Starting an eBay business

I'd look into human organs, a real supply-side-economics boom industry.
Livers, kidneys, skin, hearts: It's like a license to print money.

 

As a rule, one should know what they're talking about prior to engaging the keyboard. This topic was tired the last time we hashed it out

NAFTA is a trade agreement that gives duty free status to goods manufactured in one of the NAFTA countries i.e. Canada, Mexico, US. If you ship a Japanese made piece of electronic equipment from the U.S. to Canada or vice vesrsa, NAFTA doesn't enter the equation NAFTA didn't make the borders go away. It's a trade agreement, not an economic union.

And talk to any truck driver, Boom. They'll tell you that carrying goods into Canada is a piece of cake compared to the ever increasing rules and regulations they face when going into the US.

If you're incapable of filling out a Canada Customs Invoice--it'll take a 12 year old about three minutes to do it---you probably shouldn't bother sending anything outside the US. Or get 21 to do it for you. She'll help you with the big words like "consignee". Jesus.

 

As JR said, shipping to Canada isn't that difficult. Shipping via UPS instead of USPS makes things even easier and cheaper.

I've sold a fair amount of stuff on eBay; mostly it's gone smoothly, but there are always pains in the arse. I've mostly sold stuff I've had around the house I no longer needed or wanted. For a beginning eBayer, that's probably a good way to get a feel for it.

For books and CDs, I've found that selling on Amazon.com works better.

And, as has been said before, ALWAYS get delivery confirmation. And make sure you charge enough for shipping/packing.

 

Waylon - my first bit of advise is to not take advise from jr because he is clueless. My second piece of advise is to really study the rules if you want to ship to Canada. You can get really burnt on duties and customs if recipient refuses to pay on package arrival.

Here is overview taken from EBAY direct- take special note of the NAFTA instruction :

Customs Documentation
You need to complete the necessary documents accurately and supply them to your carrier when sending goods to Canada;
A Canada Customs Invoice or Commercial Invoice is necessary for all shipments sent to Canada. It is the prime document used for reporting;
Declare the value on the customs form as the amount your buyer paid for your item (do not include shipping/handling costs);
For shipments valued at more than $1600 Canadian Dollars, a fully completed NAFTA Certificate will be required; Items made in Canada, the U.S. or Mexico may qualify for no duty rates under the terms of NAFTA; visit www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca for more information.
Working with a Customs Broker
Consider a professional customs broker, such as A&A Contract Customs Brokers, for a "borderless" process for your Canadian customers;
A customs broker will help get your goods released, prepare the necessary documentation, and pay duties on your behalf.
The Non-Resident Importer Program (NRI):
Offers your Canadian customers all-inclusive delivery and pricing options (you bill the customer up front for duties and taxes, shipping/handling), allowing you to keep complete control and virtually eliminate the border for both current and future Canadian customers;
To set up an NRI account, contact UPS or A&A.
Key Shipping Tips
Do not mark a purchased good as a gift - it is against the law and you and your buyer can get in trouble for misrepresenting the item to customs officials;
Insure your package if you carrier does not offer automatic coverage;
Make sure your item is appropriately packed;
Visit http://pages.ebay.com/internationaltrading/internationalseller.html for extensive international shipping information.

 

Just sold a CD to a buyer in Canada last week. The only slight hassle involved is that you need to actually wait in line at the post office to mail it, since you can't print out prepaid first class postage to Canada online. And JR is right, the customs form takes all of 2 minutes.

 

Buck should know - it's where he got his penis.

Now Buck tears up any time he reads the disclaimer "not actual size".

 

Well if CD value was over $1600 you would have had to complete NAFTA agreement - the same NAFTA that jr tells us has nothing to do with shipping goods to Canada.

 

Well, thank God, my CD fell $1593 short of that.

 

Well that's thr key point here - doing business with Canada is not as easy as jr purports it to be.

 

I've never had anyone rip me off with anything, but I do a lot of research. I've also never had any problems with selling stuff to people. I always make sure to say "no returns, refunds or exchanges" in the "additional comments" box. That way you don't have to deal with any of that. But, you also have to be clear with what you are selling. Because if the buyer is misled, they can file a report against you and ebay can suspend your account.