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,

[mater721]

Of course we're not "required" to buy from ebay.  Canadian shoppers are just unhappy about the (previously rare) costs now being passed on to us.  It likely will reduce Canadian shopping on ebay.  Just like increased cost of shipping over past couple years has changed my buying habits.

[bennett4612]

Hi stephen30904. 

With a Global Shipping Program (GSP) transaction the seller sends the item to the US Shipping Center (in Kentucky), and eBay takes it from there. If the item arrived ok in Erlanger, KY, your buyer has done what they are supposed to (assuming they sent the right item, etc.). 

You can read more about how the GSP works via the links at the bottom of this message. Including info on lost or damaged items, refunds, etc. (In a nutshell, once the item reached Kentucky, if it is lost or damaged in transit, buyer is refunded the full amount).

If you have other concerns or questions, feel free to ask. 

http://ebay.com/gsp

http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/shipping/globalshippingprogram/update_faqs.html

http://pages.ebay.com/shipping/globalshipping/buyer-tnc.html

---Bennett

[rancat06]

I would like to talk to a Customer Support person on the telephone regarding a shipment from the USA to Canada through your Global Shipping Program.  Is there a phone number I can call in Canada?

Thank you.

[pierrelebel]

Yes, click on Customer Support on top of the page (toll free number).  Once you reach eBay ask specifically for a Global Shipping representative.

On the other hand, I know from experience you may find a much quicker answer on this board.  Just ask the question.

[pierrelebel]

PS - Leaving negative feedback for your seller may not have been such a great idea.  More patience is required at times.  Buyers have 60 days to leave feedback.

[bennett4612]

Hi rancat06. 

The best way to reach a customer service rep regarding the GSP is to call the regular customer service line:

1-866-540-3229  /or/  1-866-643-1587

Ask to speak with a GSP Specialist. If your issue is "pre-transaction", then whoever is on the line should be able to answer your question. However if it is a "post-transaction" issue, you will need to be transferred. Hours of Operation are Monday - Sunday, 6:00am - 11:00pm Mountain Time. 

To my knowledge there isn't a Canadian # to call if you are looking to speak to a GSP Specialist. 

Hope that helps. 

---Bennett

[reallynicestamps]

You will get your item.

The seller uses the Shipping and Handling fee to send your item to a processing plant run by PitneyBowes in Kentucky.

PB then uses the Import Charges you also paid to process your item, sending appropriate duty and sales taxes to the Canadian Goverment and using the service charge portion to ship your item onwards to Canada and to you.

The whole thing takes about two weeks from payment to doorstep. Occasionally longer. Occasionally faster.

[afantiques]

The seller uses the Shipping and Handling fee to send your item to a processing plant run by PitneyBowes in Kentucky.

PB then uses the Import Charges you also paid to process your item, sending appropriate duty and sales taxes to the Canadian Goverment and using the service charge portion to ship your item onwards to Canada and to you.

Not really what happens, really.

The seller's domestich shipping rate is what pays for the item to be sent to KY. This money, plus the item price,is what the seller gets.

The international shipping charge funds the transport of the item to you.

The import charge goes partly to your government's revenue, when the item is cleared through customs, with a small part of the charge going to cover the costs of the import agent for handling clearance and another small part going to PB for preparing and submitting the customs documentation.

[intergalacticwalrus]

I'm in Canada, I ordered something from a US seller that was shipped with the Global Shipping Program. The package arrived but it was something completely different (I don't even know what it is, it looks like a handle from something). I asked the seller and he has no idea what it is either.

Therefore I assume that the error came from Pitney Bowes (the 3rd party that handles this Global Shipping Program thing). However I have no idea on how to report this. If I file a PayPal dispute, I assume that it's only going to be the seller that is going to be held responsible and penalized for it, even though I am sure it was not his fault. What am I supposed to do now??

Thanks in advance

[afantiques]

Your only redress process is to file a Not as Described complaint.

This appears to be the only way to bring a GSP problem to official attention.

Meanwhile, examine the packaging. Is there any indication of the return address of an entirely different seller?

[intergalacticwalrus]

It's a GSP package. The only return address I have on the package is the Pitney Bowes distribution center that send it, the seller's address is not included. There was NO documentation whatsoever inside the package, nothing. (Which is another problem with GSP, lack of proper papers, where is the receipt, and customs form that justifies their costs?? what a scam). The only thing I have that identifies this package as being associated to that particular eBay listing is the tracking number.

[afantiques]

There may be an original label under the PB lebel.

[mater721]

I've posed this situation earlier, but I don't think anyone had a definitive answer. Where current price is below the $20 (Cdn) duty threshold, and shipping shows as $15, and Import Charges = 0$, what is final cost to Buyer if bids stay below $20? Item Price + $15?  Does PBI take a portion of the shipping cost?  "Import Charges" are solely for Duty/taxes?

On a slight tangent, regarding GSP... Buyer Terms & Conditions posted on ebay...1.b.ii (Role of Importer=Buyer) (B) "file a completed customs entry and related documents with customs authorities..." Is this a mistake?  I thought PBI was filling out the documents. If not, why are they even involved?

[rose-dee]

This thread seems to have gotten way off track into another back-and-forth discussion - I'd like to return to the original purpose.  Kalvin, if you're still there (as per your post at the top of this thread), I have some specific questions about the GSP:

1)  Are U.S. sellers given a completely free choice of whether to "opt in" to the GSP, and by that I mean also free of any consequences to them?  I'm hearing that US sellers believe their accounts will be penalized (or even closed) by eBay if they don't "opt in", i.e. the GSP is mandatory. 

