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.

[afantiques]

although the first item of these two the GSP was not listed and only showed up after I had won the item.

Were you using a mobile device to browse or search? BIN or auction?

[carver1.6t]

GLOBAL SHIPPING IS USLESS,EXPENSIVE, and you can't get a hold of anyone .here is a perfect example:I bought a small stereo tube on e bay. i had not noticed the seller was using global. he was located in New Jersey, I am located in Canada. I needed this tube to complete the sale of my Fisher 400 receiver for 600.00 . So The tube is shipped, get this. (from new jersey it ends up in kentuky,then it is now shipped to me in Montreal, which needless to say I still have not received the tube and lost the sale of the receiver as a result of these incomptanat idiots at global.

[meccasks]

I try to avoid sellers that use GSP as much as possible but it seems to be getting harder and harder.It's ridiculous when the shipping comes out to more than half the price of the item when it shouldn't have to, not to mention shipping times are horrendous.I ordered parts for my snowmobile and its been 2 weeks now and they still aren't here.If it weren't for the GSP I would be riding right now.I might get my parts by the time the snow is gone 

I have found retailers in Canada I can buy some small engine parts from but there's stuff I still use ebay for and it's pretty discouraging getting gouged by the GSP.All it does is save the seller the time it takes to fill out a customs form.

[reallynicestamps]

$20-$28 ?? Okay which province are you in?

That would be the explanation for the difference in sales taxes (5% in Alberta and 17% in New Brunswick, for example) which would not be computed until the bidder had placed the order.

At which point, the total including GSP import fee charges should show.

And the bidder could decide the price was too high (or not) and simply not confirm the bid.

Except, that wasn't the question you were asking the customer rep, was it? 

The part about foreign exchange would be right enough of course. I was shocked today to notice that my $9.99USD BINs have $12.73CDN prices. Guess those will be going overseas and not to Canada.

The GSP is a horrorshow for Canadians, and certainly should be avoided.

[dpoirier05]

This program is an absolutely terrible idea.   See my post "Global Shipping Program is a scam".   I used to pay about $10 to bring an item under 2 pounds for the U.S.  

Now it would cost be about $20 PLUS the phantom import fees.  THERE ARE NO IMPORT FEES WHEN USING USPS!   Ebay has more than doubled the cost for shipping.   They are pocketing the phantom import fees.  Using Ebay has been cost prohibitive for me.  

 I am extremely disappointed that Ebay is misleading US shippers that this program has any benefit for Canadian importers.   

[pjcdn2005]

$20-$28 ?? Okay which province are you in?

That would be the explanation for the difference in sales taxes (5% in Alberta and 17% in New Brunswick, for example) which would not be computed until the bidder had placed the order.

If the buyer is signed in they will see the total before the purchase, for the province that they are in.  If the listing is an auction the import charges will go up as the bidding goes up but with a buy it now listing, the total charges should be listed before the item is purchased. The buyer does have to click on the listing though to see the full charges...they don't necessarily see all charges in the search view.

[betty-art]

JUST KILL THIS RIP OFF SERIVCE!!!!!!!!  It is not needed, not wanted and hurting sales.  I personally WILL NEVER BUY from anyone who uses it.,

[betty-art]

I AGREE JUST KILL THIS RIP OFF SERIVCE

[betty-art]

IT IS NOT NEEDED Just kill it

[betty-art]

I WILL NEVER NEVER buy from any seller using it. I now search for Canadian vendors and the US sales are TOO expensive with this RIP OFF serive

[betty-art]

I agree totally.  The service is a total rip off and ONLY BENIFITS Pitney Bowes.  It does NOTHING to benefit a US seller, selling to Canada.  It only make them less competitive.  I will never buy from a seller using the system.

[betty-art]

I AGREE The service is a rip off, only makes Pitney Bowes money and adds unneeded extra cost to any Canadian buying from a US vendor. Just scrap the rip off service.

[betty-art]

Kalvin, 

It should be very obvious to you from all of the negative feedback that ebay's Global Shipping Program is likely the most hated thing that ebay  has ever done!  It is not needed, and certainly NOT WANTED by anyone who knows how to buy internationally.  It is simply a money grab for Pitney Bowes as they are loosing money through their normal postal machine business.So they have convinced someone at ebay that this would be somehow beneficial to eBay's sellers.  What a con job! 

Canadians DO NOT WANT OR NEED this service.  It only serves to make items in the USA more expensive and unattractive to Canadian buyers.  I will never buy anything from any ebay seller who uses it.  I always ask if the seller will ship direct and not use the service.  I make it quote clear that the service is a rip off, and I will not buy from them if they insist on using it.  I will however buy from them if they do not use it. 

Most items coming my mail from the USA to Canada come through at no extra cost at all!  Even if they do have a charge by Canada Customs, Canada Post has a flat fee for clearing the parcel and then just the HST/GST and it is itemized.  Far less expensive and easier that the rip off service you have.  More and more Canadians will not buy from any ebay user using it.  This only benefits Craig's List, Kijiji, and other selling sites.  I am getting tired of having to explain to sellers that the service is a rip off and does not benefit them at all selling to Canadians. 

Remember also, the number one trading partner of the USA is it's neibour to the north.  CANADA!    Get rid of it or make it easier for sellers to not use it/opt out of it.

[betty-art]

I did that once, and contacted the seller to explain why I wanted to cancel the order.  I explained to him that the service is a rip off.  He agreed to cancel my order.  I told him I would still buy his item if he shipped direct and NOT through the GSP.  He said he could not so I cancelled the order.  So even if you do buy by accident, cancel the order and explain why.

[mater721]

Received my item late last week - so delivery time was reasonable.

Box was a little beat up - but no damage to item. Not sure if that was original packing or PB.

I too have avoided the GSP since it's inception. Total cost was just too high - including Import Fees on items < $60.

Item recently purchased was ~ $31 USD.  So normally GSP would not be good for this.

However, items was somewhat bulky, but shipping was quite reasonable. So I gambled, and it paid off.

I doubt I will make many purchases through GSP, mostly because of cost, partially out of "fear it goes wrong".

But I will always weigh the pros vs cons in the listings.

[mater721]

" So even if you do buy by accident, cancel the order and explain why."

If the listing has ended it would have to be a mutual cancellation.

If seller does not agree, you are stuck.

[tag102014]

Hi you are right that taxes can fluctuate depending on province, I live in Ontarrio, but regardless under $20 has always been duty free. So, taxes should not have applied under $20. A $5.99 item should not have increased by $5.50 from quote even if taxes did apply. Even at 10% more should have been $0.56. I did ask for breakdown of increase, but not given a specifc reason. Just that it can fluctuate $8. I guess I could have tried to cancel order, but in GPS description it states it is an estimate and you kind of agree to those terms I guess when you bid. Didn't want to deal with being a non-payer and be reported as that. It was just a good lesson for me and I definitely won't bid on a GPS item again. 

[tag102014]

You mentioned that once I bid it should have shown the GPS shipping.  It did ,But the amount changed when I went to pay.

[m-banfill]

Im not for the Global Shipping either myself, but everytime I ask for a quote for USPS, they always quote me high than what it would cost using GSP, is there a reason for that?  Is there a certain type of USPS I should be asking for?

[pjcdn2005]

Heavier items may be less expensive to ship through the gsp. Some sellers may be quoting you USPS Priority or perhaps they are giving you a higher price because they only want to use the gsp.

Ask if they would mind shipping USPS First Class International Package del con (delivery confirmation). If they say that First Class doesn't have del confirmation to Canada, tell them it does as long as they purchase the label online.