eBay

kalvin@ebay.com · ‎09-26-2013

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.

~Kalvin
eBay.ca Community Manager

kalvin@ebay.com

fort2b · ‎07-17-2016

it appears that SOME BUYERS are part of a beta test whereby the import charges are not visible on the item description page, like they used to be. You will be able to see them after clicking 'buy it now' but before clicking 'commit to buy'...but you have to look carefully as they can be easily missed. However, on auctions you cannot see them at all, until after you've won the item at which time you'll be charged an extra amount for import charges that you were not expecting.

Why Ebay would test this is beyond me. They are clearly doing it to lure more buyers into buying GSP items but the fallout from this is predictable. Buyers will be irate at what appears to be an underhanded trick by the seller, the seller won't know what the buyer is talking about and will think the buyer is a loon. All because of this change by ebay, of hiding the import charges from buyer's view.

I hope this beta test fails and this unwise change does not take place. I never sell with GSP and I never buy anything from a GSP using seller, but some do and will undergo a lot of stress and problems.

By the way: This change is only on ebay.com. On ebay.ca import charges are clearly displayed as before but on ebay.com some buyers, who are part of the beta test, are not able to see import charges anymore, like they used to.

sylviebee · ‎07-17-2016

Also, see post #5557 above.

I posted about that issue several months ago as well.

I bought several items where the charges didn't add up just like in post #5557

As in the case above, the charges weren't even enough to cover import fees let alone shipping (twice) and handling fees.

Have to wonder if the GSP is in trouble and they're starting to play games with us.

femmefan1946 · ‎07-17-2016

Does anyone look at other national sites for complaints about the GSP?

Most European countries have low allowances like Canada, while I understand Australia allows $1000AUD in imports without duty.

femmefan1946 · ‎07-17-2016

I checked the French site-- nothing. (I can read and speak French) Then the Netherlands site (using Google Translate) and found the usual "Where does the import charge go? concern and in the same post a compllaint that US sellers think Buyers can choose to use the GSP or not.

marnotom! · ‎07-17-2016

Also keep in mind, Femme, that because of geography and the Canadian and American economies being so intertwined, Canadians probably purchase more from the US on eBay than buyers from any other country. If shipping were less expensive from the US to countries other than Canada, this situation might be a bit different.

It's been a while since I visited eBay Australia, but what complaints I've seen on the site about the GSP seem to focus on the shipping cost. I think AF hangs out on their discussion boards a bit, so he may be able to give a more accurate rundown.

tonerama · ‎07-17-2016

The real issue with this topic is some eBay shill defending the gsp service.

Here is my scenario.... Relived every time I come across an eBay seller who uses gsp.

5 years ago I bought a pair of $75 jeans that some guy in the us found in an outlet and lists on eBay for $25. I get charged maybe $10 to ship them, so I end up paying $35 US. Even with the exchange rate at 20% I am ahead of the deal in Canada.

Fast forward to gsp days, and I now get some convoluted service that arbitrarily includes a 10/20/30 dollar fee to the same transaction. I am now paying 55 or 65 bucks for the same item, which makes the entire deal from the seller worthless.

There are buyers I now specifically target who do not make use of the gsp program. I continue to buy discount brands from these sellers and simply ignore anyone who even mentions the gsp program in their shipping option. so I invite the resident eBay shill to Explain how I can indeed save money by giving these eBay vendors my custom.

In the end, I can buy a $150 brand name dress from on eBay seller for $29 plus $16 shipping. I am getting a great deal. I go across the mall to eBay shopper using gsp, and for some reason I now see you the same dress, same price, same shipping, but a $35 markup for import fees. Thanks but no thanks.

tonerama · ‎07-17-2016

Tried to quote another post but did not pay the gsp fee........

tonerama · ‎07-18-2016

I see eBay UK now offering (lol offering) the gsp service to Canadians

I wonder why Amazon hasn't incorporated Gsp into their biz plan. They do their best to keep unecessary customer fees and shipping rates as low as possible. Unfortunately, eBay continues to disappoint.

reallynicestamps · ‎07-18-2016

Even those of us who understand what the Global Shipping Program is*, do not think it is a useful service for Canadian buyers because CBSA officialls have an unofficial but sensible policy not to assess postal imports valued under ~$100CDN (~$80USD) on the reasonable basis that it costs the Canadian taxpayer more for the assessment than can possibly be collected.

