few sellers on here that don’t want to ship outside the UK, even before covid time.

[Lionelonthevinyl]

5 minutes ago, Modernsoulsucks said:

With postage $200 for a VG+ copy.

Isn't that what it's worth ?

Thought there £250?? Although my knowledge is miles off now....thought Jimmy soul Clark was £150 max but Mr manship got a tad more....Thank you Rob

[Frankie Crocker]

1 hour ago, Lionelonthevinyl said:

Would say that's a good buy for someone. The royal mail have always been good with my postage. How do you mean dodgy frankie? Think I'm to honest and maybe naive...Rob

I was being a bit sarcastic. I regard UK record dealers as purer than the driven snow, especially those having a great reputation on Soul Source. However, some folk abroad might perceive UK buyers somewhat differently. Some sellers state they won’t post to Russia and that’s perfectly understandable without going into detail. Others list a whole stream of countries where they won’t post to, possibly because of non-payers or maybe even fraudulent activity.

[Frankie Crocker]

36 minutes ago, Ladymidnight said:

Quite a few sellers on here that don’t want to ship outside the UK, even before covid time.

Yes, that’s true. I will post to Europe and further overseas, but problems are difficult to sort out when they arise. Obviously, language barriers are hard to overcome when you need to phone someone at a foreign mail depot. Sending valuable records a long distance is a risky business as John Manship will testify.

[Timillustrator]

I buy the odd watch and since the pandemic a lot of foreign sellers have declined to sell to the UK, I've read a few things about delays in the US postal system and goods being stuck for months at a time. Dunno if that's a factor?

 

[Frankie Crocker]

55 minutes ago, Timillustrator said:

I buy the odd watch and since the pandemic a lot of foreign sellers have declined to sell to the UK, I've read a few things about delays in the US postal system and goods being stuck for months at a time. Dunno if that's a factor?

 

That’s a few mentions of sellers avoiding postal delays due to the pandemic. But why put the UK off limits and not other countries? Records I have won in auctions recently have been delivered on time in most cases, although one took about a month to reach London.

[Timillustrator]

Yeah it's probably not a totally logical decision on their part but maybe the fact that Britain has the highest COVID19 death rate in Europe plus Brexit make it look a bad bet overall?

[Frankie Crocker]

Another record denied to UK bidders is on eBay finishing in just over three hours... Jerry Jackson-Wide Awake In A Dream-Kapp WD. I hope someone in the USA or Europe or Oz grabs it up for a paltry sum.

[Wiganer1]

a big want of mine is the same..boo

[The Tempest]

To be fair - I have always contacted them direct via email / messenger on eBay - discogs if they don’t sell to uk 

Always won them over in the end after a bit of communication 

The majority think you are a dealer buying and then later selling it for a lot more than you paid ...

[Wiganer1]

good point 

[Frankie Crocker]

Another record denied to UK bidders is on eBay finishing in just over three hours... Jerry Jackson-Wide Awake In A Dream-Kapp WD. I hope someone in the USA or Europe or Oz grabs it up for a paltry sum.

The record sold for $56.57 giving someone a bargain. So, the seller lost about $100 by precluding UK bidders from the auction. I just don’t see the point of banning UK buyers when the many collectors in the four countries constitute the main market for this sort of music.

[El Corol]

Some dealers in the States don’t like declaring low value, which they often get asked for by UK buyers, because of the potential hassle/loss if higher price items go missing. Also the hassle of a Brit winning an auction and then not paying for it because dealer won’t declare low value (coz they didn’t check upfront).

I think some even see it as unpatriotic to declare low value, funny how they’re happy to take PayPal f&f as payment though to avoid the fees!

[Frankie Crocker]

1 hour ago, El Corol said:

Some dealers in the States don’t like declaring low value, which they often get asked for by UK buyers, because of the potential hassle/loss if higher price items go missing. Also the hassle of a Brit winning an auction and then not paying for it because dealer won’t declare low value (coz they didn’t check upfront).

I think some even see it as unpatriotic to declare low value, funny how they’re happy to take PayPal f&f as payment though to avoid the fees!

Thanks for the further insight. This certainly counts as a valid reason for not exporting anywhere abroad but not the UK in particular. In my experience, most dealers are prepared to regard their wares as dusty old 45’s, neglected and unwanted for decades, so value them accordingly wink wink nudge nudge...

I think some US sellers, especially the bric-a-brac merchants, just prefer to avoid the hassle of international post, even though the item would be destined to the UK had the exemption card not been played.

[Frankie Crocker]

Another one up for grabs on eBay finishing in 4-5 hours. Major Lance - You Don’t Want Me No More - Okeh WD in VG condition. Not destined for the UK but should find an appreciative buyer somewhere.

[Steviehay]

I THINK PERSONALLY ,JUST RECENTLY DISCOGS ARE CHANGING THEIR POSTAL/SHIPPING POLICY AND ITS A MINE FIELD ON HOW TO DO IT SO PROBLEM COULD STEM FROM THERE ALSO ?? TOOK ME A WHILE TO CHANGE MINE BUT SOME YANKS ARE ARE BIT ... DONALD TRUMP

[Tricky]

Discogs has been a mare!

Usually sell all over, US Japan and Europe as well as here at home.

Only managed to set up for Uk as it’s mindblowing trying to get the new systems to save.

I see lots of sellers have now been greyed out and can’t sell at all.Disgogs have cocked up but won’t back down I’m afraid.

[Steviehay]

1 hour ago, Tricky said:

Discogs has been a mare!

Usually sell all over, US Japan and Europe as well as here at home.

Only managed to set up for Uk as it’s mindblowing trying to get the new systems to save.

I see lots of sellers have now been greyed out and can’t sell at all.Disgogs have cocked up but won’t back down I’m afraid.

Bang on it is a mare,I nearly gave up watched their tutorial which may as well of been in Chinese need a 4 year old to do an easy way to step by step ...sorted 

[Frankie Crocker]

On 04/11/2020 at 21:32, Frankie Crocker said:

Another one up for grabs on eBay finishing in 4-5 hours. Major Lance - You Don’t Want Me No More - Okeh WD in VG condition. Not destined for the UK but should find an appreciative buyer somewhere.

Major Lance sold for $466, about £355. I guess that’s about par for the course on a VG copy. Only four bidders though, so UK involvement close to zero.