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.

[arlene_v]

Pierre, for what it's worth  I signed up for the same calculator as you used and this is my result when I enter the pocket watch as an antique

http://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-duty-and-tax-calculation/saved_calculations/view_details/18...

[pierrelebel]

And I get the same 5% duty once I specify "gold filled" which it is:

http://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-duty-and-tax-calculation/saved_calculations/view_details/18...

As stated earlier "antique" has little to do with it from a Canada Customs perspective.  If the watch is gold filled, it will be assessed as such.  It does not matter if the assessment is done by Pitney Bowes or Canada Customs on a postal parcel: the rate of duty should be the same.  The only difference is that Pitney Bowes charges a lower handling (brokerage) fee than Canada Post for this specific transaction.

[pocomocomputing]

.

[arlene_v]

Pierre I'm really wondering about how accurate that calculator is ..it is completely at odds with the CBSA calculator.

For example here's the calculation I get when I enter the tax and duty owed on that site using a hypothetical 10k  gold necklace valued at $100 and made in the USA  as an example ... check out the duty charged.

http://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-duty-and-tax-calculation/saved_calculations/view_details/18...

Now I go to the CBSA calculator and input the same data .... selecting precious and semi precious jewelry ....and the CBSA calculator indicates NO duty owing only HST.

What gives???

[walker0017]

And I get the same 5% duty once I specify "gold filled" which it is:

http://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-duty-and-tax-calculation/saved_calculations/view_details/18...

As stated earlier "antique" has little to do with it from a Canada Customs perspective.  If the watch is gold filled, it will be assessed as such.  It does not matter if the assessment is done by Pitney Bowes or Canada Customs on a postal parcel: the rate of duty should be the same.  The only difference is that Pitney Bowes charges a lower handling (brokerage) fee than Canada Post for this specific transaction.

And before the GSP was brought in, there was a very good chance that the CBSA would have assessed anything on the buyer but now the buyers get to pay to eBay/PB at least  an additional $20.32 up front not including their additional handling fees with no cost breakdown or refund for overcharges. So in what way does the GSP encourage buyers to use this system it cannot be the tracking option, USPS and Canada Post already have this and both are interlinked?  I agree that there really big problems with this but the bottom line for all buyers is that making purchases from any seller using this program will cost us buyers more than if we look elsewhere for a seller not using the GSP even if their unit cost is slightly higher.

[arlene_v]

Pierre - I spoke to someone last week at the CBSA about duty on antiques and he stated there is no duty on antiques, plain and simple. It was about an antique gold brooch though, and not an antique  watch.

[pierrelebel]

Speak to that same person again and specify "gold filled watch".  See what happens!

[marnotom!]

I think Pierre's point is that the fact that the item is gold-filled overrides any sort of consideration the item may be given as an antique.

[Sorry to chip in, Pierre!  I didn't realize you were "around" when I posted!  😄 ]

[arlene_v]

Hi Marno!

Thanks for chipping in!

I do want to point out though that I think that commerical duty calculator is a bit wonky.

I've signed up for it and it is giving very very odd results. But it could just be me! LOL.

It almost seems as if NAFTA doesn't exist according to that calculator .... I've been inputting all sorts of hypothetical scenarios on different imports into Canada from the US and am getting weird results ... check out this one???

http://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-duty-and-tax-calculation/saved_calculations/view_details/18...

[marnotom!]

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@kxeron wrote:

The difficulty I see with this point, while I appreciate  your input, I feel this push toward "the world must revolve around eBay policy" rather disconcerting. CBSA, as far as I'm aware, has not agreed to any of PBI/eBay's terms of service agreements or similar contracts and has no responsibility to comply with how the GSP operates, but PBI/eBay has a responsibility by law to comply with how the CBSA operates, this includes providing consumers clear and open information that can be used in communications with the CBSA.

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I'm not really following how this is a "push toward" the adherence to eBay Policy as I'm not sure how you figure that eBay Policy figures into this whole mess.  The collection of taxes and duties due on eBay is a federal responsibility, a responsibility that's admittedly rather haphazardly executed on the level of personal (or "casual") imports, but I would believe far less so on commercial imports.

I'm also not sure how or why CBSA needs to agree with any terms of service levied by eBay or PBI, although I'm also not sure of the terms to which you're referring.  Keep in mind that PBI is really mostly a GSP pen-pusher.  The grunt work is done by a number of subcontractors who presumably already have agreements in place with CBSA and CRA for the services that they render specific to the handling of commercial freight shipments crossing the border.

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@kxeron wrote:

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The reason I see the GSP as untrustworthy in through that point is that the GSP has documentation that claims a magic $50 figure as a cover to eBay's rear end on the matter, but doesn't actually enforce that on the rarely-challenged website software itself. There isn't code written to discourage/disable the GSP where it doesn't make sense so eBay/PBI still gets to profit off of items that don't allegedly qualify for the GSP making it a scam in those cases to acquire money through bloated opaque shipping charges. Until there are technological mechanisms in place to bring the website software into alignment with this alleged policy or advice, as far as I'm concerned that policy/advice doesn't exist outside of academic contexts like this conversation.

