International Shipping Information

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PLEASE ASK BEFORE BIDDING:  I am happy to ship to almost any address outside of the United States.  However, I sell many different types of items; I ship to many countries; I often have a choice of shipping methods, all of which can make it COMPLICATED!  If you aren't sure about costs, please ASK BEFORE BIDDING.

AIR MAIL - All packages sent to destinations outside the US now get sent Air Mail with full insurance. The US Post Office no longer provides surface mail service to anyplace outside the US.  Insurance and tracking is included in the costs shown below.

COLLECTOR PLATES - sent via Priority Mail (Air Mail insured with tracking) to most of Europe (including the UK, Germany, Austria and Denmark), to Australia or New Zealand, and to most of Asia (including South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Singapore): the first plate will cost $29.50, each additional plate will cost $6.  For example, three plates will cost $29.50 + $6 + $6 = $41.50.  
LARGE ORDERS will usually qualify for a lower rate.  Shipments of 25 plates or more usually average between $5 and $6 per plate for the entire order, but actual shipping charges  will vary depending on which plates you buy and where they are being shipped.
HEAVY PLATES (such as B&G Jubilee plates) will cost more to ship.  The above estimates are for B&G and Royal Copenhagen Cristmas plates, and similar plates weighing up to one pound each.  
VERY EXPENSIVE ITEMS (priced over $500 each) will require special handling and insurance, and will cost more to ship; please inquire.

ITALY - My insurance company does not cover shipping to Italy, and I have received several complaints about long delays and excessive VAT and Custom taxes charged by the Italian Customs and Post Office. To reduce delays and insure special handling, all shipmeto ITALY will be by INTERNATIONAL EXPRESS MAIL.  In most cases, the first plate will cost $39, each additional plate will cost $6.  For example, three plates will cost $39 + $6 + $6 = $51.  Heavier and  more expensive items may cost more to ship; please ask BEFORE bidding.

HAWAII, ALASKA and PUERTO RICO - Most of my US packages are sent by UPS Ground, but UPS does not have Ground service to Hawaii, Alaska or Puerto Rico.  Most items sent to these locations will be by US Post Office Priority Mail at a cost of $12.95 for the first eBay item, $4 for each additional eBay item.  If you are buying a large number of items (more than 10 plates) and time in transit is less important to you than shipping costs, please ask if Parcel Post will save some money.

EXPRESS MAIL - The fastest service, usually 3 to 5 business days.  More expensive than Priority (Air) Mail (minimum charge $39), but sometimes the difference is small, especially on larger packages. If you need your items in a hurry and are willing to pay the extra cost for Express Mail, please inquire.  Online tracking and insurance is included with all Express Mail.  

TIME in TRANSIT - Since I have to pack, document, and deliver all international shipments to the Post Office, there may be a delay of several days between the time payment is received and your order is shipped.  In most cases, delivery can be expected within 10 to 14 days of mailing.  December can be especially slow because of the increase in holiday mail.  All international shipments have to clear Customs, and that can add one or more days to the transit time.  Please be patient, and email me with any questions about the status of your order.

INSURANCE - is included in the shipping costs for all international shipments.  In some cases, there may be cheaper shipping methods that are not insurable, but I don't use them.  ALL of my international shipments are fully insured.   If it is important to you that you save the cost of insurance, please buy your items from another eBay seller.

IMPORT TAXES, VAT and FEES - Shipping charges for international orders do NOT include taxes, import duty, or associated fees; these are the responsibility of the purchaser. Each country has its own rules about import duties and Valued Added Tax (VAT).  I am not familiar with all of the rules for all of the countries, and I cannot collect or prepay such taxes for any international shipments.  EBAY specifically forbids sellers to collect this type of tax.  Typically these taxes are collected by the Post Office upon delivery, and your local Post Office may charge a small fee in addition to the taxes that are imposed.  Although collected by the Post Office, these taxes and fees are NOT additional shipping charges.  All shipping charges are prepaid.  Please ask your local Post Office for a full explanation if you do not understand why you are asked to pay some additional amount upon delivery.  EBay rules specifically say that it is the BUYER'S responsibility to know how much these taxes and fees will be.  If you are unsure, please contact your local Post Office before placing a bid.

UPS INTERNATIONAL - UPS has Air service to almost all destinations outside the US.  My limited experience is that their charges are usually higher than the Post Office Priority Mail service, and UPS often charges the recipient (you, the buyer) for Customs documents and handling.  If you prefer UPS and are prepared for the higher costs, please let me know.

SHIPPING SUGGESTIONS from EBAY:  EBay has a webpage which includes guidelines and suggestions for International Shipping.  Go to http://pages.ebay.com/globaltrading/seller/index.html#shipping and scroll down to
4. Shipping Internationally.   Their instructions include:
"When you declare the value of the item on the customs form, use the auction closing price of the item, not including shipping and handling costs. You should also include a printout of the closed listing in your package. This can be used as a record of how much the buyer paid if customs officials inspect the package.  As a general rule, you should not declare your items contents as a "gift". While buyer may ask seller to do so, it is against the law to misrepresent an item in order to avoid customs fees."

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For other questions, email me at stan@tillotson.com