eBay

brif1 · ‎07-04-2013

I have been buying from Ebay since 2002. I have made hundreds upon hundreds of purchases and spent thousands of dollars but I have noticed in the past six to eight months or so that the prices of US shipping has gone "sky high" to the point where I am frustrated, dissappoited and discouraged with buying from thr US. I am now looking to China where shipping costs are much much cheaper even "FREE". I had a seller in US who was asking $6.00 for an item and charging $48.00 for shipping. I could not believe it. Everytime I'm looking to buy an item now if it's US I keep scrolling down until I find the same item in China. US Postal or Ebay's Global Shipping is destroying Ebay US.

pierrelebel · ‎07-04-2013

Looking at your purchases of the last three months - mostly from China - you seem to be happy with what you find in China.

There is no reason for you to change your purchasing pattern if you are satisfied with the price, quality and service.

It is not something I would do but we live in a free society where buyers are free to purchase whatever they want wherever they want.

Good Luck to you.

leo*spride · ‎07-04-2013

US Postal or Ebay's Global Shipping is destroying Ebay US.

Both, actually

In January, our USPS substantially raised their international postage rates. Canadian buyers were hit pretty hard by this, but there's nothing US sellers can do to effectively lower them. If we ship via UPS or FedEx, Canadian buyers will be slammed with mega-COD brokerage fees.

The US Global Shipping Program is an eBay thing. Originally, it sounded like a great benefit for US sellers, but many are now starting to realize the higher costs to their Canadian buyers are counter-productive to sales. Unfortunately, once a seller signs up for this program, eBay has made it difficult for them to opt out. Our US Answer Center has (had?) numerous queries re this topic.

Graciously Grin When You Growl

surplusdealdude · ‎07-04-2013

The problem is that many sellers didn't think things through before they changed their listings to the GSP service.

GSP should not be used where the item could be sent by First Class Mail Parcel - that's items 4 lbs or under and 24" or less in length.

GSP is a good deal when items that would normally be sent by regular Priority Mail are shipped.

A lot of sellers took the easy way and made wholesle chancges to their listings instead of using GSP where it would be a better deal.

Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere. Carl Sagan

fallonjet · ‎07-11-2013

Global shipping will significantly reduce Canadans participation and trade with US sellers. For small items there are no fees levied by either USPS or Canada Post over and above the shipping costs. Pitney Bowes is an expensive service and the extra charges are simply a way to make the buyer pay for the extra costs. You do not get a refund on overages and it is simply a cash grab by eBay and Pitney Bowes. Overall a stupid idea that will cost US Sellers. I tem fron US costs more to ship in the first place but we Canadians enjoy the mutual benefits of Canada Us relations. Now with the additonal costs there is simply no justification for the higher costs vs dealing with China where the item is less and is mostly shipped free or at cost with not customs, duty, clearing or other imaginary fees when dealing with eBay Global Shipping and thier partners in crime Pitney Bowes. Same reason we dont like UPS, DHL or FEd Ex as they to have a practice of overcharging riduculous amount for customs, clearing, and handling fees. In the past five years or more of eBay buying, I have yet to have any additional fee tacked on my Canada Post or Customs, expecting a few large purchases. There is only so much one is reasonably willing to pay for a given item. I would rather see this go to the Seller than in eBay fees. When an item doubles in price with the global shipping added, it simply isn't worth it any more. This idiotic idea will cost US Sellers so much in the long run.

fallonjet · ‎07-11-2013

USPS is understandable, especially in Canada where we are used to high prices from Canada Post. However the additional charges and related to Ebay's Global Shipping using an expensive option like Pitmey Bowes is not. I too reluctanly use China as an option simply for economics. Sadly eBay has not learned from US Manufacturing and is giving the field to China over it's own Sellers. Much as I like to support my US "Cousins" I can simply not justifiy the Global Shipping's added clearance fees. I can not buy US items unless I grosely undervalue the Sellers offerings to compensate for the added fees. Either way everyone looses expect eBay and Pitney Bowes. Why us an outisde source like Pitney Bowes when the same service is provided by USPS in the frist place.

marnotom! · ‎07-12-2013

@fallonjet wrote:

Global shipping will significantly reduce Canadans participation and trade with US sellers. For small items there are no fees levied by either USPS or Canada Post over and above the shipping costs.

