One of the most popular stores in the US (#3 after Amazon and Walmart) is eBay. It's also the main auction site on the internet. You can find hundreds of millions of items here. Many of them are sold only here. Every shopper from Russia knows that purchases on eBay are very profitable. Prices here are much lower than in domestic stores. There is only one problem — how to get it delivered? So that all the savings aren't lost along the way.
We've put together a short guide on buying and shipping from eBay. It will also be useful for you in any other US online store (not just eBay), except for the section on choosing the right seller.
Ebay.com personal page for ordering and shipping.
Choosing a Product
Besides the most experienced buyers, few people use filters. Yet this is one of the most convenient aspects of buying on eBay! There are a lot of items and categories here, both individuals and large companies sell here, and there are both regular sales and auctions. It’s easy to get lost in all this if you don’t use filters when selecting a product.
When searching for something, use the field on the left to specify how you would like to purchase it.
For example, as an auction (Auction) or as in a regular store (Buy It Now). Most people choose the second option, but the first can be very profitable if you have a little more time. It’s also useful to set your desired price and specify whether you are looking for a new item (New) or a cheaper, previously used one (Used). Just a few clicks, and the number of options becomes much smaller!
Once you find something that interests you, open the page and carefully read the item description. Over the years of delivering from eBay to Russia, we’ve encountered cases where a package for an item (bought at an unexpectedly low price!) contained only its box. Or a case. Or just the seat for a chair. And then it’s difficult to prove anything to the seller if it said at the bottom of the item page that only that part was being sold. It’s not always possible to get a refund from eBay in such situations.
Check the seller’s rating, length of registration, and number of reviews. For example, the seller in our screenshot has a full 1300+ positive reviews and was registered not last month but in 2007. This is a reliable seller! We can buy with confidence.
On the item page, clicking the See Details button next to the Shipping field lets you see how much standard shipping to your country would cost. Often there is simply no shipping to Russia; sometimes it is available but costs $35+. At the same time, shipping within America is either $3.50 or free. Moreover, standard delivery times from eBay to Russia from the USA can take several months, since parcels are sent using the most basic services (such as USPS International Priority).
Once you’ve confirmed that the shipping cost doesn’t suit us, the item meets our criteria, and the seller is reliable enough, add the item to the cart and move on to the next step.
Specifying the eBay Address
Regular shipping cost from eBay in America starts from $35, which is actually quite substantial. To save a lot, shipping from the USA is three times cheaper, and to receive your package not in a month but in just a few days, we will forward the package not directly to Russia, but first to the Prostobox address. Our company professionally handles goods forwarding — this is our business, and we do everything economically and quickly.
Everything you need to do is enter our US address on the eBay site when buying items. You can find this address in your personal account on our website after registration. It is the same for everyone except the STE number. Once packages arrive at the address, they will appear in your account. From there you can also top up your balance to pay for delivery services.
So, to buy profitably on eBay with delivery to Russia, enter our address from your personal account when checking out in the cart. Use our phone number as well. Enter your own first and last name, preferably in Latin letters. That’s all! Now the shipment will travel across the US, which is both faster and much more cost-effective.
Making the payment
Before shipping goods from eBay, you still need to pay for your purchase! To do this, choose the payment method that suits you. We recommend PayPal – just in case it will be safer this way, since the payment system itself belongs to eBay and offers the most reliable buyer protection here.
If paying by bank card is more convenient for you, that’s no problem either! Fortunately, eBay loves Russia and gladly accepts cards from our banks (unlike some other American online stores).
Just click the button to change your Billing information ("Edit your Billing address"). By default it shows the same details as the Shipping fields, i.e. our warehouse address. But your bank card is registered to you, so there’s a mismatch and the payment might be declined. Simply enter your own details – the ones your bank card is registered under (preferably in Latin script). This will prove to the store that you’re not a carder and are spending your own money.
And don’t forget about such great and profitable resources as Ebates and Mr. Rebates. These are cashback services that let you save up to 5-10% on your purchase. Just register on their sites and navigate to the product page from there.
Signing into Prostobox
Have you chosen the item? Entered the address, made the payment? Great! All that’s left is to let Prostobox know about it. This is the special feature of our service – if we know in advance where the item is coming from and can link it to your account, then all the processing goes faster, and the package can be automatically sent to your address, even without the need for additional confirmation from your side.
And so, for delivery from eBay to Russia to be as fast and profitable, you look at the tracking number of the package sent to you. It is visible both on the eBay site and in your email. Copy this tracking number – and add it in your personal account. Follow the instructions that appear to choose the shipping option for this package to Russia (enter your details, your address, top up your Prostbox balance). That's it! Now, when the package arrives, it will be linked to you and will immediately be sent to your address.
Receiving the package
Depending on which method you chose, the package will be delivered either to a post office or to one of the pickup points. Don’t forget to bring a document confirming that the package is in your name. You can also choose delivery from eBay to a parcel locker that you selected on the map. This is also quite a convenient and simple option.
Congratulations! You’ve found a way to order from eBay to Russia, saving at least $20+ on each package and now receiving it several weeks earlier.
As you can see, shopping on eBay can be a very simple and inexpensive pleasure if you know the special services that can help. Affordable and convenient delivery from eBay is available—you just need to know where to find it and how to use it!
Amazon.com delivery and purchase on the official US website.
