both domestic shipping and international shipping

[tuszynskide]

Why was I charged domestic shipping and international shipping by a seller from the US to Canada?

[reallynicestamps · Accepted solution]

Probably the Global Shipping Program.

First, you do know that the United States is a different country right? So for them Canada is an international destination.

Under the GSP, the American seller ships your purchase to a plant in Kentucky.

That is the domestic shipping part-- USA to USA

Then the plant, run by Pitney Bowes, ships the purchase along with thousands of others, to Canada. That is the international part, USA to Canada.

PitneyBowes/GSP processes the packages across the US/Canada border and to your doorstep.

There is a whole lot of other stuff happening, like prepayment of duty and sales tax, subcontracted shippers,  but let's not go into that now.

[tuszynskide]

Yes the international part is a no brainer but I did not know that the seller ships to a depot, who then ships across the border. This can't be less expensive than shipping directly?!? There must be efficiencies and less hassle for the seller but at those rates I'm going to watch the shipping estimate cost more closely and try to buy in Canada.