Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Login to Like
this post
I've made numerous purchases (over 300) through Stamporama, Hipstamp, and eBay over the past year and a half from foreign and domestic sellers with no issues other than one lost in shipment single stamp, one damaged due to water (probably after it arrived in Seattle 
), and two shipments where the wrong stamps got sent by mistake. All problem shipments were rectified by the sender by either refund or replacement (or despite a refund offer in the water damage case, I elected to keep the stamp as a Mint no gum because it was the nicest copy I have seen of the stamp 
). Purchases have been made from England, Canada, Argentina, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Brazil, France, Germany, etc. At least so far concerns about overseas purchases seem misplaced.
Login to Like
this post
Hi Frank,
I have purchased stamps on Stamporama from people all over the world and have had very few problems. What I find is that the mail system in some countries take longer to get the stamps to me than others. The fastest delivery that I have had was from a member in the Ukraine (prior to their current political situation). The slowest have been from the Philippines and Canada (strange I know seeing Canada is our neighbor). I have made literally thousands of purchases and may have had maybe 6 purchases that had an issue because of international mail systems.
Regards ... Tim.
Login to Like
this post
The default (only actually) currency on Stamporama is US$ so you do not have to worry about that. As a "foreign" seller on this platform I have to take the exchange rate into account but that is only my concern, not the buyer's. When I withdraw the money I received from my PayPal account it is automatically converted to euros. At a certain cost of course. But that is still cheaper than receiving cash and go to the bank to have it changed...
Login to Like
this post
I purchase about 75% of my stamps from overseas sellers. There are, as you might expect some countries that I avoid, but with one exception, I haven't ever had a problem with Canadian, European, Japanese, or Australian sellers. Most vendors accept PayPal. And, as you surmised, PayPal converts everything into US dollars. Most English auction houses require direct payment. I usually pay them with a credit card. My bank, as most every bank, does the currency conversion, and at reasonable rates.
David
Login to Like
this post
Thanks everyone for the information. I will give it a try and see what happens, I don't expect any surprises, just some additions to my collection. Thanks again!
Login to Like
this post
03:54:27am
" .... The slowest have been from the Philippines and Canada
(strange I know seeing Canada is our neighbor)...."
I have noticed this strange anomaly with mail to,
and from Canada. I maintain a "positive charge" account
with one of our member sellers who lives in a mid-west
province of Canada, to wit; I keep a certain amount paid
forward and when the list of winnings reaches around
twenty dollars US the stamps are mailed south to me.
I almost immediately send enough back to the seller to
maintain the desired positive balance.
Recently I received a note indicating that an envelope
was on it's way southward to our house in Richmond,
Texas. It just so happened that I had an addressed,
stamped envelope on my desk, ready to go north to
Canada.
( Note, it was not self-addressed
as I have learned long ago that
envelopes cannot address themselves.)
So that afternoon the envelope with the funds was placed
into the US mail stream.
Curiously the southbound envelope arrived either Friday evening,
or Saturday morning, in the community mail box down the street.
But my letter did not arrive at its destination until two weeks
and a day had passed. Since the distance seems to be the same
either way and the motivation of the busy worker bees at USPS
should be about equivalent to those at Canada Post, the length
of time spent in transit ought to be close, say two days or so,
either way, not more than twice as long en route to the seller
in Canada.
I was studying the map of North America and the relative positions
of the two countries when it dawned on me; the trip south is downhill
while traveling north must be uphill fighting gravity all the way.
Now the situation in the Pacific is different, but equally expainable
when you consider that the prevailing winds are generally East to West,
mail being sent East to the mainland US must overcome the effects of
"Der Wind und das Meer" and thus will take longer to arrive in
mailboxes in the United States than the reverse.
Problem solved.
7 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
Ah, NOW I understand - but of course. It makes perfect sense.
Login to Like
this post
I am a returning member for the third time (they say that's a charm) due to medical reasons. My question is has anyone experienced any problems buying stamps from foreign sellers. I usually buy from U.S. sellers, but have seen some (looked like) good buys from foreign sellers. The only thing holding me back is the postage and the monetary exchange. Does PayPal calculate this automatically? Thanks for your time on this!
