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.

[smooth_bomber]

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kalvin@ebay.com wrote:

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.

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As a long time Canadian eBay member (since 1998) I too share the disappointment and concerns voiced by many in this forum.  So rather than saying what's already been said thousands or perhaps tens of thousands of times by now, I would like to ask some questions about the program that really haven't been answered.  I think people might be dying to know....

1) When taxes or "import charges" are not charged on an item upon entry into Canada but you have paid for them through the GSP who ultimately pockets the cash? Does PB write a check to CCRA in good faith? Is this documented anywhere for the buyer to see that the payment has been made and for how much?

2) Why are Canadian products coming back into Canada subject to the program?

3) Why are the total shipping and import charges hidden from the seller?

4) Has there been an increase or a decrease in Canadian purchases from US sellers since the program launched?

5) Why is the GSP in effect on items under $20?

6) Is any of this growing heap of negative feedback being considered and can we expect any changes or should I concede to the fact that I need to look elsewhere if I want to buy products from the US?

I should answer your questions as well Kavin:

1. Nothing to speak of, I have avoided sellers who used the program or asked them to offer me a non GSP listing (which many kindly do once they are made aware of the charges).

2. Use the feedback gathered here to analyze and drastically revise the program or eliminate it all together

3. Absolutely ludicrously prohibitive fees for shipping and import

4. I've actually started seeking out sellers' non-eBay websites.  I was surprised to find that many eBay sellers with eBay stores also have their own websites and offer their products direct and sometimes at reduced prices. It is also more cost effective now to simply Google the product you are looking for and source it as directly as possible. Either way avoids GSP and actually opened my eyes that there are better deals out there. I never used look much beyond eBay but GSP has forced be to look around so I guess there's the positive for me to answer your first question....GSP has helped me learn that there are better deals to be had outside of eBay.

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[pierrelebel]

"No, it was an import charge."

Whenever you see "import charge." in a listing, it includes tax (if applicable), and a service fee payable to Pitney Bowes.

That is why they call it "import charges", not "taxes and duty".

[mauswiesel89]

[afantiques]

If items are being shipped as part of a bulk or multi-item lot, they lose the low value import exemption, taxes are calculated on the whole shipment and pro-rata allocated to individual items.

This is  why the  small import charge appears. Service charges for non taxable items are folded into the shipping cost.

[afantiques]

1) When taxes or "import charges" are not charged on an item upon entry into Canada but you have paid for them through the GSP who ultimately pockets the cash? Does PB write a check to CCRA in good faith? Is this documented anywhere for the buyer to see that the payment has been made and for how much?

Taxes are always charged and paid, there is not hit and miss process as you'll find with postal imports. So it's a non question. Freight imports are treated in a far less hit and miss manner than postal imports.

2) Why are Canadian products coming back into Canada subject to the program?

Whatever a user lists with GSP shipping is subject to the program. Country of manufacture, and new or used, makes not difference to the import sales tax liability. This assumes you mean 'subject to the import charges of the program'

3) Why are the total shipping and import charges hidden from the seller?

The seller can see them if they look,but admittedly, most won't know how to look. Showing a different page for overseas buyers makes it clearer, but it is certainly wrong that the domestic shipping page does not have a simple link to the overseas version to alert the seller they are GSP bound.

[mater721]

"$1.98 was most likely a service charge, not a tax."

So PB tacks on a fee when no 'taxes/duty' applicable (below $20 Cdn) ?

[pjcdn2005]

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@mater721 wrote:

"$1.98 was most likely a service charge, not a tax."

So PB tacks on a fee when no 'taxes/duty' applicable (below $20 Cdn) ?

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Yes, there is always a service charge. If there are no taxes or duty due then the service charge is rolled into the shipping charge. Regardless if the item is taxable or not, PB still handles the item at their processing center.

But in the situation that you are referring to, the buyer purchased 3 items from the same seller and the combined total was more than that country's tax/duty free amount so there are actual import fees (tax/duty)

[mater721]

Thanks for the info. Good to know.

[pierrelebel]

"So PB tacks on a fee when no 'taxes/duty' applicable (below $20 Cdn) ?"

Yes, always.

This is not Canada Post.  Canada Post charges a flat $9.95 service charge whenever taxes (or duty) are charged. This is where that $20 comes from as postal imports under $20 are generally not taxable in Canada.