If your purchase is going to be over $100 CDN, it is probably worthwhile considering GSP enabled listings alongside USPS listings.

*It's a Seller Protection Program. No value to buyers, generally speaking.

marnotom! · ‎07-18-2016

@tonerama wrote:

I wonder why Amazon hasn't incorporated Gsp into their biz plan. They do their best to keep unecessary customer fees and shipping rates as low as possible. Unfortunately, eBay continues to disappoint.

Last time I looked at cell phones on Amazon, I found that the same cell phone from the same seller was a lot more expensive on Amazon.ca than on Amazon.com. When I tried purchasing the phone on the .com site, I was shut out as I had a Canadian shipping address.

Amazon may try to keep its shipping prices low, but you'd better believe that you're paying those and GSP-type fees for your items from the U.S. They're just added to the item price, that's all. Ever wonder why a four-pack of Coffee Crisps on Amazon is three times the price you'd pay at a supermarket?

tonerama · ‎07-18-2016

Ha! As if on cue. Here is the defender of eBay. You've personally been at this for over three years that I know of. At least, some eBay employee wth he marmatom handle has been. So now, two wrongs make a right do they? Amazon does it, so ebay just does it worse.

People still on here complaining, and eBay effectively not listening. Is eBay required by law to charge the GSP fees? I suggest not. Does eBay make any money from these fees? Indirectly or not, I suggest they make a small fortune off it. Answer those questions please.

people like myself avoid paying the GSP fees, and look for alternatives when confronted with eBay sellers who use the GSP program, because it is viewed as gouging. The opinion, certainly among most knowledgeable Canadian buyers, clearly hasn't changed in the 3 plus years since eBay introduced the policy/scam.

Yet eBay still pays their employees to try and convince buyers, on forums like this, that it's ok. Ridiculous.

which would you buy - an item from seller 1 for $75, or the same item from seller 2 $100? Simple economics, and most ebay sellers are losing money and business, because of the GSP, in my opinion. Certainly when you consider the nature of auction bidding. People simply don't bid on these items with a gsp penalty.

tonerama · ‎07-18-2016

So let's look at buying a classic CD on eBay. Pink Floyd - dark side of the moon. Here are two items near the top of the list I searched.

suppose I want to get it from a us buyer because I trust us buyers more.

i could buy this one for $13 plus $6 shipping. Man it comes with extra tracks and a DVD.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pink-Floyd-The-Dark-Side-Of-The-Moon-CD-DVD-NTSC-/262346527025?hash=item3d15...

Or I can buy it used (yes used) from this sorry using the gsp program. Cost $9 plus $16 shipping, plus undisclosed import fee, charged only when I buy it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PINK-FLOYD-Dark-Side-of-the-Moon-CD-1990-CDP-7460012-CAPITOL-UK-/28207183691...

duty on a used item? Wow eBay, you bring this to a whole new level.

tell me - which one would you buy? Who's your daddy?

tonerama · ‎07-18-2016

A 3 year old thread containing nothing but complaints about the GSP program, and eBay has done nothing about it. Well done eBay. Way to listen to your customers. Ali Ali Ali express. LOL

femmefan1946 · ‎07-18-2016

using the gsp program. Cost $9 plus $16 shipping, plus undisclosed import fee,

The $16 shipping is what the seller chose as a shipping method.

I think the first seller is using letter mail -- although $6 seems high to ship a CD first class/letter rate.

The second GSP seller is more nervous and seems to have chosen a tracked service perhaps even Priority International. Unnecessary but the GSP was designed as Seller Protection and definitely attracts the more xenophobic and paranoid types.

https://ircalc.usps.com/

duty on a used item? Wow eBay, you bring this to a whole new level.

There would be no duty because the item is under $20CDN

There is sales tax on both new and used items, but when CBSA does not charge duty, they don't charge sales tax either.

