eBay

billybishop72 · ‎09-17-2016

I was going to get charged $22.80 to ship a $3 comic so I asked the seller if they would relist without using GSP. The listing was a couple of hours from ending. I got this reply....

It seems that US sellers know what's up and wont' change...so...I can't be bothered to write those grovelling explanations to sellers who use the GSP any more. When it comes to greed, I wonder if Ebay makes the old stock market saying come true...."Pigs get slaughtered."

momcqueen · ‎09-17-2016

The Global Shipping program was designed to appease xenophobic American sellers. It lets them ship to the USA only and absolves them of any trouble they might have with the transaction going sour along the way to its international destination.

I am not however surprised your seller opted not to go to the trouble of ending the item and relisting it without GSP since it is exactly that: trouble. Extra effort. And if he's enrolled in the program in the first place, it tells me he was and is not motivated to sell internationally so therefore your request stands an above-average chance of being denied.

The only thing you can do is move on.

Or find a friend in the USA who will forward stuff to you.

marnotom! · ‎09-17-2016

@mjwl2006 wrote:

And if he's enrolled in the program in the first place, it tells me he was and is not motivated to sell internationally so therefore your request stands an above-average chance of being denied.

Nicely put. And who wants to deal with a seller who doesn't know what they're doing or doesn't want to expand their horizons?

ypdc_dennis · ‎09-17-2016

@billybishop72 wrote:
I was going to get charged $22.80 to ship a $3 comic so I asked the seller if they would relist without using GSP. The listing was a couple of hours from ending.

You asked them to do extra work (and perhaps pay extra listing fees) for a $3 item.

You should have:

(1) Asked if they would be willing to ship to Canada directly via USPS.

(2) Point out how easy it is to modify the listing to exempt Canada from the Global Shipping Program.

The details on how-to-do-this (since most sellers don't know how) are in the amazon.com help files:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/shipping-globally.html

see second last section titled: Alternative international shipping options

(3) Recommend the USPS service to Canada to select from eBay's listing ship menu.

USPS First-Class Mail Intl / First Class Package Intl Service

- Electronic USPS Delivery Confirmation International included for free when bought online.

- Insurance available. Value of contents can not exceed $400.00

- Weight: up to 4 pounds. Maximum length 24", maximum length+height+thickness is less than 36"

USPS really pushes Priority Mail so less expensive First Class can be hard for a seller to find on the USPS website.

Since most Americans using GSP are also in love with delivery confirmation, expect to pay $9.50us or so to have a comic shipped as a First Class Package.

-..-

marnotom! · ‎09-18-2016

@ypdc_dennis wrote:

(2) Point out how easy it is to modify the listing to exempt Canada from the Global Shipping Program.
The details on how-to-do-this (since most sellers don't know how) are in the amazon.com help files:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/shipping-globally.html
see second last section titled: Alternative international shipping options

It's been some time since I've read any references to specifying alternative international shipping options with a GSP listing, but my recollection is that this modification can't be made to live listings, or at the very least it takes one or two days to kick in. Has this changed?

00nevermind00 · ‎09-18-2016

A rude reply would tell me two things:

1) The seller would certainly not be prepared to lift a finger in order to help me purchase his/her item and would probably rather I just go away.

2) I would gladly oblige with that last part because, really, who needs to deal with a rude seller!

momcqueen · ‎09-18-2016

True, very true. Every loyal customer starts with one transaction.

marnotom! · ‎09-18-2016

My recollection from the pre-GSP days when the .com site had an international trading discussion board is that there were quite a few posts from sellers who felt they'd been "burned" by the first international sale they tried making as an exception to their usual "ships to US" policy. Either they did get ripped off due to their naivete, or else they felt all the time and effort they put into it didn't make the sale worth their while.

Most of them never really considered that there's a learning curve involved. One is more able to sniff out a bad potential buyer more easily with experience, and the processing and shipping process goes a lot faster and more smoothly, as well.

Ironically, these sellers probably didn't realize that by excluding international shipping in their listings, they were probably driving away the "nice" international buyers they would have otherwise attracted since "nice" buyers generally just hit the "back" button when they hit a listing that doesn't specify shipping outside of the United States. (Unless they ruh-heely want the item, of course.) Instead, their shipping choices just attracted international buyers who didn't know any better, didn't care about ruffling a few feathers, or were out to "get them".

momcqueen · ‎09-18-2016

Leaning curve, too true. My first sale ever went to an Australian buyer. Finding a box to fit the thing I was trying to ship was enough to nearly make my head explode and then I had to print an online shipping label for the first time AND I had never completed Customs forms before. Altogether, I think it took me two hours to pack that order, and by the time I had finished, I was a nervous wreck.

Things are a bit different today. Ha ha. Nonetheless, I still think back to that first order each time I pack a new order.

It really felt as if I would have a complete meltdown. And then it disappeared en route.

However! I persevered, and I would never consider excluding international buyers as a result of that bad first experience. I am always quite honoured, in fact, when someone overseas places an order with me because they have to be extending some faith on their end that everything will go smoothly too. It's inherently risker to buy from someone to whom making a return is not easy or affordable.

I do think Canadians have a different view of the world than do our neighbours to the south.

marnotom! · ‎09-18-2016

@mjwl2006 wrote:

I do think Canadians have a different view of the world than do our neighbours to the south.

Definitely, and there's lots of reasons for this. The one that's probably predominant is the fact that we're a much smaller nation in terms of population and "personality". We have a different sense of our place in the world than our neighbours, who are a powerhouse in economic, cultural, military, you name it terms.

Sorry, hope that didn't come off as "mansplaining".

i.am.vivian · ‎09-18-2016

@mjwl2006 wrote:
Every loyal customer starts with one transaction.

Exactly. Well said! 🙂

2011limey1 · ‎09-22-2016

I've never purchased anything with GSP listed and never will. BUT when an item is inexpensive, as yours was, twice now I've messaged the seller and told them my story and both somehow complied and sent it without GSP. They can always say no, but you don't get if you don't ask.