New Ebay international shipping (replacing global shipping program) have killed all deals on ebay

[thechabinator]

Since new ''Ebay international shipping'' replaced ''global shipping program'', shipping prices have drastically raised and duties/taxes are now unknown since they are charged at delivery (the charges will be way higher then the included duties/taxes from global shipping program).  I also dont know which carrier they will use, so great possibility of enormous clearance fees if they use UPS, fedex, etc

I was buying a lot from both Canada and Usa sellers.  When Ebay introduced taxes on all canadian sales, I stopped buying from Canada sellers because it killed all deals.  Now, the new shipping program have killed all deals from USA.  I was buying A LOT , and now I haven't bought anything since.

[marnotom!]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

Although this one might be easier to negotiate.

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

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Possibly, although if one is playing around with weights, it's a bit time-consuming to keep going back to tweak with that info.  The chart has everything at a (slightly daunting) glance.

[chriluh0]

Just a FYI:

I purchased items in the past that were shipped with international shipping (to Canada) and the total cost was always cheaper than with Global shipping. Most of the time I was not charged customs fees and  was rarely charged HST on the purchases. I preferred international when it was available, versus global because  I found global was allot higher and there was never a breakdown of what their charges were. With global the added fees charged were always inconsistent . I bought 2 items identical in size and weight. The item worth $50.00 had import fees added, whereas the item worth $125.00 had no added charges. Both were vintage cameo brooches. This never made any sense to me since they were virtually identical. I won't  know if there are any increases now with international since global is out of the picture.

I am am having all my purchases sent to a Detroit mailbox address and picking them up, crossing the border, and declaring them. Thus far I've never paid HST or customs fees. Customs is far more likely to refrain from charging these fees at the border because it's far more of a hassle to collect them at the border, unless the value is $500.00 or more. They also know which items are exempt (items made in Mexico, the US and European countries, which is almost everywhere in the world, as well as computer goods). Shipping within the US is significantly less than in Canada, so I save big time with shipping. So are their state taxes. I wait until I have several packages before I cross over to pick them up and make a day of it by purchasing groceries (more variety and way cheaper than in Canada) eating lunch (twice the variety, bigger portions and cheaper) as well as other household items. other Groceries are exempt from any HST and customs fees. It's a win win for me. My husband retired from working in the US, across the Detroit River and has earned his income in USD. His retirement earnings are in USD, so we aren't having to pay more in exchange rates from CDN to USD. We have Canadian Bank USD credit cards to pay at the time of purchase. I wish I had done this years ago. I was always over there to go to Dr. and dentist appointments anyway. I would have saved allot of money had I known this was possible.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@marnotom! wrote:

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

Doing daily research on products (specific categories - LV electronics, Books, DVDs, CDs) search results routinely bring up sellers with out of this world shipping options to Canada. Several years ago it was more of the exception vs the rule. Now, not so much.

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Shipping a 150 gram package to Canada is now US$15.75 by First Class Package International.  I found a listing for a CD that has eIS applied to it, and its shipping cost is US$22.00.  The seller is charging US$7.00 to be shipped by media mail within the US and presumably to the eIS consolidation hub, so that would make the eIS's shipping charge to Canada US$15.00.  While the price difference isn't much, it's still a discount over the USPS rate.

From what I've seen of other eIS listings, @lotzofuniquegoodies, its rates aren't too bad compared to USPS if the seller has provided shipping size and weight, but the seller's domestic shipping charge on top of eIS is what seems to be the deal-breaker, just as it was sometimes with the GSP.

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@marnotom! 

See following discussion on some US sellers "problems" with these assorted programs especially post 30. (+28/29)

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/eBay-International-Shipping-Program/m-p/33671411#M2191914

-Lotz

[marnotom!]

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@chriluh0 wrote:

Just a FYI:

I purchased items in the past that were shipped with international shipping (to Canada) and the total cost was always cheaper than with Global shipping. Most of the time I was not charged customs fees and  was rarely charged HST on the purchases.

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@chriluh0, the "international shipping" that we're referring to here is a new eBay service that's uninterestingly called "eBay International Shipping."  What you seem to be describing is shipments that were sent directly to Canada by mail.  eBay International Shipping is a forwarding/consolidation service along the lines of the Global Shipping Program.

[marnotom!]

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

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@marnotom! 

See following discussion on some US sellers "problems" with these assorted programs especially post 30. (+28/29)

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/eBay-International-Shipping-Program/m-p/33671411#M2191914

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In the case of post 30, it looks as though the seller posting is could be selling some merchandise that's problematic to import into Canada, and probably the other countries that show up on the exclusion list.

