a collusion between the Canadian Govt. and Ebay/Paypal to collect taxes on private online sales
Well, yes, That’s what the law states and requires. Paying those taxes (and duty where applicable) is your responsibility as a resident of Canada.
But the collusion is with Pitney Bowes.
i noticed while trying to list an item that i cannot offer international shipping..when did this change?
You should start your own topic. International shipping is still available but the explanation of how to find and use it is long.
we pay tax on shipping and packaging materials already
The OP was complaining as a buyer who apparently has never been charged by Canada Post applicable fees and taxes. CP is notoriously lax about this. I don’t think I have ever been charged in over a decade of buying. But I am also aware that I might be and factor that into my buying decisions.
Sellers pay sales taxes on stamps, on postage (though not on postage for international shipments where the postage is over $5), and on packaging materials, This is why eBay allows us to add a handling charge to our Shipping and Handling, to cover the procurement costs of shipping. Many sellers factor these costs into the asking price.
The Global Shipping Program makes no difference to the costs of sellers.
FWIW- the program was meant to protect US sellers from bogus international non-delivery claims. And again FWIW, apparently Pitney Bowes, who run the program, have a service charge that is half that of Canada Post . But they always charge while as mentioned Canada Post often does not. ($4.95 vs $9.95 according to current reports. The PB fee may rise with the value of the item shipped, not enough information available yet.)
