I take offence - or why are so many for sales listed at CONUS only

S

SilverLighT

Feedback: +3 / =0 / -0
Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Messages
526
I've been around here a while... mostly lurker.. gone for a bit then back again.

When I frequently checked the for sale section, years ago I don't remember so many posts with CONUS only in them. Now it seems the norm.

I'm in Canada. Is it just me or does it really chaff anyone else's ass that so many great knives at decent prices are listed as CONUS only? Like they won't even entertain the thought of selling outside the states? I don't understand it. Postage to here isn't that much more! Big deal you have to list 'cutlery' on some customs form. What is the problem? I'll pay the difference!

I'm seriously offended, and i'm not one to get all frothed up easily either.

If someone could explain it to me, i'd love it.

Thoughts, comments?
 
There have been soo many problematic threads started with overseas shipping, that resulted in some one losing a knife or a whole lot of money that I think some people would just prefer not to deal with the possibility of a headache. Some overseas custom's agencies seize knives, some overseas carriers flat out steal other peoples mail. Bottom line, I don't know the specifics of how other countries do business, and there is no retaliatory legal action I could take if something happens, once that packasge leaves the US, so why deal with a system like that? The only way I'd ship overseas if if the buyer covers the extra shipping cost (Express Mail), and agrees that I'm not responsible for any lost or stolen packages that don't arrive. Just my .02
 
That makes sense, but personally I would never fault a buyer from here if something was seized or stolen. I'd take their word if their reputation was good.

I guess I never thought of that though, since the many knives i've had shipped over state lines have all gotten through, with the exception of something that shouldn't have gotten through (Darrell ralph bali kit blade via NY), which kinda surprised me.

Plus it isn't really overseas, it's just across the north border for most of you. But yeah maybe i've just had good luck. Knife laws where i'm at are pretty decent, anything but balis and automatics pretty much. But that extra bit of customs, is an extra step where things can get stolen. ;/ and anything marked as a thousand dollar knife is a prime target i'm sure.
 
I would echo what SavageSmurf has said above, but add that whenever I list "CONUS only" or similar in a thread it is not meant to be exclusionary out of malice or prejudice. Different countries treat incoming packages (esp. those subject to customs regulations) differently and for a relatively small transaction like a knife sale it is simply not worth the headache if something goes wrong.

Canada is a pertinent example for me in that I sent, per the instructions of the buyer, a properly labeled, insured and tracked package that was subject to customs duty that the buyer agreed to pay beforehand. Knives got there, buyer decided that he was not going to pay the duty and it took me 2.5 weeks to get everything straightened out and the package returned (at substantial extra cost).

If we all had the same laws and regulations (and enforcement of same) I wouldn't hesitate for a moment to do worldwide sales.

Mark
 
I have sold alot of knives here and always sell to CONUS only! Because less problems for me to deal with and guess what, it is my choice to sell my goods how I want to.
 
Mark Schmitt said:
Canada is a pertinent example for me in that I sent, per the instructions of the buyer, a properly labeled, insured and tracked package that was subject to customs duty that the buyer agreed to pay beforehand. Knives got there, buyer decided that he was not going to pay the duty and it took me 2.5 weeks to get everything straightened out and the package returned (at substantial extra cost).
Mark
Click to expand...

Mark: Ouch! Okay I can understand that if you got burned... I understand customs and would pay that for sure... just sucks not everyone knows that. Also what sucks is that apparently with the free trade agreement, we're supposed to pay no customs on goods made in the US, but they charge us anyway. I pay it cause it just isn't worth my trouble to fight tbh.

RickJ: That's your right. I just don't like it.
 
I refused a knife sale overseas. I don't know their laws and I can't track it and I don't need the headache.
 
While there may be few such problems when dealing with BF members, I have read about a scam pulled by buyers in certain countries. (Mostly on eBay)

The buyer pays for the item with PayPal and after the item is delivered they claim that they never got it. PayPal refunds the money and takes it out of the
sellers account. Since in many countries there is no way to track the item, the seller is screwed.

So, basically, shipping out of the US is a PITA.
 
I live in Alaska and I realize that sellers have the right to ship whomever they want to. However it really burns me when they won't ship to Alaska because we are not CONUS. It just so happens the US Postal service doesn't charge any extra special shipping rates to Alaska and contrary to popular belief UPS even ships ground to Alaska. Last time I checked we are still part of the United States and not some foreign country. I do want to give a big thank you to all the sellers on here that have shipped me knives at no extra cost.
 
Well, I've been guilty of saying CONUS before but really meaning all fifty, I just haven't been faced with that many Alaskan or Hawaiian buyers. As to international transactions, I used to do a WHOLE lot more buying and selling than I do now, and just have to echo what has been said---almost never a problem, but it only takes one instance of customs taking something (a custom chef's knife that they decided was a weapon) and being treated by the buyer as somehow intentionally causing the problem (I don't like being called a crook) for me to toss up my hands and refuse to ever again screw around with the idiot regulations that other countries impose. I understand that him being an ass doesn't make everyone else an ass, but there's no real way to filter them out.

