Is there any type of Seller Protection for International Shipments?

[JanetB]

Huh??
United States Postal Service situated in China???

[terry5732]

The only way you are covered for paypig is if you use Priority Mail (some tracking) or Express Mail (for over $250)

It appears as though the USPS doesn't like US customers

They're giving this service to furriners for a fraction of the cost to US customers and wonder why they're going broke

[terry5732]

and they get a much smaller, simpler, one page CN22 too

[Darvious]

Just curious: What did you buy, anyways? Everything I've ever bought that was made in China broke after the first couple of uses.

[TexasAda]

That's REALLY interesting, Terry. I was under the impression Chinese sellers have their international shipping subsidized or even paid in full by their government. Maybe the $2.00 tracking fee you mentioned is what they had to pay beyond whatever their government allots them? And just a wild guess with little to base it on, was that package shipped using some kind of joint venture the United States Postal Service has with China Post? I'm going to look around for that online a while. It makes sense that the USPS handles the package once it crosses our borders, but I'm puzzled how a package originating in China carries what looks like a USPS label.

[Juliebabe25]

They spent less than two US dollars to send to me with DC

For me to send their way with the same amount of protection the USPS would charge me about $36

Yes that is unbelievable and disgusting!

Maybe the fuel costs less going one way.

The amazing thing is that USPS still have to deliver the parcel in the USA once it gets there, even out to a small town.

[JanetB]

No protection without Delivery Confirmation Numbers. For DC#s you would have to use Priority Mail which is expensive.

An alternative which is much less expensive, is insurance from U-PIC. The cost to insure an item valued less than $50 is $1.25. Much less than the USPS, and a value which can easily be added to the shipping cost.

Who is U-PIC? got an addy for them?

[terry5732]

http://www.u-pic.com/

[TiasTreasures]

Terry, I was of course very upset when I saw your photo, so I did some research.

This is an ePackage, used in a service subsidized by eBay. eBay sellers in China can mail, deliver, or ship their items to a central processing center in China. Then eBay ships them to this country and repackages them for delivery in the U.S. USPS has an agreement with them that sounds similar to other policies for bulk processors. Many charities and companies in the U.S. get similar preferential treatment because they save the Post Office a great deal of work, and of course generate income. Which USPS needs very badly.

Our elected representatives can't do anything about this because the Postal Service is now an independent business, and does not receive any subsidies from the government (or taxpayers). So, when a large company offers them a deal like this that generates income, they are going to accept it. I won't blame them for that; this started when taxpayers complained loudly that the Post Office should no longer be subsidized and forced them to become independent.

One site says that Amazon has a similar agreement with USPS, again, because it is such a large company and generates so much income for the Postal Service. I've noticed that shipping and handling for many Amazon products is lower than I would have to pay. So it may be the same kind of deal, items come out of the Amazon warehouses requiring a minimum of handling by the Post Office and therefore get a lower rate.

[TexasAda]

1) USPS Gives eBay China Sellers Competitive Advantage By: Ina Steiner, April 11, 2012: in ecommercebytes.com
http://www.ecommercebytes.com/C/lett...334191984.html

This article is by a second generation Chinese-American eBay seller. There are quite a few comments. My harvest of them is that yes, Chinese sellers enjoy a significantly lower rate sending items to the US. Frequently it's cheaper to send things from China to, say, Peoria, than from Denver to Peoria. The quasi-governmental USPS has made a 3-way deal with eBay and China Post. Somebody also claimed Amazon has a special deal too. I would suggest you read the entire article and all comments.

2) USPS, eBay GC and China Post enter partnership May 28, 2010 Post & Parcel
http://postandparcel.info/33407/news...r-partnership/
"Sellers in China using the shipping platform through eBay GC [Greater China] are expected to ship small items such as cellular telephone accessories and electronics weighing up to 4.4 pounds (2 kilos), with most in the range of 13 ounces and under."

If I am concerned about supporting my own country's sellers, I will renew my efforts to buy things made in the U.S. As an aside, whenever I mail something made in the U.S., I decorate the package with colorful "Made in the U.S.A." labels. Similar labels appropriate for your own location are available on eBid.