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.

[bobenis]

I just asked a seller if he could ship a phone case to me without the GSP he signed up with and he said he has no idea what I was talking about.

It went back and forth for 5 emails before he understood what I was talking about as on his end it does not show anything other than USPS shipping.

Once he understood the details he removed it but he also said he would not ship to Canada.

Bummer but at least he now knows about the joke that is GSP.

[taicho717]

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@marnotom! wrote:

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@taicho717 wrote:

It's an example on whether an item will be sold by a seller ... to me anyway. I was interested in an item > $405. Import charges (GSP) $100.03. + shipping charge. SELLERS WILL NOT SELL ITEMS with Global Shipping Program. I hope they realize this.

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If I wanted that US$400 item and it sold in my area for no less than C$500--duties included but not taxes (12% in BC)--and I was comfortable with the workings of the GSP, would I consider purchasing that item?  You'd better believe it.

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I don't think you have much experience buying online. I'll state this again ... this is a ridiculous shipping program! No buyer in their right mind would pay these fees! I wouldn't and would avoid sellers using this program like the plague! If I bought an item and this GSP showed up in checkout without being in the auction I would not pay unless it was removed. The bottom line is ... sellers do not understand how this is detrimental to their sales. 

[Anonymous]

I think some of the shipping charges are outrageous!!

When I can purchase an item of equal quality & size from a location in the UK & get cheaper shipping rates then I can from a USA seller... there's something wrong!!

(And) This Global Shipping Program has no option to permit the buyer on opting out of Priority mail... why would anyone using an auction service intentionally choose the most expensive method of shipping... or did ebay staff not think of that.

These matters need to be addressed.

[bobenis]

1023 posts thus far, this isn't a joke and I hope ebay is listening! 

[nb.imports.canada]

GSP has had my package in erlanger ky for a week or so now. WHY IS THIS?!?! i dont understand why its been sitting there. this is bull**bleep**.

[afantiques]

GSP has had my package in erlanger ky for a week or so now

How do you know this?

Package tracking for this service is next to nonexistant but this is not the buyer's problem, or the seller's.

[bennett4612]

Hi bobenis. 

We have definitely seen an increase in traffic on the CA message boards, regarding the GSP. And we are listening.

It looks like the Community answered your earlier questions regarding buyer and seller protections, etc. 

It also looks like you have a GSP item you are still waiting for, is that correct? I would be happy to look into it from this end. If you would like me to do that please send me a Private Message and include full transaction details (item #, transaction #, tracking #s, eBay email & user id used in the transaction, etc.). Also let me know the last time you checked tracking, and what message was shown. 

Thanks. 

---Ben

[marnotom!]

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@taicho717 wrote:

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@marnotom! wrote:

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@taicho717 wrote:

It's an example on whether an item will be sold by a seller ... to me anyway. I was interested in an item > $405. Import charges (GSP) $100.03. + shipping charge. SELLERS WILL NOT SELL ITEMS with Global Shipping Program. I hope they realize this.

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If I wanted that US$400 item and it sold in my area for no less than C$500--duties included but not taxes (12% in BC)--and I was comfortable with the workings of the GSP, would I consider purchasing that item?  You'd better believe it.

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I don't think you have much experience buying online. I'll state this again ... this is a ridiculous shipping program! No buyer in their right mind would pay these fees! I wouldn't and would avoid sellers using this program like the plague! If I bought an item and this GSP showed up in checkout without being in the auction I would not pay unless it was removed. The bottom line is ... sellers do not understand how this is detrimental to their sales. 

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See if your math is different than mine.

The item I want sells in a town about an hour away for C$500.  Duty is already factored into the selling price, but there's still C$60 that needs to be added to the selling price to cover GST and PST in BC.  Total for the item:  C$560.  

I see the same item for US$400 as a GSP sale on eBay with $100.13 in import charges.  Total:  US$500.13, or about C$538 at current exchange rates.

Are you suggesting to me that you'd drive two hours round trip to buy this item for a higher price, pay for gas and car wear and tear on top of the item price, simply because you want to avoid the fees charged by the GSP?

[femmefan1946]

webbi-  You are preaching to the choir on GSP.

Even eBay tells sellers (not loudly enough) not to use it for items valued under $50. But just as buyers do not read, apparently neither do sellers.

The GSP was put in place to encourage US sellers to accept international orders, since domestic selling had hit a plateau. Americans are notoriously provincial and this showed in their lack of participation in international markets.

Other nations, like that nation of shopkeepers, the United Kingdom, are comfortable with selling internationally and there is no need for expansion of the GSP elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Ah well that is unfortunate that eBay is not pushing this fact harder on the sellers on such items under the $50 limit.

[marnotom!]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Ah well that is unfortunate that eBay is not pushing this fact harder on the sellers on such items under the $50 limit.

