International Priority Shipping, Bah!

[robert_pilkey]

International Shipping is neither faster, nor less costly.

I have shipped much larger shipments thru Rock Auto that took less time to arrive and didn't cost as much to ship.

I might as well of sent the part on a tour excursion!

The part I ordered literally drove right by me shipping from Wisconsin and landing in Kentucky before it MIGHT make a more direct path to Canada. Going to take twice as long to receive. How is that efficient?

eBay, this is NOT a very good service and you need to do much better.

[femmefan1946]

Kentucky?

Your seller is using the Global Shipping Program.

He ships to a central plant in KY,  where it is bundled with hundreds of other items for trans-shipment to Canada.

Once across the border, it will be delivered by a Canadian company, usually either Canada Post or CanPar.

There is tracking, but it is not public.

Your item will arrive within the usual 15 to 20 days.

Hub and spoke shipping is quite common. Remember Castaway? The protagonist worked in a FedEx hub plant.

You will not have any charges on your doorstep (duty, sales tax) because you already paid them when you purchased.

International Priority Shipping is not an actual named service, it is just a description.

[maximus7001]

15 to 20 daye is not usual. Import fees are not usual or common for most items. We buy normally from outside Canada and out of 1000+ items over the years we have payed 2 times, totalling about $20 overall thats it. Just received a $21 item from USA cost $7.65 to ship, took 6 days from NY.

With the stupid program the shipping was going to be $18 + $7 extortion fee and would take 2 or more weeks with no tracking.

The whole thing is a racket, why is it being defended?

[reallynicestamps]

15 to 20 daye is not usual.

In my experience it is not unusual. Better to expect 20 days and get the item in five than to expect five and get it in twenty.

 Import fees are not usual or common for most items.

It's the law for shipped imports. CBSA and Canada Post seem to have an agreement not to bother assessing and collecting the applicable duty and tax when the amount collected will be lower than the cost of collecting.  

Private companies do not have this luxury. 

We buy normally from outside Canada and out of 1000+ items over the years we have payed 2 times, totalling about $20 overall thats it. Just received a $21 item from USA cost $7.65 to ship, took 6 days from NY.

Yes. See the difference in approach by Canada Post and private companies like PitneyBowes which runs the GSP or UPS which charges even more holding the parcel hostage until paid.

With the stupid program... would take 2 or more weeks with no tracking.

The GSP does not give tracking numbers to the buyer, but the original seller must use Delivery Confirmation to the GSP's plant in Kentucky. The buyer is protected by that Confirmation.  If an item is not delivered, the buyer can get a refund from Pitney Bowes through the normal eBay/Paypal dispute process.

Tracking and Confirmation of Delivery are not good things for the buyer. They only protect the seller against specious claims of non-delivery. PB seems willing to pay out on any claim, whether factual or not.  

[pjcdn2005]

The GSP does not give tracking numbers to the buyer,

Femme, you keep saying that but it is not true. There is a tracking number provided to the buyer although it can take a few days for them to receive the number.

[femmefan1946]

Still irrelevant.

Buyers may have an emotional need to have a tracking number, but there is no commercial value to it for the buyer.

Tracking and Delivery Confirmation are benefits for the seller. Proof of delivery stops specious Item Not Received claims.

Delivery Confirmed reports happen after the item is delivered, so the buyer has the item when or before it shows delivered.

If the buyer doesn't get the item in a timely manner, which is about 20 days from the USA in my opinion, then the buyer should be considering an INR claim.

[robert_pilkey]

I wrote to Jim Hendrickson VP of Logisitcs at Pitney Bowes three times and he has not replied. I have his phone number though and plan to use it after the holiday.

Also sent a note to Matthew Bobenchik, a director for logisitics with eBay. He too doesn't know how to use email, but his phone is going to ring too.

These jokers are not getting off lightly.

A class action might give them pause for thought too.

[reallynicestamps]

A class action might give them pause for thought too.

And the $300 per hour fee your lawyer charges for advice and consultation might give you cause for thought.

[pierrelebel]

"A class action might give them pause for thought too."

Class action against who?  Your seller who elected to ship to you using Global Shipping Service because he did not want to ship to you directly?

