Re: [NTLK] Risky Business

From: Peter H. Coffin (hellsop_at_ninehells.com)
Date: Mon Nov 15 2004 - 09:08:09 PST


On Mon, Nov 15, 2004 at 03:15:42PM +0900, James Wages wrote:
> I personally use Paypal, which is not only safer than Western Union
> but also recommended over Western Union by EBAY.

The recommendation would be of stronger effect if ebay didn't OWN
PayPal...

[...]

> If you're an EBAY seller worried about international buyers, perhaps
> the setting of a minimum feedback rating for international bidders
> would put you at ease. Be creative in giving your customers MORE
> OPTIONS, because leaving discriminatory restrictions in place will
> only limit your business in the long run.

Racking up feedback via shills is the FIRST thing the scammers do with
fresh accounts. It's slower and more expensive than phishing for one
with good feedback, but now that phishing emails are competing with
advance/transfer scams for top dog junkmail in my inbox at least, I'd
hope that a lot fewer people are falling for them.

[...]

> Besides, how many sellers *outside* the US do you see who impose the
> same sales barriers against foreign buyers? Relative few. Truly,
> it's a US seller phenomenon, despite the fact that the risks are
> pretty much the same for any seller, inside or outside the US.

IIRC, EU sellers are forbidden by law from refusing to sell to other EU
countries. That goes a long way to making it difficult to slap a "no
international" policy up.

> Sadly though, most US sellers believe that the US market is more than
> large enough for anything they want to sell. "Who cares if I don't
> sell outside Planet USA," is common. Other US sellers have a mental
> block over "all the extra paperwork involved for shipping," as if they
> are trying to export weapons grade plutonium!

No, they're probably used to sending something to the UK, which involved
customs paperwork, plus sheduling with Parcel Farce, plus dealing with
customers that "didn't realize" that their purchases would be subject to
VAT and complained and left back feedback for the seller for refusing to
fill out the customs forms as though the item were a gift rather than a
purchase.

> But I, like many international buyers in this forum, are overjoyed
> when that rare seller is willing to go the extra mile for us. For it
> encourages us to bring our money back to such sellers in the future.

EXTRA mile is the key bit. It IS extra work and risk. It's unreasonable
to demand that the seller assume that risk without additional
compensation, and buyers cannot make a decision about what's reasonable
for additional compensation for the seller. Nevertheless, buyers try.
"You said $6.00 for shipping. Why you charging me $18?"

$6 gets a box, some bubble wrap, and 2-3 day parcel shipment in the
US, mailed from the seller's house, and a letter carrier picks up the
package.

International requires a customs declaration, stronger packaging, and
drop-off at a post office, which means a business-hours journey away
from the day job (probably an unpaid hour), plus has significantly
higher base postage for packages that don't want to take three weeks to
arrive.

-- 
"The last refuge of the insomniac is a sense of superiority to the
 sleeping world."
                --Leonard Cohen, The Favourite Game
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