what is with the Global Shipping rip off? I have never paid customs on an item like a watch, a phone

[okinaneko]

What is with the customs charges being handled on items that you never get charged on.

Is this just another way for eBay to rip off some extra loot along with Pitney Bowes?

I have had watches, cell phones and computer goodies all come through with no issue, just pay the tax when you pick up the package.

[pierrelebel]

"just pay the tax when you pick up the package'

That is the way most packages coming from the USA or overseas work.  Taxes and $9.95 Canada Post handling fee are paid at time of delivery or pick-up at the postal station.

The new GSP works differently as the taxes are prepaid, collected by Pitney-Bowes and remitted by Pitney Bowes to the Canadian government.

It works OK for some purchases, not so well for most low priced transactions by Canadian buyers.

The GSP is offered by some, not all US sellers.  If you do not want to go through GSP, select a seller not offering the program.

[bb_cool_stuff]

70% of the last ten topics are dedicated to the GSP.

The terms such as Rip Off ,Scam, Illegal, eBay Padding Their Pockets, PB Padding Their Pockets, ETC., ETC., ETC. are getting a little tiring.

While the system may not be perfect, it does have some advantages.

Maybe best for you to read the other posts before you pass judgement on the program.

[marnotom!]

---

@okinaneko wrote:

What is with the customs charges being handled on items that you never get charged on?

---

Just because you may not get charged taxes (and processing fees) on items shipped to you from the United States by mail doesn't mean that the item wasn't subject to taxes in the first place.

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/postal-postale/duty-droits-eng.html

Think of the Canada Border Services agency as being like a policeman.  People break the speed limit all the time, but he can only catch so many of them.

The Global Shipping Program is like Robocop, catching anybody and everybody going even 1 km/h over the speed limit.

Also keep in mind that the "import charges" for GSP items encompass more than just taxes.  It's explained in the terms and conditions page for the Global Shipping Program linked to all listings that use it.  You did read it, right?

[pocomocomputing]

bb_cool_stuff, the number of posts on GSP is an indication of how much it annoys eBay Canadian buyers.  Myself,  I am getting tired of it but I sure am educated on GSP from all the topics and posts, LOL!

[marnotom!]

---

@pocomocomputing wrote:

bb, the number of posts on GSP is an indiaction of how much it annoys people

---

The number of posts on any given subject is an indication of how many people have got off the area below their tailbone and posted about it.  That's all.

It's unlikely, but for all we know there may be a lot more people who are reasonably satisfied with the GSP but haven't bothered to post on the discussion boards because people generally don't post about things that have gone well for them.

Don't get me wrong.  I'm sure there are a lot of Canadian buyers unhappy with the GSP although many of those posts suggest that they don't really know why the GSP works as it does or else they didn't figure out what they were getting themselves into before purchasing an item from a GSP listing.  However, you can't perform a meaningful statistical analysis of anything based strictly on how many posts there are about it.

[pocomocomputing]

As I posted, I said "the number of posts on GSP is an indication of how much it annoys eBay Canadian buyers." How did you go off into 3 paragraphs and end up with a comment on meaningful statistical analysis I do not know.

[marnotom!]

---

@pocomocomputing wrote:

As I posted, I said "the number of posts on GSP is an indication of how much it annoys eBay Canadian buyers." How did you go off into 3 paragraphs and end up with a comment on meaningful statistical analysis I do not know.

---

As you posted, you said "the number of posts on GSP is an indication of how much it annoys eBay Canadian buyers."

You did not say "the number of posts of GSP is an indication of how it annoys eBay Canadian buyers."

You did not say "the number of posts on GSP is an indication of how much it annoys some eBay Canadian buyers."

I think you may have intended to express a different thought than you did.  "How much" suggests something measurable, and I don't think we have much useful data to measure by how much Canadian eBay buyers are annoyed, if that's indeed measurable in the first place.

[bb_cool_stuff]

With all the posts regarding the GSP we have enough information to at least keep an open mind on this touchy subject.

I know i have.

The rip off, illegal, scam posts in regards to the GSP are very tiring.  Enough already.

Be pro-active, read some previous posts & educate yourselves. Find out what works for you & what doesn't.

Venting is great, we all have from time to time, but the constant whining on this subject is really getting annoying.

[nuvistors]

---

@bb_cool_stuff wrote:

With all the posts regarding the GSP we have enough information to at least keep an open mind on this touchy subject.

I know i have.

The rip off, illegal, scam posts in regards to the GSP are very tiring.  Enough already.

Be pro-active, read some previous posts & educate yourselves. Find out what works for you & what doesn't.

Venting is great, we all have from time to time, but the constant whining on this subject is really getting annoying.

---

GSP is so bad for  items priced under $20,00  that the subject desrves titles like it has.

