why is global shipping from US so slow

[waltz3141]

Anyhow has a idea why it takes more than 3 wks to ship a laptop from Florida?  Is COVID-19 really affecting them so much?  Can I cancel the product?  It just is taking too long.

[esclyons]

Yes covid is slowing the mail down to a snail's pace, and if you bought it through the global shipping program it takes even longer as it has to go to Kentucky first, to be processed, then shipped to you.. Items, that usually take 2 weeks, are taking around 4 weeks..  It seems to be the normal right now.. You should be able to check your tracking number, and see how far along it is, and give you an idea of when it will get to you.

[femmefan1946]

I'm not convinced that GSP has much to do with any slowdown, since customs brokerage is a big part of importing and an item likely to be assessed for duty (like a laptop with a value over $20 $150 and relatively bulky) would have to go through CBSA at the border, while GSP purchases are assessed at the plant by minimum wage clerks on the clock and shipped in pre-cleared pallets to Canada.

But every shipper is dealing with sick workers, workers taking personal time for childcare, social distancing rules and above all a three to six times heavier than Christmas workload.

If the last day for delivery has passed you have 30 days to open a Dispute. Mark Day 29 on your calendar and open a Dispute if you don't have your laptop by then.

[marnotom!]

I don’t know where you’re located, but I’m on Vancouver Island. My experience with items shipped directly by mail from the United States is that the further southeast the seller is located, the longer they take to reach me.

I’ve had USPS First Class and Priority International items from the Deep South take 4-6 weeks to reach me, and that’s pre-COVID.

If your item is travelling by mail to the Global Shipping Center in Kentucky, be aware that it’s likely had to go through a very backed up sorting facility in Cincinnati before reaching the GSC.

[cumos55]

There are many  things that affect the transit  of mail in the US... 

(1)  People are buying  online....  at very high numbers......Postal centres are overloaded

(2) COVID-19  .... The effect of this virus affects how postal centres handle mail with proper distancing among postal workers.  The movement of mail has slowed  because of the virus and the volume of mail...   

(3) The US is facing many problems... state by state.   There is no common approach to COVID-19  across the US, and among states.

(4)  The inconsistency of the Federal US Government... specifically the President ..... has created a mess....

(5) Canada has shut  the Canada-US border to everything except necessary items.

Mail cannot carry the virus if the mail has been secluded  for long periods of time.

[femmefan1946]

What window were you given for delivery?

After the last day of the window passes, you can open a Dispute as Item Not Recieved.

Where does tracking show the laptop is now? Cincinnati? Erlanger? Mississauga?

[cadbuyer2015]

I strongly disagree with this explanation. Prior to GSP, sellers shipped directly to buyers which saved the time wasting step of Erlanger, KY. The excuse is the benefit of consolidated shipping, but at the expense of a timely delivery. GSP more than triples delivery times, and when compared to Amazon.com, is simply ridiculous. It takes USPS and Canada Post 3 days (including customs) to deliver my glasses to me, where it takes GSP 3 weeks to deliver the same. 

The only consolation for me, is that I know eBay will eventually succumb to Amazon, especially if a new Amazon were to emerge. What a waste of opportunity for eBay though.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@cadbuyer2015 wrote:

I strongly disagree with this explanation. Prior to GSP, sellers shipped directly to buyers which saved the time wasting step of Erlanger, KY. The excuse is the benefit of consolidated shipping, but at the expense of a timely delivery. GSP more than triples delivery times, and when compared to Amazon.com, is simply ridiculous. It takes USPS and Canada Post 3 days (including customs) to deliver my glasses to me, where it takes GSP 3 weeks to deliver the same. 

The only consolation for me, is that I know eBay will eventually succumb to Amazon, especially if a new Amazon were to emerge. What a waste of opportunity for eBay though.

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Another perk of not using GSP besides the other several dozen is the option to combine on shipping. Then only being billed 1 customs charge (Where applicable) vs several. This makes purchasing from GSP sellers even less appealing once you find this out.

-Lotz

Sadly as a side note, having a River warehouse just outside of Calgary is probably cutting into Alberta/BC/SK eBay sellers business big time once a buyer catches on.

[Anonymous]

The OP asked why shipping was slow. Why are you trying to encourage him to do a claim
😡 That's a seller like you and me that's not at fault for delayed shipping



To the OP it's a covid world we all need to adapt and show some patience.

