Every once in a while, someone out there asks:
“Hello. Do you ship to [__extremely obscure Asian country__]? If so how much it cost?”
My general response is an internal *sigh*…dammit. I REALLY want to be the best and most flexible seller possible. But truth be told, shipping internationally is generally more trouble than it’s worth. Here’s why:
Super High Shipping Costs — This should not be a surprise. Your package needs to go a looooong way, through customs bureaus and possibly different shipping services. Those additional costs add up FAST, so you’ll probably just end up wasting 10 minutes to tell the guy it will cost $50 just to ship the box (which is clearly a deal-killer). **Go ahead, try out this International Shipping Calculator if you want, but it almost always spits out arm+leg caliber figures.
However, USPS does offer international flat-rate boxes & envelopes that can be relatively reasonable. Like the commercial says, if it fits–it ships, so definitely make use of that. Also note that it costs a little less to ship to Mexico or Canada.
If you do decide to move forward, you just need to notify the buyer of the increased shipping cost and be sure to include it in a new invoice to complete the transaction. It’s really not a big deal, except for the…
Extra Work Involved — First, you’ll be prompted to fill out a US Customs Form. You can walk through this process online and just print it out, or fill it out by hand. Also not a huge deal, but some of the criteria may have you scratching your head regarding the description/value/nature of the shipment.
Then you have to deal with the lines at the post office. I know, wah wah wahh…but depending on your luck, this could take between 5 minutes and what feels like an entire afternoon. Usually with a crying baby behind you and several people ahead of you who take ten minutes longer than normal. It’s miserable, and you know it.
Other aspects to keep in mind:
- You might end up paying extra excise taxes for your “exports”
- Tracking ID Numbers only go so far as the USPS services go…so there really isn’t any delivery confirmation
- You run a higher risk of the package getting damaged or lost along the way
So really, in the end it’s up to you. If someone in Hong Kong is willing to pay the shipping costs and happens to want some of your less-wanted items you’ve been dying to get rid of…then yeah, go for it. But if this person is asking you for a discount or any kind of favor…I say avoid it.
My stance on this may change in the future, but for now my listings state that I DO NOT provide international shipping of any kind. The thing is…a lot of people ask all the time anyway. And sometimes I say yes. It really just comes down to whether or not you think it’s worth it.