Market Listings to International Buyers Easily attract buyers around the world by writing in simple, clear language. In general, avoid using colloquialisms or abbreviations that international buyers may not understand.

Communicate Effectively

Selling to buyers in other countries means answering emails at odd times due to time differences, communicating clearly about currencies, and sometimes overcoming language barriers.

• Address time zone differences. Your business hours may be very different from those kept by buyers around the globe. To provide the best service possible to potential buyers, specify your location and hours of availability in your listings, reply to emails from potential buyers as soon as possible, and use eBay's Time Zone Calculator to plan for time zone differences.

• Overcome language barriers. Easily attract buyers around the world by writing in simple, clear language. In general, avoid using colloquialisms or abbreviations that international buyers may not understand.
• Currency conversion in listings. eBay automatically displays both the currency you specify and the approximate home currency equivalent for the site on which a buyer views your item. For information about how to allow your international buyers to pay for items using different currencies, see Receive Payments.

Set Buyer Expectations

Simply and accurately describe what will happen after a buyer purchases your item. Call out any possible import problems.

• Estimate delivery time. Let buyers know when they can expect an item to arrive and specify any additional costs associated with expedited delivery. Delivery times will vary depending on where you are located and where your package needs to go. The UPS® Time-in-Transit page can help you roughly determine delivery timelines.
• Provide information on taxes and duties. A country may charge a Value Added Tax (VAT), in addition to applicable duties, when an item crosses its borders. Buyers are responsible for knowing how much they will be charged in taxes and duties, but you can provide good customer service by supplying rough estimates. The United States Council for International Business provides some estimates for international taxes and duties.
• Explain your policies. Specify which payment methods you accept, indicate how much time a winning bidder or fixed-price buyer has to complete a transaction, and describe your return policy. You may also want to tell potential buyers how to research customs fees and guidelines before they place a bid or make a purchase; delays in customs clearance can further increase delivery time.