[marnotom!]

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@cadbuyer2015 wrote:

I strongly disagree with this explanation. Prior to GSP, sellers shipped directly to buyers which saved the time wasting step of Erlanger, KY. The excuse is the benefit of consolidated shipping, but at the expense of a timely delivery. GSP more than triples delivery times, and when compared to Amazon.com, is simply ridiculous. It takes USPS and Canada Post 3 days (including customs) to deliver my glasses to me, where it takes GSP 3 weeks to deliver the same. 

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I find it useful to think of the GSP as the forwarding service that it is.  It's helped keep my expectations realistic.  

For what it's worth, I've purchased three smartphones at different points in time, all forwarded through the Global Shipping Program.  At the same time I purchased the phone, I purchased cases for the phones that were not shipped through the GSP.  In two of the three instances, the phones arrived before the cases.  In the last instance, the case arrived before the phone by just a few days.

The Global Shipping Program hasn't replaced more direct USPS shipments.  Many sellers using the program would probably stop making their items available to buyers outside of the US if the program weren't available, which would mean that buyers would have to enlist their own forwarding services or systems in order to get items from these sellers.  In fact, using your own forwarding service is still an option if you don't want to the have your item forwarded through the GSP.  Just keep in mind that, unlike with the GSP, you won't have any recourse through eBay or PayPal in the event your item doesn't reach you after it's delivered to the forwarding agent.

Prior to the GSP, I'd usually allow two to three weeks for items sent by USPS to reach me on Vancouver Island.  I get the sense you're comparing standard shipping to express shipping, and that's not a fair comparison.

[marnotom!]

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@Anonymous wrote:

The OP asked why shipping was slow. Why are you trying to encourage him to do a claim
😡 That's a seller like you and me that's not at fault for delayed shipping

To the OP it's a covid world we all need to adapt and show some patience.

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Once a GSP-forwarded item is accepted at the Global Shipping Center in Kentucky, the seller is no longer responsible for its delivery; Pitney Bowes administrators of the GSP) takes on that responsibility.  A claim of non-delivery would be against the GSP, not the seller.

This is one component of the GSP that makes the program very attractive to US (and UK) sellers.

[reallynicestamps]

Thread from July 2020.

At the height of the shipping problems caused by COVID.

In some ways things have changed and improved. Traffic moving across the border has speeded up and shippers have added more sub-contractors.

In some ways things are worse-- the worst being the outbreak of COVID at the Mississauga Gateway Terminal.

@Anonymous 

One way to soothe an upset customer is to explain exactly what is going on, what his recourse is, and when he should use that option.

If three weeks seems a long time for delivery (and in my 30+ years in mail order it is completely normal, with or without a pandemic), then we start by showing how he is protected then move to explaining why he is being impatient.  Yes. It's mind games.

However, the GSP is a Seller Protection program. Once the seller has delivered the purchase to Erlanger KY, he is no longer responsible for delivery.

That responsibility is shouldered by the GSP.  There is no blowback on the seller  if he opens a Dispute.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

Thread from July 2020.

At the height of the shipping problems caused by COVID.

In some ways things have changed and improved. Traffic moving across the border has speeded up and shippers have added more sub-contractors.

In some ways things are worse-- the worst being the outbreak of COVID at the Mississauga Gateway Terminal.

@Anonymous 

One way to soothe an upset customer is to explain exactly what is going on, what his recourse is, and when he should use that option.

If three weeks seems a long time for delivery (and in my 30+ years in mail order it is completely normal, with or without a pandemic), then we start by showing how he is protected then move to explaining why he is being impatient.  Yes. It's mind games.

However, the GSP is a Seller Protection program. Once the seller has delivered the purchase to Erlanger KY, he is no longer responsible for delivery.

That responsibility is shouldered by the GSP.  There is no blowback on the seller  if he opens a Dispute.

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I wonder what would happen if US buyers were basically forced to pay for a program to ship a good percentage of orders from Canada  to the USA that added major delays and additional shipping/processing costs. I don't even want to start to imagine how much blow back or drop in business Canadian sellers would get if something like this were to happen. Calling GSP 'seller protection' is well and good only if it has protections for the buyer too. The current protections are negligible. What about the other person involved with each transaction who in reality is only interested in getting what they ordered?

