how many of your sales are to customers outside the uk?
i’m just setting up shop and have yet to include options for customers outside the uk. i will have to figure out the postage costs
what is your experience with selling to customers outside the uk? is there anything i should take into consideration before making my items available to overseas customers?
Not many of my Folksy sales go abroad , but those that do are no problem at all .
If the sale is to a non EU country you need to put on a customs declaration sticker (from the post office ) and it is worth sticking airmail stickers on too, as otherwise they would take too long.
Apart from that make sure you add a returns address .
I have had only 1 which went to Amsterdam, I am happy to keep to UK on Folksy.
thanks for the tip @DeborahJonesJewellery, that’s very useful to know
As well as selling here on Folksy I also sell on another platform and most of my customers are from USA and Canada. You can get your shipping costs from the Royal mail web site, remember to add packaging costs to the amount, also as above you need the customs label if outside the EU, also a return address. I put a notice in shipping policies as to how long the parcel may take, so that customers know when ordering just how long parcels take to get to their destination. Touch wood not had any issues as yet ( 188 sales ).
I’ve only had one overseas sale to Canada. I lost out abit on postage as I wanted to make sure it got there safely so chose international tracked & signed.
The problem is when I check the tracking website I can see it reached Vancouver awaiting the next stage, but then the tracking info stops. It’s been weeks since I sent it so fingers crossed it has arrived safely. Maybe the post man just forgot to scan and update.
I haven’t received feedback, but I think sometimes people forget.
The nice lady at the post office gave me a few airmail stickers and declaration stickers for future parcels 
Karen
I had a sale yesterday to Cootamundra Australia luckily It was a pattern download PDF by email so no postage costs for me 
When sending international tracked and signed for enter the tracking number into the postal site of the destination country ratyher than Royal Mail.
This will give you many more tracking points than Royal Mail, and will update faster.
Sarah x
thanks @bagsofelegance that’s really useful to know. much appreciated! it seems it would be well worth making my products available to the us and canada
Thanks for the info Sarah @thesherbetpatch I didn’t realise the tracking code could be used anywhere other than the Royal Mail.
I’ve just had a check and yes there was more info. I could see the parcel had reached the customers home town and was waiting for delivery next day. The info goes no further and that was on the 8th May. It looks like there’s a possibility the delivery info wasn’t updated and added by the postman. I hope that’s the case anyway.
I never thought for a minute when making the item that it would end up having a huge journey and finding a home so far away.
Karen
I may have spoken too soon with my previous post, saying I have had no problems.
This morning I have received an email from a customer in Australia (not a Folksy customer) saying they ordered something on 12April and that it still had not arrived . I had forked out some extra and sent it tracked and insured. Having now looked up the tracking both on RM and Aus post office sites it claims it was delivered on 20th April.
So who is now liable ? I did all I could , post office claim they have delivered so I can’t claim from them ,but customer has no earrings.
Oh Deborah @DeborahJonesJewellery what a pickle. This is what I dread hearing especially when u pay the extra for tracked. Was it a signature service?? If so this could be really important unravelling the mystery if the post office have a signed confirmation of delivery.
Karen
Looking at my receipt and on the postoffice site it doesn’t mention signature , so perhaps it was just tracked and insured I shall inquire at the PO later , I don’t get many sales to Australia so am not sure what services are available.
The lady is currently asking neighbours if they took it in , she is sure it wasn’t delivered to her house - if it didn’t need a signature it would have fitted through a standard letterbox , but do they have those in Oz ?
Not sure quite what to do if she comes back saying it is nowhere to be seen , if I have to replace I would be over £70 out of pocket.
Not really sure of all the rules with this posting lark, but if the parcel was sent tracked and insured and was then failed to be delivered to the actual address you stated on the documents surely u have rights and could claim back your losses. @DeborahJonesJewellery
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you
Karen
Oh no! Did she pay via Paypal? If so, as far as I am aware (feel free to disagree with me) If the tracking says that it’s been delivered, you are not obliged to refund or replace. I think it would be worth asking Royal Mail and Paypal for their advice.
I have asked in the local post office , they had never come across it happening with a tracked item , so weren’t much help.
They said to Australia you can either have tracked or signed for - not both . So I had opted for tracked Airsure as it was supposedly the most reliable and slightly quicker.
She paid via Paypal , so I am probably covered there . But that doesn’t help the customer. She is a repeat customer too so I really don’t want to lose her goodwill either.
Fingers crossed a neighbour has it , although it says it was delivered on the 20th April- so they will have had it a long time.
Since she paid by paypal then you should be covered by their seller protection so you would be able to claim a refund through them. They don’t require the signature (or lack there of) to prove delivery they are happy with (copying from their website)
“Proof of Delivery” is online documentation from a shipping company that includes all of the following:
The date the item is delivered.
The recipient's address, showing at least the city/state or postal code (or international equivalent).
Hopefully you can remake the item for her and get compensation for the missing one from Paypal so you are not out of pocket.
Sasha
Hopefully Sasha , I haven’t ever had to try claiming from PayPal as a seller . Fingers crossed.
I will have to see if the customer wants a refund or replacement.