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.

[arouraborealis1]

I am from Canada and feel exactly the same. I will NOT be shopping here any longer and having bulls**t charges billed to me. If there are "import duties" then I WILL PAY THEM !!!! If there are no duties will I be refunded what I have been billed??? FAT CHANCE. I am done here too and so are a lot of people I know. LOSE LOSE. I hope the sellers are happy.

[mycollectablethings]

I posted the following on the US ebay.com Seller Central board:

"I'm curious to know if US based eBay sellers are aware of the number of potential Canadian buyers they are losing because they are using the Global Shipping Program. There are several hundred, maybe several thousands of Canadian eBayers that are boycotting US sellers because they are taking part in GSP. I have used the USPS for over ten years and have never had the problems that I have had with GSP. Items that once arrived at the destination in under a week are now taking upwards of a month to get to the destination, if at all. US sellers using GSP are risking either negative feedback, neutral feedback or no feedback at all."

Within minutes of my posting this on the US discussion boards it was removed, and subsequently moved to the ebay.ca boards by the board admins. Looks as though eBay wants to hide the negativity towards GSP, and GSP users from the US sellers. I thought I should share this with canadian eBay buyers.

[chiboukiqc]

That's just sad...

I've stopped buying from american sellers who use the GSP. That's the only way we can "protest" since eBay doesn't seem to care at all what we think...

[arouraborealis1]

Hey "Bennett". Sorry to let you know but we ALL did just fine before Ebay stuck their nose where it didn't need to be. As for "International tracking" why make this up? You create something that already exists. I mean USPS tracking numbers work with Canada post so there IS NO ISSUE. Just a pile of BS to scam more money. Go Amazon... Ebay will lose Canadian customers hands down.

[arouraborealis1]

marnotom wrote "I agree that the fact that the GSP charges taxes (and duty) on personal imports makes the program an unattractive proposition for the typical Canadian eBay purchaser of modestly-priced items from the United States.  But I think that faulting the GSP for trying to do what's legally expected of it is a mug's game.  It's akin to someone complaining about how Walmart charges sales taxes when that person's accustomed to purchasing items from garage sales or swap meets where the vendors aren't registered to collect those taxes."

Are you intentionally obtuse or just thick? The point from a Canadian's perspective is simply IF THERE ARE IMPORT DUTIES TO PAY I WILL PAY THEM. I DO NOT need them billed to me by a third party. Your analogy to Walmart and yard sales is condescending and frankly shows the shallowness of your mentality. If the GSP is doing, in your words, 'what is legally expected, if the duty IS NOT applied to the package do I get a refund? NO I DON'T !!!!!! S C A M and THEFT!!!! If I send a package  to the US, CANADA DOESN'T CHARGE YOU IMPORT DUTY... THE US DOES. By your logic Canada should collect import charges on items entering the US. Splain a me your logic please so it makes some kind of sense!!!!!!

[marnotom!]

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@arouraborealis1 wrote:

Are you intentionally obtuse or just thick? The point from a Canadian's perspective is simply IF THERE ARE IMPORT DUTIES TO PAY I WILL PAY THEM. I DO NOT need them billed to me by a third party. Your analogy to Walmart and yard sales is condescending and frankly shows the shallowness of your mentality. If the GSP is doing, in your words, 'what is legally expected, if the duty IS NOT applied to the package do I get a refund? NO I DON'T !!!!!! S C A M and THEFT!!!! If I send a package  to the US, CANADA DOESN'T CHARGE YOU IMPORT DUTY... THE US DOES. By your logic Canada should collect import charges on items entering the US. Splain a me your logic please so it makes some kind of sense!!!!!!

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I don't follow how you've concluded that by "[my] logic" exports to the U.S. from Canada should be charged HST or PST and GST plus any applicable duty.  Perhaps you could "splain" this to me.

The fact is, the postal system is an anomaly when it comes to the collection of taxes and duty on postal imports.  First of all, Canada Border Services doesn't charge those taxes and duty much of the time, even when the item is subject to taxes and duty, likely due to a combination of the volume of items that employees have to check and some bright spark working out that in the case of modestly-priced items, the cost to collect the taxes and duty owing would make the effort involved a losing proposition.

Second of all, with pretty much all other carriers, taxes and duty are prepaid.  Even with UPS and FedEx ground shipments, the carrier will advance or prepay the taxes and duty owing on the shipment to the feds and try to shake the recipient down afterwards so that the carrier is repaid, and then some.

