GSP item delivered to Cincinnati rather than Erlanger for first stage

[davius1953]

I've previously purchased a number of items on eBay through the GSP, and for the most part, everything has gone smoothly with all of them.  Usually, they get delivered to the Global Shipping Centre in Erlanger, KY, and a few days later, they arrive in Canada and eventually get delivered to my home.

However, I just purchased an item using the GSP, and it was delivered to an address in Cincinnati instead, rather than Erlanger.  Is this normal?  I didn't even realize that it was possible for the seller to send it to an address other than Erlanger when using the GSP.  Oddly enough, the tracking does say "delivered to the Global Shipping Centre", but the final location is given as Cincinnati rather than Erlanger.

I assume that this is some sort of glitch, and about all that I can do is wait and see whether the next processing scan is indeed in Erlanger, where it should be.

[ypdc_dennis]

You are not alone.

My brother asked me about Cincinnati GSP this morning for one of his purchases.

Perhaps there is too much GSP volume for just one center to handle...

-..-

[marnotom!]

Are you quite sure that this item is being sent through the GSP and not eBay’s Standard International Delivery scheme?

[ericsells75]

Yes, it's normal. My last 3 GSP purchases have all gone to Cincinnati before KY. No need to worry about it.

[davius1953]

I should mention, marnotom, that I got both a USPS tracking number as well as a GSP number beginning with UPAA, and when I paid, it definitely inducated that it was Global Shipping Progrsm, and the eBay listing indicated that as well.  In fact, the only international selling that the seller uses is GSP and nothing else.

The item itself was of a low enough value ($13-$14 US) that there were no import fees, only the shipping fees to the GSP and then onwards to Canada.

As for your comment, ypdc_dennis, regarding your brother, that's interesting, and it seems that I'm not  alone.

If I don't see any sign that it's being processed in the GSP in Kentucky in the next few days, I may contact the seller and ask exactly where he sent it.

[davius1953]

Apparently, all is good now, since it now says "processing", in Erlanger.

I'm thinking that the whole Cincinnati thing is that it may be a "holding location" for parcels to go to the Global Shipping Centre, and that someone picks them up there and transfers them to the main facility.  Who know?  The entire program is a bit of a mystery anyway.

[femmefan1946]

FWIW-- Canadians are used to taking a whole day or more to go from one end of a province to another.

Cinncinnati and Erlanger are 18 minutes or 10.8 miles apart.  https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Cincinnati,+Ohio,+USA/Erlanger,+KY,+USA/@39.0610822,-84.5982667,13z/...

[kawartha-ephemera]

Cincinnati is on the north bank of the Ohio River, a short trip across the bridge and you're in Kentucky, Erlanger is nearby, it's kind of like the Ottawa - Gatineau (Hull) situation.

[kawartha-ephemera]

Traffic is probably an issue getting across that bridge, might be a logistics consideration.

[marnotom!]

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@davius1953 wrote:

I'm thinking that the whole Cincinnati thing is that it may be a "holding location" for parcels to go to the Global Shipping Centre, and that someone picks them up there and transfers them to the main facility.  Who know?  The entire program is a bit of a mystery anyway.

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That would be my guess, too.  From recent reports on this discussion boards of items supposedly "sitting around" after reaching the Global Shipping Center, I'm guessing that the Erlanger facility has been exceeding capacity due to a COVID-inspired international buying spree so a space somewhere in nearby Cincinatti has taken on the job as a holding location.  Cincinatti is a significant hub for carriers such as USPS and FedEx and that (plus likely local tax breaks) was probably a factor in Pitney Bowes' contractee's decision to set up shop in nearby Erlanger.