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,

[afantiques]

See the GSP threads for a cross section.

Often very cross.

[heatherc7049]

Why are some vendors charging import fees on USED items to Canada? 

Unless the law has changed, recently, only new items are subject to such fees.  I am NEVER subjected to this charge when I but used items from Amazon, Better World Books, etc... 

[pierrelebel]

The law has not changed.

Taxes (GST/HST) apply equally to new or used items in Canada, whether you purchase locally or import them.

Go to your used car dealer - you will find taxes (both GST and PST or HST) are charged on used cars.  Go to Value Village, you will  find here again that taxes are charged on used clothing, books, household goods etc...

As far as postal imports are concerned, the official policy is available here (no distinction between used or new goods):

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

It is a widespread misconception that used goods are exempt from taxes.

[femmefan1946]

For those unable to find the link : here is the information.

Duty, Taxes and Handling Fees on Items Mailed to You Duty and tax exemptions

The CBSA can examine almost any item that comes to Canada by mail.

You may have to pay duty, the goods and services tax (GST) or the harmonized sales tax (HST) and the provincial sales tax (PST) on items mailed to you. If you owe duty and tax, it will be indicated on Form E14, CBSA Postal Import Form, which will be attached to your mail item when it is delivered.

The amount of duty or taxes you may owe on an item depends upon the following:

• the item’s value in Canadian dollars;
• whether or not the item is a gift; and
• any exemptions specified in related legislation.

The item’s value in Canadian dollars

Under the provisions of the Postal Imports Remission Order, if someone mails you an item worth CAN$20 or less, you don’t have to pay duty or taxes on the item. If the item is worth more than CAN$20, you must pay the applicable duty, the GST or HST, and any PST on the item’s full value.

Items that do not qualify for the CAN$20 exemption include the following:

• tobacco;
• books;
• periodicals;
• magazines;
• alcoholic beverages; and
• goods ordered through a Canadian post office box or a Canadian intermediary.

[afantiques]

Do remember that all the above relates to POSTAL imports and does not, in general, apply to GSP imports where the rules are more strictly aplied.

[femmefan1946]

Right, afantiques.

Many buyers do not realize that the reason couriers, like UPS and other importers, like Pitney Bowes, which runs the Global Shipping Program, MUST follow the letter of the law, is that they do not import items one by one through the postal system.

It is especially confusing since once they have the items in Canada, PB sometimes uses Canada Post to complete the delivery.

Gee, I hate sounding like I am defending this poorly designed and worse explained system.

[femmefan1946]

It remains baffling that PB has done virtually nothing to improve this.

PB does not control how the eBay Sell Your Item form is set up. And eBay has not yet seen fit to correct it.

Short of returning any package without that information on the wrapper to the sender, I can't see how PB could do anything about it.

It's up to eBay, and there is no financial incentive or disincentive for them.

[afantiques]

Gee, I hate sounding like I am defending this poorly designed and worse explained system.

How do you think I feel? 🙂

I agree with you entirely but posts that are complete bleep fodder just get on my wick. Nonsense abounds even if sense pipes up with a feeble cry.

[angegarc_10y3fnne]

why hasn't ebay sent out my package the seller already sent the package to a global shipping address. Paypal automatically has them do that and thier suppose to then send it to you but it hasn't been shipped and I don't know what to do

[dmil8030]

Hello 'angegarc...',

Is this about the black Y&R shirt? 

You are new to ebay, and sadly you bought your item from a seller using the GSP.

Oh well, everyone makes mistakes.

Ebay never sends your packages.  Ebay is just the online venue in which sellers from all over

the world list their wares.  It's like a huge online flea market.

When a hapless Canadian buyer purchases an item from an American seller using (knowingly

or otherwise) the GSP, the seller does not simply lob the package over the border to the buyer.

Instead, the seller ships it to Kentucky whereupon the folks there resend (and sometimes repackage)

the item and mail it on to Canada.  Occasionally it takes an astonishingly circuitous route, causing the

buyer to wait far longer than in the good ol' days of plain old First Class mail.

That is but one of the many, many reasons that most Canadian shoppers would rather eat a lightbulb

than buy from a GSP seller. 

You don't know what to do?  Then I'll tell you:    Wait for your item to show up.

It will.  It's on its way.  It may go through Halifax, Nunavut, and Vancouver before getting to you,

but it will arrive eventually.

(Yes I'm exaggerating, but only slightly).

If, however, you make the even bigger mistake of buying from a far, far away country where there are

sellers who don't send the item to newbies, delaying them with promises because new users often do not

know how the claims process works, you will need to know that you have 45 days in which to file a claim

for a no-show item.  That's just over 6 weeks.

Read through the following link whilst you are waiting for you GSP shirt to arrive:

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/buy/item-not-received.html

Enjoy you new item 

[arlene_v]

---

@dmil8030 wrote:

Hello 'angegarc...',

Is this about the black Y&R shirt? 

You are new to ebay, and sadly you bought your item from a seller using the GSP.

Oh well, everyone makes mistakes.

Ebay never sends your packages.  Ebay is just the online venue in which sellers from all over

the world list their wares.  It's like a huge online flea market.

When a hapless Canadian buyer purchases an item from an American seller using (knowingly

or otherwise) the GSP, the seller does not simply lob the package over the border to the buyer.

Instead, the seller ships it to Kentucky whereupon the folks there resend (and sometimes repackage)

the item and mail it on to Canada.  Occasionally it takes an astonishingly circuitous route, causing the

buyer to wait far longer than in the good ol' days of plain old First Class mail.

