There are many long threads about this new program which is unpopular with buyers.
There are a few things that most of those objecting to the program do not seem to realize.
The "extra" money you are being charged only kick in if the item you buy costs over $20(CDN). If that number sounds familiar, it's because that is the level at which Canadian sales taxes and duty kicks in.
If your seller were to ship by Canada Post, CP would add their fee of $9.95 to that amount.
If your seller were to ship by UPS or another courier, that fee would be about $25 or more.
However, Canada Post is notorious for not bothering to process these fees/duty/taxes, and so many buyers have never actually been charged.
It's like running a red light on a suburban road at 2 am. There is a law in place, but the chances of being caught are slim.
The Global Shipping Program does give you an idea of its cost, but not until you have actually entered the transaction. This is because sales tax varies from province to province (55 to 15%) and because foreign exchange also varies from day to day.
If the seller indicated Flat Rate Shipping the GPS won't know your location.
While your seller was being lazy, in fact he cannot be sure what your costs would be without your location. Nor does eBay require him to be (must and should are two different concepts). We are all responsible to know our own country's duty and tax policies.
For what it's worth, I have also been avoiding sellers who use the GPS. I'll take my chances with Canada Post's sloppy process.
