Global Shipping Program

[quarterbac]

I have tried to get sellers in the US to ship without the Glogal Shipping Program and most that I have come across will not. This program is horrible for Canadians because it is far more slower and much more costly. Almost all the items that I am interested in are not available in Canada so I'm stuck with using a pick up address in the States or paying through the nose with this program. I have talked to some US sellers and they have indicated that they have lost many sales from Canadian customers. From what I've read the program only seems helpful to US sellers of the grander scale and not those that sell the odd item on occasion. An item that is $50.00 US ends up costing $115.00 Canadian ( no thanks to our weak dollar ). If you've had the experience of watching the actual shipping through tracking it just doesn't make much sense. The package goes everywhere and then ends up in Kentucky to be sent across the border. 

[femmefan1946]

The Sellers are probably turning you down because this is a Seller Protection program.
It offers little for buyers and was never intended to.

The "little" is exactly what you have found, that sellers who are unwilling to ship outside the USA will use it because they are shipping only domestically, and at that point, their responsibility for delivery ends.

If they did not have the GSP available, you would not be able to buy at all.

I disagree that the GSP is any more expensive than shipping by mail.

The import fees you are charged are Canadian duty, Canadian sales taxes and a ~$5USD service fee.

If you imported the same item via USPS/Canada Post you would pay Canadian duty, Canadian sales taxes and a $9.95 Cdn service fee. (For other couriers the service fees/customs brokerage fees start at $25 and rise with the value of the product.)

The duty-free allowance for Canadians is still only $20Cdn/~$15USD.  Your $50USD /$67.50 Cdn item would have duty (possibly) sales tax certainly (up to $15) and shipping of well you work it out. https://postcalc.usps.com/?country=10440

Most US sellers never find the relatively cheap First Class International Parcel Canada rate and go directly to the PriorityMail International boxes.

International buying is expensive.

the experience of watching the actual shipping through tracking it just doesn't make much sense.

Don't watch tracking.

Tracking is another Seller Protection, meant only to protect the seller against unwarranted Claims of non-delivery.

Your Buyer Protection is eBay's Money Back Guarantee.

Both USPS and Canada Post use the same Spoke-Hub Distribution Paradigm that GSP uses.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoke%E2%80%93hub_distribution_paradigm

which is why your purchase goes "goes everywhere and then ends up in Kentucky to be sent across the border"., where it is used again to get to you.

[barbierx]

The part about the duty simply isn't true! We Canadians are only charged duty on orders over $199.99US. The GSP charges duty on almost every order, even $25.00!! The Canadian border is not even able to accept those funds, so where are they going, eh?? Plus, an item which costs $13.36 to ship thru USPS costs $26.92 or more thru GSP because of all the rerouting thru Kentucky. It is ridiculous, & certainly does costs GSP sellers international business, partly by misinforming them that we are dangerous alien types who refuse to pay our bills. We shop American all the time, we know how it works!

[femmefan1946]

Only if you are bringing goods personally after a 24 hour or longer stay.

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/postal-postale/menu-eng.html

"Duties and taxes apply to all international goods imported by mail that exceed the $20 exemption. If you owe duty and/or tax, it will be indicated on Form E14, CBSA Postal Import Form, which will be attached to your mail item when it is delivered."

Mail in this case includes couriers like UPS, FedEx, and PitneyBowes which runs the GSP for eBay.

If Parliament and Congress ever decide to sign the new NAFTA agreement the duty-free allowance will rise to, I believe, $150Cdn but sales taxes will be charged on all imports over $40Cdn (~$30USD).
There has been no move to do so and both legislatures are getting close to rising for the summer.

For a 2lb package with a value of $20US shipping by USPS would cost between $17.25 and$86.65 depending on the service the SELLER chose.

Check for yourself.

https://postcalc.usps.com/?country=10440

[ypdc_dennis]

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@barbierx wrote:

The part about the duty simply isn't true! We Canadians are only charged duty on orders over $199.99US.

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Incorrect.  Do not confuse crossing the border with shipping across the border.

The current law has a $20.00CA exemption for items that are shipped into Canada.

