Exporting ESI RV722 Dekavider from the US

[tatel]

I won a RV722 ebay bid. Seller is from Florida. I asked the seller previously to see if he would send it to Spain using ebay international shipping. Seller agreed to do that, should I won the bid. Item continued to be listed as "not sending to Spain".

So I consulted with ebay help (Spain) by phone this morning before doing that payment. They said, if it is OK for the seller, it would also be OK for ebay. All that would be needed is the seller stating to ebay he wants to send it to Spain using ebay international shipping. Seller agrees, so, no problem, right?

But now, it turns out ebay (US) says that article doesn't qualify for ebay's international shipping. Not giving any reason why it would not qualify, I'm told.

Is there some US law forbiding export of Kelvin-Varley dividers? Or what? USPS would perhaps be acceptable, but if the parcel is to get stuck at US customs, that would be a no-no.

I'm going to contact Ebay tomorrow morning, but if you have any experience about something similar, please let me know what could I do

[factory]

Did it have "ebay international shipping" on the listing before you bid? As it needs be there before, it cannot be added afterwards.
Your other options are; to cancel the sale and get them to list again with EIS, or ask for the costs to send via USPS or other carrier.

David

[tatel]

You are right, I got that answer from ebay help in writing a while ago.

I wonder why it couldn't be made clear by phone.

[Stray Electron]

  It looks like the seller has relisted it on Ebay!

     https://www.ebay.com/itm/326186271877?itmmeta=01J1XAWBMB6Q4SMC1B6RBTD4A9&hash=item4bf2378485:g:cTcAAOSwtFRmeiHk&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAAwIujLYbxD8hWZabHDh4xsILLfGqMWGdziKyM2KrkN%2FZHp8QrZqsIgsr%2BQXVozFZSf7RHfJHYe4Ee8KoojKgo177jq7QFneomDfUdQDWu2KNTT5EQSmTILw1NyJr4fVHXwmUVD5dokM01oVLyKqKARlGdKMQpK9JsvH%2BcHNSjtEoQIk87yLRVsZndm6EDct4Wt49DksTGA5DDU2i0Pqr284QvCXoPWexUhDhH7%2F3oxxU74hA5Yzevm4urADSdP3al3Q%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR6S68aqPZA

[tatel]

Yep, however, still no ebay international shipping. Sellers says he stipulated and confirmed it before relisting... to no avail. So I guess this is going to be for some fortunate US citizen.

I don't think it's something from the seller, he also listed a Gertsch RT-7 with ebay international shipping, which i just won. I don't expect any problem this time.

But I wonder whats going on in Ebay

Good luck with your bidding

[factory]

The two items are listed in different categories, this does make a difference with the EIS system, a lot of test equipment categories are no longer available for this service, something I've mentioned before.

Also note items cannot be combined under the EIS disservice, they have to go separately one parcel at a time, at extra cost to the buyer, the GSP system did allow combined shipping (GSP got EOL'd in the USA a while back).

David

[Wrenches of Death]

The USAF sticker should provide a clue!

WoD

[tatel]

The two items are listed in different categories, this does make a difference with the EIS system, a lot of test equipment categories are no longer available for this service, something I've mentioned before.

Seller told me he relisted it as a decade box to see if this time it could get EIS.

So it could be simply a -quite arbitrary- EIS restriction? I have been unable to find anything banning the export of KV dividers.

[nctnico]

Why not use a forwarding service? This works pretty much the same as ebay shipping program. Only you have to arrange the forwarding yourself.

[tatel]

Well, I have looked into it a couple times but didn't succeed into convincing myself it's worth the hassle. But, if EIS puts arbitrary limits into interesting items, perhaps I should look at it again.

Usually I don't buy that many things from the US: but sometimes an item is cheap enough, compared to european prices, that using EIS make it worth price-wise. Handling is as bad as everywhere, however. Please see attachments. This looked as an easy fix when I ordered it.

This is off-topic, but I can say, from my last six purchases, 50% got damaged on shipping. Handling seems to be getting much worse, at least in not small devices like, say, an oscilloscope or a differential voltmeter. All the sellers said package would be good, tough and carefully made. Then some of them just used, say, half an inch of soft foam or even used bubble wrap with most of the bubbles punctured. Go figure.

Just one of them used a 10 cms thick cushion on all sides of the package, and glad he did, because this package got the biggest hit of all. So big that, at first glance, it seemed impossible the content could have survived. But that thick cushion did his work. Item was undamaged. IIRC, I have read some post in this forum saying packages should be made to protect the item from an 1-meter fall. Well, I can say, so far i have seen only one package made that way.

I'm tired of negotiating partial refunds with shameless sellers -when ordering Ebay listings- and even getting not refund at all -outside ebay. So I became quite wary. Currently I ask the seller about packaging and refunding first. But a few behave like if they would be entitled not just to get some hundred bucks but also, while we are on it, to get an half-hour black kiss. Disgusting. If they want my money, better be polite and give the correct answers.

Back on topic. Nothing of this applies to this seller. On the contrary. If you are looking for some good KV divider, this is probably a good chance. I'm not going to bid, however. Ebay could learn a couple of things from AliExpress. Perphaps they want to kill the goose of golden eggs? I got orquitis because of that.

Sorry for the rant. Have a nice day

[factory]

The two items are listed in different categories, this does make a difference with the EIS system, a lot of test equipment categories are no longer available for this service, something I've mentioned before.

Seller told me he relisted it as a decade box to see if this time it could get EIS.

So it could be simply a -quite arbitrary- EIS restriction? I have been unable to find anything banning the export of KV dividers.

It's ebay, their EIS disservice discriminates against most test gear categories and some non test gear categories, trouble is few complain about it, therefore nobody knows this is happening.

As a result it very difficult to find stuff that will ship internationally via EIS. The stuff I do find is only available as a few sellers are willing to offer alternate international shipping services. Or it has been incorrectly listed using EIS under the test gear manuals catagory, I've successfully bought at least two items that are not books this way. 

Of course as you've found most sellers are not interested in international shipping any other way, the EIS takes the risk away from the seller for damage claims, as EIS are liable once it's received by them.

For your information, I've never had any test gear item, or engine part and even chainsaws* refused by any other normal shipping service, of course you get to deal with the customs fees yourself for higher value items, but this has always been the case when buying from the US.

There is one person on this forum can't pack things properly, only one item damaged as a result so far (HP 735A). 

*Unless the seller was a complete twat, that thought leaving liquid/petrol/gas in the tank was acceptable, which then escaped at the delivery office. 

David