GSP just makes it either eventually, maybe & more expensive than it should be or 2 of the above.

-Lotz

[marnotom!]

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

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Calling GSP 'seller protection' is well and good only if it has protections for the buyer too. The current protections are negligible. 

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Okay, I'll bite.  What buyer protections are there for a "direct" shipment that aren't in place for an item forwarded through the Global Shipping Program?

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@marnotom! wrote:

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

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Calling GSP 'seller protection' is well and good only if it has protections for the buyer too. The current protections are negligible. 

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Okay, I'll bite.  What buyer protections are there for a "direct" shipment that aren't in place for an item forwarded through the Global Shipping Program?

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When I mentioned protections I was being slightly facetious. When I order something using regular USPS it arrives in predictable time frame. I don't have to worry about it being stopped in its tracks by the GSP screeners never to be heard from again. As for instamatic customs fees, I can't remember having to pay them for a USPS---->CP shipment in years. And lastly the shipping is appropriate. If GSP was like a value added service it might be easier for buyers to be supportive of it. It's far from it!!!! Defending a bad program does nothing to make it better.

-Lotz

[marnotom!]

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

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When I mentioned protections I was being slightly facetious. When I order something using regular USPS it arrives in predictable time frame. I don't have to worry about it being stopped in its tracks by the GSP screeners never to be heard from again. As for instamatic customs fees, I can't remember having to pay them for a USPS---->CP shipment in years. And lastly the shipping is appropriate. If GSP was like a value added service it might be easier for buyers to be supportive of it. It's far from it!!!! Defending a bad program does nothing to make it better.

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I guess I must be one of the few Canadians who doesn't get bent out of shape when I find a listing where the Global Shipping Program is being used inappropriately because I figure that if the program weren't in place, odds are that seller wouldn't be shipping outside of the United States (or UK) under their own steam anyway.

Okay, so the program is bad.  I prefer to think that it just doesn't really mesh well for most sales to Canadians because of our established trade relationship with the United States and our close geographical proximity to the 'States.  I've bought four--count 'em--four items that were forwarded through the items and they all went through just fine.  Why haven't I bought more?  Because I don't buy from sellers who are using it inappropriately and I don't buy items listed with the program that I think might be problematic.  Maybe I overthink some things to death and I have this weird obsession with doing my homework before making a purchase, but those personality quirks seem to have served me well so far.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@marnotom! wrote:

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

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When I mentioned protections I was being slightly facetious. When I order something using regular USPS it arrives in predictable time frame. I don't have to worry about it being stopped in its tracks by the GSP screeners never to be heard from again. As for instamatic customs fees, I can't remember having to pay them for a USPS---->CP shipment in years. And lastly the shipping is appropriate. If GSP was like a value added service it might be easier for buyers to be supportive of it. It's far from it!!!! Defending a bad program does nothing to make it better.

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I guess I must be one of the few Canadians who doesn't get bent out of shape when I find a listing where the Global Shipping Program is being used inappropriately because I figure that if the program weren't in place, odds are that seller wouldn't be shipping outside of the United States (or UK) under their own steam anyway.

Okay, so the program is bad.  I prefer to think that it just doesn't really mesh well for most sales to Canadians because of our established trade relationship with the United States and our close geographical proximity to the 'States.  I've bought four--count 'em--four items that were forwarded through the items and they all went through just fine.  Why haven't I bought more?  Because I don't buy from sellers who are using it inappropriately and I don't buy items listed with the program that I think might be problematic.  Maybe I overthink some things to death and I have this weird obsession with doing my homework before making a purchase, but those personality quirks seem to have served me well so far.

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For me, I've always felt bad for the numerous Canadian buyers who have used the program once and had a bad experience and showed up on the eBay discussion porch. Fool me once scenario. Part 2 of the equation is no one from eBay has ever had the decency to explain what they were going to do to make it any better. The last time I used it was several years ago. Bad experience. Gave it a 2nd chance. One more bad experience. Now I detour around it at all costs. If there was a specific filter to remove GSP in search it would be greatly appreciated? By many!!!!

-Lotz

[reallynicestamps]

I think we all agree that our American neighbours are....  well they sort of  elected Trump and 74 million of them voted for him AGAIN.