Small correction: If that "small item" has a declared value of over C$20, it can potentially be hit with taxes and a Canada Post C$9.95 processing fee. Size has nothing official to do with whether or not an item is assessed taxes by the Canadian Border Services agency. In fact, CBSA can make up their own value for the item if someone there doesn't like what they see on the customs form.

Of course, smaller items often do go through the system without getting taxed or their values reassessed, but it doesn't mean that it can't happen.

@fallonjet wrote:

Why us an outisde source like Pitney Bowes when the same service is provided by USPS in the frist place?

A few reasons.

1. The Pitney Bowes service means that a seller only has to ship the item to a domestic location and is only (theoretically) responsable for the domestic leg of the item's journey. If something should happen to it en route from the Global Shipping Center to its final destination, the GSP is supposedly on the hook., not the seller.

2. USPS has no mechanism for collecting taxes (and duties) owing on an item prior to shipment. There may be sales where the pre-collection of taxes is advantageous, for whatever reason.

3. All items sent through the GSP are supposed to be fully tracked. Not all international shipments made through USPS are. This is important to some sellers.

4. Delivery to some countries may be more reliable or expedient with taxes being collected prior to shipment and customs clearance being handled someplace other than an airport customs hub. I see, for example, that the GSP is now available for shipments to Italy, a country notorious for delays of postal imports in customs. Using the GSP for shipments to Italy may be more attractive to buyers and sellers.

Or not.

cardconnoisseurs · ‎12-09-2013

There should be a way to exclude GSP participants from search results. I already have to manually exclude them from MY potential buys.

marnotom! · ‎12-09-2013

GSP listings are easily identified in search results provided you use "list view" and not "gallery view".

tallyssya · ‎12-12-2013

C'est vrai que les frais sont beaucoup trop élevés. Une boutique dont je tairai le nom (les sœurs de l'eau*) en anglais, demande 25,50$ comme prix de base pour l'expédition au Canada. Si l'on désire un second item, le prix monte et monte. A l'arrivée du paquet, on se rend compte que le prix a été surestimé, d'où l'abus de leur système d'expédition. Cette boutique et d'autres en provenance des USA fixent les prix d'expédition supposément par le poids mais lors de la réception du colis, le prix a toujours été majoré. C'est honteux !

Nos "cousins" nous exploitent !

afantiques · ‎12-13-2013

A little off topic but why 'second' instead of 'deuxieme' in that post? Is this a feature of Canadian French?

Genuinely curious, not taking the mickey.

pierrelebel · ‎12-13-2013

"second" is the correct choice of word in that context.

pierrelebel · ‎12-13-2013

Translation often gets confusing.

For example, in English, it is correct to state:

"since 2010"

or

"for three years"

Both expressions have the same meaning; "since" refers to a specific date/time while "for" refers to a period of time

In French:

"depuis 2010"

"depuis trois ans"

You will notice the same word "depuis" is used in French while two different words are required in English, depending on the context.

When you listen to a French speaking politician trying his best in English, it is not unusual to hear "since three years" - which is incorrect - as the word "depuis" in French translates into "since" but not in that context.

Jean Chretien kept using "since" instead of "for" his whole life.

afantiques · ‎12-13-2013

I see, sec-ond.

Spoken, it would have been obvious,

usignuolo · ‎12-17-2013

I have found out the hard way, as a international buyer, to avoid the GSP for lower value items. It seems that the US seller is only told the cost of shipping to the US distribution centre, not the full cost charged to the overseas buyer. Do you realise how expensive this makes it? I wanted to buy a vintage dress pattern from a US seller - I live in the UK - the cost was around $7 - but then I was going to be charged around $21 for shipping. It would cost nothing like this to put it in an envelope and post it USPS to me in the UK.