Pitney Bowes generally charges only a few dollars (under $5) for most shipments valued at less than $100.

However, sometimes you will not see the PB service charge.  For most transactions valued at less than $20 (when being imported into Canada; other countries may see something different), PB will not show "import charges" but will include its service charge within the "shipping charge" in an effort to minimize confusion.

It is quite clear, reading all these posts, that many viewers see "import charges" and assume "duty and taxes".  That is not always the case.

[miketrain2]

With the GSP I now end up paying duty on $10 and $20 items which is horrendous.  Add to that I'm usually buying a well used item which shouldn't be taxed anyway.  Case in point, $15 item with $23.94 GSP shipping for a small light item.  Other stuff I've checked out, $40 items with added $20 duty included GSP.  Stuff I normally wouln't have been charged duty at all, I think it's $40 or less and there shouldn't be any duty added at the border.  Also doesn't make sense to charge the same for 100 miles from the Canadian border and shipping the same item to Europe.

[miketrain2]

I also checked a few months back about Star Wars figure weapons. Cost on e-bay $6. shipping through this program $36, absolutely ridiculous fees. Should be $2. through USPS in an envelope.

[here3839again]

Should it really take from July 30 to Aug 5 all in Erlanger, to forward a package containing a single item? This is hardly "International Priority Shipping".  (seven days just to handle a single item all in Erlanger, at Pitney Bowes shipping center.

Most disappointed in Ebay/Pitney Bowes. 

Will seek an alternative forwarder or switch to Amazon.

here3839again

[00nevermind00]

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@afantiques wrote:

3) Why are the total shipping and import charges hidden from the seller?

The seller can see them if they look,but admittedly, most won't know how to look. Showing a different page for overseas buyers makes it clearer, but it is certainly wrong that the domestic shipping page does not have a simple link to the overseas version to alert the seller they are GSP bound.

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A lot of them also couldn't care less what the charges are to the buyer. I've read many posts on the .com boards from GSP sellers who say "what do I care that the program is costly to the buyer? I don't care about the buyer's costs, as long as the program is free for me."

Since eBay is still enrolling sellers into the GSP without so much as letting them know, I doubt that they'll implement that link any time soon. Even though they really should.

[mpit7628]

Hello again.  Recently I have posted a couple of questions about Global Shipping and I  have again  experienced an issue with this shipping that eBay should deal with.  In the last couple of weeks I have been bidding on antique pocket watches but have had no luck.  I contacted a couple of different sellers in that time who were part of the Global Shipping Program for details about their watches but heard nothing back.  I started to wonder whether people selling old watches were not the best sellers and then I remembered that someone on this forum mentioned American sellers are encouraged to use Global Shipping even when they ship just with in the U. S.  I have now taken to contacting sellers before bidding even though the listing states they ship internationally with Global Shipping.  The last two sellers messaged back that they do not ship internationally, sorry!!  Why are people using "Global" Shipping when they do not ship Globally?  It used to be that the only time I needed to contact a seller would be if I found an item on eBay.com and the seller shipped just in the U.S.  I would ask for their permission to bid and go from there.  Now it's to the point that we have to contact sellers even when their listing says they will ship here.  This is nuts!!  What a mess!  These listings are making their way on all international eBay sites and causing a lot of grief all the way around.  Well, that's my rant  for the day.  Have a great night everyone!

[femmefan1946]

 Why are people using "Global" Shipping when they do not ship Globally?

For a while there eBay was signing up sellers without making it clear that they were being drawn into the program. This has apparently stopped, but it is an indication of how few Canadian customers US sellers actually get that some still after a year do not realize that they are offering international shipping.

It may help if you mention to your seller that he can now ship to Canada using USPS First Class International and get Confirmation of Delivery for up to four pounds of product. Or not.

[cullskomiks]

BLATANT(that means obvious) cash grab. I don't get charged import fees or duties, so ebay makes up the fees and charges me for them. This is FRAUD.

Don't you make enough money already?

Do the members of the board demand a rise in profit every year? Of course they do.

[lestweforgetptsd]

Do you work for eBay or PB or a Liquidator afantiques ? Just curious that you post about GSP in the US boards and now Canada?

