eBay

irismoon12 · ‎06-25-2013

I'm hoping you can point me in the right direction. All the posts I've found via the forums are people upset with the program itself, which is not currently my issue.

I need to return an item that I purchased from the US via the GSP. However, I have received no invoice or other documentation regarding the breakdown of fees paid and more importantly NO contact information. I recognize these fees were not paid to ebay or to the seller. However, when I import via Canada Post I receive documentation and information on how to arrange for a refund or correction etc.

How do I go about doing this with the GSP?

Thank you very much.

Just as an aisde, I purchased an expensive camera, and the GSP fees seem very comprable to "regular" import charges, i.e. sales tax at 13% and a brokerage fee. I see that this is not the case for people buying low cost items.

pierrelebel · ‎07-01-2013

"How will my local post office know that I've already paid for duties?"

Do not worry about that. The post office knows nothing about nothing. They make no decision regarding duty and taxes. That decision is made by the Canadian government at time of Customs clearance BEFORE the parcel is handed over to Canada Post for eventual delivery.

Canada Customs DOES KNOW when taxes are prepaid by Pitney Bowes. Do not worry about that aspect of the transaction.

Many American businesses offer similar service where the taxes are paid at the point of purchase/payment in the USA and the taxes collected are remitted by the merchant to the Canadian government Nothing new here.

irismoon12 · ‎07-02-2013

You will not pay duties and taxes twice under the GSP program. It is all taken care of, upfront before it gets to your door. The problem becomes in a retunr situation like mine with no reference number to provide the CBSA when making a claim for a refund.

Just an update to my specific situation...

Finally got a response from seller. It took a week to get a single sentence which basically said "it was all fine when I shipped it" which is utter nonsense. Thus, I filed a dispute, which was automatically kicked over to Paypal right from the beginning. We shall see how he responds from here.

Now the interesting part is what happened when I started the dispute process in Paypal and entered the transaction ID of the item purchase. When I submitted the number Paypal automatically added a second dispute, linked to the first one, which was for the charges paid to Pitney Bowes for the GSP import charges. There was an explanation with it that said if an item is not received these charges will also be refunded. This is obviously good news. Sadly, it does NOT say that these charges will be refunded if the item is returned. It doesn't specifically say they won't be either, but the lack of details in a return situation, like mine, is frustrating.

Stay tuned.

chimera148 · ‎07-03-2013

The telemarketing promotion includes calling sellers with low value, lightweight items that are totally inappropriate for the program. Many of the sellers are already successfully selling internationally with reasonable shipping costs.

Some of the GSP sellers believe the international buyers can see other shipping options on the listing and they can ship an alternative way if the buyer so chooses.

marnotom! · ‎07-04-2013

@chimera148 wrote:
The telemarketing promotion includes calling sellers with low value, lightweight items that are totally inappropriate for the program. Many of the sellers are already successfully selling internationally with reasonable shipping costs.
Some of the GSP sellers believe the international buyers can see other shipping options on the listing and they can ship an alternative way if the buyer so chooses.

If the sellers don't do due diligence before embarking on a radical change to their way of doing business, how is this eBay's fault?

chimera148 · ‎07-05-2013

@chimera148 wrote:
Some of the GSP sellers believe the international buyers can see other shipping options on the listing and they can ship an alternative way if the buyer so chooses.

A member in another forum tried to list the other shipping method, but it didn't show up when the listing was put up on eBay.

chimera148 · ‎07-05-2013

@irismoon12 wrote:

....... but the lack of details in a return situation, like mine, is frustrating.

http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.jspa?threadID=5200153355&rw=true&anticache=1373013833347 Post #8

pierrelebel · ‎07-05-2013

"If the order is delivered without incident but the Buyer files and wins a SNAD claim because the item was significantly not as described (per standard eBay Resolution Center policy), the Buyer would be made whole on the amount they had paid for the full order: the Seller is responsible for only the payment that was made to the Seller, and eBay refunds the Buyer for the amount that was paid to our shipping partner for international shipping and any applicable import charges."

This quite frankly does not make any sense.

Under current eBay/PayPal buyer protection policy, if a buyer claims goods "significantly not as described", the buyer will get refunded by PayPal on behalf of the seller IF the goods are returned to the seller. No return = no refund.

However, based on the interpretation given by the eBay employee (pink= seller_protection_guy) who wrote the answer quoted above, the seller would have to refund the buyer although the goods are not returned.

"At this time returns are not supported by the Global Shipping Program"

How long will it take scammers to find out how to rip off the system? Buy an expensive watch through GSP, claim it does not work upon receipt, get your money back and keep the watch.

Does anyone else see a problem here?

I wish the staff and management at eBay.ca would answer that question - asked several weeks ago.

pjcdn2005 · ‎07-06-2013

"At this time returns are not supported by the Global Shipping Program"

So does that mean that if a buyer returns an item they do not get back the shipping charge they paid to PB?

chimera148 · ‎07-06-2013

I would take it that the GSP doesn't get involved in the return part of the transaction.

The return costs would be settled between the buyer and the seller, likely dependent on the sellers return policy, where some cover the return costs on a SNAD item.