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/services/fpa-apa/species-especes-eng.html

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@marnotom! wrote:

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

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@marnotom! 

See following discussion on some US sellers "problems" with these assorted programs especially post 30. (+28/29)

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/eBay-International-Shipping-Program/m-p/33671411#M2191914

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In the case of post 30, it looks as though the seller posting is could be selling some merchandise that's problematic to import into Canada, and probably the other countries that show up on the exclusion list.

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/services/fpa-apa/species-especes-eng.html

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The main concern in all that is sellers/buyers and eBay all being on the same page when it comes to what is or isn't allowed. From several posts that I've read any seller speaking to the various folks in  CS are unable to get honest answers to that million dollar question.

-Lotz

[marnotom!]

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

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The main concern in all that is sellers/buyers and eBay all being on the same page when it comes to what is or isn't allowed. From several posts that I've read any seller speaking to the various folks in  CS are unable to get honest answers to that million dollar question.

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I'm wondering if one of the reasons why the online chat options for CS are superior to the telephone options is because the CSRs on chat can more easily duck out of the conversation and find out what they need to know.

[chriluh0]

Thanks for the clarification. It would be interesting to know if eBay International shipping will be higher than the GPS. It would also have been helpful if the GSP gave a breakdown of the different charges that made up their final shipping cost for the buyer. If buyers want to contest the customs charges with Canada Customs, they are SOL because they Customs require documentation of the duty and customs fees. This is not provided on the invoice at the time of purchase or with the package. No breakdown and no documentation means buyers in Canada can't dispute the charges determined by the GSP.

[marnotom!]

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@chriluh0 wrote:

Thanks for the clarification. It would be interesting to know if eBay International shipping will be higher than the GSP.

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The problem with comparing eBay International Shipping's prices with the GSP is that the cost of pretty much everything has gone up in the past year.  Checking the typical price of shipping cell phones through eIS, for example, I've found that the price through eIS has gone up about four bucks US in the past few months.  It does look as though the shipping price of smaller items is more reasonable through eIS than through the GSP, provided the seller offers "free" shipping within the US.

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@chriluh0 wrote:

It would also have been helpful if the GSP gave a breakdown of the different charges that made up their final shipping cost for the buyer. If buyers want to contest the customs charges with Canada Customs, they are SOL because they Customs require documentation of the duty and customs fees. This is not provided on the invoice at the time of purchase or with the package. No breakdown and no documentation means buyers in Canada can't dispute the charges determined by the GSP.

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Okay, brace yourself, this is going to be a mind-bender.  You don't pay duty, taxes and other customs-related charges on a GSP-forwarded item.  Pitney Bowes (DBA "The Global Shipping Program") pays those.  The "import charges" on a GSP shipment are an estimate based on information the seller provides on the item and its category and are your way of "paying back" Pitney Bowes.  Sometimes the "GSP bot" gets the estimate right, sometimes it lowballs it, sometimes it's a bit on the high side, but my experiences with the GSP were that there'd be a pad of less than US$5.00 above taxes, which IMO is extremely reasonable when you consider that Canada Post levies a C$9.95 charge in the rare event that CBSA assesses taxes and duty on a postal import.

Anyway, that's why you don't get a document that you can use with customs for disputes, @chriluh0.  You didn't directly pay duty, taxes, etc.

[marnotom!]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

It would be interesting to  know which company decided to end the GSP, eBay or Pitney Bowes.  Most of the problems seemed to have been ironed out - and I suspect most of the complaints were from Canadian buyers used to the  free pass postal imports were getting from CBSA who were now being charged duty and taxes on the miserable $20Cdn duty &tax free allowance.

PB was very generous about damage in transit and even NAD claims, refunding without demanding returns.  Was that the problem? I notice that is not going to be the eIS policy.

And there were a lot of complaints about poor tracking from the plethora of demibottomed last mile delivery services. Was keeping  reasonable subcontractors the problem?

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I don't think it's news that Pitney Bowes is still very much involved with eBay International Shipping.

https://www.parcelandpostaltechnologyinternational.com/news/cross-border/pitney-bowes-renews-cross-b...

I suspect all the things you brought up had a hand in the "transformation" of its international forwarding services, as well as the pandemic, which seemed to put a terrific strain on the GSP's infrastructure.

