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,

[kittykat_778]

Hi, I've been buying items using the GSP for a while now and just ran into my first problem where it says delay at shipping center - invalid address.

I've used the same address for all my other orders and they were all delivered without problems. I've contacted Ebay already and they'll get back to me within a few days.

From personal experience, I was just wondering if anybody knows if the shipping center will just end up sending the package back to the seller or will they allow any appropriate changes as needed to resume with the delivery process?

I'm just worried that it will just get sent back.
Thanks

[afantiques]

Anything undeliverable for any reason is usually sold off. The seller keeps the payment, the buyer gets a full refund.

[99dogshunting]

As far as I'm concerned the GSP is nothing but a money grab. Customs and duties on items shipped to Canada are decided by a number of factors which include used books are duty and customs free, used items such tools and auto and motorcycle parts depending on price and package are generally duty and customs free. I have never paid customs or duties on ANY item under $200 US. And I have been using Ebay for over 10 years. I find there is a problem with a system that charges these fees when they are NOT applicable. In fact since Ebay is just a Go between for the seller and the buyer customs and duties is non of there business. I will be charged the proper and appropriate fees by CANADA CUSTOMS and our POSTAL system. So Ebay will you kindly stay out of our Governments business. I do NO business with any seller who does not ship directly to me so big loss for sellers. Also I have had sellers claim that the GSP rate have been arbitrary add to there site by Ebay. I don't know if this is true or just a cop out by the seller. But the result is the same if you use GSP I wont buy your products.

[afantiques]

I find there is a problem with a system that charges these fees when they are NOT applicable.

The trouble is they are applicable. Postal deliveries often escape them, freight deliveries like GSP do not have this luxury.

Also I have had sellers claim that the GSP rate have been arbitrary add to there site by Ebay.

The sellers just do not understand the way things work. Understandable, as they would need to read all site updates and user agreements, but it is not arbitary.

[jefferikthor]

This is a shell game.  Very irritating too.  A surcharge on shipping and the buyer pays for this third party administration.  There shouldn't be any surprises when you go to paypal.

[pjcdn2005]

When you click on the listing all shipping and import charges are listed so there shouldn't be any surprises when you pay.

[sylviebee]

Something new I'm seeing these past few days with some GSP shipments is that import taxes are showing up as $0.00 even when items are listed well over $20 via BIN.

It almost looks as if they're testing this out to see if it boosts GSP sales   It's showing this way for about half of the GSP listings.

Import charges:
$0.00 (amount confirmed at checkout)
No additional import charges on delivery

[00nevermind00]

---

@sylviebee wrote:

Something new I'm seeing these past few days with some GSP shipments is that import taxes are showing up as $0.00 even when items are listed well over $20 via BIN.

It almost looks as if they're testing this out to see if it boosts GSP sales   It's showing this way for about half of the GSP listings.

Import charges:
$0.00 (amount confirmed at checkout)
No additional import charges on delivery

---

Can you give a few item numbers? I just checked a few items, including one that was $14,99 US, coming to $20.03 CAD at the current rate of exchange. It showed "import charges".

Ebay has tinkered with the GSP to Canada in the past. They are well aware of how unpopular the program is with Canadian eBayers. At one point all of the GSP listings were showing at the very end of searches, bundled with the stuff from international sellers. Another time, many (all?) items under $50 or so had no "import charges". It was never made clear whether eBay/PB were simply eating the charges (doubtful) or if those were passed along to the buyer in a more... uh... indirect manner.

[sylviebee]

Where are all those GSP listings when you want them?

Here's one, but I noticed quite a few.  It might have something to do with the BO option, but most with the BO option still list import charges.

I don't know if listings without a BO option always give the amount tor not yet.

111936473968

[marnotom!]

---

@sylviebee wrote:

Where are all those GSP listings when you want them?

Here's one, but I noticed quite a few.  It might have something to do with the BO option, but most with the BO option still list import charges.

I don't know if listings without a BO option always give the amount tor not yet.

111936473968

---

Thanks for that, Sylvie.   l looked up that item and there were indeed no "import charges" listed on it.  Below the listing under "Similar items you may be interested in" was, among other things, item 331802427624.  Under "similar items" the shipping price was stated as US$15.34.  On the listing page, the shipping price was US$21.01 with no "import charges".

The "import charges" don't change when I use the postal code for another province, however, which suggests to me that the difference in the shipping charges would be due strictly to the GSP's processing charge being folded into the shipping charge. 

