Comments about the Global Shipping Program

[kalvin@ebay.com]

Feel free to share your thoughts about the Global Shipping Program here. 

A few questions to get the ball rolling:

• What has worked well for you with the Global Shipping Program?
• Any ideas to help improve the experience for Canadian buyers?
• What has deterred you from buying items offered using the Global Shipping Program?
• How have you managed to search for items outside the program?

Please try & keep the comments constructive 🙂

If you have any questions about the program, please post them here.

[tobeysgrandma]

And as a result of using the program for items under $50, the entire program is discredited in the eyes of the buyers. It doesn't make any sense to sell a $10 item with $50 in shipping fees. Unfortunately the seller doesn't get to see this part. He/she has no idea what the shipping fee is. To add credibility to the program, eBay should not allow it to be used on small cost items and the seller should be made aware of the shipping charges so he/she can evaluate the effect on the selling potential of their item.

[pierrelebel]

"they are charging import duties on antique dolls"

Where specifically do you see duty being charged on antique dolls manufactured in the USA?  Please provide listing number.

Do you mean sales tax (GST/HST/PST) which is chargeable on all dolls regardless of age or "duty" (different thing).

[pierrelebel]

"And as a result of using the program for items under $50, the entire program is discredited in the eyes of the buyers"

I totally agree with you and blame eBay - nobody else - for the problem.

[afantiques]

Not only that but they are charging import duties on antique dolls and there are no import duties for antiques into Canada.

Antiques are not eligible for GSP shipping, so the items will be assumed not to be antique.

[19funk67]

The Global shipping option is a huge money-making scam by ePay. They convince sellers (or force them, for all I know) that hey, we'll take care of everything, just sit back and print this label and send your stuff out and that's it. But you WILL lose customers when they find out you're charging arms and legs to ship $5 items. This is simply a way for ePay to siphon MORE and MORE of your and my money. The buyer pays heavy and the seller gets hit heavy - you all know it. They re shooting themselves in the foot, for sure, and it will all come down on them too. It's going to make sellers in the US only able to sell to others in the US, and even then the bloodsuckers will not be sated. I myself am making the transition to the multitude of better sites that are out there, and so are a lot of others. It'll be no great loss when ePay is finally like the proverbial doornail; dead.

[afantiques]

So go tell the US sellers.

[19funk67]

It's complete veiled extortion, coming to you with a friendly smile, sweet talk and a kiss - well, the kiss of death for ePay. I will not ever use the Global Stripping option. The vast majority of sellers I have bought from, I could probably say 99% or better, are honest folks and I have rarely had a problem buying from them using First Class shipping. It's usually one of the post providers that mucks up, and usually by doing something stupid like not reading the address correctly. That said, I have to say that the postal carriers themselves provide excellent service and I thank them. Unfortunately, USPS recently jacked their rates somewhere around 100% to ship things to Canada. Now ePay wants to add injury to insult to injury by giving us this super-garbage. Well, if you mean to wean me off of spending my money, no problem. (sarcasm alert) Because the last thing I want to do is stop spending money. God forbid I should stop buying things I really don't need. And if I feel compelled to do so anyway, there are many, MANY other sites where I can do that, free from the tyranny that is ePay. As well, so many of the sellers I buy from have off-ePay sites that I can use without being waterboarded. A great alternative for now is the UK site because it's laughably cheaper to buy from them and have it shipped across a big ol' ocean rather than buying in the US. I've even bought from AUSTRALIA for less than some of the Global rates! Who wants to pay $20+ shipping for $5 dollar items?! Unless you're buying diamonds or the like, you rarely need this kind of 'ultra-service'. If this spells the end of my ePay days, well so what? I should almost thank you but considering your ravenous greed, I will just say good riddance.

[marnotom!]

19funk67, do you find it difficult to find listings where the Global Shipping Program isn't being used?

What I do is I make my searches using "list view" rather than "gallery view".  In "list view," the subtitle "Customs services and international tracking provided" shows up on Global Shipping Program listings.  If you're bound and determined not to make a purchase through the program, simply avoid those listings that show that it's being used.

What you may be finding is that the program is being largely utilized by sellers who either don't realize that they're in the program (bit of a story behind that one) or that sellers who have never shipped internationally in their lives are using it and don't understand how it works on the buyer's end.  I doubt that there are many U.S. sellers who have given up on the tried and true US Postal Service and thrown their lot in with the GSP instead.  Those who have may have done their homework and found that the items that they sell are some of the rare ones that actually work reasonably well with the program, especially if they're ones that are too heavy to ship as oversized letters (First Class International / Small Packet).

[jpasula]

Is there a way to filter out sellers who use this program?  I'm not spending $15-$20 to get an item that I paid $5 for and can be shipping in an envelope for under a buck.

[marnotom!]

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@rick31797 wrote:

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Not a new statement relaease , That statement was made July 17, so since then, there have been far too many people having issues with packages being opened and not repacked property..

When i say this is happening " ALOT"  When somebody has there package opened and not repackage proper, and the item is damaged, that's one too many..

And of course not everybody that has problems with GSP report here or talk about it on U-tube..Only GSP and Ebay would have the correct number of complaints , from buyers, and they would never release the information its against there best interest...

