If there is anyone in the UK who sells on ebay a word of warning. Paypal seemingly expect you to send all items (even if only costing a couple of pounds) on a fully tracked, signed for, international airmail service. Be aware this can add almost £10.00 to the cost of a standard letter.

I have recently sent something out to France, the buyer chose not to use a tracked service and paid only £2.00 for airmail letter (having been given more than one option) then cried that his item didnt arrive. Despite the fact that I provided proof of posting, and full airmail prices, Paypal decided to refund him, even though he cant prove the item was never received.

I am now out the item and a not so small sum, because the buyer chose to use an untracked service them complained he didnt have the item. Paypal, dont even allow you to appeal, deciding now the case is closed.

Alex, much as I sympathise, Paypal have made this clear for quite a while. It's very easy for a buyer to claim an item was never received if it's not sent by Recorded Delivery or what ever national equivalent applies, and in those cases Paypal will always find in the buyers favour.

Simple answer I've always used when selling items on Ebay was to have the cost of Recorded Delivery for the postage charge on the Invoice, and if anyone wanted a cheaper option to insist on a UK bankable cheque and letting it clear before sending the item. For most people in the UK or abroad it ultimately becomes faster or cheaper to just go with the original cost by Paypal.

Many people are taken in by recorded delivery too, which is neither trackable (despite there being a tracking number on the item), nor carries much compensation (I think £35.00). Round my way too, the postmen dont even get a signature upon delivery most times, and even our local Post Office say its pointless using the service as its a waste of money. I had an item sent to me once by a well known auctionhouse, totalling about £170.00, recorded. sent to the correct address, but delivered to the wrong one, without a signature taken. It was only because of a neighbour that I got it.

I know Recorded is no longer as good as it once was (at our house recently we had the "You were out card..." - except I was in at the time delivery was supposedly attempted!), but at least when Paypal asks if you sent it Recorded you can say yes and have a better chance of not losing out.

I just wanted to put my two cents in. I prefer to have items shipped that require a signiture. I do not mind paying a additional fee. In the US, a least the mailmen that I have had, have always been top notch. Royal Mail is quite expensive but if it is a item that I want, it is well worth it. I recently lost a item that I paid for because I forgot to tell the person to have a signiture required and that was right here in the USA. I had a bad feeling about it but that is the way things go. Most people who like to collect do not mind the additional charge because it puts their mind at ease.
Off topic, but why do people who sell on EBAY UK list items that will not be shipped out of the UK

If you mean sellers outside the UK, in many cases, items placed on one site appera on others. Like many here, I sell on the UK site, but the item appears on the US, Canadian, Australian etc, even if I stated 'not outside the UK'.

Re the international posting. The buyer of the item refused the cost of a signed for, tracked and additionally insured item as the cost was too high, about £8.00 all in. I am very sus, as he then bleats the item never arrived and hides all his feedback. Hmmm....

Well two reasons that spring to mind,
Firstly most people that sell off surplus items to their collection are doing just that, it is a hobby not a business. Trying to track items that go astray in the UK is hard enough but once they leave the shores almost impossible, and just not worth the extra work. As an aside to this. I am a collector and when an item gets lost in the post it is not the financial loss that hurts the most it is the thought that the item is lost/destroyed. In the case of a scarce piece being compensated for the cost does not really make up for it.

This leads onto to the second reason, and I am sure this is going to spark a debate, in the case of scarce RAF items some collectors here do not like the thought of them leaving the country to go to, for example, the US. The same as there are American collectors who do not like items pertianing to their history leaving the country. This is true across the world the supply of any historical artefact is finate and it is ussually only once they have all been shipped overseas that the country of origin realises the loss. Not saying that is is correct to have this attitude in our field of interest but I can understand it.