Rob & Melissa Stephenson from Flea Market Flipper talk about eBay's global shipping program versus the new international shipping program.
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eBay’s Global Shipping Program Vs. New International Shipping Program
Rob: What's up, pro flippers? On today's episode, we're talking about eBay's international shipping program and how it compares to the old global shipping program that they've had out for years.
Rob: All right, guys. On today's episode, we are comparing the old global shipping program versus the new international shipping program that eBay's rolled out recently.
Melissa: Yeah, so most everybody has probably been switched over by now. I think everybody's account will be switched over by July. First, if you haven't already been switched over to the new international shipping program. So, honestly, we didn't really know the difference till just recently that we started to dive in.
Okay, so what is this? What is the international, what does it mean? Is it any different than global shipping? We previously have used global shipping. We can't on the bigger items for though, for the freight stuff, we can't. But we've always had global shipping turned on, on the other stuff. Right.
Rob: And if you haven't, I mean, I mean, we'll jump into the international, but yeah, absolutely.
When I, I was scared to do it because it was something new, years and years ago, and then I dove into it and I'm like, wait a minute, I don't have to do anything extra. All I gotta do is ship my item to eBay's Global or their, their hub in the United States, and they'll take care of everything else.
Well, why, and this was back when I jumped into global shipping. I was like, why wouldn't I do that? So yeah, we've shipped probably hundreds of items overseas just through, and that's probably, an overestimate because we don't do, you know, a lot of the smaller stuff. So I would say we've done at least, you know, 15, 20, maybe on the lower side of 30, 40, 50, somewhere in that area. We have shipped over the years, over the years to, to the global usage.
There's been
Melissa: some amount of items that have been shipped.
Rob: We have done it. That's a, that's a, a more accurate account of what we've done. But we have done it and we've done it many times.
Melissa: We did actually sold something sold.
I remember global shipping a couple years ago. It was that, what it what was?
Rob: The radio?
Melissa: The radio. The old radio that you sold? Yeah. And it went on a pallet and then it went through, like global shipping, accepted it. We shipped it to the hub. And then once it got there, they're like, sorry, this can't go global shipping.
We'll refund your buyer. We'll refund or you get to keep the money. We're gonna keep the item. So we're like, okay. I mean, I guess it worked out. So.
Rob: That was back, I think when they rolled out global shipping or it was in the newer stages of it. Yeah. And it was too large of an item for them to ship overseas and somebody bought it overseas.
So they just kept it at their hub, like Melissa said, and refunded both of us. We both got our money out of the deal and they kept the item, so not a big deal. But it was cool that they did it that way. So.
Melissa: They probably have an auction house up there that they probably auction all that stuff off that they get and they probably still have that.
Yeah, we should find out.
Rob: For items that are too big. So we did dig into the new international and, and there are stipulations on how heavy the item can be, how big the item can be for it to actually weigh in and you're able to ship it with the international shipping program. Yeah.
Melissa: So the biggest difference though, between the global shipping program and the international, there's really not a big difference.
Like, there, the, there, if there is a difference, it's all in your favor, which is really cool. Yeah. So, one of the biggest differences is, eBay is going to go at bat for you, for your, your item if you get a return or refund request. So, that's pretty cool. Which is cool. Absolutely.
So like what they did for us.
Rob: We felt they were doing that with the global, but we were not shipping, like we said, we're not a high volume shipper, so somebody who was high volume shipper and shipping stuff overseas, they might have had a different experience with the global program.
For us, anything ever happened with the global and eBay still went to bat for us. We did not have to take returns.
Melissa: We did one. A return for, I do remember one of the Christmas lights went overseas and you ended up, it was like a $35 refund. Okay. And you didn't get the item back because it, you're like, it's not worth it.
Just whatever.
Rob: So, so maybe that is because our, yeah, our items typically are higher priced than eBay was, went to bat for us on those. But all that being said is the global is, you know, going away and the international is the new one. And it looks like the international much more eBay has your back much, much more on the international shipping.
Melissa: Yeah.
So even, and they're gonna be a lower shipping cost to your buyers too. And there's no international fee. So those are the the biggest differences of global shipping and international. So there's really not a reason why you wouldn't want to do it and add that to your listing, and I, it, it also included that if a buyer leaves you negative feedback for like delivery or getting damaged or something that, like along the way through eBays processes, it'll be removed.
So negative or neutral feedback then, yep, eBay will remove it because yep, you, it was out of your control. So.
Rob: And the big thing is eBay will handle all the returns. So once you sell an item, It's legitly sold. I mean, it's sold. You ship it to the hub. Once eBay receives it, they're taking full responsibility for that item, and the transaction after that point.
So all you have to do is sell it, get it to the hub. eBay will afford everything else, deal with all the feedback. If there is something that comes in negative in that, eBay will deal with it and go to bat for you in your favor.
Melissa: Yeah. So it's pretty, it looks pretty legit. And basically to be eligible, you just have to have your account in good standing.
