Comments about the Global Shipping Program

[kalvin@ebay.com]

Feel free to share your thoughts about the Global Shipping Program here. 

A few questions to get the ball rolling:

• What has worked well for you with the Global Shipping Program?
• Any ideas to help improve the experience for Canadian buyers?
• What has deterred you from buying items offered using the Global Shipping Program?
• How have you managed to search for items outside the program?

Please try & keep the comments constructive 🙂

If you have any questions about the program, please post them here.

[marnotom!]

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@lifetimepassion wrote:

I got it sorted out......Thanks for your help.

This was my first purchase in a long time and I'm absolutely positive that it's going to have to be an incredible deal for me to ever make an international purchase again. With the lack of deals on ebay nowadays, finding something that inexpensive is doubtful. I was planning on purchasing numerous items that I had searched and saved to my homepage but they are now going to be deleted. Between the cost and the principle of it, there's absolutely no fricken way that I'm going to give anyone the kind of money that ebay wanted me to give them.

I probably would have spent $1K or more on ebay in the next few days but not now.

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Not all U.S. sellers use the Global Shipping Program for their listings.  Many of them still ship directly to their non-U.S. buyers rather than use the GSP's "middleman" approach.

My hypothesis is that since the GSP has been around for over a year now, the sellers who tried it out in its early stages for small, modestly priced items have likely figured out it's counterproductive and have dropped it from their business plans.  Those who are left are ones who haven't shipped directly to their non-U.S. buyers and don't know any better, or possibly don't even realize that they're using the Program in the first place.

The GSP makes a bit more sense for larger and more expensive items, but even then I have some concerns about its lack of transparency, its awkward claims process in the event of damage or non-delivery, and the fact that combined shipping is currently an impossibility.

[lifetimepassion]

Yeah, I'm learning about not all US sellers using the program. I made a post on the .com forum and it was explained to me that not all sellers even know that they are in the program. Oh well, if there's something that I want I'll contact the seller and ask them to opt out of the program. If they don't then I won't buy.......too easy.

[marnotom!]

Something else to keep in mind is that if you use "list view" to see your search results rather than "gallery view" you'll be able to spot Global Shipping Program listings as they'll have the subtitle "Customs services and international tracking provided" on them.  Simply skip those if there are listings with alternative shipping methods that work better for you.

If you're going to contact sellers who use it, keep in mind that it's not an easy (or at least a quick) process to extricate a listing from the GSP.  You may be better off just advising them as to why you won't be buying from them.  Complicating matters would be those sellers who have never shipped outside of the United States in their lives and may not be aware that their listings feature the GSP.  You're likely going to send those sellers into a tizzy.

[blue*cable]

Thanks for posting that, I forwarded that info to the seller. It would be good if eBay would send emails to sellers telling them that shipping by 1st class to Canada will lower cost for Canadians.... But I think eBay makes a nice profit when shipping to Canada with the Global Shipping Program. The "Import Fees" they charge are about double what I would usually pay at the post office when receiving the package.

[marnotom!]

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@blue*cable wrote:

Thanks for posting that, I forwarded that info to the seller. It would be good if eBay would send emails to sellers telling them that shipping by 1st class to Canada will lower cost for Canadians.... But I think eBay makes a nice profit when shipping to Canada with the Global Shipping Program. The "Import Fees" they charge are about double what I would usually pay at the post office when receiving the package.

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I don't think eBay makes much--if any--profit at all.  Most of the items I've researched suggest to me that any cut that the Global Shipping Program participants receives after taxes and duties are taken off is--to quote Monty Python--"waffer thin".  In many instances, the non tax-duty portion of the import fees is less than Canada Post's C$9.95 charge.

Yes, the shipping can be quite pricey.  Global Shipping Program items are likely shipped as commercial freight, which is quite economical for larger, heavier items, but rubbish for items that can be shipped in the mail as oversized letters.

[reallynicestamps]

Pitney Bowes, who run the GSP, would be shipping bonded container loads into Canada (and Europe and Australia and...) so they would get the lower rates to the border.

After that, for doorstep delivery, they undoubtedly have contracts with several Canadian companies, including Canada Post, with preferential rates over the independent US seller.

[bennett4612]

Hi blue*cable.

As usual the Community has provided some excellent info.

Nothing much to add except a link to a recent GSP announcement. I'll paste the link below but in a nutshell we have made changes that give a seller more control over how they ship overseas, allowing greater flexibility to choose their own carriers. Full post here:

http://for-business.ebay.com/now-more-control—and-more-opportunity—when-selling-overseas

Hope that helps. 

---Ben

[bennett4612]

Hi prarie_nerd.

In addition to the info provided by the Community, I wanted to add a couple things. 

As noted by stevenphinn2012 buyers are entitled to a full refund it their item is lost, damaged, or not as described. Since the seller is only responsible for the item making it to the US Shipping Center this means that the responsibility rests with eBay and Pitney Bowes for the rest. 

This (and other info, including an explanation of import fees)  is outlined on the Buyer Terms & Conditions page:  http://pages.ebay.com/shipping/globalshipping/buyer-tnc.html

It is also worth noting that the GSP is typically not recommended for items priced below $50. As outlined on the FAQ page:  http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/shipping/globalshippingprogram/update_faqs.html

Hope this helps. 

---Ben

[stevephinn2012]

can you explain then WHY?? sellers are charging more for shipping to Canada when in fact they are not really involved in the shipping to Canada but are actually shipping to Kentucky ???

This is where I leave the seller a negative feedback as they are charging me "extra" shipping to Canada.

[segpat2002]

Discontinue this Gsp, to Canada. I will not be using EBay, until it is. Purchase item for $26. Shipping $11.47 plus GSP $4.90

[pierrelebel]

Only one post, please.  Duplicate identical postings are not allowed.  It is considered spamming.