Login to Like
this post
re: Old/New return question about buying from abroad?
I've made numerous purchases (over 300) through Stamporama, Hipstamp, and eBay over the past year and a half from foreign and domestic sellers with no issues other than one lost in shipment single stamp, one damaged due to water (probably after it arrived in Seattle ), and two shipments where the wrong stamps got sent by mistake. All problem shipments were rectified by the sender by either refund or replacement (or despite a refund offer in the water damage case, I elected to keep the stamp as a Mint no gum because it was the nicest copy I have seen of the stamp ). Purchases have been made from England, Canada, Argentina, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Brazil, France, Germany, etc. At least so far concerns about overseas purchases seem misplaced.
Login to Like
this post
re: Old/New return question about buying from abroad?
Hi Frank,
I have purchased stamps on Stamporama from people all over the world and have had very few problems. What I find is that the mail system in some countries take longer to get the stamps to me than others. The fastest delivery that I have had was from a member in the Ukraine (prior to their current political situation). The slowest have been from the Philippines and Canada (strange I know seeing Canada is our neighbor). I have made literally thousands of purchases and may have had maybe 6 purchases that had an issue because of international mail systems.
Regards ... Tim.
Login to Like
this post
Approvals
re: Old/New return question about buying from abroad?
The default (only actually) currency on Stamporama is US$ so you do not have to worry about that. As a "foreign" seller on this platform I have to take the exchange rate into account but that is only my concern, not the buyer's. When I withdraw the money I received from my PayPal account it is automatically converted to euros. At a certain cost of course. But that is still cheaper than receiving cash and go to the bank to have it changed...
Login to Like
this post
re: Old/New return question about buying from abroad?
I purchase about 75% of my stamps from overseas sellers. There are, as you might expect some countries that I avoid, but with one exception, I haven't ever had a problem with Canadian, European, Japanese, or Australian sellers. Most vendors accept PayPal. And, as you surmised, PayPal converts everything into US dollars. Most English auction houses require direct payment. I usually pay them with a credit card. My bank, as most every bank, does the currency conversion, and at reasonable rates.
David
Login to Like
this post
re: Old/New return question about buying from abroad?
Thanks everyone for the information. I will give it a try and see what happens, I don't expect any surprises, just some additions to my collection. Thanks again!
Login to Like
this post
Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
26 Aug 2018
03:54:27am
re: Old/New return question about buying from abroad?
" .... The slowest have been from the Philippines and Canada
(strange I know seeing Canada is our neighbor)...."
I have noticed this strange anomaly with mail to,
and from Canada. I maintain a "positive charge" account
with one of our member sellers who lives in a mid-west
province of Canada, to wit; I keep a certain amount paid
forward and when the list of winnings reaches around
twenty dollars US the stamps are mailed south to me.
I almost immediately send enough back to the seller to
maintain the desired positive balance.
Recently I received a note indicating that an envelope
was on it's way southward to our house in Richmond,
Texas. It just so happened that I had an addressed,
stamped envelope on my desk, ready to go north to
Canada.
( Note, it was not self-addressed
as I have learned long ago that
envelopes cannot address themselves.)
So that afternoon the envelope with the funds was placed
into the US mail stream.
Curiously the southbound envelope arrived either Friday evening,
or Saturday morning, in the community mail box down the street.
But my letter did not arrive at its destination until two weeks
and a day had passed. Since the distance seems to be the same
either way and the motivation of the busy worker bees at USPS
should be about equivalent to those at Canada Post, the length
of time spent in transit ought to be close, say two days or so,
either way, not more than twice as long en route to the seller
in Canada.
I was studying the map of North America and the relative positions
of the two countries when it dawned on me; the trip south is downhill
while traveling north must be uphill fighting gravity all the way.
Now the situation in the Pacific is different, but equally expainable
when you consider that the prevailing winds are generally East to West,
mail being sent East to the mainland US must overcome the effects of
"Der Wind und das Meer" and thus will take longer to arrive in
mailboxes in the United States than the reverse.
Problem solved.
7 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
re: Old/New return question about buying from abroad?
Ah, NOW I understand - but of course. It makes perfect sense.
Login to Like
this post