Can the buyer request other shipping modes other than GSP

[heatherdiamond]

I was just wondering if the buyer can request other shipping options or are we all forced to use GSP?? I don't like to use it as it costs me 2 x the shipping money and an extra 2 weeks in the mail. I don't like that., I don't have money to waste.

[femmefan1946 · Accepted solution]

Yes.

The seller does not have to agree.

The best time to request a non-GSP listing is before bidding.

This tells the seller that she has a potential customer, and why the customer is not yet a buyer.

The easiest way for the seller to correct the listing is to make a new personal listing for her customer (using the customer's name as the title is one way to keep the sale private).

Then the seller can massage the listing to correct shipping and handling prices and to drop the GSP.

However, the seller may not be interested in doing this on low value sales.

However, the GSP is often cheaper than USPS/CanadaPost when the value of the purchase is over $100, the level at which the chances of CBSA *  assessing the import for duty and sales tax increases greatly.

There is little hard evidence that shipping by GSP takes longer than postal shipping, unless the buyer is paying extra for overnight service.

In my experience (about 30 years selling by mail order) it takes about 20 days for delivery from the USA to Canada. And about 15 days from Europe , because they use Air Mail, and about 30 days from Asia.  Sometimes it's faster. Rarely is it slower.

*The law is that duty and sales taxes start at $20 CDN (~$16USD) and to that Canada Post will add a $9.95 service fee. This is usually ignored by the public servants who have figured out that it makes no sense to spend more well-paid time than they could possibly collect on low value imports.

[heatherdiamond]

Hi, Thanx so much for your comments. I still think that the buyer should have choice ..for instance buyers choice up to limit of $50.00 with insurance. Yes if there is duty to pay they collect at my door. And I read all the info about the item that is for sale and I ask many questions before I bid, most times I watch it for a while, and if it exceeds my limit i move on to another one. I think it's just a good jester to meet the buyers request within reason of course. A happy buyer returns, and a sad buyer doesn't return. It's good for business .....Thanx again for your comment, Heatherdiamond

[femmefan1946]

I don't think you realize that insurance and tracking benefit only the seller, who gave the shipper the money for that service. She is insured not you.

If an item is lost or damaged in the mail, the shipper can get at least her postage back, and possibly the value of the contents, from the shipping company/ postal service.

Then if she is in a good mood, she can use that money to reimburse her buyer. Or not.

The 'insurance' for the buyer is eBay/Paypal/ credit card Buyer Protection Policies.

If the seller does not reimburse the buyer for lost or damaged product, those companies will force her to do so.

And that service is free.

Tracking and insurance are expensive for what the buyer gets, which is basically nothing.