[devon@ebay]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

@lotzofuniquegoodies  devon@ebay 

• One or more of the following pieces of information provided by you is incorrect or indeterminable (and it is not practicable for eBay or its service providers to correct):
  • Country of Manufacture
  • Item Category
  • Item condition
  • Weight of Parcel
  • Dimensions of Parcel
  • A Parcel is oversized and/or overweight and cannot be sent through an upgraded service.
  • The EIS Item that you sold requires destruction (e.g., contraband).

My hope and concern is that the shipping label for eIS shipments may not demand this important information.

Devon, could you post a sample of the form the US seller would see if they are using the eIS?

If the shipment can't proceed without this, many of the concerns faced by buyers would disappear since the eIS would be dealing with complete information, and not trying to decide if the shipment is an anvil or a picture of an anvil.

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Hi @reallynicestamps! I can try to see if this is something I can get and share with everyone here. 

[reallynicestamps]

@chriluh0 

Thank you for the reminder that in addition to the new NAFTA agreement we are also covered under the CETA agreement  with the European Union.

This is not an official page, and it is very general, but I think it covers the CETA situation.

https://www.jetworldwide.com/blog/free-trade-canada-and-europe-ceta-shipping

I bought 2 items identical in size and weight. The item worth $50.00 had import fees added, whereas the item worth $125.00 had no added charges. Both were vintage cameo brooches. This never made any sense to me since they were virtually identical.

The two sellers may have given different information to the GSP, which has already shown as a weakness in the eIS, because it seems the program is applied without forcing the seller to supply at least weight, dimensions, and category of goods, as I posted above.

If they had  been sent through the postal system, it is possible that neither would have been charged since CBSA sensibly ignores low value (under ~$100) and low bulk (brooches, tube socks, fentanyl) shipments.

At best we can put it in the same category as that 6/49 ticket. A little flutter. Sigh.

[reallynicestamps]

It would also have been helpful if the GSP gave a breakdown of the different charges that made up their final shipping cost for the buyer. If buyers want to contest the customs charges with Canada Customs, they are SOL because they Customs require documentation of the duty and customs fees.

The main reason buyers have given on these Boards for wanting a breakdown is for business and taxation for a business.

But.

The GSP specifically is NOT for B2B (business to business) transactions.

Should a private customer claim that a purchase is Damaged in Transit (or Not Received) the GSP would simply tell the person to trash it and refund them.

The Not As Described was more complicated, since the seller has the right to demand Return before Refund.

I have no idea have import fees were handled for those.

@marnotom!   Thank you for the information about PB.

[marnotom!]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

I bought 2 items identical in size and weight. The item worth $50.00 had import fees added, whereas the item worth $125.00 had no added charges. Both were vintage cameo brooches. This never made any sense to me since they were virtually identical.

The two sellers may have given different information to the GSP, which has already shown as a weakness in the eIS, because it seems the program is applied without forcing the seller to supply at least weight, dimensions, and category of goods, as I posted above.

If this happened a few years ago, also remember that there was a period where eBay and/or Pitney Bowes was/were experimenting with folding the estimated import charges in with the item’s shipping charge.

[rh6921]

These days you need a very flexible seller who is willing to adjust their listing settings to make a sale work because of how broken and convoluted eBay's systems have become. I've ran into some incredibly unhelpful and uncooperative sellers who insist that everything is set right and all I have to do is add everything to the cart and immediately pay and they'll refund me whatever on shipping.

I recently ran into one guy where some of his listings are eIS while some are USPS Priority. So he's running both systems at seemingly random and he refused to even acknowledge the difference between the two. I asked him to no avail about amending the shipping options on a few of his listings so that I could get an invoice from him for all 8 items so they could then be sent in the same USPS Priority box.

So due to his listings having mismatched shipping systems I would've ended up paying over $300 of shipping for the 8 items. 3 of them would've combined in a USPS box, uninvoiced for nearly $200 shipped directly from the seller. I'm supposed to just ram it through and pay immediately and then take my chances that he refunds me the extra shipping cost that he expects me to just simply overpay for.

While the other 5 items were under eIS and I would've had to spend another $125 of shipping on that and then have them all arrive 4 to 6 weeks later in different packages. I had no choice but to walk away from these purchases and look elsewhere. When you message a seller you never know how they're going to respond and it does get irritating when you try to explain things and waste so much time.

Rarely ever do I get a seller who will go to whatever lengths to make a sale work even if it means taking a few clicks to change some settings on a listing. The complexity and difficulty of making things work is apparently beyond the typical seller that I've dealt with recently. Most of them seem allergic to making revisions, they do the bare minimum, and want to make sales with no further effort put forth.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@rh6921 wrote:

These days you need a very flexible seller who is willing to adjust their listing settings to make a sale work because of how broken and convoluted eBay's systems have become. I've ran into some incredibly unhelpful and uncooperative sellers who insist that everything is set right and all I have to do is add everything to the cart and immediately pay and they'll refund me whatever on shipping.

