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Ina Steiner is co-founder and Editor of EcommerceBytes and has been reporting on ecommerce since 1999. She's a widely cited authority on marketplace selling and is author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). Her blog was featured in the book, "Blogging Heroes" (Wiley 2008). She is a member of the Online News Association (Sep 2005 - present) and Investigative Reporters and Editors (Mar 2006 - present). Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to ina@ecommercebytes.com. See disclosure at EcommerceBytes.com/disclosure/.
For years online I shipped internationally. Then – a few packages turned up in my mailbox months after they were shipped because the buyer did not pick up and pay extra taxes imposed by their country. Very sad and frustrating.
So about a year ago, I sadly marked my Etsy shop as US only for direct sales noting that I would consider international orders based on country and clear communication with potential buyer. So many marketplaces have just assumed that small businesses can handle all of the factors involved – and it goes beyond shipping! I have no legal dept to advise me regarding income from foreign countries, taxes, etc etc.
So – I am not opposed to cross border sales by any means. I miss my customers in a few countries for sure! But there is much more to consider and be prepared for when selling internationally. Shipping is not the only concern.