Question to all the Canadians on this board....

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Posted By: Jon Canfield

Tonight I won an ebay auction for 2 Coupon baseball cards:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=200132301246&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=010>

As you can see, the seller is in Canada. After winning the auction, I asked for the shipping cost so I could paypal my payment and the seller informed me it would be $12.00 to ship the two cards. I was shocked. Of course, i'll pay it but it seems grossly excessive to me. Using the USPS.com shipping calculator, it would cost me $2.64 to ship the same cards from the US to Canada. Can anyone from Canada give me a real approximation of what these two cards would cost to ship from Canada to New York, NY? I've already questioned the seller but like I said, I will stay pay the shipping cost. I do know that if $12.00 is a rip off for shipping, he certainly will not be getting positive feedback from me!

Edited my spelling errors.

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Posted By: CN

Jon whenever I see an auction that the seller won't state a shipping price I either stay away or if it is an item I really want I contact him first. I agree with you that $12 seems excessive but I would not leave him a negative rating based on the fact that he wanted any bidders to contact him with the shipping price. CN

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Posted By: dennis

grossly excessive is very kind.

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Posted By: Jon Canfield

CN,

I agree completely - I have to be honest though - I've been charged high prices before, but in the 1000+ transactions I've done, this is the first time I've ever questioned a seller on his shipping. I should have made my initial statement clearer, however. I won't leave negative feedback, mainly out of fear of my own feedback - but I just won't be leaving a positive. I also think eBay ahs a excessive shipping reporting section, too - although I've never looked for it before!

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Posted By: Elliot

No question the charge is excessive. Canada Post has all kinds of different rates, my guess is that the seller asked the post office for the two day guaranteed rate and they quoted him the $12 figure. I'd go back to the seller and ask him how much the shipping would be if he put the two cards in top loaders with some cardboard and then put into a regular envelope and then mailed regularly. For a regular letter to the U.S. (up to one ounce) the cost is 89 cents.
FWIW, US based sellers try to do the same thing to me all the time. Shipping to a US address is $2.00, but to Canada they want $10 or more...very upsetting.

BTW, it's Canadians not Canadiens....the Canadiens is the nickname of the Montreal NHL hockey team.

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Posted By: Jon Canfield

Elliot - thanks for the correction. I spelled Canadians correctly, then edited it to an incorrect spelling... I'll fix it now as I don't want to offend any of my neighbors to the north.

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Jon...

I'm not in Canada, but I'm worried for you. He has a 13 feedback. Items sold include a motorcycle, a 1951 Studebaker... the 2 Coupon cards aren't photographed very well... good luck with this transaction.

What you might do is ask him to mail it to a Canadian board member, who can mail it to you for a reasonable amount. About 3 times over the years I've balked at crazy shipping fees. And it is my fault for not determining them first. Those 3 times I sent payment for the item and told them to keep the item, or give it to a kid at church. I'll pay for the item, but not for thievery shipping fees.

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Posted By: Brad

The Canadian guy (seller) is probably mailing the cards registered/express post ($12+ you get a tracking #)

If you're going to pay the $12 for shipping make it very clear (contact the seller) you would like the cards to be shipped in this manner.

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Posted By: Jon Canfield

Frank - I thought is was the $40 risk... plus I noticed one of the underbidders is another collector although I can't remember his name. I did see the guy sold a collection of '52 Topps cards a while back. The cards looked ok to me, albeit blurry. Since I'm paying with Paypal, if worse comes to worse, I can always return them and deny payment on my credit card.

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Posted By: Elliot

Jon, just want you to know I was not offended, but thought you would like to know the correct spelling.
As per Frank's suggestion I would be happy to do it for you.
Perhaps, the seller is sending it registered so that he gets the tracking number for PayPal purposes.

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Posted By: eric p.

i just purchased 2 v122 cards 18 days ago on ebay from a seller from ontario, canada and it cost me a whole $3 for shipping, is your seller overnighting the cards?, i hope this helps, eric.

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Posted By: Brad

Eric,

If you paid $3 for shipping your taking a risk, No Insurance, plus there's no tracking #. 18 day ago you bought v122's off of eBay, have they arrived yet?

Registered/express post: takes 4 business day, Insurance up to $100+ w/ tracking #! I think it's worth the $12 bucks.

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Posted By: Jim F

$12 is the exact rate for Express delivery with tracking to the US. It is a 2-7 day service depending on the destination using a prepaid envelope. Wothout the prepaid envelope Express mail will cost the shipper $14-$20. Jim.

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Posted By: Jon Canfield

Thanks for all the help - the selelr emailed me back and said he gave me an incorrect quote and shipping is $4.00. Glad I questioned it.

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Posted By: Dave Hornish

Those blurry 52's could be Canadian Topps issued cards. They only cover one series (#131-190) from that year and use different cardboard than regular Topps from 1952 (darker stock). They are relatively scarce compared to the US issue.

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Posted By: Brett

I live in Canada

Most of the cards I sell on this board are low grade and not worth alot, so the U.S buyers don't bother asking for insurance. All of my packages arrive safely to the US buyers so please don't be worried !! Uninsured ground mail to the U.S usually costs me $1.86 or $2 something. Last time I mailed out a package it cost me $5.14 ground mail. Maybe the women at the post office didn't know what she was doing or something i don't know. For insured shipping with a tracking number, the post office people usually say it will be $14 and whatever cents to mail it to the US. Airmail usually costs somewher between $6 - $8ish around here. I have never used UPS to mail out cards, so I don't what they charge. I baught a t206 card on ebay from someone in Montana and I was charged $19 insured shipping and border tax cost me over $20. I wasn't very happy...

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Posted By: Bobby

Shipping is one of the largest problems we face as buyers.

I know that when I purchase from the US, some people just figure is double when it is almost the same as it is shipping within the US.

However, due to the steady rate increases at Canada Post, shipping is no longer a bargin but for the cards you questioned, 2 bux would suffice.

Many post offices automatically charge for air mail without giving ground shipping as an option, so shipping is usually twice as much.

When I wrote my first book in 2003, it would cost $2.50 to ship to the US. Today the same book is over $5.00.

My new book is 2.5lbs, shipping from Toronto to Michigan (4 hours away) is $16.00. Canada Post rates are killing us and they have taken advantage of the large ebay transactions between country's.

The starting salary for a postman in Canada is just under $20.00 a hour...holy unskilled labor Batman.