on larger more costly items, it becomes an issue of customs, more than shipping costs OR the fact that there is NO way to track it and it is non-insurable! It is very easy for an international buyer to claim the item never arrived...here in the US we have NO way to prove that it did! So we have to send a refund and are out the product and shipping costs!
I ship international and have been burned many times this way..but I remain positive that the vast majority are honest buyers and really will do the right thing...