I recently ran into one guy where some of his listings are eIS while some are USPS Priority. So he's running both systems at seemingly random and he refused to even acknowledge the difference between the two. I asked him to no avail about amending the shipping options on a few of his listings so that I could get an invoice from him for all 8 items so they could then be sent in the same USPS Priority box.

So due to his listings having mismatched shipping systems I would've ended up paying over $300 of shipping for the 8 items. 3 of them would've combined in a USPS box, uninvoiced for nearly $200 shipped directly from the seller. I'm supposed to just ram it through and pay immediately and then take my chances that he refunds me the extra shipping cost that he expects me to just simply overpay for.

While the other 5 items were under eIS and I would've had to spend another $125 of shipping on that and then have them all arrive 4 to 6 weeks later in different packages. I had no choice but to walk away from these purchases and look elsewhere. When you message a seller you never know how they're going to respond and it does get irritating when you try to explain things and waste so much time.

Rarely ever do I get a seller who will go to whatever lengths to make a sale work even if it means taking a few clicks to change some settings on a listing. The complexity and difficulty of making things work is apparently beyond the typical seller that I've dealt with recently. Most of them seem allergic to making revisions, they do the bare minimum, and want to make sales with no further effort put forth.

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@rh6921 

Opting in and out of programs, like sending/requesting revised invoices and combining on shipping are features eBay have done a  good job at making as cumbersome as possible. It was previously possible to opt out of GSP on a per transaction basis but it was well hidden and/or many sellers just either didn't know about it, were too nervous to attempt or just couldn't be bothered. This is making for bad experiences with many (some not all) transactions going forward. 

-Lotz

[marnotom!]

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@rh6921 wrote:

Rarely ever do I get a seller who will go to whatever lengths to make a sale work even if it means taking a few clicks to change some settings on a listing. The complexity and difficulty of making things work is apparently beyond the typical seller that I've dealt with recently. Most of them seem allergic to making revisions, they do the bare minimum, and want to make sales with no further effort put forth.

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The reality is, many US sellers don’t need overseas sales to make a decent go of it as their domestic market is so huge compared to ours.  International sales are viewed more as an afterthought in the US than they are a necessity in Canada where the market is roughly one-tenth the size.

[scopesandammo]

It it is the "unknown" fees that are the issue- especially brokerage charges- which could be a "low" as $10.00 if the item comes through the postal system or as high as $100.00 if shipped using a courier such as UPS or Fedex.

This is a HUGE step BACKWARD for international shipping and ebay. As the OP posted, it is now a real deal killer. Looks like this will be the end of my dealings using ebay after roughly 25 years.

Not sure why anyone as Ebay thought people would somehow find this new internation shipping program appealing, but guess what- now you've just pushed more business to Amazon and more local sellers. Are you actually trying to kill your business internationally at this point?

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@scopesandammo wrote:

It it is the "unknown" fees that are the issue- especially brokerage charges- which could be a "low" as $10.00 if the item comes through the postal system or as high as $100.00 if shipped using a courier such as UPS or Fedex.

This is a HUGE step BACKWARD for international shipping and ebay. As the OP posted, it is now a real deal killer. Looks like this will be the end of my dealings using ebay after roughly 25 years.

Not sure why anyone as Ebay thought people would somehow find this new internation shipping program appealing, but guess what- now you've just pushed more business to Amazon and more local sellers. Are you actually trying to kill your business internationally at this point?

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@scopesandammo 

devon@ebay 

Tagging you in on this. Unsure if there is a similar sentiment for outside of NA but definitely a major concern for any Canadian buyer making a purchase from a US seller when this info is an unknown until it becomes sticker shock when the item is about to arrive. It's been mentioned in numerous posts along with the not knowing who will be the end of line carrier. Just have to read through the other attached posts to this one to see how other buyers feel. 

B) Did you ever get any follow up to your post 16 from this discussion? We watch for this info but seem to rarely ever see. 

-Lotz

[marnotom!]

It looks like eBay can’t win on this. I remember when the GSP was unleashed in 2013, it had it share of complaints from buyers who didn’t like having their taxes and duties (if applicable) considered paid when they went through checkout.

The possible good news for you, @scopesandammo, is that many listings for items that are forwarded through eIS now offer buyers the choice between paying taxes (and duty) at checkout or taking their chances and paying them on receipt of the item.