Letter To US Sellers That Use GSP Asking For USPS Delivery

[luwilliam_0]

As much as I avoid Sellers that use GSP there are times I would like to bid on some items. Advice has been given in this forum that one could send a note to a seller requesting that they not use the Global Shipping Program, especially for small items. Well here is a rough draft of that kind of letter. I would appreciate any input and suggested edits to compose the perfect letter. Cheers....

Hi…Would you consider shipping the item by USPS First-Class International instead of under the Ebay Global Shipping Program?USPS delivery would include a tracking number and be appropriately priced for delivery to Canada. In general, Canadian buyers avoid sellers using the Global Shipping Program because it adds unnecessary extra shipping and import charges that makes smaller items much more expensive to ship. Thank you in advance if you could use regular tracked USPS.   Regards…??????.

[pierrelebel]

American sellers do not come to eBay.ca to read postings.

If you want to address American sellers, post where they list: eBay.com

[afantiques]

An unusual lapse of comprehension, pierre.

The OP is asking for comments on a draft of a letter they intend to send to any GSP user with something they want to buy.

It does seem a bit nitpicky, but I'd try to work in some mention that First Class bought online has electronic delivery confirmation and add a link to the USPS E-Delcon expanation page.

It might make it a bit cumbersome, but I'd also include an explanation of how they can see for themselves the shipping and import charges.

Many people do not realise that the US sellers normally never see the costs to their international buyers.

[luwilliam_0]

You're right afantiques...The letter is just a polite request to a seller to ship an item by USPS instead of using the GSP. I appreciate your 'nitpicky' comment which was the whole point in posting the draft. So I've rephrased it a bit...and would appreciate any more suggestions/edits. I think a lot of Canadian buyers would find it useful to have a polite, correctly worded request. Cheers....

The draft so far....for smaller items....

Hi…Would you consider shipping the item by USPS First-Class International (includes delivery confirmation) instead of under the Ebay Global Shipping Program? USPS delivery would include a tracking number and be appropriately priced for delivery to Canada. The Global Shipping Program would add unnecessary shipping and import charges that makes smaller items much more expensive to ship. You would not know that these extra charges are added after your Ebay sale. Thank you in advance if you could use USPS.   Regards…??????.

[luwilliam_0]

A small edit....I wouldn't want to subtly imply that a seller is ...naïve....

Hi…Would you consider shipping the item by USPS First-Class International (includes delivery confirmation) instead of under the Ebay Global Shipping Program? USPS delivery would include a tracking number and be appropriately priced for delivery to Canada. The Global Shipping Program would add unnecessary shipping and import charges that makes smaller items much more expensive to ship. You would not know that these extra charges are added after your Ebay sale. Thank you in advance if you could use USPS.   Regards…??????.

Hi…Would you consider shipping the item by USPS First-Class International (includes delivery confirmation) instead of under the Ebay Global Shipping Program? USPS delivery would include a tracking number and be appropriately priced for delivery to Canada. The Global Shipping Program would add unnecessary shipping and import charges that makes smaller items much more expensive to ship. You may not be aware that these extra charges are added after your Ebay sale. Thank you in advance if you could use USPS.   Regards…??????.

[pierrelebel]

"An unusual lapse of comprehension, pierre."

Oooops!  Sorry about that.

I knew I should have had my third coffee this morning!

[dmil8030]

Hello 'luwilliam', 

<<Hi…Would you consider shipping the item by USPS First-Class International (includes delivery confirmation) instead of under the Ebay Global Shipping Program? USPS delivery would include a tracking number and be appropriately priced for delivery to Canada. The Global Shipping Program would add unnecessary shipping and import charges that makes smaller items much more expensive to ship. You may not be aware that these extra charges are added after your Ebay sale. Thank you in advance if you could use USPS.   Regards…>>

Sounds good to me.   As long as you are saying something polite and respectful I am sure the results will be positive.  

For myself, when I as a seller to take a listing out of the GSP, I simply tell the seller what it will cost to get the item to me

as a result of it being in the program.

For instance, I recently received an audiobook that was listed GSP.  When I told the seller that the cost to get the 99p

item to me was £19.39 (or over $40 at the checkout) she took the listing out of the GSP for me.  She had no idea of 

the costs imposed by that program.  

Also, I assume that if a seller cannot manage to sort out international shipping on her own it can't hurt to include her 

country's postal site.  For the US it is here:

http://ircalc.usps.com/?country=10054

A seller has to find the First Class options way down at the bottom of the 2nd page (even the post office wants them to 

spend more money than necessary), but it shouldn't be too much of a challenge.  

You will on occasion find a seller who insists on sticking with the GSP.  Thank him kindly for promptly answering your 

inquiry anyway.  If he gets enough of these requests he might reconsider.  

Good post though, -- positive, proactive, and uplifting to read. 

[marnotom!]

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@afantiques wrote:

Many people do not realise that the US sellers normally never see the costs to their international buyers.

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There's also the fact that some US sellers don't even realise that the GSP is being applied to their listings.

LuWilliam, you may want to open up with a sentence along the lines of:

Hi!  I'm in Canada and I see on the Canadian eBay site that your listing offers shipping to Canada through eBay's Global Shipping Program.

That way, people who don't realize that they've been opted into the program have a wee bit of a heads-up that what you're seeing is different than what they're seeing.

[jt-libra]

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@marnotom! wrote:

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@afantiques wrote:

Many people do not realise that the US sellers normally never see the costs to their international buyers.

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There's also the fact that some US sellers don't even realise that the GSP is being applied to their listings.

LuWilliam, you may want to open up with a sentence along the lines of:

Hi!  I'm in Canada and I see on the Canadian eBay site that your listing offers shipping to Canada through eBay's Global Shipping Program.

That way, people who don't realize that they've been opted into the program have a wee bit of a heads-up that what you're seeing is different than what they're seeing.

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I sent a similarly worded note to two sellers in the past.  One said he would be happy to ship to me directly but he didn't know how to go about it, having already opted into the GSP.  I didn't need the item so badly that I was prepared to offer step-by-step instructions.  The second seller said he would get back to me with a lower shipping cost ... a few hours later, he said the only cheaper method was through UPS which, as we all know, will include enormous brokerage fees.

I've purchased twice through the GSP ..... both items were large and weighed 3 to 4 kg and, in those cases, the shipping cost was very reasonable.  I believe it's only for larger items that the GSP is a practical shipping option .... not for small, lower priced items.

[marnotom!]

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@jt-libra wrote:

I've purchased twice through the GSP ..... both items were large and weighed 3 to 4 kg and, in those cases, the shipping cost was very reasonable.  I believe it's only for larger items that the GSP is a practical shipping option .... not for small, lower priced items.

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Totally agree with you on that point.  I don't think much--if any--thought was given to items that can be shipped as oversized letters, which is strange given that Pitney Bowes is also in the postage business.