Shipping overseas from the UK.

The UK Royal Mail / Post Office are having a major overhaul of their postal services on 21st August 2006. In the UK this will change the way letters and packages are sent, as posting will be based on weight AND size, as oppose to just weight. This will mean that large items (i.e.the majority ofitems bought and sold on Ebay) will be subject to new postal charges. Whilst this probably won't cause too many headaches within the UK, the real problems start when you want to send items to other countries.

Over the past few years, I have sent many items, large and small, to Ebay buyers in other countries. As a general rule, if the item was below 2 Kg it could be sent as a small package and prices would be fairly reasonable. Go over the 2 Kg and it could add another 20-30 on the price of posting. OK, so you package the item in bubble wrap (light), package it securely, and send. No problem. However......

From the 21st August, packages will be based on size as well as weight. If your package has a combined (L W B) size of more than 90cm you will have to go for the parcel (as oppose to the small package) option = much more expensive. What this basically means is that a buyer outside the UK will have to pay alot more money forpostal charges, than they have been doing up until now.

Example :- I recentlysent a pilots helmet to France. The combined size of the package was over 90 cm, in fact since measuring it the size was actually approximately 92cm, but the weight was under 2Kg so it was fairly cheap to send(note, this was before 21st August). 4 days later, it arrived back at my house with a note saying it was oversized and could not be sent (2cms oversize!!!!). I went back to the Post Office and was told it would cost 3 times as much to send as it had to go as a parcel instead of a small package (due to the new sizing restrictions).As I had the payment from my buyer, I was obliged to send the helmet, so I repackaged it in a smaller box (under 90cm)and sent it. No problem, buyer got the goods, positive feedback all round. As the rather too eager postal workers had started the new system early (i.e. before 21st August) I was able to claim for the 1st set of postal charges, so wasn't out of pocket. However, the point of my ramblingsis that after the specified date, if you want to send an item outside the UK, at a reasonablepostage cost to the buyer,make sure it is under 2 Kg and less than a combined size of90cm. If not, the buyer will be paying a significant amount of money onpostal charges (which may mean fewer people bid on you item).

To sum up, I am no longer going to be able to offer larger items for sale outside the UK. Unless I can send an item as a small package, there is no way you can expect a buyer to spend many s on postage. Be warned, and make sure buyers overseas are aware of the new size restrictions. They could well end up thinking they've got a bargain, only to find out they are paying ALOT ofpostage charges. General rule, keep it light and package it as small as possible.