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To be honest, I don't find the "$50 rule of thumb" terribly useful.  It really oversimplifies the issue for both buyers and sellers alike.

The problem with setting a price threshold on GSP items is that it overlooks the fact that heavy items can't be shipped as oversized letters (First Class International / Small Packet) and that changes the game considerably when it comes to mailing rates.

I don't think a reasonably minded person would expect a 500 gram (1 pound) item to ship for the same price as a 5 kg (11 pound) item, even if both items have a value of less than fifty bucks.

[femmefan1946]

Yes, marnotom!, but then this is eBay.

[bobenis]

The GSP makes NO sense at all on import charges!

I bought that tablet for $450US and the import charges were $33 and $30 for shipping.

Now look at this guitar that is at only $265 and yet the import charges "estimated and based on current bid" are at $59 already?!

It seems the import charges seem to reflect the shipping costs more than the item value...this makes no sense and appears more and more like a sham IMO.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/131073943310?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

What exactly is the discrepancy here?

Are the charges going off size and weight when that should only be the duty and taxes?

Should that be better broken down for the buyer and seller?

I think so.

[nanciole]

Since this program was introduced it is like paying double for an item because of all the shipping charges. I think this is a rip off to the buyer and especially when an item we are buying is not worth it especially when the global charges are worth more than the item. I feel this system is **bleep**. Is there any other way to buy an item without paying all these charges? Nancy

[pierrelebel]

"What exactly is the discrepancy here?"

The "import charges" include GST/HST/PST (rate depends on province) and duty since the guitar is manufactured in Korea.  It does not matter if the guitar comes through GSP (Pitney Bowes) or is sent by mail and duty/taxes assessed by Canada Customs: the rates are the same.

Very few items coming from the USA have duty added at time of Canada Customs clearance.  This is one of them because it is not manufactured in the USA.

[anguscoinshop]

Off topic for now,

Merry Christmas to all board contributors.

[konamicode]

Happy Holidays to all Ebayers, and a Bah Humbug to FeeBay and the GSP.

[403wb369]

as a Canadian buyer,shipping cost a factor in how high i'm willing to bid on an item.would sooner see money going in sellers pocket than P.B.s. just my two cents.with this program a lot of shipping is doubling...not so cool.

[rick31797]

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@marnotom! wrote:

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@taicho717 wrote:

---

@marnotom! wrote:

---

@taicho717 wrote:

It's an example on whether an item will be sold by a seller ... to me anyway. I was interested in an item > $405. Import charges (GSP) $100.03. + shipping charge. SELLERS WILL NOT SELL ITEMS with Global Shipping Program. I hope they realize this.

---

If I wanted that US$400 item and it sold in my area for no less than C$500--duties included but not taxes (12% in BC)--and I was comfortable with the workings of the GSP, would I consider purchasing that item?  You'd better believe it.

---

I don't think you have much experience buying online. I'll state this again ... this is a ridiculous shipping program! No buyer in their right mind would pay these fees! I wouldn't and would avoid sellers using this program like the plague! If I bought an item and this GSP showed up in checkout without being in the auction I would not pay unless it was removed. The bottom line is ... sellers do not understand how this is detrimental to their sales. 

---

See if your math is different than mine.

The item I want sells in a town about an hour away for C$500.  Duty is already factored into the selling price, but there's still C$60 that needs to be added to the selling price to cover GST and PST in BC.  Total for the item:  C$560.  

I see the same item for US$400 as a GSP sale on eBay with $100.13 in import charges.  Total:  US$500.13, or about C$538 at current exchange rates.

Are you suggesting to me that you'd drive two hours round trip to buy this item for a higher price, pay for gas and car wear and tear on top of the item price, simply because you want to avoid the fees charged by the GSP?

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if i wanted this item, bad enough, and had a choice of either using Ebay and GSP or driving and buying, i would probably spend the extra money and pick it up... because, the cheapest price is sometimes not better.. if i pick it up, i am guaranteed i will get it and it will come with a warranty and a money back guarantee.

The GSP, i will not be assured of getting it, if i get it it may be damaged, once i get it , its mine, and no warranty if its something that may fail.

You see it doesn't matter how good something is, If there is no trust in it, then its not much good.. as many others i have no trust in the GSP.. amen

Happy Holidays.

[brandeentertainment]

THANK YOU GSP ..

This program Has made me learn how to get things across the border cheaper and outside of ebay ..

I have caculated for fun how much fees ebay is missing in 1 year just from me buying my supplies and it is roughly $1000 .. Not much in the big picture but if you times that by 500,000 or a million that could be some big losses..

I have sourced out ebay sellers with sites off of ebay and started using them outside of ebay ..

It has made me learn about opening UPS brokerage accounts which is a HUGE money saver ...

GSP has made me a better shopper so here is my first postive post about GSP Thank you for making me make the time to shop off of ebay and source suppliers from the US that know how to fill out a customs form ..