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.

[afantiques]

It even automatically charges me for import charges which do not exist between Canada and US with free trade and also these being used parts...

The imporft charges do exist and are legally payable. Used is irrelevant. As is 'free trade', the charges are in effect your local sales tax.

Once an item is sold the seller cannot change out of the GSP and send an invoice. They would have to request you to cancel, then relist the item without GSP.

Of course, listing a gasket with GSP is totally inappropriate, but they may not know they are doing so.

[bennett4612]

Hi elly2mbk.

First off, I'm really sorry to hear about your recent transactions. 

You should definitely file cases for each. It certainly sounds like the damage occurred during international transit; and if that is indeed the case you should be totally covered for all costs. Once the cases are reported all of the refunds should happen automatically. 

Please feel free to contact me via Private Message if you need anything further here. Please make sure to provide transaction #s, the user id and email address used for the transactions, etc. 

At times it is necessary for Pitney Bowes to open parcels (it is rare but it does happen). The goal is to then take great care when repackaging ... although it sounds like this did not happen in your case. Here is a look at reasons why some items have to be opened:

http://blogs.pb.com/ecommerce/2013/07/17/global-shipping-program-faqs/

Again, sorry these transactions haven't gone smoothly. And please reach out if you need further assistance. 

---Ben

[red90rover]

I not very pleased with this service as well.

The customs fees are on the high end compared to other services.  In addition, we have no recourse to dispute them as you would when you pay on receipt.  As others state, it is quite rare to pay any fees by USPS.  If you have a Fedex account the brokerage fees are waived and you get the package quickly with tracking that works.

Second.  The delivery time is substantially slower than by USPS, which is the slowest of all the normal delivery options.

Third.  The tracking never works.  We are paying a premium for this fancy service and the tracking never shows anything.

The sellers end up taking the worst of it with bad ratings.

[bartokk1]

My problem with Global shipping (being a coin collector) is that it clearly states in the restricted items of this program "Coins and Paper Money" yet sellers continue to charge the fee.  We are allowed to read the rules and what the program does and does not do, maybe it would help if the sellers read them

[afantiques]

The first listings I found on the first random search were from a selller with 2000 plus coins with GSP activated.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/wickedspcoins/m.html?item=141134537568&pt=Coins_US_Individual&hash=item20dc4...

The second search for 'Staffordshire', to throw up antique and vintage ceramics, produced GSP offering as numbers 3 and 4 on the first page of the first random search, and here is a seller with hundreds of ceramic items GSP listed

http://www.ebay.com/sch/bburgscotteroo/m.html?item=330796475985&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d050...

Here is another seller offering stamps with GSP shipping. Also coins. And fairly randomly. Search term used was 'Columbian' since this was bound to throw up Columbian Exposition stuff, antiques and stamps.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/limeybeanjohn/m.html?item=400607023824&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d460a...

I'd like to emphasise that it was the first search I ran on each search term that produced plentiful instances of restricted catagories using GSP. From that I must extrapolate that huge numbers of listings are for items that in theory at least will not ship GSP. The prohibitive prices will prevent many actual sales so it may not seem much of a problem, but it really makes nonsense of 'Restricted Categorites'.

[spherian]

As a buyer in Canada, I hate the GSP, with a passion. Please stop using it. It causes us (buyers) to pay an additional 25% for an item when we would normally pay 15% if we paid the duty ourselves. That is if I even get charged duty at all. Every Canadian buyer I know hates this program as well. It seems like a cash grab to me. If you, as a seller, fear that the buyer will make a false claim that they did not receive the package, list it with a tracked package option for shipping like you used to.

I love buying from US sellers. However, I hesitate everytime I see an item listed with GSP. I have been contacting sellers to ask if they would remove the option. In a few cases, they have. I may still bid on an item with GSP, but the GSP price is factored into my maximum bid. So, US sellers, you are losing business or, at the very least, may not be getting as much for an item as you should, because of this program. Put yourself in our shoes. Discreet, low value packages usually come through the postal system without being charged duty. They cannot get every package. Any item I have been charged duty for was higher value, say around $200+. So I'm reasonably upset to be forced to pay an extra 25% when I usually wouldn't even pay duty at all.

US sellers, please remove the GSP option from your accounts. Canadian buyers will love you for it!

[afantiques]

US sellers, please remove the GSP option from your accounts. Canadian buyers will love you for it!

Canadian buyers, post on the US Seller Central Board where US sellers might see it.

[spherian]

Hmmm. You make a good point.

[lamplighter9]

Since the Global Shipping Program was introduced my purchases from US sellers has declined by 90%.

Sounds like a excellent business model EBAY has adopted..........

[lamplighter9]

And with Canada Post's planned postage rate increases.........the death bell for Canadian EBAYers is ringing.

[segpat2002]

The only SCAMing, here is Done by the GSP,  EBay & Pitney Bowes

[lamplighter9]

Charging $18 SHIPPING on a $2 baseball card that would fit inside a first class envelope borders on the insanely ridiculous. A heck of a way to run a business.....drive all your customers away.....it makes so much sense !