[bcrafty4fabrics]

aybe sellers should get informed then if they are participating in something they have no idea about, what I know is that a lot of people are not shopping on Ebay anymore therefore sellers are losing a lot of business from Canada.

[marnotom!]

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@bcrafty4fabrics wrote:

 what I know is that a lot of people are not shopping on Ebay anymore therefore sellers are losing a lot of business from Canada.

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If buyers are avoiding eBay altogether, they're going to be avoiding U.S. sellers who don't ship with the Global Shipping Program as well as those who do.  All the more choice for people like me who read listings a bit more carefully, I guess.

As for sellers losing business from Canada, I figure that if sellers don't realize that they're enrolled in the GSP, it's likely that they're not set up to ship internationally without it.  If Canadians simply avoid those sellers, those sellers aren't going to lose business that they likely wouldn't have had in the first place.

[marnotom!]

I checked a few active listings for portable GPS units that weren't being shipped through the GSP and I saw shipping prices of $25 to $46, which is more than the shipping price and import charges combined for the one you purchased.

Am I missing something here?

[kalvin@ebay.com]

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@marnotom! wrote:

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@pierrelebel wrote:

"In fairness, eBay doesn't administer the GSP"

That may be true but, let's keep it simple: Pitney-Bowes works under contract for eBay, not the other way around.  It is clearly eBay's responsibility to instruct Pitney-Bowes as to how to conduct business legally in all countries where the service is provided.

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Of course it is, but how do we know eBay is dropping the ball on this?  I appreciate that you've been associated with eBay for years, Pierre, and you've gained lots of insights into its inner workings, but are you certain that no pressure is being brought to bear on PitneyBowes by eBay?

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Hi marnotom!,

You're absolutely correct on this - Ben & I are on active threads collaborating with the GSP team and Pitney Bowes to find answers to these questions. The Community's patience is greatly appreciate as we collectively build on our knowledge of this program.

Thanks, 

[red_dwarf_cat]

Count me in on this too!  I absloutely agree.  I simply will not buy any item using GSP.  I"ve been burned once and never again. Perhaps someone will eventually notice that Canadian sales are dropping off and come to the realization that we are just not going to tolerate this totally unncessary premium for shipping. Poke in the eye indeed!

[pierrelebel]

"someone will eventually notice that Canadian sales are dropping off and come to the realization that we are just not going to tolerate this totally uncessary premium for shipping."

That has already happened.

American sellers using GSP now have the opportunity to ship directly to Canada without using GSP.  It is their decision to include or exclude Canada in the GSP program.  Hopefully sellers will understand that using GSP often results in additional charges to Canadian buyers and will revert to their old ways of shipping directly to Canadian buyers.

[eremurus0]

EBAY STOP CHARGING INTERNATIONAL DUTY!!! THIS IS NOT YOUR JOB NOR YOUR PLACE!!! MAYBE YOU ARE GETTING A KICKBACK??!! STOP!!! IT IS NOT ALWAYS CHARGED CROSSING THE BOARDER, SO IF YOU THINK YOU ARE HELPING US, YOU ARE NOT!!! STOP!!! YOU ARE ACTING LIKE POLICE AND TAXMAN AT THE SAME TIME!!! STOP!!! STOP!!! STOP!!! YOU ARE FORCING ME TO USE U.S. SHIPPING SERVICES BECAUSE IT IS CHEAPER THAN YOU CHARGING ME WHEN I KNOW THE BOARDER WILL MOST LIKELY NOT!!! I SPEND A LOT OF MONEY HERE AT EBAY!!! STOP!!! REALLY FRUSTRATING!!!

andy

[golf6969]

I recently wanted to bid on an item but would not because the GSP was on the item. When I contacted the seller she didn't even know GSP was on the auction. She relisted it when she became aware. 

Also I was looking to bid on a used item once again GSP was in place so I did not bid.

It seems many sellers don't even know it is being charged on their auctions!

I seldom pay any tax for items shipped to Canada from the USA especially if there are sent through United States/Canada Post and if I do it is much less then the GSP wants to charge. 

The GSP program is limiting my choice. I refuse to bid on any auction with the GSP attached but that is my choice!

Disgruntled Ebay member

golf6969

[marnotom!]

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@golf6969 wrote:

I recently wanted to bid on an item but would not because the GSP was on the item. When I contacted the seller she didn't even know GSP was on the auction. She relisted it when she became aware. 

Also I was looking to bid on a used item once again GSP was in place so I did not bid.

It seems many sellers don't even know it is being charged on their auctions!

I seldom pay any tax for items shipped to Canada from the USA especially if there are sent through United States/Canada Post and if I do it is much less then the GSP wants to charge. 

The GSP program is limiting my choice. I refuse to bid on any auction with the GSP attached but that is my choice!

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I would argue that the GSP is actually expanding your choice, even if you'd rather not take advantage of that.  That seller who wasn't aware that the GSP was being applied to her items is likely one who wouldn't have offered shipping outside of the United States otherwise.  You would have had fewer search results for your item without the GSP.

Just out of curiosity, why do you feel you need to mention that an item you were looking at was "used"?  You are aware that used items are just as subject to tax (and duty) charges as new ones, right?

Your findings with the GSP's import charges seem to be generally the opposite of my own, but perhaps that's a function of the items for which we tend to search.  I've been generally finding that the GSP's share of the import charges once taxes are taken off is less than Canada Post's C$9.95 "handling" charge for collecting taxes assessed and charged by the Canada Border Services Agency.  Of course, the rub here is is that CBSA isn't all that thorough about charging taxes due in the first place.