Dear Ina,
I'm writing to let you know about the state of the new shipping coupon rebate system and how it affects Canadian sellers.
Canadian sellers received their first coupon a day or two ago, and naturally we all went jumping for the free stuff! Sadly though we found that not only were the supplies triple the cost for Canadians but the supposed free shipping would be eaten up by the brokerage fees charged by FedEx.
These are not customs charges but brokerage fees and can be almost double the cost of the shipment, which makes the "coupon" and "free" shipping a moot point.
Now as a Canadian seller I am well aware of the differences between the dollar of our 2 countries but still 3x the amount? Seems a little excessive to me.
Add in the brokerage fees and you get no deals for Canadians.
With the recent changes from US to CAD dollar listings, this is just one more spear in the heart for Canuck sellers.
Sincerely
S.
Note from the editor: Letters like this one continue to come in from readers, you can find our coverage of the coupons in today's
Newsflash.
Update: This topic came up during a weekly chat on eBay Canada where a moderator addressed the issue in several comments including the following:
"Shipping these items via FedEx was actually an error which is being repaired as we speak. All shipments going forward should be sent via USPS and the listings are being updated to reflect that, which will result in lower prices shown on the listing.
"For your current order, please get in touch with the seller via the listing you bought from and explain your predicament. If that fails, please reach me."
He also said, "We know that ordering supplies that come from the US is far from ideal for Canadian sellers. We are working on a better, fully Canadian solution that should level the playing field."
eBay Shipping Coupon 'Disaster' for Canadians