[pierrelebel]

"Charging $18 SHIPPING on a $2 baseball card"

Unfortunately, you are dealing with a very misinformed seller.  eBay recommends not to use GSP for items under $50 (on average)

[cdn-realty-broker]

• What has worked well for you with the Global Shipping Program?
•   -parcel arrived
• Any ideas to help improve the experience for Canadian buyers?
•   -tell us what the heck is going on, explain Erlanger and "delivered" meaning on tracking info, do NOT change "original listing" description of estimated this or that, post auction (which scares the heck out of us!!)
• What has deterred you from buying items offered using the Global Shipping Program?
•   -too much mystery; and, obviously an added expense for items under $50 in practice (but by definition for sure under $20)
• How have you managed to search for items outside the program?
•   -decline to answer that one

> Unfortunately, you are dealing with a very misinformed seller.  eBay recommends not to use GSP for items under $50 (on average)

Just HOW would a seller put that 'eBay recommendation' into practice on an auction?  Can the seller offer shipping as price dependant on the same auction? (if auction price <$50, no GSP, if = or >$50, then GSP)?  I'd certainly go for that as a eBay buyer, else after my first experience just now with GSP, never again (if I can possibly help it).

[514fotios]

I'm the buyer ( in Canada) and the seller(Florida,USA ) are arguing with Pitney b. I paid extra to have an item shipped by FedEx door to door, the seller gave instructions to pb. They went from Florida to Kentucky then they switched to Canada post. And apparently there was another courrier too. PB cut corners so they can save on the money they charged us extra. Guess what 1 item entered the country the other half is in limbo. One of the multiple courriers#2,3,or4(not FedEx ) is claiming box oversized for its price and wants more money. Cheap con artists should have let fed ex from start to finish for the money we paid. Wake up EBAY!!!!!!

[skiottawa]

Global Shipping Program is a massive rip off. I used to buy items all the time from the US, but now I never do (unless the seller has opted out of GPS). If you are looking at a particular item, chances ate you can find it internationally if you broaden your search. Most of my goods now come from China, so I'm still getting deals on eBay. Just not from my American brothers anymore.

[skiottawa]

Global Shipping Program is a massive rip off. I used to buy items all the time from the US, but now I never do (unless the seller has opted out of GPS). If you are looking at a particular item, chances are you can find it internationally if you broaden your search. Most of my goods now come from China, so I'm still getting deals on eBay. Just not from my American brothers anymore.

[waylises]

I have just completed an 8 message transaction with a seller who was not aware of the GSP fees, and stunned that there was no cost for GSP listed on selling page.  She was charged $13.60 for GSP and $6.50 shipping for an item that I had bid and won for $15.00.  I agreed to pay her for the shipping she had to pay above the agreed costs...but she was embarrassed and confused.   I have been an eBay user for 10 years, and only once charged with any tariff at customs - which I fought and won.

Another U.S. seller listed import charges on his jacket at US $52.27 (amount confirmed at checkout)? Combined with the shipping cost of $26.89, it put the jacket out of most Canadian shoppers' price ranges - even before bidding begins.  The jacket was won at $54.00 - the same price as the GSP.  His comment to me was "...I do no know how to get rid of these fees or obsorb (sic) them myself so I cannot help you there 😞 I am sorry and wish I could help)"

Your program is embarrassing U.S. sellers (eBay clients) who aren't aware, don't know how to get rid of, or can't absorb the fees being asked by Pitney Bowes.

All the items I bid on are used items coming from someone's home.  How can eBay defend the use of a third party that is clearly profiting from massive fees from imaginary tariffs that don't exist?

I would appreciate some justification on this new process - and would entertain financial data on how much the GSP program takes in from Canadians - and how much they actually have to pay in "tariffs".  According to my experience, all the GSP I would've paid over the years would've been pure profit.

Losing good American sellers in my product search crushes the appeal of using eBay.

Looking forward to any reply possible.

[bryanrobo]

I have noticed that certain sellers in the USA are using the pitney bowes option to mail items to Canada.  THIS IS a SCAM.  Due to the NAFTA free trade agreement that is in place between Canada, Mexico and the US, all items made on those countries are exempt duties so why would you force buyers to pay these non required fees to a 3rd party company and be forced to have items mailed using this program.  

 Any item mailed to Canada by USPS goes to Canada Customs and they will decide if any custom charges are applicable for that item, if so, then GST is applied which is a lot cheaper than this pb program. Sometimes an item may not even carry an import fee so why pay for this scam.

 As a result, i will no longer buy from any US seller that participates in this program who is not willing to give the opt out option. I strongly suggest that other Canadians also find alternatives as ebay items will not be worthwhile purchasing from the USA.  If they are willing to lose the Canadian customer base then their loss.

[bryanrobo]

I have noticed that certain sellers in the USA are using the pitney bowes option to mail items to Canada. THIS IS a SCAM. Due to the NAFTA free trade agreement that is in place between Canada, Mexico and the US, all items made on those countries are exempt duties so why would you force buyers to pay these non required fees to a 3rd party company and be forced to have items mailed using this program.

Any item mailed to Canada by USPS goes to Canada Customs and they will decide if any custom charges are applicable for that item, if so, then GST is applied which is a lot cheaper than this pb program. Sometimes an item may not even carry an import fee so why pay for this scam.

As a result, i will no longer buy from any US seller that participates in this program who is not willing to give the opt out option. I strongly suggest that other Canadians also find alternatives as ebay items will not be worthwhile purchasing from the USA. If they are willing to lose the Canadian customer base then their loss.