When you're paying for your stuff at Walmart, you're also paying Walmart or its accountants to collect and remit the sales tax owing on the item to the government or governments charging the taxes.  Why is it so different to pay Pitney Bowes the equivalent of the taxes and duty (if it applies) on an item that you're purchasing through eBay?  In neither case are you paying the government directly.  Even with a shipment in the mail, you're paying Canada Post ten bucks to collect and remit the taxes and duty owing to the Canada Revenue Agency.

[marnotom!]

There are plenty of Global Shipping Program related threads on the .com site's International Trading Board.  Most regulars that post to that board are pretty up on the program's few pros and considerable cons, but you may catch the attention of the occasional lurker who's been considering using the program themselves.

[arlene_v]

It would be very easy indeed for Ebay to remove Canada from the list of eligible countries for the Global Shipping Program.

Some might say "But buyers deserve to have the choice".

I would simply refer such objectors to read this thread and count the number of satisfied happy GSP shoppers.  Look at the posts with the highest number of kudos ....and then argue that Canadians want any part of this program. 

 We have a unique situation in Canada ....possibly the "suits" did not do their homework when considering Canada for this program, because had they done any kind of market research,they would have realized in five minutes or less that this program is a disaster for the typical Ebay shopper on this site. 

Not having this program available to Canadian shoppers  would be the best business option for Ebay as far as their Canadian market goes.

For the rest of the world it might work very well, but not for the US-Canada situation. 

[arlene_v]

I've been checking out how other sites work and found this regarding Amazonglobal.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_left_v4_sib?ie=UTF8&nodeId=201117970

"if the actual Import Fees (paid by the carrier on behalf of the recipient to the customs and tax authorities of the destination country) are less than the Import Fees Deposit collected by us on your behalf, you'll automatically be refunded the difference to the payment method you used for the order. You'll receive a notification e-mail confirming the amount of the refund. The process takes 60 days from the shipment date."

Concrete suggestion to Ebay if you plan to continue with the GSP you might want to follow Amazon's lead on this one ..it would certainly help you to get rid of the  whiff  of impropriety currently tainting the less than transparent, non-refundable  PB "import charges". 

[i*m-still-here]

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@walker0017 wrote:

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

@i*m-still-here wrote:Here we go again!

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Seriously?

Is that the most intelligent comment you can come up with?

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Yes, seriously.

I've followed this thread from day one and all of this has been said hundreds of times.

Buyers come here to let off steam and express their anger and upset with the GSP.

A handful of regular posters (sellers)  then come on and offer the same rebuttals over and over and over again.

The result is that this is fuels the anger and buyers become even more upset because the advice hits a nerve and so it goes on and on and on.........

So, yes, seriously.

There is nothing one can say to marnotom et al. that will sink in.

Go ahead.  Make his day and try.

He's waiting for you to do just that.

[pierrelebel]

"I've followed this thread from day one"

If true, then you know very well that the "here we go again" comment had nothing to do with GSP.

Read the post, read the context.

[i*m-still-here]

I've followed these threads from day one (at first closely and now ........... not so much) and all of this has been said hundreds of times.

Buyers come here to let off steem and express their anger and upset with the GSP.

A handful of regular posters (sellers)  then come on and offer the same rebuttals over and over and over again.

The result is that this is fuels the anger and buyers become even more upset because the advice hits a nerve and so it goes on and on and on.........

There is nothing one can say to marnotom et al. that will sink in.

Go ahead.  Make his day and try.

He's waiting for you to do just that.

[00nevermind00]

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@arlene_v wrote:

I've been checking out how other sites work and found this regarding Amazonglobal.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_left_v4_sib?ie=UTF8&nodeId=201117970

"if the actual Import Fees (paid by the carrier on behalf of the recipient to the customs and tax authorities of the destination country) are less than the Import Fees Deposit collected by us on your behalf, you'll automatically be refunded the difference to the payment method you used for the order. You'll receive a notification e-mail confirming the amount of the refund. The process takes 60 days from the shipment date."

Concrete suggestion to Ebay if you plan to continue with the GSP you might want to follow Amazon's lead on this one ..it would certainly help you to get rid of the  whiff  of impropriety currently tainting the less than transparent, non-refundable  PB "import charges". 

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Totally agree with this very simple and very sensible suggestion. It is stuff like this that makes the GSP appear like a money grab.

This thread seems to have taken a somewhat nasty turn lately, so here is what I hope will be viewed as a constructive suggestion. Ebay now says that the GSP is not suited for items that sell for less than $50. This is a figure that they obviously plucked from thin air following the (to them) unforeseen rash of complaints from international buyers. If they (and PB too!) had done their homework, they would have realized that offering 99-cent items with $20+ shipping made zero sense. So whenever a seller is trying to list an item priced under $50 with GSP, why not have a pop-up window appear saying something like: "You are trying to list an item priced under $50 with GSP shipping. GSP is not recommended for low-priced items due to the high shipping cost. Do you wish to proceed?" And then have a box to check for "Yes" and another one for "No". Simple.

