Questions about the Global Shipping Program

[kalvin@ebay.com]

Do you have questions about the Global Shipping Program? Please post here & I'll do my best to track those answers down for you!

If you have any comments about the program, use this forum instead.

Thanks,

[pierrelebel]

"And I'll be asking him to pay 44$ of brokerage fees"

No.  You will be asking him to pay the difference between what you paid  and what you should have paid.

You will know the difference after you ask and receive your refund from PayPal for shipping and "import charges".

At the end of the day it is his mistake.  He was instructed to ship to Kentucky, paying shipping to Kentucky only. He took upon himself to ignore those instructions and ship directly.

[jessymathault]

---

@pierrelebel wrote:

No.  You will be asking him to pay the difference between what you paid  and what you should have paid.

You will know the difference after you ask and receive your refund from PayPal for shipping and "import charges".

---

I'm not sure if I get you right. I paid 22.40$ of shipping, 8.93$ of import charges and 92$ for the item. I haven't paid yet for UPS (44$). I should ask paypal for a refund for the shipping? Do I pay UPS?

So I should ask eBay to refund 22.40 + 8.93, and then ask the seller to refund (44 - 22.40 - 8.93) = 12.67$ once I've been refunded by paypal and that I've paid UPS.

I'm I correct?

Thanks?

[jessymathault]

I meant thanks! Your answers are really helpful

[pierrelebel]

"Do I pay UPS?"

Yes.  Unless you pay them, UPS will not deliver the parcel.

The $22.40 you paid PayPal for shipping is a combination of two charges.  From the seller to the distribution centre and from the distribution centre to you.

PayPal would have remitted to the seller the amount of the sale plus the portion (unknown) of the shipping charge from his location to the Kentucky distribution centre.

You should get a refund from PayPal for the "import charges" and the portion of the shipping covering the service from the distribution centre to you.

[pierrelebel]

" I haven't paid yet for UPS (44$).  Do I pay UPS?"

UPS will deliver the parcel upon payment of taxes and service charge.  Unless you pay them, you will not get the parcel.  So, yes you have to pay UPS.

"So I should ask eBay to refund 22.40 + 8.93,"

Not quite.

The $22.40 shipping charge you paid PayPal is made of the total of two individual shipping charges (both unknown amounts):

1) from the seller to Kentucky distribution centre

2) from the Kentucky distribution centre to you.

PayPal would have paid the seller for (1) shipping charge from the seller to the Kentucky centre - in addition to the price of the item.

You are entitled to a refund from PayPal for the portion (2) of the shipping from the distribution centre to you and the "import charges".

Once the money has actually been refunded to your PayPal account, then, and only then, will you know exactly how much more you had to pay because the seller made a mistake.

[andr.mori]

i ordered an item and it said it was delivered to erlanger, ky and signed by someone. what does that mean? did someone else take my package? 

[pjcdn2005]

---

@andr.mori wrote:

i ordered an item and it said it was delivered to erlanger, ky and signed by someone. what does that mean? did someone else take my package? 

---

No. You purchased an item through the ebay global shipping program. That means that the seller shipped your item to Kentucky and that when it arrived there someone signed for it. The Kentucky center will forward the package to you. In a few days you should receive a new tracking number for the rest of the journey.

[douglas7773]

Why am I enrolled in Global Shipping Programme when I did not enrol in it ?

[toby_le_pue]

You are not enrolled in the Global shipping program. You bought from a US seller who is enrolled in it.

[zynnax]

I believe that I should have the right to choose my shipping options. The logical fact is that using a separate business to do the shipping will inevitably cause a hike in the cost. With GSP the buyer has to pay not only for shipping and the import duty (which with ¨Pitney Bowes seems higher than the real one) and the overhead and salary and other expenses  and charges hidden to us that PItney Bowes incur and beyond all this they need to make a profit to stay in business. Then as an added, never found anywhere policy, Pitney Bowes warns that they will never refund any excess payment the buyer has made above the real costs. I would like to know what to call this ;lst one.

Because I cannot have the possibility to choose, I am not buying from sellers using the GSP. Any good business should be able to do direct shipping to their buyers, I am, and have been, paying all costs directly to the buyer and this has worked fine. I trust the border agency to make the exact duty calculations in real time.  I am not asking a boycott for the GSP. I am only saying that I believe that GSP is a great disadvantage to the buyer. I suggest that Ebay revises its policy and allows the buyer the freedom.

Zynnax

[pierrelebel]

"I believe that I should have the right to choose my shipping options. "

In a perfect world, maybe.

However, the seller owns the item.  As such the seller has the right to decide at what price he will sell the item, to whom he will sell the item and under which conditions.

