Ebay

[brisie]

Starting to notice more and more Chinese sellers willing to post to Thai addresses. A friend needs a new glass screen for a Sony phone that is proving difficult to find in Thailand, yet all the shops have stated if we supply the part they can fit it.
For an Ebay seller to send to Thai do they need the address in Engrish and Thai dialect? Also if I pay it my mailing address is to the land of Oz is there a way to change it for a one off purchase?

Cheers

[Rigger]

Have been using Chinese sellers for many years with out a issue, normally arriving quickly with out any tax or shipping issues unlike the fcuking USA.
English address is fine.

[Rigger]

You should be able to change the address, I have more than one in my account but really depends on the seller.

[Pragmatic]

Some sellers will only ship to the address to where the card is registered. Contact them before buying. Yes your address can be written in English, not a problem.

[FailSafe]

Actually, most shippers won't ship to anywhere other than your registered eBay (Paypal) address as otherwise it voids their payment protection guarantee- if the item gets lost or the credit card used turns out to be bogus or stolen, the seller would be screwed as Paypal won't reimburse them.

If you pay directly with a credit card some will ship to a different address (as long as you provide your billing address as well) but most of the Chinese sellers will only go the Paypal route.

[stickmansucks]

Just buy with a credit card that is not registered in any Paypal account and they will ship where you tell them.

Good also to buy things shipped by Standard airmail, so just chargeback or declare to Paypal that you didn't receive it to be refunded.

[FailSafe]

Just buy with a credit card that is not registered in any Paypal account and they will ship where you tell them.

Good also to buy things shipped by Standard airmail, so just chargeback or declare to Paypal that you didn't receive it to be refunded.

For nearly every seller on eBay (especially those from China, which the OP specified), PayPal is the only form of payment accepted.

[andy62]

I have had no problems up to now with getting items sent from the Chinese sellers into Thailand, and I agree with Rigger at times ariving quickly and mostly without any import tax and dutys. Depends also on the seller! I have one issue now with a Chinese seller! "where is my item"? Then again this can be resolved via ebay if you have no luck with the seller.
If you have a paypal account you should be fine! I have mine set up now to take immediate payment from the bank! Sometimes still use the credit card.
With ebay you should be able to use many postal address via ebay account, I have 4 and no problem.
English address? (could be something of value) had items arrive in Thailand (and signed for) but not got them!
Lots of cheap electrical items from the Chinese just now (remember you get what you pay for)!!
One scam in the UK now, is for someone to buy a item from the Chinese and then mark up the price, put it back on ebay? people think now it is a better quality item from the west!!!

[Spin]

Actually, most shippers won't ship to anywhere other than your registered eBay (Paypal) address

Are you a newbie to paypal?

[Pragmatic]

Spin are you saying Failsafe is wrong?

[FailSafe]

Actually, most shippers won't ship to anywhere other than your registered eBay (Paypal) address

Are you a newbie to paypal?

No- are you?

Paypal doesn't offer seller protection to an address that isn't registered with them.

You understand the difference between an unregistered address and an unconfirmed address, right? Only addresses in the US, UK, and Canada can be confirmed, but an address anywhere in the world can be registered.

The seller must ship to the address on the PayPal transaction page to qualify for 'seller protection', and, in fact, the first transaction for a new (unconfirmed address) account is limited to (I believe) $200. Note that more than one address can be added to an account prior to making a purchase as long as your primary address remains unchanged.

I'm guessing you've never sold anything through eBay.

From the eBay website:

Sellers Only Ship To Confirmed Addresses, Here's Why | eBay

[Pragmatic]

FailSafe, I just noticed that on Ebay they are getting you to pay import duties before an item is sent, similar to Amazon.com. I can't find out why, and what's to stop Thailand charging import duty again on arrival?

[andy62]

If you pay directly with a credit card some will ship to a different address (as long as you provide your billing address as well) but most of the Chinese sellers will only go the Paypal route.

I have been down this way of payment! can give you other problems. such as the credit card company stopping or holding your payment, until they investigate for fraud or stolen card, even you have informed them you are overseas! This then gives you a headache, time and money contacting the credit card company. Although you will have protection from them if you do not recive your goods.

[FailSafe]

Also note sellers are under no obligation to sell to you and can refuse your PayPal payment- when I first set up my Thailand-based account, the first couple of sellers didn't accept my payment because I had zero feedback and was located in SE Asia (which they all associate with Indonesia, which is as bad as Nigeria for credit card scams), and my address was unconfirmed (as it's impossible to confirm a PayPal address in LOS)- I ended up calling them to convince them I wasn't a scammer and they relented- now that I've got over 70 transactions with 100% positive feedback it's no longer an issue, but sellers hate newbs with virgin accounts.

[FailSafe]

FailSafe, I just noticed that on Ebay they are getting you to pay import duties before an item is sent, similar to Amazon.com. I can't find out why, and what's to stop Thailand charging import duty again on arrival?

I believe this is done to ensure that items aren't refused by the buyer due to exorbitant import tax fees, which is a real hassle for the seller.

