It was back in 1999 when Ebay launched it British site www.ebay.co.uk
and it is fair to say that it was not an instant success. It has taken some time
for the Brits to get round to the idea of online auctions but in the last couple of years the site has really taken off.
The UK is now the second largest foreign eBay business after Germany and many experts believe it will soon grab the number one spot. At the end of last year Ebay UK had grown 168% year on year and now has nearly 6 million registered users.
For years many Americans have seen Britain as the ideal place for bargain hunting. London is considered one of the shopping capitals of the world and many antique collectors boast of wonderful pieces found in UK street markets. At the moment items submitted to Ebay.co.uk are also displayed on Ebay.com so I am surprised more trans Atlantic sales are not being made.
When I talk to my American friends they often tell me that they will not buy from overseas because of the fear of being “ripped off”. The rules for the feedback system are the same in both countries so there is no reason not to trust an overseas seller any more than a domestic one.
Another very real factor is the cost of shipping. It does cost more to post between countries than between states but not excessively so. Obviously large domestic items are not suitable for international trade but many collectibles, books and lighter items Can be shipped at reasonable cost. Items that weigh less than 2Kgs (4.4 lbs) can be shipped “Small packet rate” either by air or sea mail.
From the UK most airmail packages take between 5 and 7 days to arrive although typically sea mail can take up to 6 weeks but cost about half the price of airmail. There is no difference in the cost whether an item is shipped to the East or West
Coast.
The easiest way to pay for International orders is via Paypal. You will find UK sellers reluctant to accept personal cheques or dollar money orders because of the high level of UK banks currency conversion charges. I recently received a cheque drawn on a US bank for $30 and to put it into my account would have cost nearly $15 or half of the value of the sale.
Not only can you find great items to buy on ebay.co.uk there are also millions of customers who may be interested in what you are offering. So do not restrict yourself by limiting your sales to the USA only. One power seller who advertises an on Ebay marketing manual lists his product as strictly USA only. The reason he gives are that he has lost so many items that he has shipped overseas, particularly to Canada that he will no longer do it. Having bought and sold over one hundred items internationally all I know is that I have never had a problem with the non-delivery of an item.
Ebay is world wide trading market places so do not just restrict yourself to the USA. There are some great items being offered on the eBay International sites so why not go and have a browse today, you could be surprised.
Dave Bromley is a writer and webmaster who specialises in subjects related to eBay and other online auctions. He edits and publishes a monthly newsletter and his web site is
UKAuctionline.co.uk