Shipping International

[Former_Member]

I only have shipping rates posted for the US and was trying to figure out rates to set for international shipping. I went to the PO and asked them about prices and looked at the price calculator online. Every shop I look at has rates set just a little over what the US rates are, but the info I got shows them WAY more than domestic shipping. Am I in the dark on something or how do people price so low when it costs so much more? Are they just pricing it into their items' price and they just don't make as much profit when they ship it international?

Thanks!

[ArtifactsEtCetera]

The price difference is pretty significant for heavy or bulky items, but it shouldn't be so bad for what you are selling. Make sure that when you look at the USPS calculator that you are looking at all of the shipping options. I think they automatically show the more expensive ones, and then you have to open up the menus to see the cheaper options.

You could also play with your packaging... you might be able to ship in a bubble mailer with a cardboard backing inside to reduce the weigh (as compared with a box).

Just some thoughts!

[SesenDesign]

Shipping from Australia internationally is quite expensive, so I am guessing it is the same from your end. You will find that most shops will absorb some of the shipping cost in the price of their items ( up the price a bit) to make the shipping appear less. Generally though, as long as your pricing is realistic and someone wants the item enough they will purchase it.

[Former_Member]

From the US, International First Class is usually the lowest cost for items less than a couple of pounds. It can still be pretty high to Europe, Australia etc.

I only offer shipping to US and Canada, It costs a dollar or 2 more fo my items to go to Canada, the bad part is that there is no tracking, and it can take 3 or 4 weeks to get there.I haven't lost any items to Canada though.

Gary

[Former_Member]

Thanks so much!

[BethWold]

Maybe what you're seeing was people offering Priority mail to US addresses and First class to overseas? Then the price isn't much different.

I did that for a while - the same package was $5.56 to US and about $6.20 to Australia. If you figure in a delivery confirmation(which isn't available to Australia)then the price was pretty much the same.

Now I post through paypal where the delivery confirmation is cheap, and I offer first class to domestic and international so the price is different again.

[BethWold]

Of course, I think the limit on domestic first class is like 13 ounces or something... so it obviously would not work for everyone.

[Former_Member]

All I can say is USPS flat rate boxes. Make sure the box says flat rate on it. I just mailed off my first overseas package on Monday for the small box it was $16.95 otherwise it would have been $37.

You have small light items for that small box it would have been $16.95 ANYWHERE, excluding Canada and Mexico which is less. The post office will deliver free shipping supplies to your door.

This is the best I could do to get the exact prices for you. Read the fine print it has the shipping costs

small box https://store.usps.com/store/browse/uspsProductDetailMultiSkuDropDown.jsp?categoryNavIds=catGetMaili...

medium box https://store.usps.com/store/browse/uspsProductDetailMultiSkuDropDown.jsp?categoryNav=false&navActio...

large https://store.usps.com/store/browse/uspsProductDetailMultiSkuDropDown.jsp?categoryNavIds=catGetMaili...

And here is their kit https://store.usps.com/store/browse/productDetailSingleSku.jsp?categoryNavIds=catGetMailingShippingS...

I hope this helps

[lorigami]

The cap for first class international is 4 pounds, as I recently unfortunately found out. Over 4 pounds and it's priority only, which is insanely expensive if you have something too big to fit in a flat rate box.

Anyone have suggestions for dealing with this? I recently sent a wool cape to Australia and it wound up costing me 62$, with absolutely no option for a lower rate. The item was just barely over 4 pounds, and was too big to fit in the flat rate box. I was completely flabbergasted by that price, and I think if I put the actual shipping cost in my listing, customers would also balk, or think I was trying to rip them off.

thoughts?
thank you!

[lorigami]

(and on that note, when did the post office eliminate parcel post? I know I used to use that when I first started selling here)

[Former_Member]

@Lori how big was the cape and how much time did you have with the flat rate box? my big toy dinosaur has to be very creatively folded into a large flat rate box. If I was rushed at the post office (or felt rushed) I don't think I would be able to get him to fit. I "practice" packaging at home with my free flat rate kit.

the large flat rate box has a #20 limit and would have been $60.95. Not much of a difference, but at least you would have an idea ahead of time.

