Any current issues with Russia

soolin

I currently have Russia blocked due to the problems with postage and wondered if anyone has sent things successfully in the past few weeks as I think that eBay have removed their warning About Russian postal delays.

They are such a big market for me and I really need to get some bids coming in and am sure blocking my Russian buyers has had an impact.

cazmanian_minx

I had a couple of orders last month and they both got through fairly fast - under £50 though and both to Moscow.

soolin

Thanks Minx

I may unblock for a while then and see how it goes. People on the community boards seemed to stop mentioning problems at the end of April, so maybe things have improved.

chemical.galaxy

I periodically unblock russia, then am reminded why I did block them!
My last sale there took over 2 months to arrive by which time I had refunded the buyer and sent off a claim to RM, luckily the buyer was super honest and paid again once items had arrived!

Crowqueen

Never trust any country you are writing a human rights essay on...

On topic, I have only ever bought from Russia, but it's about the only time I received something not-as-described (bought what were purported to be genuine Soviet posters, received reprints; to be quite honest, I was asking for it, you can't get the real thing for love nor money nowadays so...).

On the basis that it's really too expensive at the moment to send much abroad, I have them blocked completely. However, I have in the past sold Russia-specific items and had bids/purchases from Ukraine and Belarus.

I suspect I would only be tempted to unblock if I was running out of purchasers here and was selling inexpensive items. In short, the cost-benefit analysis would have to be way over the 'benefit' side to risk it.

porto_bello

The general advice I used to get from friends living and working in Eastern Europe was to make the outer packaging look unattractive, boring and valueless.

Of course, it may just be an old wives' tale.

brettcta

i've posted a few bits off to moscow recently - they have a penchant for paying ridiculous amounts for the stuff i sell (i've never had issues with russian buyers - cue these buyers being a pain)

goingsenile

Reading this with interest
I have been selling my daughter clothes over the last week and have 2 sales from Russia- 1st time ever.

One of them did contact me before purchase and ask for a price for postage on 1 jacket which I gave but have ended up buying a couple of items which will now weight about 1.5kg and royal mail is quoting £50 + postage- don't think they are going to want to pay that !!!

also got another one who has just bid- not been in touch before

Should I even consider sending these or am I asking for trouble?
Aj

Gleeful

I sent a package there last week - I will let you know how it goes!

nikki1520

I've sent two last month - both kids clothing to Moscow and Belarus - to my surprise, both arrived in a reasonable amount of time

Crowqueen

Belarus and Ukraine are fine. Sent collectable items to there, both got there in one piece.

However, does anyone have any buying experience from Russia? I'm looking at Sochi 2014 mascots for a Christmas present for a friend of ours who is Olympic-mad. It would be just the thing after she went mad on buying London 2012 memorabilia (she also bought her son a Moscow 1980 teddy so she is a veteran collector), and I wondered about whether it was easy to buy from Russia and have the items actually turn up. I buy a lot from the Baltic States so have no issue with Eastern Europe, but just...anyone out there?