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,

[00nevermind00]

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@cdnbluebelle wrote:

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.

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That's a new one!

Since you didn't purchase an empty box, open a "significantly not as described" claim, stating that the package was received empty. Make sure to mention that this was a GSP transaction. This should get you all of your money back, including the portion of your payment that went to Pitney Bowes (operator of the GSP).

Do NOT involve the seller, other than to possibly let them know what you are doing, as a courtesy.  Let them know that their funds will be on hold for a few days, before being released, and that they will not get a defect for this transaction.

[lucian_mk]

A question:

I've made several purchases using GSP; if these items are shipped to Kentucky to be forwarded, why am I being charged the same shipping cost as if they are sending it directly to Canada rather than within the US?

Thanks.

[reallynicestamps]

The seller sets the shipping cost.

Some sellers are still using the cost of direct USPS shipping, even though they only have to ship with Confirmed Delivery to the plant in Kentucky.

[pjcdn2005]

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@femmefan1946 wrote:

 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.

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http://www.scotiamocatta.com/products/faq.htm

Precious metals are exempt from GST / HST.

A precious metal is defined as a bar, ingot, coin or wafer of gold, silver or platinum, refined to a minimum purity of 99.50% in the case of gold and platinum, and 99.9% in the case of silver.

Gold, silver and platinum products are exempt from HST/GST. Palladium products are subject to HST/GST.

Provincial sales tax is applicable in certain provinces.

[pjcdn2005]

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@ekokozmeva wrote:

A question:

I've made several purchases using GSP; if these items are shipped to Kentucky to be forwarded, why am I being charged the same shipping cost as if they are sending it directly to Canada rather than within the US?

Thanks.

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The package is still being sent from Kentucky to you.

The shipping cost includes any domestic shipping charge that the seller charges and the international shipping charge that the forwarding company (PB) charges from Kentucky. The seller only receives the domestic portion. If a seller doesn't charge extra for shipping within the U.S. then all of the shipping that you pay goes to PB.

[pjcdn2005]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

The seller sets the shipping cost.

Some sellers are still using the cost of direct USPS shipping, even though they only have to ship with Confirmed Delivery to the plant in Kentucky.

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A gsp seller only sets the price for domestic shipping, not the international portion.

[hihihai]

GSP is worst solution. My business cannot claim back sales tax if by GSP, and GSP does not allow to choose cheap 1st-class mail option for light item !!   I started buying ebay 13 years ago. After GSP was introduced to ebay system, I do not buy ebay goods much unless sellers allow me to combine goods together with my Canadian UPS ground account. 

[pierrelebel]

"My business cannot claim back sales tax if by GSP, "

When you read the terms of GSP you will notice it states that the program cannot be used by businesses, only individuals.

Now, many GST/HST registered sellers will still claim ITCs based on the approximate amount of tax included in the import charge.  It is not that difficult to calculate.

If an item  cost US$50.00 (for example) and the GST/HST registered buyer lives in Ontario, and the "import charge is US$11.50, then a buyer would be justified to claim ITCs of US$ 6.50 or Cdn$ equivalent at time of payment (being 13% HST on the selling price).

[slickemslick]

Why does GSP not combine shipping on items purchased from the seller at the same time?

[reallynicestamps]

They didn't think of that when they set up their software and now it would be expensive to do so? Since it is more expensive to process ten (eg) individual parcels than one big one, I'd put it down to stupidity before conspiracy.

If you plan on buying several items from a GSP seller, BEFORE you bid, contact her and ask if she could set up a private listing for you that includes all the items you want.

And that your purchases be shipped USPS First Class International Parcel.

Not Priority International.

Linking your request to the appropriate page on the USPS website might help. The FCI page is hard to find.

Let her know that the parcel could be up to 4 pounds in weight and is DELIVERY CONFIRMED.

Don't try to bargain on price at this point. She will be doing you a favour.

She is allowed to say no, of course.

Politely.--- Captain Malcolm Reynolds

[pocomocomputing]

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@slickemslick wrote:

Why does GSP not combine shipping on items purchased from the seller at the same time?

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Someone posted (pj?) that you have to put them in the ebay shopping cart then pay and the items may be combined. You have to be logged into ebay.com and use their shopping cart also from what I understood.

[afantiques]

The reason for not combining shipping is that it would mess up the tax calculations.

Buy one $12 item, no import tax to Canada, buy 2 items, same price and ship them together and the combined value is used for tax purposes, but they have already been paid for as no tax.

