eBay Global shipping program?

[worldwandering]

Anybody else get invited to this?

They deal with all customs forms, etc by shipping to a US address?  Feedback is protected from low ratings etc?

What the heck are they talking about?

I said yes, and now they are going to revise all my listings.  I don't understand this nebulous program.  Can anybody sum it up gracefully?

Thank you!

[i*m-still-here]

Considering that sellers who sign on for the GSP get 50% off FVFs for a limited time, and get some DSR breaks for shipping time and cost ................

Very few have signed up for it.

I've come across it in about 5% of the listings that interest me ........................ and since the 50% reduction for FVFs is only for a limited time that number could go down.

Maybe other categories have more........... but once you know what to look for it's easy to avoid.

This is probably much ado about nothing.

[kalvin@ebay.com]

Sorry I know this is buried in here somewhere;

Where and what specifically does it say when its part of GSP?

Hi productaxi,

The Search Results Page will have the following messaging:

Customs services and international tracking provided

The Item Page will have a banner below the price info with this message:

No additional import charges at delivery!

Hope that helps!

[pjcdn2005]

Kalvin, a buyer will see that same page view if they are shopping on .com but if they are shopping on .ca and some of the other sites, the global program is almost invisible and the import charges are not given on the listing. I've boxed the global shipping info that is available on .ca just to point it out for those who asked where it is.

I realize I've said this before, but I still don't understand why they would start a program for international buyers and not make the information easily visible on the buyers home site.

[kalvin@ebay.com]

Kalvin, a buyer will see that same page view if they are shopping on .com but if they are shopping on .ca and some of the other sites, the global program is almost invisible and the import charges are not given on the listing. I've boxed the global shipping info that is available on .ca just to point it out for those who asked where it is.

I realize I've said this before, but I still don't understand why they would start a program for international buyers and not make the information easily visible on the buyers home site.

Hi pjcdn2005,

We're looking to align with eBay.com on this. Stay tuned for a fix.

[inuk_the_polar_bear]

So, any seller that signs up for this is automatically charging import taxes and duty even though the receiving country may not bother?

I have had parcels, from the USA, that were well over the duty free limit and they sailed right through untouched. eBay has now decided that ALL parcels must be taxed? eBay is now a Customs Agent with zero tolerance?

The real world does not work that way.

[00nevermind00]

We're looking to align with eBay.com on this. Stay tuned for a fix.

It looks to me like .ca should have aligned with .com before the GSP was implemented instead of thinking about putting the horse back in front of the carriage after the fact. The use of the GSP program by the seller should be transparent to the buyer and all the charges should be clearly visible. That's how you make an informed buying decision (or in my case, an informed decision not to buy). Unless a buyer reads these boards, there really is no easy way for them to know what they're getting themselves into even if they read the listing. I can't think of a better way for a transaction to end badly.

I haven't come across very many GSP listings in the categories I buy in. But I emailed one of those sellers to let them know why I wouldn't be buying from them.

[rose-dee]

This is probably much ado about nothing.

I'm hoping you are right about this in the long run, but for the moment it's the thinking behind this programme that's so galling (and frankly, insulting to both seller and buyer). Insulting, because I don't appreciate slogans saying "things will be cheaper" or easier or better, etc. (oh, gee, I won't have to pay customs on delivery -- well, I might not anyway without your scheme, or at least I might pay less, or oh, gee, I'll get 5-star DSRs for shipping time, but my customers will never come back, or complain in FB).  These spin phrases hide the reality that someone else (eBay & P-B) is making money from the arrangement.  It's wool-over-the-eyes management, and I hope you're right that U.S. sellers will see the writing on the wall.

This is a smart idea only for eBay and P-B who are taking money from buyers at one end and goodwill from sellers at the other, while reaping millions as middlemen. Perhaps they should recall who provides the bread and butter for their enterprises.

Now, a truly creative concept would be to make a deal with Canada Customs (and other countries) that P-B and eBay would get a % of every dollar collected, but charge eBay buyers only the actual customs amount, and accelerate the customs process, leaving the seller and buyer out of it completely. Gee, then they could advertise great service at lower cost, what a concept! 

The Cdn. government would certainly win in such a scheme -- after all, customs collection is never 100%.  They'd collect more $ and be able to retire some civil servants.  eBay could make it totally transparent to the buyer up front what the total cost of a purchase would be, since there would be no need to hide the details. 

But who knows, maybe the Cdn. gov't (and others) like the notion of the GSP so much that they've already agreed to pay a cut of the take to eBay and/or P-B. 

[nuvistors]

The other day I was looking for some items.   They were availale from a US seller but when I saw that they used the Global Shipping I skipped them and purchased the same items from Hong Kong.

Global shipping would have doubled the cost since the total item cost would have been under $20,00.

[inuk_the_polar_bear]

But who knows, maybe the Cdn. gov't (and others) like the notion of the GSP so much that they've already agreed to pay a cut of the take to eBay and/or P-B.

Absolutely. Now, all these countries will be collecting duty and taxes on items they never used to. At no cost to them. Canada Customs collects on everything? No they do not. Not even close.

eBay wants to set up a wall and force collecting of duty and taxes on ANY and EVERY applicable sale? What country won't sign up for that!

eBay is now telling my customers they have to pay duty and taxes? An American company is telling a Cdn seller what a European buyer has to pay. How does that work?

Not for me. My customers and I will conduct our own business, than you very much.

[lady.stark]

Check your Pitney Bowes invoice.  It is not eBay providing the service, it is Pitney Bowes.

I don't have a Pitney Bowes invoice since I never bought anything from a seller enrolled in the GSP program (fortunately for me, I ALWAYS search on .com, so everytime I saw that additional cost, I just run).