Even if the buyer does  have to pay and tax they still must pay both local US shipping  Plus  international shipping Plus a huge profit for Pitney Bowes / Ebay.    This  hugely increases the price and the shipping time.

[bb_cool_stuff]

The Simple Solution is in Post 9, Line 4.

[marnotom!]

Another simple solution:

If you don't like the GSP charges on a listing, don't purchase the item.  Find another seller.

[bb_cool_stuff]

Amen again

[sundogf64]

Every American chiming in here who has never had UPS show up at your door with a package and a bill for half the amount of the original price... Yes on expensive items... Not kidding $200 "brokerage" fee on $400 has no clue how **bleep** Canadians are. 

This new program is so obviously eBay thinking that if UPS can do it why can't we! 

Customs and Duties have nothing to do with what a private company decides to charge for a handling fee. It's completely arbitrary.

If I get USPS not UPS the scam artist (Google search class action law suit brokerage fees) If I get USPS to deliver the custom/duties are directly in line with what the CAD gov asks for customs. 

Using a brokerage firm, who has to mark up there "product" 100-150% to make a profit for doing nothing but signing a sheet

of paper and "paying' your customs for you like UPS does or Pitney Bowes in this case is a rip off plain and simple. 

SO don't pretend to know **bleep** is up, don't say just use another buyer. There are a few items I'd buy right now from ppl, but they've clicked on the option to have Piney Bowes handle things. They lost my business & they have no idea why. 

The sellers as much as the buyers need to be educated.

Here is UPS' class action for this exact behavior. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Parcel_Service

[femmefan1946]

I believe most of the posters to this thread are in Ontario, and are not American.

Again, the tax and duty charged by Pitney Bowes go directly to the Canadian government. (Come to think of it they may get a small rebate for handling paperwork, just as your corner store or The Bay do, or not)

The minimum service charge is about half of what is charged by Canada Post.  ($4.95 compared to $9.95). Let's not even talk about UPS or FedEx services charges.

On items valued over $100, the program is lower cost than shipping via USPS and Canada Post. Under that amount it may be more expensive.

I have seen no reports of slowed delivery under the Program. Questions yes, but no firm reports.

The few examples of shipping costs I have seen seem to show the shipping cost is about the same or cheaper than USPS, especially if the US seller uses Global Priority in order to get international tracking. With First Class International now offering Delivery Confirmation, this may change.

There appear to have been some packages opened and poorly repacked which were sent under the program. Who did this is unclear, but this is a very worrisome question.

[i*m-still-here]

GSP posts really belong in the buyer's section, but they've seeped over to the seller's board and Town Square as well.

It's pretty much always the same.

An angry buyer vents about the GSP.

Then a handful of regular posters, and I am included in that number, respond by repeating the same opinions over and over and over.......... ad nauseam.

No one changes anyone else's opinion about the GSP and they never will.

Unless you're an eBay buyer or someone who has made it a hobby and takes pride in knowing eBay minutiae and rules and regulations ............................

No one cares about the GSP.

The threads go and on and on and on............... 

Until another angry Canadian buyer posts and then everyone moves and switches to that thread and says the same things over and over and over again.

I'd say we have a long year ahead.

[i*m-still-here]

OOOops............ Didn't mean to post twice.

[portfelt]

I have completely stopped buying from US sellers who are enrolled in this program.  When it was first instituted I got tricked into buying an item from a US seller. At that time the listing did not provide the information they do now warning people of custom fees and bloated shipping costs. Only when I was sent the bill and saw the added costs did I contact the seller and ask him to cancel the transaction. He was very sympathetic and  was not aware of what was going on and had to contact eBay for an explanation. He then agreed to cancel the transaction and relist the item for me as a Buy it Now item with just 1st class postal rates and even gave me a discount on the original auction price win. Now that was a reputable US seller. 

On a related problem has anyone else have trouble using the search engine. Seems to be very buggy and giving zero or bogus results when specifiying a specific region. Very frustrating.

[Anonymous]

"don't purchase the item, find another sellers".

That is easy for you to say but it is hard when the seller has the only one item in the whole wide world like original negatives, slides and transparencies, the ones that don't have extras. 

It is not like a photographer that can take a picture of Elvis and come out with 20 same negatives of the same image.  So it is not that easy.   It is similar to some items that are one-of-a-kind items which we won't "find another sellers".

[marnotom!]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

"don't purchase the item, find another sellers".

That is easy for you to say but it is hard when the seller has the only one item in the whole wide world like original negatives, slides and transparencies, the ones that don't have extras. 

It is not like a photographer that can take a picture of Elvis and come out with 20 same negatives of the same image.  So it is not that easy.   It is similar to some items that are one-of-a-kind items which we won't "find another sellers".

---

Owning a one of a kind photo of Elvis also isn't essential for one to lead a full, productive life.  Remember, much of the stuff that's sold on eBay is stuff we don't actually need.