Every charge affects a small seller’s margin. We’re documenting international shipping costs, asking for answers and helping sellers make their experiences heard.
Cash calculation before tax adjustments. This is one seller’s order, not an industry average.
Two founding casesEstimates clearly labelledEvidence before allegationsCompany responses welcome
Start with the receipts
Two orders. Questions worth answering.
These cases come from Betamax video man. Some figures are evidenced by screenshots; others are confirmed by the seller or remain estimates. They do not establish how widespread the issues are.
Documented charges + seller costs
Canada A margin almost gone
$2.47
remaining before packaging, fuel, labour and tax adjustments
A $25.14 DVD sale plus $18.96 buyer postage. The actual postage was $18.44. The Zonos bill contained $1.26 tax and $12.83 fees.
See the calculation and open questions
Buyer payment$44.10
eBay fees$−6.00
Actual postage$−18.44
Zonos tax$−1.26
Clearance fees$−2.82
Postal clearance fee$−10.01
Approximate stock cost$−3.10
The postal clearance entry is labelled as a CAD9.95 handling fee. We are asking who receives each fee, how it is calculated and where it was disclosed.
Evidence reviewed 20 October 2026. Postage confirmed by the seller; stock cost approximate. No finding of an incorrect fee has been made.
Estimated loss · earlier receipts pending
Germany Three paid dispatches
−$29.94
estimated result before packaging, fuel, labour and tax adjustments
The seller reports three postage payments and no postage refunds. The last was $24.14; the earlier payments were similar. eBay and Zonos both show VAT entries for the same sale.
See the assumptions and open questions
eBay payout after fees and buyer VAT$62.97
Three postage payments at $24.14 (estimate)$−72.42
Zonos duty, VAT and fees$−17.39
Approximate stock cost$−3.10
Exact cash result = $18.34 minus the first two postage charges. Their receipts are pending. The seller attributes the earlier failures to tariff-code and rejection issues; the recorded reasons still need verification.
eBay collected $14.21 VAT; Zonos charged another $8.52 VAT. Possible duplication requires IOSS and customs records. The €3 duty is a separate charge, not itself evidence of duplicate VAT.
The seller links the October shipment to the June sale. Differing delivery events and declared values remain to be reconciled.
Our approach: publish the figures, label what is uncertain, seek the companies’ explanations and correct the record when new evidence arrives. Australia Post and Zonos were both contacted on 20 October 2026. Acknowledgements were received; substantive responses were pending at packaging time. No refund or regulatory finding is claimed.
What we are asking for
Clear costs. Accurate records. A fair path to a remedy.
01
Full costs before sending
Show postage, customs, tax and service fees before the seller commits.
02
Tax recognised once
Make marketplace VAT information traceable through the shipping and customs process.
03
Reliable declarations
Explain code changes, validate data before dispatch and record why parcels are rejected.
04
Errors put right
Review avoidable repeat charges and provide clear, coordinated refund decisions.
Turn a problem into a record
Use the right complaint route.
Ask for a reference number, explain the outcome you want and retain every response. A campaign submission does not lodge a complaint with a company or regulator.
01
Start with the provider
Ask Australia Post for the rejection reasons, declaration history and refund review. For Zonos billing, request an itemised invoice and reconciliation of VAT already collected.
Complain to Australia Post first and allow 10 business days for a response. The Ombudsman considers service and complaint handling, but excludes postage pricing itself and complaints about Zonos directly.
The ACCC uses reports to understand potential widespread harm and inform enforcement. It does not resolve your individual refund dispute. Label suspected problems and estimates accurately.
Victorian sellers can ask the Small Business Commission about dispute assistance. Consumer Affairs Victoria can advise on whether consumer protections apply to their business purchase.
Include every postage attempt. Divide a shared post-office trip’s fuel cost across its parcels. Enter amounts in AUD.
$2.47
Cash remaining before labour, overheads and tax adjustments. Defaults use the Canadian example; zero packaging and fuel are placeholders, not evidence of zero costs.
Read the source guidance
Rules and processes checked 20 October 2026. Confirm current requirements before sending a parcel.
