International Shipping Information, 6/8/05

1. I strongly encourage international bidders to request a shipping quote before bidding. I normally reply with the exact shipping cost within a few hours. Shipping costs vary depending on the destination and the weight of the package.

2. I quote domestic shipping amounts in my auctions. Except for light weight packages (like jewelry) going to Canada and a few other countries where international mailing is inexpensive, international shipping will always be more than the amount quoted for the 48 contiguous states in the auction description.

3. International shipping will always be more than the amount of the postage alone. I insure every package through a private insurer, U-Pic.com. Since the insurance fee is not paid to the post office, it is not reflected in the amount of postage shown on the label. My standard international mailing charge is exact postage plus $3 to cover insurance and handling.

4. As stated in my auction descriptions and notices, I include a handling charge in the cost of shipping. This is especially critical for international packages, which must be processed through the clerks at the post office rather than being left on the loading dock with our US packages. This means that I must pay someone to stand in line at the post office to give the package to the clerk, even though I’ve purchased the postage online and completed the customs documents beforehand. The time involved is at least 10 minutes and, at busy times of the year, can be as much as 45 minutes. I do not try to recover the actual cost of salary and benefits, but I do have to recover a portion, or I would soon be unable to afford to ship to other countries.

Customs and Other Fees

· I complete customs documents honestly, showing that the item is "merchandise" and listing the high bid as the value. Please do not ask me to say that the item is a gift or reduce the value.

· I am very familiar with shipping FROM the U.S., but I am not familiar with customs and other fees in other countries and am not responsible for any additional taxes, duties, or other fees incurred as a result of international shipping. If you are not familiar with these fees for your country, please contact your Customs Department.