I suppose, though, that my sales language could be:
"Will sell anywhere in the US. Will sell internationally if you cover the shipping and understand that I will not lie on the customs form, and have no control over it once it leaves my country. If it's illegal where you are, don't buy it."
 
t1mpani said:
"Will sell anywhere in the US. Will sell internationally if you cover the shipping and understand that I will not lie on the customs form, and have no control over it once it leaves my country. If it's illegal where you are, don't buy it."
Click to expand...

And I wish more would follow your format. I would be perfectly fine accepting that burden. It just totally turns me off when I see CONUS only. It seems so final that I don't even bother trying to contact the seller. Even if I did, and then someone hit him up 10mins later, I know i'd lose out, especially on the more rare and desired blades.
 
One of the big reasons I don't like to sell overseas is the risk of loss, and lack of tracking.
The biggest reason for me is that I can't take off work to go to the post office. If I do, it means standing in line a half an hour.
As long as I ship within the USA I can use an automated postal shipping center 24 hours a day, so I can go mail in the middle of the night. No lines.
A half hour of my work time is worth over Ten dollars. A half hour of my free time is worth more than that!
I mean you no harm by excluding you overseas folks, it just isn't worth it on my end.
 
I ship anywhere,outside Con US at buyers risk.Any refunds to outside Con US buyer,is issued when the goods are back in hand. Pretty simple. Never had a problem yet
 
I shipped a knife to Canada through the US Postal Service, and was told that I could not insure it. I assumed that my insurance would end at the border, therefore is useless. So, I have listed knives up for sale, and stated to CONUS only. Now that I'm reading this post, I see that I have cut out Alaska and Hawaii as well.
If a buyer trusts me, and want to take the risk without insurance, then I guess I could sell to Canada. But, it would be understood that a) the knife would be very expensive and b) once it leaves my hand, I can't be held responsible.

Can packages be insured through UPS, Fed Ex, or other companies when sent to Canada?

P.S. The knife I shipped to Canada was being sent back to the maker for sharpening. So, I declared no value, and don't think duties had to be paid. Maybe there was, but the Maker never said anything about that, coming or going.
 
It's worse than that. If buyer and seller agree in writing that responsibility ends at the border, PayPal will still side with the buyer if the item goes missing. They need a signature as proof of delivery.

In the end, a seller can pick and choose with whom he deals, and on what terms. I think if more sellers knew how to protect themselves in mailing, this habit that's developing of blanket refusal to deal outside the US, might not be so common.

Personally, as rarely as I sell anything, I do sell outside the US. The only problem I had was with Canada, actually. Customs seized a knife they designated as a flick knife because it could be opened by centrifugal force. Petty. But the buyer insisted on absorbing the loss.

We do have an International Express Mail option that will track, and thereby protect both parties. People just need to follow the common sense directions for mailing, and foreign sales will only cost a few extra minutes on customs paperwok. Good grief, we can spend hours on BF, but not a few minutes on sending a package to a fellow BF member?

Some countries will find themselves outside my comfort zone, though. No sales to Somalia! :p
 
I do tons of shipping as part of my arcade hobby, and I've shipped to dozens of countries. For something expensive, the shipping and tracking with insurance and signature confirmation needed to protect the seller can be extremely expensive, and estimating shipping costs is hard to do.

I ship to Canada all the time as i often trade with a good friend in Winnipeg, and I just mailed off a package to another buyer in Canada this morning. I had to stop at the post office to get estimates for the package last week though. The buyer wanted to go with a cheap option to save money and he agreed that I wasn't responsible for it once it was posted. I trust the buyer so all is good, but for an unknown I would only ship with tracking and signature confirmation. Often this is more expensive than the buyer is willing to pay and you end up getting an estimate for nothing. Even with tracking, insurance, and signature confirmation, there is still risk though with customs, etc.. depending on the country.

The bottom line is that shipping conus is easy all around. It's fast, easy to estimate, cheap to track, and there are no unknowns. This makes life easier for the seller. There are always ways to handle shipping to other countries to make it worthwhile for a seller, as long as the buyer understands the situation and wants to make it work. You won't always be able to reach an agreement that the buyer feels comfortable with, but I wouldn't say flat out that I wouldn't ship to another country.

Having said that, Japan and a lot of European countries have faster, cheaper, and more reliable mail delivery than Canada does. I know more than one Canadian who uses a friend's US mailing address to ship and receive important packages for those reasons.
 
Most buyers do not want to pay the additional $35 for Express, they complain about the duties they have to pay when the customs forms are filled out accurately and honetly, and they usually have a problem with understanding the seller has no idea how your customs process might work. Those are the top reasons cited I've seen on here. Shipping a knife is much more problematic than shipping electronics, with the exception of agricultural products.
 
After losing a few to thieving Canadian Customs agents, buyers lying and saying they received an empty box, saying I never sent the knife and having to pay hundreds of dollars in refunds, I just don't care to deal with it any more, or arguing about it in the Good, Bad and Ugly forum. I also recently sent one to Italy and had to fill out a bazillion forms, spend an hour in line at the PO for no extra money. Lying about how much it's worth on the label, then getting insurance for $500 when it says it's worth $5 on the customs form, arguing over shipping costs and worry about it getting there, not worth the hassle. Nothing personal. Hawaii and Alaska are okay though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top