Many American sellers do not want to ship outside the USA - whatever their reasons.  As such these sellers have the right not to sell to you or anyone else.  They feel better "protected" when shipping domestically to eBay distribution centre in Kentucky and let eBay (or its agent, Pitney Bowes) take care of the Customs paperwork, tax collection, forwarding to foreign countries and assume all other risks of shipping to foreign destinations (breakage, loss, delay, etc...).

Now, we all know that the Global Shipping Program (GSP) is flawed and was not designed with Canadian buyers in mind.  Generally, GSP is NOT suitable for most Canadians in most instances.

Buyers should contact sellers offering items of interest through GSP and ask if they will ship directly through USPS.  If not, hit the back button and find something else. 

You cannot force anyone in a foreign country to sell you their property at your terms.

[chappy_keith]

If there is no import fees on used electronics, sporting equipment etc, or even new for that matter. Does the GSP return overcharges like Amazon does? If not is it just a money grab by E-Bay or by their contractor?

[toby_le_pue]

Any item that has a value over $20,00 Canadian is subject to import fees (taxes)) whether it be new or old.

[pierrelebel]

"If there is no import fees on used electronics"

Used goods are taxable in Canada the same way and at the same rate as new goods.

Go to Value Village where they sell used clothing - you pay tax; go to the used car lot - you pay tax.

Now, when you see "import charges" it does not necessarily mean "taxes".

Pitney Bowes charges a fee to handle a shipment whether taxes are levied or not:

1) if the shipment is valued at Cdn$ 20 or more, the fee will be included with the taxes (and duty if applicable) and called "import charges"

2) if the shipment is valued at less than $20, the fee will be incorporated in the shipping charge and not shown separately.

[chappy_keith]

I understand that there are taxes to be collected in stores in Canada ( HST). I know that you are allowed to import up to 800.00 dollars per trip to the US per 24 hours. I also know Canada Post does not collect tax. I also know from a Customs officer at Canada Customs, that items under NAFTA that are used or considered used do not have any duties applied ( but may have HST applied). That being said I have seen GSP collect shipping and import fees of 22.00 dollars on an auction won for 99 cents.SO who is scamming whom? I believe that GSP is collecting some import fees where they are not applicable and profiting from it.

[pierrelebel]

"I also know Canada Post does not collect tax"

That may be a misunderstanding.  The government of Canada website is pretty clear:

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/postal-postale/duty-droits-eng.html

As far as the personal exemption when traveling outside the country, it has nothing to do with importing by mail or freight or courier.

"on an auction won for 99 cents"

.. should show no "import charge".  The fee would be incorporated in the shipping charge.

However, if you see an auction listing with a starting bid of $0.99 and a Buy-it-Now exceeding Cdn$ 20.00, then the "import charges (tax and fee) are shown as  calculated on the basis on the Buy-it-Now price until the transaction is completed.  Then the "import charges" are adjusted to reflect the actual selling price.

[pierrelebel]

" I believe that GSP is collecting some import fees.... "

Yes, as mentioned earlier Pitney Bowes does charge a fee to handle every parcel.  That fee has nothing to do with taxes being collected. 

There is nothing wrong with anyone collecting a fee to handle a parcel.  Too often Canadians assume that "fee" is only charged when taxes are collected.  That may be Canada Post way of doing things but does not apply to couriers and forwarders.

As stated many times, GSP is NOT suitable for most Canadians in most instances.  Do not like it?  Hit the "back button" like the rest of us!

[ppc650]

Me and the seller have decide to use UPS and ebay use USPS for global shipping. The problem, we dont know if we may change that in the invoice send to seller. The seller should go to UPS office and evaluate the shipping cost and give the price for the packaging. We dont know if the global shipping system work with UPS? It is possible to obtain an answer from an administrator of Ebay ????

[familyfunseeker]

I've ordered fine bone china from eBay before but this time a combination of poor packaging by the seller  & negligent handling by the courier USPS caused the tip of the Royal Doulton teapot spout to break.  The piece just dropped when I took off the bubble wrap.  The seller was kind enough to refund my money (60% of total paid) but how do I get a refund from the Global Shipping Program (40% of total paid)?  Thanks!

[tierus0]

Greetings,

We just received a breadmaker. When we opened it up we noticed a substantial crack on the unit. Upon turning it on, the unit was non-operational as the paddles spun continuously. We have contacted the seller and he has alerted us that this is a GSP issue and that we need to seek a refund through the GSP.

I've attached photos of the unit in question:

8H355197M3548892L

What options are available to us?

Thanks in advance,

Martin