Friday, August 8, 2008

Adjusting International Shipping

I just sold four yards of the above fabric to a Canadian. I'm grateful and glad for the sale.

I'm finding I only make sales when I price very low, which is not surprising considering the worldwide economy. So, I priced with only a $4 profit on this item.

When I had the inquiry from the UK about shipping, I discovered that the nearby postal substation does not handle international packages. That's painful, since the substation is at our grocery and on the way to the gym. Today we figured out how much the gasolene will cost to drive to the main post office: $3. I'm making $1 on this sale.

Oh yes, I'd forgotten my etsy and paypal fees. Sigh

Live and learn

So I'm adding $3 to all my international shipping costs. Besides being unhappily time-consuming, I suppose it will tip the scale to the wrong side for international customers. I had dreamed of having an international business.

Of course, that whole topic brings up a question I've wondered about. What are the regulations about selling and buying internationally on sites like eBay (feeBay as it's known among sellers) and etsy? If you have a business involved in import/export, there are a ton of regulations. A few sellers on etsy are getting a large volume of sales by sending items from Asia.

I'm all for free enterprise, and I can't imagine a government agency with the resources to track down all us little guys, so I suppose we're safe, but it's a scary thought.

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