The Global Shipping Program was introduced by eBay because US sales were flatlining and they wanted to encourage US sellers to sell outside the lower 48.

You do realize that US sellers can not only refuse to ship overseas, but can also refuse to ship to Alaska and Hawaii-- to say nothing of refusing to sell to their own troops ( Thank you for your service, get out of my store, buddy.)

It was set up to protect sellers and give eBay fees for those overseas (and Canada) sales and shipping. Yum Yum Yum.

It has no benefit for buyers.  Our protections are the Money Back Guarantee.

Look at the Seller Board if you think that is good for sellers here.

As for instamatic customs fees, I can't remember having to pay them for a USPS---->CP shipment in years.

Until July 1,2020, the duty free (and tax free) allowance for Canadians was a whopping $20Cdn.

CBSA is staffed by smart people who realized that if they were to process every import over that risible allowance, they would be spending more taxpayer money collecting duty (and sales taxes) than they could possibly collect.

So they more or less illegally, stopped bothering with low value, small shipments.

Canadians whose imports were (sort of illegally) ignored thought this was because of NAFTA or something. Actually I doubt they thought about it at all.

With the new NAFTA treaty, that protectionist policy ($20 duty free only) was dropped in favour of a $150 duty free and $40 tax free allowance.

Still lower than if the importer had spent a weekend in Buffalo buying 99c turkeys.

But.

All couriers (and PB/GSP is basically a courier) were not part of this deal. Only CBSA and Canada Post were in the gang.

There is a 5000 post thread in the archives complaining about UPS, if you want to go look.

So yeah, you don't remember paying duty. Because your public servants were ignoring the rules.

And lastly the shipping is appropriate. If GSP was like a value added service it might be easier for buyers to be supportive of it.

The shipping is made up of actual shipping costs PLUS any duty that still may be payable (if the import is over  $150 in value) and any sales taxes that may be payable (if the import is over $40 in value). PB has a lower service fee than Canada Post to collect those import fees (~$5 compared to $9.95)

It is only a value added service for American sellers. It doesn't promise to be anything else.  It isn't anything else.

And for the record, Canada Post and USPS and UPS and FedEx all use the spoke and hub delivery system. 
As Sinclair Lewis said-- never watch a sausage being made.

[leahfinsterwald]

Because eBay logistics isn't very good. On one hand it's nice to have the tax and duty prepaid, but they aren't very good at being organized. Other companies do a much better job. Through eBay, my watch shipped from the seller in Miami Florida and took 2 days to get to the global shipping centre in Kentucky. Now it's supposed to take another month to get to me in BC Canada? Lol
I knew what I was getting into, it's just abysmal.
For example, I order car parts from ROCKAUTO. They have distribution centres all over the US, including deep south. They also use a broker or act as their own broker, and collect tax and duty at checkout. Their FedEx shipping fees are far less than the shipping I paid for my watch, and I get car parts in about a week. It's not much to do with the pandemic, it's just poor logistics from eBay. And eBay is still making a lot of money, they could organize their logistics a bit and maybe be a player with Amazon if they cleaned things up a bit. In my opinion anyway.
C

[marnotom!]

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@leahfinsterwald wrote:

Because eBay logistics isn't very good. On one hand it's nice to have the tax and duty prepaid, but they aren't very good at being organized. Other companies do a much better job. Through eBay, my watch shipped from the seller in Miami Florida and took 2 days to get to the global shipping centre in Kentucky. Now it's supposed to take another month to get to me in BC Canada? Lol

 It's not much to do with the pandemic. . .

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My take on it is that it's a lot to do with the pandemic.  Prior to the world going sideways due to COVID, items forwarded through the GSP took about 10-14 calendar days to reach me in BC, depending on the shipping method the seller used to get the item to Kentucky.  I doubt that the demand for auto parts has skyrocketed due to the pandemic the way it has for many of the items that can be found on eBay.

Also, besides dealing with taxes and duty prior to shipping, the GSP actually has to receive the item, process it and reship it.  RockAuto doesn't do that; it's a very different shipping model and one that the GSP can't replicate.  You're paying for two sets of shipping with the GSP (the seller's shipping cost for shipping the item to Kentucky plus the GSP's own shipping charges), whereas you're only paying for one shipping charge if you order from RockAuto.