Here is an easy, efficient, cheap way to send international first class parcels (small packets) for non-eBay transactions using the PayPal-eBay shipping labels. I thought about this for a long time, and finally did it just today. It works fine, and I don't see how anyone could object.

I go into the reasoning below, but this is my solution to the problem: Make a special eBay listing with a 50-cent opening bid and $1.00 buy-it-now option. Have your customer in the foreign country buy-it-now. Costs you under 50-cents in fees. Then when you prepare the PayPal shipping label (which gives you a big discount), you type in (edit) whatever you want on the customs form -- description of the item, weight, value, gift or merchandise!

To follow this, some definitions. Just as with domestic US mailings, the cheapest way to send anything abroad is by First Class Mail. There are four types of First Class mailings:
¶ postcard
¶ letters -- lots of dimension rules, but must be maximum of 1/4" thick.
¶ large envelopes (flats) -- must be 3/4 inch max. It is fairly expensive, and there are these annoying rules -- they must NOT be rigid, must be uniformly thick. So I never use the flats rate.
¶ parcels (packages; small packets) -- no significant restrictions on size, shape.

If you sell something on eBay, it is wonderful to ship small items internationally. You CAN send the item First Class International PARCEL rate. You get a nice discount. The shipping label comes with the customs form built into it. To many countries you can use the customs number for tracking. So very easy and cheap.

However, here is the problem. If you are paid by PayPal and it is NOT an eBay transaction, you are not able to print an INTERNATIONAL FIRST CLASS PARCEL shipping label, only letter postage rate and flat postage rate, plus the more expensive mail services (Priority, Express, etc.). (You also can NOT make a First Class International Parcel shipping label using the PayPal "Create Your Shipping Label" form.)

Robert