If the new trade deal ever gets approved that exemption will rise to $150 for duty and $40 for sales tax.

If you cross the border and spend 1 or 2 days in the USA, your exemption is $200CA for purchases you bring back with you.

Spend longer than 2 days and the exemption rises to $800CA.

https://travel.gc.ca/returning/customs/bringing-to-canada/personal-exemptions-mini-guide

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[marnotom!]

The Global Shipping Program is just a glorified forwarding service. Buyers pay for two sets of shipping charges (the seller's charge for shipping the item domestically to Kentucky, plus Pitney Bowes' charge for shipping the item from Kentucky to its final destination) as well as repaying Pitney Bowes for any taxes, duties and processing charges it pays on the buyer's behalf.

As you've found, most sellers using it do not habitually employ direct international shipping. If you don't like the program, your alternative is a perfectly sound one.

[salvadord]

I will not purchase from the US again.  The Global Shipping Program is nothing more than a cash grab by Pitney Bowes and eBay.  US sellers don't care because they don't seem to need sales from Canadians as we are small potatoes to them.  However, they do rush to purchase from Canadian Sellers because of the exchange rate.  And when Canadian Sellers sell to US customers, they dinged again with the famous "internation fee" on top of all the other fees.  Time for Canadian Sellers to charge Small Packet Tracking fees to US buyers.

[salvadord]

I agree with your assessment totally!!  Can't afford to by from US Seller anymore because of all the GSP money grabbing fees👍👍👍👍

[mrdutch1001]

"Time for Canadian Sellers to charge Small Packet Tracking fees to US buyers."= ???

Sellers are free to add Handling charges,etc & have had that ability all along if they so choose, so suggesting that is rather pointless as is responding to a 5 year old thread... since GSP is now EIS and seems to be still a "work in progress" .... No matter, Canadian sellers never could, never have and never will be able to compete with USA sellers on any grounds...

[mrdutch1001]

@kh-phdan 

ZOMBIE THREAD FROM 2019!

[marnotom!]

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@salvadord wrote:

I will not purchase from the US again.  The Global Shipping Program is nothing more than a cash grab by Pitney Bowes and eBay.  

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@salvadord, the Global Shipping Program being referred to in this old thread is no longer a thing in the US, just the UK.  The US-based forwarding service being used now is eBay International Shipping (eIS).

As with the GSP, the shipping charge on a listing for an eIS-forwarded item is the sum of the seller's domestic shipping charge to get it to the forwarding hub plus eIS's charge to get it from the Illinois hub to its final destination.

eIS's shipping charges tend to be pretty competitive with or even less than USPS's counter rates.  The problem is that adding the seller's domestic shipping charge to the eIS charge can create a deal-breaker.

You can get some idea of the breakdown of the shipping charges by going into the listing page and changing the shipping destination to ZIP code 60139.  That will show you what the seller is charging for getting the item out to Glendale Heights, Illinois.  Subtract that from the shipping charge you see for Canada on the listing page and you'll get what eIS is charging.

You can get USPS rates here if you want to try comparing what eIS is charging to what you'd get for a direct shipment to Canada: https://postcalc.usps.com/

[femmefan1946]

ZOMBIE THREAD FROM 2019

The problem with zombie threads is that the information is likely to be out of date and no longer applicable.

The GSP was superceded by eBay International Shipping a couple of years ago.

EIS is also a Seller Protection program with little or nothing for the buyer.

For the record here are the USPS International Shipping Rates .

The cheapest for tracked shipping is First Class International Package.

This rate does not include import fees.

Canadians importing from the USA now have a $150Cdn duty free allowance as well as a $40 Cdn tax free allowance.

https://postcalc.usps.com/?country=10440

From the UK, the allowances are still both $20Cdn.

[brettjet38]

Zombie Thread from 05-14-2019 08:04 AM

The GSP no longer exists...

[marnotom!]

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@brettjet38 wrote:

The GSP no longer exists...

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. . . in the United States on eBay.com.  It's still a thing on eBay UK.

[kh-phdan]

Hello Everyone,

Due to the age of the thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue discussing this topic.

Thanks for your understanding!