2)  If the GSP is mandatory in the above sense, is it only mandatory for some sellers in some situations, or for all?

3)  Once a US seller has "opted in", can they "opt out" without consequences?

4)  If US sellers can opt out, what steps must they take?

5)  If US sellers can opt out, can they opt out for all their listings at once or only on individual listings?  Are there restrictions on when they can opt out, or on what type of listings they can opt out of?  I had one poor seller tell me she felt trapped, since she could not "opt out" of the GSP for a particular item I wanted to bid on because there was already a bid on it.  I passed the item up because the GSP charges (on a ca. $15 item) would have been roughly $30 US. Normal shipping for that item would be less than $10, and Canadian taxes nil.

6)  I assume eBay has some sort of contractual arrangement with Pitney-Bowes.  How much does eBay collect on each GSP transaction?  Or has eBay been paid an up-front fee to run and promote the programme on its site?

7)  Does eBay have any specific plans to make the GSP completely transparent (i.e. all charges shown up front, based on buyer location) as well as optional, for both sellers and buyers alike?  If so, would you please enumerate those plans?  It might help to re-establish some confidence in eBay's bona fides toward its users on both sides of the border to know that steps are in place to address the biggest problems. 

I ask these questions not only as a concerned Canadian buyer, but also on behalf of US sellers, since I think the GSP is ultimately notgoing to benefit either.  Canadian buyers will always feel it's an unfair money grab, and US sellers will resent their GSP buyers voicing such discontent via FB and DSRs.  In fact I fear it will sour so many people -- buyers and sellers alike -- on the eBay experience that they may just not return. 

Someone really needs to answer the above questions for all of us.

[arlene_v]

A few weeks ago I asked a question here about what info a bidder is provided with when bidding on a GSP auction style listing. My specific query was if  bidder can "back out" or decline "import charges" before placing a final bid. 

There were no definitive replies to my question by folks who had tried it out  ....so today I thought I would give it a whirl and took screen shots of the process.

Please  use the zoom feature to see the screen shots ..I have not figured out how to get this right yet, and the pics are not the greatest ...sorry about that. 

So you enter an amount and  this screen appears .... you have the option of calculating the "import charges" based on your highest bid.

If you click "calculate" you get the "import charges" based on your max. bid. 

You can then either "confirm" based on what you see, or simply hit the back button.

[helena9538]

Hi there...When you go in and look at the item...it will show you up front what the shipping is to the seller and than it will show you the cost for the GSP based on what the Item is at...for example if you bin...you will know...If you make an offer it will be a little less...If the price goes up on a bid...well than you can only estimate...

I myself live in Canada...And will not likely bid or buy if it has the Global shipping...Very disappointed in This...A Deal now is not a Deal....:)

[arlene_v]

---

@bennett4612 wrote:

• As part of the transaction, the buyer is granting PBI a power of attorney to authorize a CA customs broker to clear goods on behalf of the consumer / consignee – and remit duty and tax to the CA gov’t on behalf of that party. ......... 

  (text omitted here .... )

•  PBI estimates  at the time of checkout.  Upon completing the checkout, the buyer remits funds to PBI via PayPal. ...

(text omitted here ..)

• PBI does not import or resell goods and is not responsible to file Canadian taxes for this service on behalf of PBI
• The buyer through an power of attorney is authorizing a licensed customs broker to calculate the true duty and tax for such goods, and remit them to the government on behalf of the buyer --- not on behalf of Pitney Bowes

++++++++++

---

I have bolded some of the text.

 Here is the part that is noteworthy "the buyer through a power of attorney is authorizing a licensed customs broker to calculate the true duty and tax for such goods, and remit them to the government on behalf of the buyer --- not on behalf of Pitney Bowes"

Note the word "true".

So, if there is an error in the estimated charges and an overpayment is made, where does the overpayment go? This is simply not made clear here. I am not being paranoid, nor seeking a conspiracy theory .... just asking for clarification.

The Canadian Govt?

The Canadian customs broker?

 PBI?

We can definitely rule out  the buyer, that much we do know.

Also kudoes to you Pierre for asking these questions months ago, and also to Bennett for answering.  PIty so many questions remain unanswered. Unless this has been addressed elsewhere and I have missed it being new to the .ca forums.

[hasha2write]

I'd like to know how to search for an item excluding any sellers using your Global Shipping program. The shipping costs are ridiculously high this way. Should I pay $14.00 to receive an item worth $5.00? I'm ready to call it quits for ebay.

[femmefan1946]

Look for this sub-title

Customs services and international tracking provided

which gives the amount of duty and sales tax you will pay in advance when a seller uses the Global Shipping Program.

The amount also includes a shipping charge of about $5 from Kentucky where the central GSP shipping plant is, to your front door.

You should know that eBay does not encourage sellers of items under $50 to use the GSP for exactly the reason you give. However, they introduced and explained the program very badly, very very badly, and this is the result.

If you see something you want, but all the sellers use the GSP, send a message to those with the best listings asking them if they will ship by USPS First Class International and explain that the service includes Delivery Confirmation to Canada  and handles items up to four pounds.

You could also tell them to look at their items after logging in to eBaydotCA and entering the postal code K0A 0A6  (the House of Commons). Many will be shocked at the result, just as you are.