I came here to research what the buyers are saying about GSP because most sellers do not even know until there is a [problem with the program and a sale...

GSP is a fraudulent tax evasion scam if you dig and they are pocketing off the buyer back thousands - millions of dollars per year from International Buyers who have no clue as to the fine print and legalese of this program. Buyers are under the impression the "fees" are to pay taxes, in most cases that are not required...and PB and ebay keep that money in those cases cause guess what the buyer agreed without knowing and reading the 50 page legal **bleep** 

They do not have to refund the balance to the unaware buyer....that is criminal! This is a huge consumer fraud being played out by 4 partnered groups.....you have PB, eBay, FedX, Pay Pal and the liquidator that confiscates and resells the items on eBay for profit that they deem undelivered which is run by NorAm another partner with eBay. AND to boot the GSP centered appears to be run by eBay? Why are they hiring eBay managers to run it under job searches?????? Hello!!!!! Scam! 

I have NEVER in my selling life both US and International seen such BS and Fraud! I have NEVER had an item confiscated by customs or lost or returned by the services I use....if taxes are required the buyer pays then when they retrieve it...nothing I do on this end nor will I scam them. I refund any excess shipping costs back to my buyer that is just good business! Shame on eBay and PB and all the other people involved!!!!!

[lestweforgetptsd]

Have any of you buyers actually read the "terms & conditions" for the GSP program before buying? Consumer law protects the right of buyers and this program appears on the surface ok, but dig a bit deeper and it comes across as 

As a seller,  I came here to research what the buyers are saying about GSP because most sellers do not even know what the buyers feel about this program and how it is working for them on their end, they only know about what happens on their PC screen

If you read all of the seller "Terms & Conditions" the benefits for the seller outweigh the benefits for the buyer in a BIG way.: http://pages.ebay.com/shipping/globalshipping/seller-tnc.html

In my opinion the GSP program appears moreso a fraudulent profit based, tax evasion scam if you dig. It appears numerous partnered groups ( eBay, PB, FedX, Pay Pal, NorAm, eBay reseller international_liquidatorz, are all obviously profiting from the Program Fee Estimates" you buyers are paying and pocketing those fees and any excess. This profit comes off the buyer's back costing buyers thousands - millions of dollars per year all from you International Buyers who have no clue as to the fine print and legalese of this program.

Your Buyer Terms & Conditions make that clear! http://pages.ebay.com.au/shipping/globalshipping/buyer-tnc.html

Buyers are under the impression the "fees" are to pay taxes, in most cases that are not required...and PB and ebay keep that money in those cases cause guess what the buyer agreed without knowing and reading the 50 page legal **bleep**

They do not have to refund the balance to the unaware buyer....that is criminal! This is a huge consumer fraud being played out by 4 partnered groups.....you have PB, eBay, FedX, Pay Pal and the liquidator NorAm that confiscates and resells items on eBay for profit that they deem undelivered.  NorAm is partnered with eBay and Pitney Bowes. AND to boot the GSP center appears to be run by eBay? Why are they hiring eBay managers to run it under job searches??????

Hello!!!!! If this is not a Scam it sure smells bad!!!!

I have NEVER in my selling life both US and International seen such BS and Fraud! I have NEVER had an item confiscated by customs or lost or returned by the services I use....if taxes are required the buyer pays them when they retrieve it...nothing I do on this end nor will I scam them. I refund any excess shipping costs back to my buyer that is just good business! Shame on eBay and PB and all the other people involved!!!!!

[afantiques]

GSP is a fraudulent tax evasion scam if you dig and they are pocketing off the buyer back thousands - millions of dollars per year from International Buyers who have no clue as to the fine print and legalese of this program. Buyers are under the impression the "fees" are to pay taxes, in most cases that are not required...and PB and ebay keep that money in those cases cause guess what the buyer agreed without knowing and reading the 50 page legal **bleep** 

This is complete nonsense.  There are many things wrong with the GSP but nothing illegal or indeed very profitable.

More than any other topic this one seems to provoke the most ill informed rants.

[afantiques]

Buyers are under the impression the "fees" are to pay taxes, in most cases that are not required..

Items are shipped as freight and the import tax rules are strictly followed. People who are used to getting items sent by post with a much laxer collection regime are the ones saying the taxes are not required, but this is solely due to their misunderstanding of the import process.