eBay

calgarymum · ‎01-23-2023

eBay shipping for Canadians is way below useless. I live in Canada. I recently wanted to by a book that Ebay's listing said was located in Canada. Eureka! Upon further investigation, it would seem that it was a US seller but with a warehouse in Canada. The seller offered Free Shipping to US buyers.... but not to Canadians!! So I was expected to pay "International Shipping" for something located in Canada and going to a Canadian address. And why does shipping to "The continental US" have to exclude Canada? Strike a light, people - you gotta go through Canada to get to Alaska, for crying out loud! In the gentle past, US sellers had been sending me my purchases via USPS for years with no problems... and then eBay decided to shower us with their in-house, money-grabbing, shipping program. It was so easy to stick your product on your eBay bought scale, sign in to your local post office website, punch in the dimensions/destination and VOILA, shipping prices for your buyer. I should be able to click a shipping choice: eBay's own, USPS, FedEx, UPS, Royal Mail, etc. Not have you decide for us.

Some of us don't lose the plot if we have to wait a few weeks.

ypdc_dennis · ‎01-23-2023

@calgarymum wrote:
... why does shipping to "The continental US" have to exclude Canada? Strike a light, people - you gotta go through Canada to get to Alaska, for crying out loud!

Many american sellers only sell to the contiguous US states (excluding Alaska and Hawaii as being too expensive).

reallynicestamps · ‎01-24-2023

it would seem that it was a US seller but with a warehouse in Canada. ... So I was expected to pay "International Shipping" for something located in Canada and going to a Canadian address.

their in-house, money-grabbing, shipping program.

The Global Shipping Program is a Seller Protection Program which offers little to buyers and less to Canadian buyers.

The apparently high shipping cost, until 2020 and the new NAFTA agreement, included Canadian duty and sales taxes on any purchase valued over $20Cdn. Just as UPS charged the same fees.'

But USPS shipping and Canada Post handling, meant that CBSA ignored their legal duty and did not bother to collect the import fees owed under ~$100Cdn.

Sellers can still choose to use USPS or another courier, but only GSP allows their responsibility for delivery to end at the GSP plant in Kentucky.

flipistics · ‎01-24-2023

@calgarymum wrote:
eBay shipping for Canadians is way below useless. I live in Canada. I recently wanted to by a book that Ebay's listing said was located in Canada. Eureka! Upon further investigation, it would seem that it was a US seller but with a warehouse in Canada. The seller offered Free Shipping to US buyers.... but not to Canadians!! So I was expected to pay "International Shipping" for something located in Canada and going to a Canadian address. And why does shipping to "The continental US" have to exclude Canada? Strike a light, people - you gotta go through Canada to get to Alaska, for crying out loud! In the gentle past, US sellers had been sending me my purchases via USPS for years with no problems... and then eBay decided to shower us with their in-house, money-grabbing, shipping program. It was so easy to stick your product on your eBay bought scale, sign in to your local post office website, punch in the dimensions/destination and VOILA, shipping prices for your buyer. I should be able to click a shipping choice: eBay's own, USPS, FedEx, UPS, Royal Mail, etc. Not have you decide for us.
Some of us don't lose the plot if we have to wait a few weeks.

I don't know what the listing said precisely, but many Canadian sellers that list on the US site will do what you're describing due to the way eBay handles it's shipping options for sellers. It's very likely that the book really is being sold by a Canadian seller and that it is located in Canada.

As for shipping options, those are set by the seller. It is the seller who is choosing to not offer those other services, not eBay. Many (most) American sellers prefer eBay's built-in program because it is less risky and much easier for them. It sucks for Canadian buyers though.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎01-24-2023

@flipistics wrote:
@calgarymum wrote:
eBay shipping for Canadians is way below useless. I live in Canada. I recently wanted to by a book that Ebay's listing said was located in Canada. Eureka! Upon further investigation, it would seem that it was a US seller but with a warehouse in Canada. The seller offered Free Shipping to US buyers.... but not to Canadians!! So I was expected to pay "International Shipping" for something located in Canada and going to a Canadian address. And why does shipping to "The continental US" have to exclude Canada? Strike a light, people - you gotta go through Canada to get to Alaska, for crying out loud! In the gentle past, US sellers had been sending me my purchases via USPS for years with no problems... and then eBay decided to shower us with their in-house, money-grabbing, shipping program. It was so easy to stick your product on your eBay bought scale, sign in to your local post office website, punch in the dimensions/destination and VOILA, shipping prices for your buyer. I should be able to click a shipping choice: eBay's own, USPS, FedEx, UPS, Royal Mail, etc. Not have you decide for us.
Some of us don't lose the plot if we have to wait a few weeks.
I don't know what the listing said precisely, but many Canadian sellers that list on the US site will do what you're describing due to the way eBay handles it's shipping options for sellers. It's very likely that the book really is being sold by a Canadian seller and that it is located in Canada.
As for shipping options, those are set by the seller. It is the seller who is choosing to not offer those other services, not eBay. Many (most) American sellers prefer eBay's built-in program because it is less risky and much easier for them. It sucks for Canadian buyers though.

@flipistics

@calgarymum

If Canadian sellers offered "lousy" shipping services to US customers we would never hear the end of it. Because these forwarding services are being provided to US eBay sellers they are considered the best thing since sliced bread. (Sorry, too early for awesome analogies). When the numerous Canadian's post about another bad experience with one of these programs it falls on deaf ears and goes no further. After a bad experience or 2 it gives little reason for Canadians to make any further purchases. Meaning they are just going elsewhere. You would think that would be the last thing eBay would want. For me I have no reason to purchase from any US sellers due to the lack of economical choice we currently see. The inflated shipping cost + who knows how long delivery time does not make it worthwhile.

One other thing that has been advertised about this new program was that it would cause for cheaper shipping(rates are posted on the help page) to come down---->So in theory savings for foreign buyers. Have to wait and see. I'm not really holding out hope for that to happen.

-Lotz

When it comes to shipping options Canadian sellers do not inflate shipping to US buyers. They know what the consequences would be. And as for shipping times, how long have Canadian sellers been trying to get them corrected. Seems like forever!! If US buyers were to see accurate expectations of delivery times, it would balance out what is going on in reverse and really level the playing field.

femmefan1946 · ‎01-24-2023

Another problem is that, while "Canada" can be set for the appropriate/ lower rates when the seller sets up their shipping costs, it just doesn't occur to Americans that the rates might be better.

Americans can be remarkably provincial. That they refuse to ship to AK or HI because the cost is "too high" , although Calculated Shipping exists, is part of the problem.

So they automatically set International, which overcharges for Canada because: well they don't often get any international sales.