These items are also classified as antiques, which aren't subject to duty.  I'm not sure if they're subject to PST/HST/GST in most provinces, though.  Any help here?

[00nevermind00]

---

@sylviebee wrote:

Where are all those GSP listings when you want them?

Here's one, but I noticed quite a few.  It might have something to do with the BO option, but most with the BO option still list import charges.

I don't know if listings without a BO option always give the amount tor not yet.

111936473968

---

Very interesting! My first thought was that maybe it was a glitch so I changed my country to the UK. Still zero "import charges". But when changing to Germany, suddenly there are "import charges".

I wonder if this is some kind of new test. I wouldn't buy that item, for fear that the "import charges" would suddenly appear once I hit the Buy button. In other words, I'm still not convinced that this isn't some kind of glitch.

[sylviebee]

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@00nevermind00 wrote:

---

I wouldn't buy that item, for fear that the "import charges" would suddenly appear once I hit the Buy button. In other words, I'm still not convinced that this isn't some kind of glitch.

---

I have no doubt that buyers will be billed import charges if they buy.

It might be a glitch, but it might be a test to see if shoppers buy more GSP items if they bury actual cost.

I posted above that about half the GSP listings are showing $0.00 import charges even when there will charges, but it's not half.

Quite a few, but not half.

[lorraine_carol]

Hi there.... I personally don't think it's a glitch yet I've no clue as to why or what it is but I've seen this since the inception of the GSP on several items; no dollar amount under the "Import Charges". I've never inquired about because I'd never buy from a seller who utilizes the GSP. Just my 2 cents.

[00nevermind00]

One of those "no import charges" GSP listings just popped up in one of my saved searches.

Rather than a glitch, I'm speculating that maybe this is a new experiment.

Whenever an item has two possible prices (starting bid/BIN), until now the listing would show "import charges" based on the higher of the two prices. If the buyer bought the item at the lower price, the charges would go down accordingly when checking out. But this, as with all things GSP, was never properly explained to buyers, who were understandably upset at the amount of "import charges" showing on some items. And likely hitting the back button as fast as they possibly could.

So what I'm thinking is that maybe eBay is trying a new strategy of not showing any "import charges" until the final price is determined. If that's the case, then it's totally not transparent and they're completely deluding themselves if they think that buyers will appreciate this. In any case, whatever the reasoning (if any!) is behind this new change, it would be nice to know what is going on! How can we bid/buy with confidence when we don't know what's awaiting around the corner?

BTW, I also viewed the listing which I got the screen shot from on the .com site.  It also shows no "import charges" there.

[marnotom!]

Call me deluded, but my guess is that if "import charges" were to show up at checkout for a listing where these charges were stated as zero on the listing page, the shipping charge would be reduced by the amount of the import charges.  The buyer would still be paying the same amount in fees to Pitney Bowes.

[marnotom!]

---

@sylviebee wrote:

I have no doubt that buyers will be billed import charges if they buy.

It might be a glitch, but it might be a test to see if shoppers buy more GSP items if they bury actual cost.

I posted above that about half the GSP listings are showing $0.00 import charges even when there will charges, but it's not half.

Quite a few, but not half.

---

.

I did a keyword search for the item you posted and the search results showed a lower shipping price for the item, the same deal as what seems to happen with items priced below the $20 tax/duty-free threshold.

Something tells me we're going to see more posts from eBay buyers wondering why a GSP item's "shipping" price is higher on the listing page than it is in search results.

[murrayw211]

I'm 100% with you. If a seller won't ship using USPS instead of GSP, I won't buy. 

[jesusislordnick]

I have shopped internationally, mainly the UK, for years now, and I am truly disappointed in this Global Shipping Program, when purchasing items in the UK. Items purchased now take 3-4 times longer to get here, this shipping program is sad, and pretty much useless, a money grab for someone, and a pain in the ... for consumers, booooooo

[femmefan1946]

 I'm not sure if they're subject to PST/HST/GST in most provinces, though.

Yes, antiques and second hand goods are generally subject to provincial sales taxes.

The questionable category in my mind is coins and bullion. Those don't seem to be subject to duty, but I don't trust the bloviators who claim there are no sales taxes on them.

[cdnbluebelle]

I purchased an item and received the package today.  Large sticker on it stating resealed by the Global Shipping Program.  The box inside the packaging was empty and I would like to know how Global Shipping audits the items that are opened?  I am very upset about this as it wasn't a small purchase.