Here is what I do to not discourage international buyers. The large box with the US is 15.95$ so I tack on the 15.95$ to the price of the item and in my description I say it that shipping to US addresses is included (not free, a completely other discussion) then since 15.95$ is already included, I take it out of the original 39.95$ to canada and mexico and makes it 24$ for them then everywhere else is 60.95$ is now 45$

So like with your direwolf cape it is roughly 75$ and worldwide shipping it 45$ which looks better than 60$ for the item and 60$ for shipping

I hope this helps

PS sorry for inconsistent capitalization and rounding up to the nearest $ I have a migraine rt now, but feel this is important topic since my first sale in the last 3 months went to Britain and I would have died and probably lost the sale if it was really $37 to ship

PSS I was able to ship parcel post in December and have sent everything priority something since then so i don't know when that stopped unless it was when they introduced flat rate regional boxes in May

[lorigami]

It was floor length with a train and made of wool. I tried, but even with it in a plastic bag and the air smooshed out so I could roll it up it was impossible. (It was also a custom order, I'd never tried to mail anything like it and didn't think it would be over 4 pounds. lesson learned)

I see what you mean about including standard to US tho, and then making the international price the difference. That is a good idea. Thank you.

[Former_Member]

You are welcome and I don't see how a floor length cape with a train could fit a large box even with creative folding. That is a LOT of material.

[Former_Member]

Thanks for looking all that up and providing the links Korinne! I will definitely take a look at that.

[ParadiseChicJewelry]

My items are fairly light and not too large, so I was using first class international with my own boxes. Seems ok so far, athough I have only had 1 international so far. That's the only way I can ship international otherwise for my items it would cost the same amount as the piece if not more.

[GoTo]

We use First Class International whenever possible--great price reasonable service. See here for help with rates, shipping labels & more:

~~Shipping Basics~~
http://www.etsy.com/teams/7722/business-topics/discuss/10577585

I know lots of folks like the the flat rate packaging because it's easy, but unless you are using the small Priority flat rate box or envelope, you will likely be paying too much to ship-. Your items have to be heavy (a few pounds) for the medium or large boxes to be a good deal.

Even using the small flate box is more than you need to spend for international mail for light items:

3 oz First Class International for the most expensive region is only $4.56, where the international small flat rate box ranges from $12.95 to $16.95.

More than double the price, and it is treated exactly the same as First Class once it leaves the US.

[lorigami]

"it is treated exactly the same as First Class once it leaves the US."

wait, seriously?

[lorigami]

Rereading this, I feel like I should add that all this craziness with the post office weight limits and getting rid of parcel post is relatively new, and that's why I was surprised. Just a couple years ago I was regularly shipping sometimes quite heavy packages to friends in Spain and Germany and these limitations weren't in place.

[GoTo]

The small flat rate Priority box & the flat rate Priority envelopes are treated the same as First Class outside the US.

Other Priority Mail (by weight or the larger Priority flat rate boxes) delivers at the same speed as First Class outside the US but sometimes the customs form can be used to track the package depending on the country. (First Class International & the small flat rate box/envelope use the same short customs form so they can generally be tracked within the US but rarely outside the US--other Priority Mail gets the 3-page customs form.)

[GoTo]

Surface Mail through USPS has been gone about 5 years, but First Class has pretty reasonable rates and you can use it for packages up to 4 lbs.

Surface mail usually took several weeks to physically get to the destination country, then there was the risk if items getting stopped in customs & taking much longer. Now packages generally arrive in the destination country in a few days and then have the customs-processing-time risk, overall much faster.

[Former_Member]

Groan, now I'm not looking forward to my first international order, this sounds like a lot of work!

[BethWold]

Nadine if your items are light(under 4 lbs) it's not a big deal at all - the only extra step is filling out the customs form. My first sale was to overseas, and it kinda worried me, but wasn't difficult at all. I also grabbed a couple extra customs forms so I'd be able to fill them out ahead of time if I got more overseas orders.

[GoTo]

sewandpray--it's really not a lot of work. You just fill out a little form (names, addresses, package contents) & pay postage, no big deal.

If you are shipping Priority you can print the labels & customs forms through Paypal or USPS.

If you are shipping First Class International you can still print labels & customs forms from your computer--see the link I posted on p 2 for help with that.

[Former_Member]

Sigh of relief, thanks, Beth and GoTo, most of my items are small and/or squishable. :)

[GoTo]

Yay for squishable, lol.