Did you not have a choice to ask your seller to ship directly?  Did he refuse?

The feedback you left for your seller indicates you had a good experience:

"Experience very good. Prompt replies. Duty a little high. Good price though"

What would be the basis of a lawsuit?

[nuvistors]

The last item I purchased using the GSP  had tracking.

It showed that the package resided in Kentucky for three  days and was then forwarded to Canada.

It then showed that  it resided in Canadian customs for another 2 days before it was delivered by Canpar.

There was no extra customs charges beyond that  which the GSP applied.

It did take at least 3 times as long for the item to arrive using GSP vs if the seller had shipped direct.

[robert_pilkey]

I think you are off topic.

I have no interest in the seller, or pursuing any matter with them. My issue is with a process offered by eBay through Pitney Bowes that is not geared to efficiency or savings, but lines their pockets at the buyer's expense. Does that help clarify??

And too the question regarding 'options'; - there was no option, it charged automatically.

I didn't give it much thought at the time. No, I wish I had been aware of how expensive this shipping method was.

[pierrelebel]

"My issue is with a process"

????

The seller made the decision to use that process, did he not? 

Did you not agree to use that process instead of asking the seller to ship directly?

[pierrelebel]

By the way, I do not mean to suggest you should not start an action against eBay and/or Pitney Bowes.

By all means, do what you think needs to be done.

The Global Shipping Program was badly implemented and is ill conceived.  Personally, understanding how it works, I would most likely never use it.  However, that is my decision.  Others may feel differently and use the program.

We still live in a free world where we have choices and are responsible for our decisions.

[angelgear351]

GSP sucks mostly. Unless the item is over a certain amount, I dont pay any fees at the door anyway. I bought an item from a guy in Washington, that I can see the coast of from the shore. Then they send it to the east coast and all the way back, just stupid IMO.

Is there a way of choosing not to use the GSP? Not that I have seen unless I contact the seller.

[pikabill2]

It's a shipping scam that only benefits eBay. I'm in Canada and it takes weeks for an eBay-purchased item from the US to get to me. I routinely buy items from non-eBay sites in China and in Britain. They all arrive within days. No fuss, no muss... and for less $$$. Once an item is shipped by eBay's ironically named International Priority Shipping it simply disappears into the ether for the next several weeks. Tracking is a joke (non-existent). But it's necessary to some of us so we can arrange to be home to accept delivery.. The item has always arrived, but it sure takes longer than any other method I've ever used. I also don't understand how the same item can be purchased from two different sellers and the shipping charges are dramatically different (and the seller closest to me was the most expensive by $10). I know there's nothing I can do about it, but I sure wish eBay would fix it.

[cometcaliente289]

I would suggest international buyers do as I am doing, I will no longer bid on items  using the GSP for their shipping.  This idea that all roads must lead to Kentucky is of no benefit to buyers what so ever.

[afantiques]

This idea that all roads must lead to Kentucky is of no benefit to buyers what so ever.

In fairness, very heavy or large items can have cheaper shipping with the GSP than alternatives.

[femmefan1946]

The last item I bought online from the US was purchased on Aug 26 and shipped on Aug 27.

As of today, September 7, it has not arrived. That's 12 calendar days in transit.

Of course that includes two weekends and a national holiday.

I'll let you know when it does arrive, so we can see how long a 'normal' transaction takes.

[pjcdn2005]

A comparison....

I purchased a gsp item on August 13th and received it on August 26th - 13 days from purchase to arrival

I made another purchase from a U.S. seller who used USPS first class international. That purchase was made on August 17 and was received on August 27th. - 10 days from purchase to arrival

Both sellers shipped the item the following business day.

[jadeeum]

I totally agree with maximus7001. I shop sporadically on eBay from Toronto and 90% of shipments arrive without extra customs costs. And I can easily work with sellers on expedited shipping. One of the worst things about GSP is that you do not know the full cost of shipping and customs fees until after you've committed to buy and you're on the PayPal page. What you get charged by GSP bears no relation to what the seller estimated for shipping and is significantly more with customs. My first run-in was a pair of earrings that were $20 and GSP was an additional $18. The seller was as upset as I was seemed compley mystified by the process. The GSP is a scam that only benefits eBay and Pitney Bowes.