The seller refunds the money he received from the buyer and ebay refunds the buyer the costs paid to the GSP.

We'll hopefully hear more soon on irismoon's situation.

marnotom! · ‎07-06-2013

@chimera148 wrote:
I would take it that the GSP doesn't get involved in the return part of the transaction.
The return costs would be settled between the buyer and the seller, likely dependent on the sellers return policy, where some cover the return costs on a SNAD item.
The seller refunds the money he received from the buyer and ebay refunds the buyer the costs paid to the GSP.
We'll hopefully hear more soon on irismoon's situation.

I can't see why the Global Shipping Team would have to involve themselves in the physical aspect of a return, either.

From what I've read last night, I get the impression that a case or claim would have to be opened so that there's some sort of electronic paper trail. The seller would be then have to return the entire cost of the sale to the buyer. The seller would then have to put some sort of claim in to the Global Shipping Team who would then reimburse the fees that the seller didn't charge in the first place.

chimera148 · ‎10-09-2013

From todays weekly chat on ebay.com

i*m-still-here · ‎10-09-2013

@marnotom! wrote:

Most savvy Canadian sellers have figured out that with Canada being at a disadvantage compared to the U.S. for international sales due to Canada's higher postal rates, the best way to make a go of it on eBay is to sell items that don't get much in the way of southside competition but still have a pretty strong niche interest.

marnotom!............. I've already commented on your other points above because we've gone over them ad nauseam so I won't comment again, but here is something new:

You posted that most "savvy" Canadian sellers can't compete unless they list items that have no competition?

Did you think that through before you posted it? ...........................

For example, the regular posters here sell stamps, books, clothing.......... that kind of thing.

No competition????

marnotom! · ‎10-09-2013

Did you think my post through before you responded to it? It seems to me that you latched onto a few words of it without actually digesting its full meaning.

afantiques · ‎10-10-2013

It seems quite clear that in the case of a SNAD return you are stone out of luck as far a refund of international shipping and taxes paid are concerned, because they have been spent.

So, tough.

Make sure any 'not as described' claims are attributed to damage in transit. Then you will get a full refund.

Clearly PB are hanging their transit insurers out to dry.

i*m-still-here · ‎10-10-2013

@marnotom! wrote:
Did you think my post through before you responded to it? It seems to me that you latched onto a few words of it without actually digesting its full meaning.

Yes, I did.

Your post contained the same statements you've made over and over and over and over etc. for the many month now.

You also said that in your vie most "savvy" Canadian sellers can't compete unless they list items that have no competition?

That's the statement I was commenting on.

The rest is the same old same old............. but since this was something new and different I noticed it.

marnotom! · ‎10-10-2013

Seeing as the post in question is three and a half months old, I think you're confusing the process of reading the same post over and over for three and a half months with seeing the same information posted over and over for three months.

Your paraphrasing of my statement changes its meaning quite significantly, by the way.

femmefan1946 · ‎10-10-2013

The comments are the same..............

They are all trashing the GSP.

That was an early remark on the implementation of the GSP in UK and Australia.

Does anyone know if these countries have the same lax attitude towards collecting duty and tax owed on delivery that Canada Post is known for?

If they are lax, then any upfront demand for payment of those fees would be expected. People hate change especially if it is going to cost them money.

If they are firm about collecting, well, people still hate change and making one large payment is harder than making two smaller ones (S&H before shipping and Duty etc on arrival0>

pocomocomputing · ‎10-10-2013

@femmefan1946 wrote:
The comments are the same..............

They are all trashing the GSP.

That was an early remark on the implementation of the GSP in UK and Australia.
Does anyone know if these countries have the same lax attitude towards collecting duty and tax owed on delivery that Canada Post is known for?
If they are lax, then any upfront demand for payment of those fees would be expected. People hate change especially if it is going to cost them money.
If they are firm about collecting, well, people still hate change and making one large payment is harder than making two smaller ones (S&H before shipping and Duty etc on arrival0>

Australia has a $1,000 AUS duty / tax free limit for imports. Highest I know of. Early posts in International Trading forum on eBay.com had GSP charging for items under that value but has been straightened out. UK is lax in assessing duty/taxes but not as bad as Canada from what I read.

If you go to this topic here on eBay UK forums, the stituation is like here in Canada. Their import threshold is £15 ($25 Can).

http://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Buyer-Central/WHY-ARE-THE-AMERICAN-SELLERS-TRYING-TO-RIP-EVERYONE-OFF...

post #6 says many low priced items are not charged VAT and duty for low value items.

pierrelebel · ‎10-10-2013

http://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Consultation--Business/In-detail/Retailing/Publications/GST-and-impor...

chimera148 · ‎10-10-2013

@afantiques wrote:
It seems quite clear that in the case of a SNAD return you are stone out of luck as far a refund of international shipping and taxes paid are concerned, because they have been spent.

So, tough.

Make sure any 'not as described' claims are attributed to damage in transit. Then you will get a full refund.

Clearly PB are hanging their transit insurers out to dry.

Yes, quite a change from what we were told in July, and mentioned in an earlier post here.

Anybody buying GSP items now is taking on a lot of risk of losing more money if the item is claimed not as described {SNAD}.