---

I'm not sure what the age of the statement has to do with the price of beans.  People were having their packages opened prior to PBI posting that information, too.

The fact is, PBI admits that in certain circumstances, packages will be opened.  Seems to me that the best way to combat this would be for sellers to include the item's country of origin with the listing's "Item Specifics" so that the Global Shipping Centre worker handling the package has something to refer to and an excuse not to open it.  (Surely it's less work to leave a package alone and not open it up than to open it up and repackage it badly?)

Having said that, I'm trying to get into the habit of checking the Item Specifics for GSP listings that I run into, and I don't think any of them have shown the item's Country of Origin so far...

[marnotom!]

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@jpasula wrote:

Is there a way to filter out sellers who use this program?  I'm not spending $15-$20 to get an item that I paid $5 for and can be shipping in an envelope for under a buck.

---

See the post I made just above yours.  It's not a "filter" per se but at least one can identify GSP listings with this technique without actually having to click on them.

[19funk67]

Exactly.

[bennett4612]

Hi janet4814. 

Really sorry to hear about your broken item. 

I believe further down in this thread you mentioned that you did file a claim. Please feel free to send me a Private Message with your transaction and claim details and I can look into it from this end, and maybe speed things along. 

Pitney Bowes does have to open packages on occasion, but it sounds like something wasn't handled correctly in the re-packaging. 

Again, sorry about all of this. And please let me know if I can help in any way. 

---Ben

[marnotom!]

GLOBAL SHIPPING OPTION a HUGE MONEY-MAKING SCAM by EBAY

Badly designed?  Yes.

Badly implemented?  Yes.

Badly communicated to eBay users?  Yes.

Scam?  No.

[19funk67]

I don't necessarily seek out only listings where GSP isn't being used, but thanks for that info.
I agree, many sellers don't even realize they are using it or aren't certain how to use it. It just adds layers of complication whereas it used to be fun. I will always ask a seller if they will change the listing and they often do. Cheers!

[rick31797]

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@marnotom! wrote:

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@rick31797 wrote:

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Not a new statement relaease , That statement was made July 17, so since then, there have been far too many people having issues with packages being opened and not repacked property..

When i say this is happening " ALOT"  When somebody has there package opened and not repackage proper, and the item is damaged, that's one too many..

And of course not everybody that has problems with GSP report here or talk about it on U-tube..Only GSP and Ebay would have the correct number of complaints , from buyers, and they would never release the information its against there best interest...

---

I'm not sure what the age of the statement has to do with the price of beans.  People were having their packages opened prior to PBI posting that information, too.

The fact is, PBI admits that in certain circumstances, packages will be opened.  Seems to me that the best way to combat this would be for sellers to include the item's country of origin with the listing's "Item Specifics" so that the Global Shipping Centre worker handling the package has something to refer to and an excuse not to open it.  (Surely it's less work to leave a package alone and not open it up than to open it up and repackage it badly?)

Having said that, I'm trying to get into the habit of checking the Item Specifics for GSP listings that I run into, and I don't think any of them have shown the item's Country of Origin so far...

---

so your saying the reason GSP is opening up packages is because the SELLER fails to include the country origin and the specifics of what is in the box.. so its the sellers fault ,

how would you ever know if the sellers are not putting the information on the box clearly to read or not.. are you speculating this is why GSP opens the boxes.

Of all the sellers on the USA site that sent me parcels, not one did not have a customs label on it saying the country of origin and description of what was inside..

your statements are not valid..

[masterdetailer_ca]

As far as I am concerned, as a Canadian buyer, the GSP sucks.

I just made a purchase of 3 items from a US seller.  I was charged full shipping and import charges on all 3 items.  When I requested a combined shipping invoice, the seller stated that eBay would not allow him to combine the shipping because it was through the GSP.

Also, most items I purchase that are shipped via USPS come through without any import charges and those that do have a very low brokerage fee.

eBay has already driven the cost of shipping up by not offering First Class as an online shipping option to sellers and this GSP has priced the option of buying on eBay over the top.  It is now better for me to pay more offsite and save on the shipping.

Regards,

Leland

[masterdetailer_ca]

One other comment; when I paid for my shipment I forgot to change the shipping address so it would go directly to my daughter.  Before GSP this was a simple matter of contacting the seller and requesting a change of address.  Now this is not possible.

Leland

[19funk67]

One definition of 'scam'; "a stratagem for gain"....

If you think that ePay doesn't manage pick up some extra cash off the backs of buyers AND sellers thru all this, think again. It's not some benevolent action on their part.

At any rate, 'scam' in this case is just a ranter's term for feeling ripped off. And I do.

Totally applicable.

[rick31797]

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@19funk67 wrote:

One definition of 'scam'; "a stratagem for gain"....

If you think that ePay doesn't manage pick up some extra cash off the backs of buyers AND sellers thru all this, think again. It's not some benevolent action on their part.

At any rate, 'scam' in this case is just a ranter's term for feeling ripped off. And I do.

Totally applicable.

---

The scam part is some buyers are not getting the service  they pay for..for some reason there packages are being opened and not re-packed properly.If what i hear is true,that they are opening up boxes and repacking in a smaller box , then definitely a scam going on,  absolutely no reason to do this.