So why is it so expensive? The people who defend the GSP system say this extra charge covers import duties and taxes - hello there are no import duties or taxes for such a small item into the UK. It is just a lazy greedy rip off by Ebay. Needless to say I did not buy it. My OH collect postcards and often bought vintage cards from the US. Sometimes he would buy two or three from one dealer. It seems that using the GSP if they are different purchases, they cannot be consolidated and he has to pay to be ripped off for each one. No thanks.

Also I am interested in the comment that GSP items can be tracked from source to destination. Are you sure about this, I have been reading the forums and it says in several places that they can only be tracked to the Pitney Bowes warehouse in the US and not once they leave it, which rather defeats the purpose. Who is liable if it disappears after that?

marnotom! · ‎12-17-2013

@usignuolo wrote:

So why is it so expensive? The people who defend the GSP system say this extra charge covers import duties and taxes - hello there are no import duties or taxes for such a small item into the UK. It is just a lazy greedy rip off by Ebay. Needless to say I did not buy it. My OH collect postcards and often bought vintage cards from the US. Sometimes he would buy two or three from one dealer. It seems that using the GSP if they are different purchases, they cannot be consolidated and he has to pay to be ripped off for each one. No thanks.

In your case, the price difference is not due to duties and taxes but for general import/export clearance charges, plus the fact that items shipped by the GSP don't ship as letter mail. There's nothing, repeat, nothing as economical as letter mail (First Class International, Small Packet) for shipping lightweight items internationally. Try mailing that same lightweight item as a parcel instead of an oversized letter and suddenly you're paying a lot more. Try sending that lightweight item as part of a container-load of freight (which is likely what's happening with most GSP shipments) and you're also paying a lot more.

The GSP has lots of problems, but to fault it for not being a letter delivery service is a bit uncharitable, in my opinion.

@usignuolo wrote:

Also I am interested in the comment that GSP items can be tracked from source to destination. Are you sure about this, I have been reading the forums and it says in several places that they can only be tracked to the Pitney Bowes warehouse in the US and not once they leave it, which rather defeats the purpose. Who is liable if it disappears after that?

PitneyBowes is liable, which is why some sellers seem to be attracted to the GSP rather than figuring out some way to insure shipments made directly to their international buyers.

femmefan1946 · ‎12-18-2013

PitneyBowes is liable, which is why some sellers seem to be attracted to the GSP rather than figuring out some way to insure shipments made directly to their international buyers.

In most cases, tracking is much less important to the buyer and the seller than insurance. If an item is well packed and properly addressed it should arrive fairly promptly, for the purchased level of service.

While PB would track their own shipments, more important is that if the parcel is lost, mis-delivered or damaged while in their hands, they will pay out.

So the buyer and seller may be annoyed, but at least they are not hurt in the pocketbook.

iloveukraine2003 · ‎12-18-2013

Nowadays, almost everything is made in China or Asian countries...so why not try that?

I have done it recently for smaller electronic items. It takes longer to arrive but it is usually free shipping or low, and the customer service is excellent.( I even had calls from them to enquire abotu a lost item!! I have not heard of PB taking the time to call anyone to solve an issue! )

If the item is manufactered in the US, I order directly from the manufacturer. Surprisingly I dont get that custom/tax/brokeragefee/Import tax - nonsense when shipped from ebay with PW. It s all reasonable and fair.

Can you explain a 195$ tax on a 550$ item?? especially when the item is Canadïan made ! I wrote to the seller asking if he knows that his 550$ item was costing a canadian buyer 745$.... plus shipping of course.

Everytime an unnecessary tax is paid by the buyer to PB ...who gets richer???

Not Canada.

I cross the border often to pick up items at a UPS store. I pay my taxes at the border. Fair taxes. 13%.

pierrelebel · ‎12-18-2013

iloveukraine2003 - You asked a similar question on another thread.

Part of my answer, from the manufacturer website:

""f you are viewing Pajar Canada product on-line anywhere other than (their website URL) and the domain name includes "Pajar", or any variation of this word, or includes one of our style names in the domain address, e.g. "Evita", this product is most certainly counterfeit. If you do not buy Pajar Canada products from (their website URL) or one of our authorized retailers listed in the Store Locator, you should assume you are purchasing a counterfeit product."