They say above standard or top rated seller. And also your, lower average service metrics. So you can't have a high rate of an item not described or returns or a higher rate of returns. Yeah. So just have your business be in good standing. Absolutely. Pretty much is what they're, so they'll go to bat for you.
Cause they don't, they're not gonna do that if you're not in good standing, obviously. Yeah. And, and your account also is registered in the U.S. But I wanted to talk a little bit about the size. So obviously we ship bigger items. So our stuff that goes freight can't go overseas. But there is a limit.
So the weight limit for international is 44 pounds or 66 pounds if you're going U.S. To Canada. So yeah, 44 pounds. And then the size is, 48 inches in length. Can't be longer than 48 inches on one of the dimensions. On, on this side. Yep. Or 118 inches in length plus girth. So you wanna explain length plus?
Rob: Yep. Absolutely. Length plus girth. So for us, it gets, more expensive once you exceed 130 inches when you're doing length plus girth. That's what, FedEx and UPS. FedEx, yes. Yes. Yeah. That's what they use as a, I mean, you can go to 165 inches and still ship it as a box with an overage charge.
There is an overage charge and it costs too much money. So eBay is capping theirs at, what was it? 118?
Melissa: 118, which is less than FedEx and UPS usually.
Rob: So you might wonder what length plus girth is. So you have three dimensions. You have the length, width, and height of the item. The longer dimension of the item, you keep it by itself, the two shorter dimensions of the item. You double those and then add all three dimensions together. So say you are shipping something that is, in a box and it's gonna be a 15 by 15, by 40, you keep that 40 inch separate and you keep that, don't touch that. The two 15 inches, you double them. So you're gonna have a 30 inch by 30 inches and then add the 40 to that.
So it's gonna be 30, 60 plus 40. It's gonna be a hundred inches. That will go in international shipping. That stays underneath that total 118. Cause yeah, 30, 60 plus 40 is a hundred, it's a hundred inches total, which does stay under the 118. So eBay is saying you have to stay under that 118 threshold to be eligible to ship international.
Melissa: Yeah. So if you're used to shipping, you know, bigger boxes on FedEx and UPS, you have to know there is a little bit of a, you have less to work with. So, so just not a huge, not a big box. I'm, I mean, it still could be a decently. Yeah, a nice sized box for sure. A decently sized box. But it, it is a little bit smaller than the, yeah.
130. So, I mean, basically we would not see any reason to not use the international program. I mean, you're, I, there are also some categories that, you know won't sell to different countries and whatnot, so you to know what you're selling. But you know, they won't let your items be, show their areas in those countries if they're not allowed to be sold.
Rob: So the biggest thing is you're able to, like we preach left and right, we buy locally and we sell it on a bigger scale, which is eBay. eBay reaches so many more people. Well, if you're able to take it from national from the United States and reach even more people outside the United States, why wouldn't you take advantage of that?
Especially when it's little to no risk on your part? Because somebody can't come back and say, hey, this was damaged in shipping and you're gonna be responsible for a return. Any of that old stuff that you might have had, to be responsible for back when global shipping was, there's not, they're cutting all that out to make it more efficient or more effective for you to actually do that and enlist it, overseas and be able to sell stuff overseas. So, absolutely. Our, our take on it is if you're not using international, that you definitely should be using it because you're gonna be able to reach more people.
Melissa: Yeah. You don't have to worry about any of customs.
You don't have to worry about any of the extra fees. Such a great point. Like it's just, I mean, they just try to make it as easy for you as possible because they want. You to sell your stuff. They make money when you sell your stuff. So, if you can sell more stuff to more people, then everybody wins and every makes more money.
So yeah, I, we were definitely gonna, I mean, your, mine just switched with the kids just recently, I think a week or two ago I got the email that, they're switching it over. Yeah. To, international shipping. You got it a while ago on.
Rob: Yeah. And that's not a great point. So if you already are on global shipping, eBay will send you that email into your inbox, their, their message center. They'll send you that email when they are going to switch you over if you have not been switched over. But we did read that. Yeah. As of July 1st, 2023, they will be rolling, totally doing away with the global, and it all be rolled into the international shipping. So you'll have that access.
Melissa: And you can opt out of it if you don't wanna do it.
There's, you don't have to offer international shipping, but it kind of doesn't, I mean, doesn't make sense. Yeah. You why if they're taking care of the returns and that like it, I think it makes complete sense to just have it turned on and if you sell more, you just ship it to the hub and there it goes. So.
Rob: Yep.
And we're gonna give you guys the advice that we're using. So this is not us being like, okay, use it and we're not gonna use it. We absolutely will use it for everything that qualifies underneath that threshold of the weight and the dimensions. We totally will use global international shipping on that.
Melissa: Yeah, and let us know in the comments, if you're watching this on YouTube or DM us on Instagram, let us know if you've used it, your experience, what you've found. If it's been helpful, if you've noticed, maybe an increase in sales or nothing's really changed, it doesn't really matter. Let us know your experience.
Absolutely. We'd love to hear from you.