To summarize: eBay/PBI is still making GSP money off of items that allegedly should not be under the GSP due to broken website software that isn't being corrected and won't be corrected given the track record.

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I think you're giving too much credence to that "$50 maxim".  I read it simply as a general rule of thumb, and not a particularly useful one, to boot.  It's simply there to try and give some sort of assistance to U.S. sellers who simply can't wrap their heads around the whole notion of charges incurred by an imported item.   As I've suggested a few times before, a $50 coffee maker may be better suited to the GSP than a $50 ballpoint pen.

As well, all the software fixes in the world won't compensate for user error.  For example, if we keep getting sellers who neglect to or who inaccurately describe an item's country of origin, we're going to continue to see lots of listings where duty has been charged incorrectly.

[pierrelebel]

"It almost seems as if NAFTA doesn't exist according to that calculator .."

I am not sure what you mean.  Do you think (like many other posters) that NAFTA means duty free on everything made in the USA coming into Canada?

Sorry but that is NOT what NAFTA is all about.

Take a good look at some of the exceptions:

https://www.nafta-sec-alena.org/Default.aspx?tabid=97&ctl=SectionView&mid=1588&sid=b6cf8590-4365-472...

For the full text of NAFTA: https://www.nafta-sec-alena.org/Default.aspx?tabid=97&language=en-US

Keep a large pot of coffee going.  You will need it.

And the rate of duty charged in your example appears to be correct (Cotton T-shirt For Women has an import duty rate of 18%)

[pierrelebel]

On the subject of NAFTA, you may recall the long dispute between Canada and the USA whereby huge duty was imposed on Canadian softwood lumber.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada%E2%80%93United_States_softwood_lumber_dispute

[marnotom!]

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@arlene_v wrote:

Hi Marno!

Thanks for chipping in!

I do want to point out though that I think that commerical duty calculator is a bit wonky.

I've signed up for it and it is giving very very odd results. But it could just be me! LOL.

It almost seems as if NAFTA doesn't exist according to that calculator .... I've been inputting all sorts of hypothetical scenarios on different imports into Canada from the US and am getting weird results ... check out this one???

http://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-duty-and-tax-calculation/saved_calculations/view_details/18...

---

I would suggest doing some online research on how NAFTA affects imports/exports of textiles and "textile goods".  

I just tried and gave myself a headache.  😄

[Aaaaaaaaaaaand...once again Pierre beats me by seconds!]

[arlene_v]

LOL - well I have tried to read that Pierre but I fear a pot of coffee will not be enough.

Please, do this girl a favour, Pierre or Marno, I need to look up just one, yes one, item on that calculator that is definitely exempt from duty under NAFTA. I have tried everything I can think of from denim jeans (little did I know the minefield textiles would be, LOL) to silver jewelry ...and everything is coming up with duty owing.

Please help!!!!

[arlene_v]

And Pierre if you could provide a link to an item that comes up duty free on that calculator site I would really appreciate it ..I have tried flip flops, guitars, handbags ,lipstick, you name it, and duty is being charged!

Please help me out I'm in "duty" distress!

I have to say I have found this most useful ... What an eye opener that calculator has been.

[pierrelebel]

Baseball bat: duty free

http://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-duty-and-tax-calculation/saved_calculations/view_details/18...

Stay away from fabrics or stuff with gold.  These are complicated areas.

[marnotom!]

I didn't get a duty charge for a $250 mobile phone manufactured in the United States, for what it's worth.

Of course, there aren't too many U.S.-made mobile phones out there, so the point may be a bit moot.  😉

http://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-duty-and-tax-calculation/saved_calculations/view_details/18...

[arlene_v]

Thanks so much Pierre and Marno!!!

I can truly say that I had no idea that so many items still attract duty under NAFTA. What an eye opener this thread has been!

Thanks for helping me with this by answering my questions and also through my "meanderings" ... you have both really helped me tremendously, and hopefully others as well.

[villagetime]

I live in Canada and importing antiques is duty free, so why would I be interested in paying two shipping charges. To me this program is a money grab, and deters me from buying items listed under global shipping. Can a seller drop the program if the buyer requests it.

[beatom72]

I purchased AN EMPTY CARDBOARD BOX! ( yes on purpose). And was charged 6.98 import charges. I happen to know that That is a steaming pile of ...... I checked with Canada boarder services and was informed that there are no duties on empty boxes. ( they thought I was nuts a first). Both my wife and I have been using ebay for along time. But from now on we will only buy from sellers within Canada. I refuse to take part in ebays money making scam any longer. There are many other places to shop. I have even purchased much the same items from other sites and guess what? No duties, import or otherwise. Ever head of NAFTA EBAY? Maybe look it up.

I guess this will help the Canadian sellers :).