With that said, you said it yourself in your quote of the GSP program - and i*m-still-here also confirmed it: "During checkout, the buyer sees the final charges which include the item cost, the international shipping charges, and the import charge." They show two seperate payments in the transaction, but NO breakdown of the fees.

My next question is for i*m-still-here: do you see a GST/HST number on your invoice from Pitney Bowes?

[i*m-still-here]

I can't see a GST/HST #.  (I'm not sure why you're asking that, but no matter.............).

What you see is on the bill is:

Subtotal (this is the item cost plus the seller's shipping cost)

Shipping & handling (I assume this is the P-B charge for shipping from the US)

Import charges (taxes and/or duty)

and a sum for each of those headings.

The paypal payment shows up as two payments.  One to the seller and one to P-B.

The seller never even sees the P-B part of it, or at least the sellers I worked with claimed that all they saw was the subtotal portion of the bill. (Which in this case was less than  half of the total cost I was getting billed).

The sellers I worked with told me that they believed I was getting billed for FC shipping and I assume that was domestic but I don't know.

[orphanitems]

@I*m-still-here - One reason I need to have the GST/HST # is that my boss needs it to be able to deduct this amount from business purchases that come through the border. I am searching for the same thing. X-(

[i*m-still-here]

I see what you're asking now.

I don't think I've ever received an ebay bill with those registration numbers on it.

I would think that there is some kind of formal printed receipt in the package from P-B with the breakdown and their registration numbers should be on there.

I'm pretty sure a company like that would have all the details down pat.

I didn't actually complete my transactions but worked things out with the  sellers to re-list without the GSP so I don't have those receipts.

All I have are the original on line invoices.

[recped]

I'm pretty sure a company like that would have all the details down pat.

That's funny! Funny because you are talking about Pitney-Bowes who have a well known reputation for incompetence.

Need some evidence, have a look at their 10 year stock chart, that company is well on the way to oblivion and this latest attempt to broaden the business is doomed to be an abject failure. A failure not because it's a bad concept but rather because there are so many other companies with many years of experience who do the same thing and do it so much better.

I don't know what it is with eBay, maintaining a relationship with PB is akin to what they have done with LiveWorld who operate the discussion boards when there are so many other much better service provides out there.

By the way, PB don't actually fully operate the GSP themselves they have outsourced it to a Japanese logistics firm.

[lady.stark]

I can't see a GST/HST #.  (I'm not sure why you're asking that, but no matter.............).

The reason why I'm asking that is the same reason I explained in my previous messages. If they don't give their GST/HST number, we have no proof they are really registered. So no proof the money they are collecting is really going back to the Canadian government (or any other government for that matter). 😉

Thanks for the reply!

[i*m-still-here]

Wow........... I see............. but  collecting taxes in the name of a government and then pocketing the money would be an extremely serious offense.

To do it so blatantly out in the open would be beyond stupid.

IMO the chances of that are zero.

That said.............. they've padded the bill left right and centre to their benefit, but that's no different than what the couriers do.

[Anonymous]

I just talked with 12 sellers in USA and all of them have no idea about the import charges that are included in their listings and what more they didn't join the Global Shipping Program (GSP)!  Now all of them are upset because their listings already have bidders on them and they cannot revise them and I cannot bid on them.

It seems that eBay decided for them by including the import charges in their listings.  In fact, on seller thought it can be fixed at the checkout but I told him that it is automatically in the checkout each time and of course he is upset.

I see some listings with import charge wordings but no $$$, it just said it will be at the checkout.  As if, eBay think we would be that willing to bid and then be shocked to see the hugh amounts for the import charges at checkout later??!!  It is insane!!

I am praying for eBay to "retire" that insane program like they retired eBucks for Canadians.  Otherwise, the US sellers are going to lose a lot of Canadian buyers.  6 of 12 sellers are upset because I am one of their best customers and now I am not going to bid on their items because of GSP.  

[Anonymous]

I did asked many, many sellers if they have GST/HST registered number when they include GST/HST in their listings.  Guess what, nearly all of them don't have the registered number!!  Only a few do.  I felt that the GST/HST registered number should be included in all their listings so we can see they are legit, not out to get more $$$ from us into their own pockets but eBay apparently didn't want to do that.  I guess many, many sellers think they can get away by getting more $$$ extra by charging us GST?HST when in fact they are not supposed to if they are not registered.

[pierrelebel]

"I felt that the GST/HST registered number should be included in all their listings so we can see they are legit, not out to get more $$$ from us into their own pockets but eBay apparently didn't want to do that. "

Unfortunately, that is correct.

Because consumption taxes was not an important factor in the USA where they have no national or federal tax, eBay never really understood the importance of the GST/HST in Canada.  I had a face-to-face with eBay.ca country manager five years ago on the subject and he did not feel it was eBay's role to police sellers. So much for making the site "buyer friendly"! 😞 

[rose-dee]

"I felt that the GST/HST registered number should be included in all their listings so we can see they are legit, not out to get more $$$ from us into their own pockets but eBay apparently didn't want to do that. "

Unfortunately, that is correct.

But wait Pierre, I'm trying to understand this, as I think it's eventually going to hit us here. 

Isn't it Pitney-Bowes/eBay who are actually collecting and remitting the GST/HST and therefore require the number to be displayed on their site, i.e. not the individual sellers who are remitting? 

I haven't yet had the pleasure of purchasing an item from the U.S. that was processed under the GSP, but are you saying that (in a perfect world) individual U.S. sellers should be HST/GST registrants and displaying their individual registration numbers, or displaying eBay's/P-B's registration#?  If the former, there would be a flood of tens of thousands of American registrations under Canada's HST/GST programme.  Maybe there's a piece of this picture I'm missing.