That is but one of the many, many reasons that most Canadian shoppers would rather eat a lightbulb

than buy from a GSP seller. 

You don't know what to do?  Then I'll tell you:    Wait for your item to show up.

It will.  It's on its way.  It may go through Halifax, Nunavut, and Vancouver before getting to you,

but it will arrive eventually.

(Yes I'm exaggerating, but only slightly).

If, however, you make the even bigger mistake of buying from a far, far away country where there are

sellers who don't send the item to newbies, delaying them with promises because new users often do not

know how the claims process works, you will need to know that you have 45 days in which to file a claim

for a no-show item.  That's just over 6 weeks.

Read through the following link whilst you are waiting for you GSP shirt to arrive:

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/buy/item-not-received.html

Enjoy you new item 

---

I love this post. You had me laughing so over the "would rather eat  a lightbulb than buy from a GSP seller" 

Wonderfully stated. 

[reallynicestamps]

Also, I have found that customs is extremely careless when they open the parcels...and yes...every item is opened with this global mailing system.  They  frequently use a box cutter with no regard to the item inside and I have had several items that have been slashed and ....completely ruined.  I find that customs workers slice the parcel open somewhere in the middle where the item is situated rather than making sure that the item is clear before they make their cut.  Sellers need to be aware of this practice at customs and ebay needs to know that this is happening.

This is not being done by customs. (Canadian Border Service Agency).

This is happening at the Pitney Bowes plant in Kentucky, when the workers are deciding whether the item is dutiable.

The primary error is the seller's, who did not make the PLACE of manufacture clear.

The secondary error is eBay's, which did not make it clear to the seller that she should mark the origin of the item.

But the main problem is carelessness on the part of minimum wage (currently $7.25 an hour, not bad by US standards, but still just under $15,000 a year)Pitney Bowes workers under pressure of the always moving conveyor belt.

And don't get your knickers in a twist about the work being delegated. That is a normal business practice

[pjcdn2005]

---

@angegarc_10y3fnne wrote:

why hasn't ebay sent out my package the seller already sent the package to a global shipping address. Paypal automatically has them do that and thier suppose to then send it to you but it hasn't been shipped and I don't know what to do

---

It may be on its way to you but ebay may have not sent you updated tracking information. If this is the shirt purchased on May 3rd and if you still haven't received it by early next week or if you can't see that it is on its way, you should file an item not received claim.

[tomathy]

I've received what I believe to be an item that has been damaged due to eBay's GSP. Would eBay be the one to refund me my money? The seller is adamant that he is not at fault, so I can only assume the damages happened after eBay's shipping facility received it. Has anyone experienced a problem like this? Have you ever gotten your money back?

[mwc1942]

"This is happening at the Pitney Bowes plant in Kentucky, when the workers are deciding whether the item is dutiable."

Few will agree with you on that point ..... the claim persists that its repackaged to reduce shipping cost from Kentucky to Canada.

[pjcdn2005]

---

@tomathy wrote:

I've received what I believe to be an item that has been damaged due to eBay's GSP. Would eBay be the one to refund me my money? The seller is adamant that he is not at fault, so I can only assume the damages happened after eBay's shipping facility received it. Has anyone experienced a problem like this? Have you ever gotten your money back?

---

Yes, ebay would refund your money in the item was found to be damaged after the item left the gsp center and you shouldn't have to return the item. You do have to file an item not as described claim in order to get the refund but if the damage was caused by the gsp, then the seller isn't affected once you are refunded by ebay.

[mwc1942]

"PB does not control how the eBay Sell Your Item form is set up. And eBay has not yet seen fit to correct it.

Short of returning any package without that information on the wrapper to the sender, I can't see how PB could do anything about it.

It's up to eBay, and there is no financial incentive or disincentive for them."

From a different perspective, could it be that eBay's hands are tied under their contractual obligations with PB.  

[Anonymous]

what kind of a rip off does ebay have going now? why does it now cost in excess of 20 dollars to mail a hockey card to Canada? and what is up with the import charges? straight up BS!!!!! i am to the point now where i will not buy from a seller that has been bullied into using this system. WHAT A SCAM!!!!!!!!!  EBAY IS TURNING INTO A RIP OFF SITE and they should be careful or they will lose the Canadian portion of their business

[femmefan1946]

It's called the Global Shipping Program and was put in place to encourage US sellers who had never considered international shipping to feel confident about selling outside the USA.

The seller needs only to ship with Delivery Confirmation to the GPS plant in Kentucky and his job is done.

The advantage to non-US buyers is that many many more items are now available to them.

GPS shipments have this note:

Customs services and international tracking provided

If you don't want to deal with it, don't bid on items that carry that note.

As to the charge.

Canada theoretically charges duty and sales tax on imports valued over $20.

CBSA and CPO have come to the sensible conclusion that it makes no sense to do this, since it costs more in labour than could ever be collected.

Common sense from public servants! Whaddya know?

However, private shippers still have to obey the letter of the law. So you got charged.

Your seller made the first mistake by using GSP for an item valued under $50, something eBay does not recommend.

The charge is made up of the rate for the seller's chosen shipping service plus any applicable duty and sales tax, plus the GSP service fee of ~$5.

If you miss the note about GSP on the listing, you can still back out before clicking PAY the second time. By then you will have seen the amount GSP would cost you , if you decide to continue.