I only have experience pre-paying duty through Amazon, but I've never been charged additional duty when this has been the case as the seller is obligated to take care of it (note this was only for shipments via UPS or FedEx, not USPS, which I don't think offers the option)- these items have always come direct to my house stamped 'duty paid' rather than my receiving a customs bill to be paid at the post office.

Note that Amazon actually refunded me part of their import duty charge (this was for my Kindle, I believe) as it was less than I paid upfront.

[Spin]

Spin are you saying Failsafe is wrong?

I can't remember in all my years of ordering stuff via ebay and paying with paypal, an instance of a seller not shipping items to me in Thailand even though the registered address on my account is in the UK. I've ordered all kinds of shit from all kinds of places.

Failsafe said "most sellers" won't ship, which I disagree with.

Paypal doesn't offer seller protection to an address that isn't registered with them.

As most of us are consumers I would guess nobody gives a shit about seller protection and if one seller were to say he won't send to a registered address then just find another seller who will.

[Pragmatic]

Here's an example of having to pay duty up front. They want $40.96. That's rediculous. Gillette Fusion Manual Proglide Razor Blades Refills 32 Count | eBay

[FailSafe]

Spin are you saying Failsafe is wrong?

I can't remember in all my years of ordering stuff via ebay and paying with paypal, an instance of a seller not shipping items to me in Thailand even though the registered address on my account is in the UK. I've ordered all kinds of shit from all kinds of places.

Failsafe said "most sellers" won't ship, which I disagree with.

Paypal doesn't offer seller protection to an address that isn't registered with them.

As most of us are consumers I would guess nobody gives a shit about seller protection and if one seller were to say he won't send to a registered address then just find another seller who will.

So your Thai address isn't registered and listed on your PayPal transaction page? I doubt that- as I said, you can use different addresses as long as your primary address remains unchanged (and you register that secondary address prior to making your purchase)- your UK address is your primary address and is registered (and probably confirmed) which allows you to get stuff shipped to LOS- if you have a problem, they will go after the card registered in the UK (which is why you're allowed a secondary address).

Make a purchase, and then tell the seller you want your item shipped to an unregistered address and see what happens. Sellers actually do give a shit about seller protection, especially when they're selling something that costs more than a few bucks- they'd be stupid not to, and it's the reason they agree to eat the huge PayPal fees.

[FailSafe]

Here's an example of having to pay duty up front. They want $40.96. That's rediculous. Gillette Fusion Manual Proglide Razor Blades Refills 32 Count | eBay

Wow- I agree that's out-of-line- I haven't seen that on eBay before- I have noticed that getting some personal care items like razor blades is a real bitch for some reason- I'm not sure why, though.

50% import charges is way over the odds even for LOS.

[Pragmatic]

Wow- I agree that's out-of-line- I haven't seen that on eBay before

Neither have I. I ordered a laptop from the US a few months ago and only got stung by Thailand for approx 600 Baht import duty.

[TheProfessor]

I always hear horror stories about people getting hit with large import taxes when they order stuff from the US.

How do they determine the tax for a particular item? If what I hear is true, they basically pick a random number out of a fish bowl and go with that.

Can you figure out what the actual import tax will be before you buy the item?

[Pragmatic]

Can you figure out what the actual import tax will be before you buy the item?

That is if it's liable for import duty in the first place.

[andy62]

Ebay? I notice a few falangs try this route to try and make money! no need for the WP and so on. How many do this successfully in Thailand? I dabble time to time only for the excitment of sellling. Silver can be had for a small price just now and can be upped a little bit in the west. Than again when I visit Pattaya I bring along a handfull and give it to one or two of bar girls to be Happy (good heart) I know they and you probably think no "you stupid falang wrong in the head"? but anyway what ever makes you happy.

[Spin]

Make a purchase, and then tell the seller you want your item shipped to an unregistered address and see what happens

What happens is that they send the stuff to me in Thailand.

Never had anyone say they wouldn't.

[FailSafe]

I always hear horror stories about people getting hit with large import taxes when they order stuff from the US.

How do they determine the tax for a particular item? If what I hear is true, they basically pick a random number out of a fish bowl and go with that.

Can you figure out what the actual import tax will be before you buy the item?

I actually got to see them go through the process once when I had to pick an item up at the customs house rather than the post office, and they hadn't gotten it ready yet.

They had a large book filled with categories and subcategories and three of them were trying to find the correct code for a motorcycle suit, which they decided to tax as a jacket. They asked me how much it cost even though it was written on the customs form, and never checked it- I could have told them anything.

They came up with a number that was about 25% of the declared value- I complained, asked for a discount, and said I only had X amount of baht on me- miraculously it was lowered to exactly that amount.

The process went on for 20 minutes when it should have taken two- it was a complete circus.

Another time they called me in to pick up a package that actually wasn't being delivered until the next day, and I had driven 30 minutes to get there- my wife was very angry, and threatened to call the boss- they charged me about 4% duty on a very expensive order to placate her- it was great.

Basically, it's a disorganized circus.