This is the same for any country, single items below the tax threshold if imported together are taxed collectively.

With the shopping basket it is possible to calculate the combined tax element before the lot is paid for.

It is not stupidity, it is the way taxes on imports work.

[00nevermind00]

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@afantiques wrote:

The reason for not combining shipping is that it would mess up the tax calculations.

Buy one $12 item, no import tax to Canada, buy 2 items, same price and ship them together and the combined value is used for tax purposes, but they have already been paid for as no tax.

This is the same for any country, single items below the tax threshold if imported together are taxed collectively.

With the shopping basket it is possible to calculate the combined tax element before the lot is paid for.

It is not stupidity, it is the way taxes on imports work.

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Makes sense.

But the shopping cart thingy wasn't introduced before international buyers complained loudly and frequently about the lack of combined shipping. This should have been entirely predictable had the people who set up the program bothered to ask international buyers what was important to them. But that's assuming that buyers mattered even a little bit into the whole equation, and I think that it would be assuming too much.

The whole No combined shipping thing also seems to show that the people who set up the process never bought anything on the site, or they would have known that charging full (expensive) shipping on each item would be one major sales killer.

I still refuse to buy anything that ships through this program but am I correct in thinking that auction items cannot be combined?

[afantiques]

I still refuse to buy anything that ships through this program but am I correct in thinking that auction items cannot be combined?

I'd say this is correct.

What has always seemed strange is the obsession with 'combined shipping'  Royal Mail charges by weight, above a small minimum, twice the weight is twice the price. And on a practical note you cannot practically pack a flat object and a lumpy one together and do a good job on both. Not without making a far larger parcel than you need for either one.

I know the USA has a number of flat rate shipping options, in its flat rate boxes, but as a British seller I had to explain that in general there was no cost advantage in shipping things together because the gross weight was the same.

[prarie_nerd]

I have a question.
Why on a $20 item do you charge a $5 fee? There's no duty on $20 items. And even above that if there was going to be duty, what you charge makes no sense. $40 for a $100 item isn't even close to what we'd pay to the government!

[xeposter]

You are asking why a selling is charging 5.00 in shipping costs? Or do you mean a handling fee? I'm confused.

Alex

[pierrelebel]

"Why on a $20 item do you charge a $5 fee?"

Canada Post charges $9.95 fee to collect taxes levied by Canada Customs, regardless of the value or amount of taxes levied.

The rules state that tax (GST/HST) will be levied on taxable goods valued at Cdn$ 20.00 or more - please note the value is Cdn$20.00 (US$15)

Please read carefully from the Government of Canada website: 

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

Now Pitney Bowes does not charge a fee to pay the taxes, the $5 fee is a handling fee to handle the parcel, to accept it at their distribution depot in Kentucky and forward it through another carrier to destination (your home address). The fee applies regardless if the item requires payment of tax (GST/HST) or not.  If taxes are payable, their fee will remain the same.

To summarize, if a parcel handled through GSP is priced at less than Cdn$20.00 (US$15)

- the fee charged by Pitney Bowes will be incorporated in the extra shipping charge from the distribution centre to you

If the item is priced at Cdn$ 20 or more ($US15+)

- the fee charged by Pitney Bowes will be incorporated in "import charges" together with tax payable (GST/HST) and duty (if duty applies - generally for goods manufactured outside North America.

From my perspective, it would have been a lot easier if Pitney Bowes had simply added their fees to the shipping charge instead of sometimes charging it to the shipping and sometimes to the "import charge".

Now, the program is not Canadian buyer friendly and should be avoided in most instances. 

GSP was never meant to handle low value items but many American sellers find it easier to use it instead of making the effort to ship directly through USPS. It should be noted that many of those Americans did not sell previously outside their border. Since GSP started, they now offer their products to Canadians and other international buyers.

[pierrelebel]

"why a selling is charging 5.00 in shipping costs? Or do you mean a handling fee? I'm confused."

As an American yes you would be confused as that problem does not arise in the USA.  It happens when foreigners (such as Canadians) buy from American sellers using GSP.

[xeposter]

Oh, I did not know that. Thanks for telling me 😄

[josa.ca.wcyuu7y6rz]

I bought an item and the seller shipped with GSP. The package was missing the street address name but all other information was given.  Now the package is being sent back to sender "Returned to Sender" for more then a half month now.

I called eBay and the person on the other side stated, the item may not even come back to me or the sender but stay with GSP. And I should get in contact with them.

How do I contact GSP? What's their contact number or an email?

Anyone ever had the same experience?