Postage costs applied significantly less than cost
I’m puzzled by a recent sale. The book was listed for sale on UK & EU amazon marketplaces but the buyer has an address in the US. Amazon applied a postage charge to them of just over £6 but the actual cost of sending the item to the US is between £11.50 (surface mail, which has a delivery estimate that is longer than Amazon guidelines) & £22! I’m not sure why Amazon is allowed to do this as it clearly is unfair to sellers & there seems no way to restrict where buyers can be based to avoid such situations.
0 replies
Seller_SITNVuZK87zGK
Have you check your shipping settings on the site it was sold on? Something will have allowed a buyer in the USA to purchase this. This query comes up occasionally on the forum, it’s almost always shipping settings being the problem.
Seller_1na9alQ7mlxmD
Thanks. Yes, in my settings it says ‘No’ in the International shipping box that covers the US. The buyer purchased the book via the UK Amazon website but put a shipping address in the US. The sale shows that Amazon has applied ‘standard’ shipping costs that match their given rates for UK postage. I have emailed Amazon but they haven’t responded as yet & the ‘ship by’ date is today.
Seller_DROodOAYHftnc
You obviously did make it available to US at some point, not really Amazon’s fault.
When listing the book for sale are you sure you did not tick the box allowing sales to US ? - easy to make that mistake as it says ‘Domestic UK, Europe and US’, then the box including ROW.
Are you on the Pro plan where you pay £30 a month, or just the individual plan where you pay per sale ?
If the latter the customer will have been charged Amazon’s default shipping for the US., and that will never be enough to cover the actual cost.
I no longer sell books overseas because of this, though have inadvertently had one or two slip through, as when I started out I did enable overseas shipping for some.
You need to make sure the box is not ticked on each individual item.
Seller_1na9alQ7mlxmD
As already mentioned the item was not listed with US shipping enabled. I’m an individual seller & the buyer was charged the standard UK postage cost. In terms of fees charged Amazon have taken around 25% which includes sales tax for US, so clearly there are issues with their systems which seem to allow a seller to buy a ‘UK only’ item but then give a US address.
Seller_1na9alQ7mlxmD
Have never been on the pro plan. Checking shipping rates again it does seem the £6+ amount is for US, but that doesn’t get near to the actual cost, which via the postage purchase Amazon service is over £22 & not much cheaper elsewhere. I still have no idea why they were able to purchase for shipping to the US when my account & listings all have ‘no’ in the non-EU international shipping options.
Seller_1na9alQ7mlxmD
When you say you cannot buy overseas postage from Amazon I have no idea what you mean as the link to ‘buy postage’ comes up with a DHL price for delivery to the US at £22+
Seller_1na9alQ7mlxmD
Yes, have looked at other options but cheapest is over £11 & takes longer to arrive than Amazon limits.
If I cancel the order will I be charged anything in terms of fees, including if this is after I have confirmed dispatch? (asking because I’m still waiting to hear from Amazon & I’ll have to confirm dispatch today to fit in with those rules also).
For info, Amazon are taking just under 25% in fees for this sale.
Seller_SITNVuZK87zGK
I would check the next time you list something - check if there are any postage options at listing level. We don’t have an Individual account - so can’t advise - but I think there is something there.
Seller_lf5vv8vF2sGlR
EVRI/Hermes international is cheapest for books.
Seller_y7wlA8Npjq1Or
You may have usa closed on your shipping settings but you can have it ticked on the listing.
Especially if it was an old listing it happened to me in my very early days.