Many buyers don't realize that much of the import fee is sales tax, up to 15% of the value of the item in some provinces. The Pitney Bowes service fee is ~$5USD.

Never put down to conspiracy what can be explained by stupidity.

pjcdn2005 · ‎07-18-2016

A gsp seller doesn't choose the shipping method or shipping cost for the internsional portion of the trip.

marnotom! · ‎07-18-2016

@tonerama wrote:

Ha! As if on cue. Here is the defender of eBay. You've personally been at this for over three years that I know of. At least, some eBay employee wth he marmatom handle has been. So now, two wrongs make a right do they? Amazon does it, so ebay just does it worse.

People still on here complaining, and eBay effectively not listening. Is eBay required by law to charge the GSP fees? I suggest not. Does eBay make any money from these fees? Indirectly or not, I suggest they make a small fortune off it. Answer those questions please.

Amazon charges $9.99 for a four-pack of Coffee Crisps. If I don't buy anything else, it charges me $11.90 in shipping. Taxes seem to be buried in the total charges, so there's no "estimate" of those charges showing up in checkout for me. Grand total of $21.89 or $5.4725 for a single chocolate bar.

And you're complaining about being charged roughly $5 on top of taxes (and possibly duty) owing on a GSP shipment?

Sure, the shipping can be expensive on a letter-sized item being forwarded through the GSP, but the GSP isn't a letter mail forwarding service. The only service that can ship letter-sized items relatively inexpensively is the post.

Also keep in mind that the GSP isn't eBay's baby. It's all contracted out to Pitney Bowes who's subcontracted the wazoo out of it. Lots of fingers in your Roger Mason pie, my friend.

cruzmiester · ‎07-19-2016

Of course eBay makes money on GSP, no company partners with another company if it isn't to make money.

GSP might be a great program... but I don't think so. If the GSP program's intent was to make it easier for USA companies to sell into foreign countries, like the so remote white north Canada at least with me it had the opposite affect. I purchased 1 item that was delivered via GSP, and it was probably the last time I do it. Yesterday I purchased a UAG case for a tablet and 2 other items for my cell.... because of GSP I didn't even consider eBay.... went straight to Amazon.

There's my feedback on this programs!!

xenotime · ‎07-19-2016

@pierrelebel wrote:
"I'm looking to buy an item from a US seller that is $99.99. The GSP shipping is only $12.06 with no duty."

What is the item? There may be a valid reason for the low shipping charge and lack of import fees.

Sorry for the late reply. This is the link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Open-Box-Cisco-Home-Energy-Controller-HEC-CGH-100-7ZB-/321853173099?hash...

But the plot thickens... If I go to the .ca site it shows the import Charge of $9.48...Which isn't bad, actually.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/NEW-Open-Box-Cisco-Home-Energy-Controller-HEC-CGH-100-7ZB-/321853173099?hash=...

marnotom! · ‎07-19-2016

@xenotime wrote:
Sorry for the late reply. This is the link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Open-Box-Cisco-Home-Energy-Controller-HEC-CGH-100-7ZB-/321853173099?hash...

But the plot thickens... If I go to the .ca site it shows the import Charge of $9.48...Which isn't bad, actually.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/NEW-Open-Box-Cisco-Home-Energy-Controller-HEC-CGH-100-7ZB-/321853173099?hash=...

What province are you in, Jepcik?

I'm in BC. GSP items are only charged the equivalent of GST and duty (no PST) and whatever Pitney Bowes wants in processing charges.

For the .com site listing page, the "import charges" show up for me as US$17.68, whether my location is Ontario or BC.

For the .ca site listing page, "import charges" are US$17.68 for Ontario and US$9.48 for BC.

Sylviebee, if you're following this thread, the "globe" logo on the .com site now shows up for me on the bottom of the listing page in the "shipping and handling" section.

xenotime · ‎07-20-2016

I'm in BC as well. For me, there is nothing showing up for Import Charges on the .com site. The header "Import Charges" does not exist. I only see it on the .ca site. It's the same whether I use Chrome or Firefox, logged in or not.