-
Recent Posts
- Review of Baia Azul Hotel Funchal Portugal
- Wheel in the Daleks, Doctor — whatever it takes to exterminate the BBC’s bias
- Range Rover TDV8 2010 Top Radiator Hose 4 Way Coupling – How To Fix.
- More American Aggression: The War Against the Turkish Lira
- Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi, Donald Trump and Meghan Markle.
Recent Comments
- Kath on Parcel2go and Hermes Overweight Parcel “Extra Payment Required” Rip Off.
- Alan Bowden on Bouncing Billy Barker William Scruton
- Jo Clayton on Parcel2go and Hermes Overweight Parcel “Extra Payment Required” Rip Off.
- Emma on Parcel2go and Hermes Overweight Parcel “Extra Payment Required” Rip Off.
- Emma on Parcel2go and Hermes Overweight Parcel “Extra Payment Required” Rip Off.
Categories
Archives
- January 2019
- December 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- January 2018
- November 2017
- August 2017
- December 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- March 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
Tag Archives: USPS
Selling Online to Americans and Canadians: The Pitfalls.
Chargeback and Fraud.
With Paypal users, all they need to do is pretend the item hasn’t arrived – and they get free cash as Paypal will gleefully refund them from your account. Simple as that. No ifs or buts.
Proofs of posting are meaningless.
The seller will always always always be in the wrong with Paypal.
This is called item not received fraud. Yes, its certainly fraud. But, its almost impossible to prove. So many of them get away with it time and time again. Its a hobby for some of them. Free shopping!
If sending untracked, buy some fake tracked barcode stickers online and stick on the envelope (yes, they exist). That will fool some and dissuade some fraud.
Americans can also charge a credit card transaction back (reverse the payment) on a whim, and on a single phone call with no burden of proof of any wrongdoing at all.
They have no grasp of Sofort, IBAN numbers or other international bank transfer systems, and will think anything other than a credit card or Paypal is a scam. So you won’t get them to pay by any secure, irreversible means.
Accept that you will be giving some stuff away and write it into your pricing.
Fear of Other Currencies.
Americans understand American dollars (Canadians grasp CAD and USD but they are pretty much the same value). And that is about all they understand. Trying to have them shop in Australian dollars, Pounds or Euros will confuse them.
They only understand dollars and will happily shop in dollars. A shopping cart in anything but dollars will result in a ton of emails asking about currency conversions, “How much does this work out to in dollars?” type questions, how to use a credit card in another currency and other silly stuff.
If it isn’t in dollars, its out of the comfort zone of most.
Charge them only in dollars to avoid that complication. If that means mirror sites or different landing pages, so be it. If eBay, list on the .com site in dollars. Don’t use the pay option on eBay of “US and Canada visibility” from the UK site.
Remember, if using Paypal, Paypal will shaft you on the exchange rate, so take that into account.
Customer Service Issues.
Another problem with selling to Americans: Americans use chargeback instead of customer service.
They have no concept of time zones outside of the US so cannot grasp why you haven’t replied their email in three minutes at 4am your time.
They will not make international phone calls, so forget that.
As demanding consumers, they expect bells and whistles, including free returns and exchanges (thank Amazon for that). Most sellers want to sell to other continents on a ‘no returns’ basis. Or at best, buyer pays return postage.
That doesn’t go down well there. You will get screamers because of that.
Remember, the first sniff of something that doesn’t suit them or is outside of their normal sphere of experience, you will get the chargeback.
If they are unhappy, and you are an eBay seller, they will gladly one star and/or negative feedback you. Bad DSR’s mean you lose your Power Seller discounts. Continue reading