[i*m-still-here]

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@00nevermind00 wrote:

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This thread seems to have taken a somewhat nasty turn lately, so here is what I hope will be viewed as a constructive suggestion. Ebay now says that the GSP is not suited for items that sell for less than $50. This is a figure that they obviously plucked from thin air following the (to them) unforeseen rash of complaints from international buyers. If they (and PB too!) had done their homework, they would have realized that offering 99-cent items with $20+ shipping made zero sense. So whenever a seller is trying to list an item priced under $50 with GSP, why not have a pop-up window appear saying something like: "You are trying to list an item priced under $50 with GSP shipping. GSP is not recommended for low-priced items due to the high shipping cost. Do you wish to proceed?" And then have a box to check for "Yes" and another one for "No". Simple.

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I'm not sure where the figure of $50 came from but I am sure that it's not true

All of the problems associated with the GSP for low end items are magnified with high end items.

[rick31797]

marnotom wrote......I think that faulting the GSP for trying to do what's legally expected of it is a mug's game.  It's akin to someone complaining about how Walmart charges sales taxes when that person's accustomed to purchasing items from garage sales or swap meets where the vendors aren't registered to collect those taxes."

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I can hardly believe you wrote this comment, on second thought, yes i can...lol.

[mater721]

Except Walmart did not change the rules.  They've always charged tax.  GSP was not always here. You are comparing apples to oranges.

GSP is a scam because it introduces a third party who is there to make a profit. And guess who is footing that profit.  Not the seller and not ebay.  I mentioned this in one of my earlier threads, but you've either forgotten it, or ignored it.

[arlene_v]

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@00nevermind00 wrote:

... So whenever a seller is trying to list an item priced under $50 with GSP, why not have a pop-up window appear saying something like: "You are trying to list an item priced under $50 with GSP shipping. GSP is not recommended for low-priced items due to the high shipping cost. Do you wish to proceed?" And then have a box to check for "Yes" and another one for "No". Simple.

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Great idea! And how about something similar when a seller lists an item under this program without inputting the country of manufacture? 

A pop-up window saying "You are trying to list an item to be shipped via the Global Shipping Program without stating the country of origin in the item specifics.  If you know the country of manufacture please input that info. This an obligation under the terms of the GSP" 

The added bonus is that sellers who are unaware that they are even enrolled in the program will be aware that they are this way as well. 

[chiboukiqc]

I've stopped buying from american sellers who use the GSP. When i see an item that i would have bought otherwise, i send a short message to the seller to let him know why i'm not buying from him and that he's losing canadian buyers by using the GSP.

I think we should all to that...

Complaining to eBay is useless. eBay obviously doesn't care....

[marnotom!]

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@mater721 wrote:

Except Walmart did not change the rules.  They've always charged tax.  GSP was not always here. You are comparing apples to oranges.

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What rules has the GSP changed?  Pitney Bowes is following a set of rules that applies to carriers that have nothing to do with the postal system.  The GSP is not the postal service.  It's a freight-forwarding agent and goods travel between the U.S. and the destination country's hub as freight, not mail.

Borderfree, a service once owned by Canada Post, collects the equivalent of taxes from the buyer prior to shipment.  Amazon Global collects a deposit which is pretty much the same idea in principle as the GSP "import charges" except that the GSP won't refund any overcharge, as noted earlier in this thread.  UPS and FedEx work in a similar fashion as noted earlier.

The GSP isn't changing the rules when it comes to when taxes and duty are collected in the importation process.  The GSP is playing a sport with which some people appear to be unfamiliar.  Yes, some of the stuff they've thrown in or taken out in order to accomplish this does seem to amount to "Calvinball," but there's nothing illegal or scammy about the general principle of advancing taxes and duty due on a shipment.  It's how it's done with a lot of commercial cross-border freight.

[arlene_v]

And how about this concrete suggestion?

Since we have a free trade agreement that is pretty much worthless under the current appalling application of the GSP   .... GSP listings that don't include place of manufacture should simply not be visible  on the Canadian site.  PB can't force sellers to enter this info ... but to ensure that Canadian buyers are not being charged duty on non-dutiable items, simply make such listings unavailable to Canadian IP addresses. 

This would be one way of protecting Canadian consumers.