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.

[reallynicestamps]

I understand that the Harper government told CBSA not to bother with postal imports under 'something' on the basis that they would spend more on collecting than they would collect.

Makes no sense to spend $5 to collect a loonie.

But what the Harper Government did not do was actually change the rules and regulations. So any import over $20 can be charged and from time to time a low value but bulky or heavy  item is.

And commercial entities, like GSP/Pitney Bowes and UPS, MUST remit those duties.

It would make a lot more sense just to make shipped import limits match the cross-border shopper import limits.

[reallynicestamps]

You are wrong on electronic devices .

This was the first mention I came across on the CBSA website. Note that this not a purchase, but an already owned item, yet if the traveller does not have proof of purchase he will be charges duty and tax.

Protecting your valuables

If your laptop computer was made in Japan—for instance—you might have to pay duty and taxes on it each time you bring it back into Canada, unless you can prove that you owned it before you left on your trip. Documents that fully describe the item—such as sales receipts, insurance policies, or jeweller's appraisals—are acceptable forms of proof.

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/ifcrc-rpcrc-eng.html

You can run a red light and not be charged, especially if there is neither a police officer or a camera around, but running a red light is still illegal.

And I am a Canadian citizen too, and have been since 1959.

[danscoolpaper]

the gsp is the worst thing for canadians yet..come on ebay fixing this is needed badly get on the ball... 

[i*m-still-here]

A couple of things happening with the GSP:

First, I've noticed that a lot of sellers are now aware of how to bill via paypal and no longer require prompting through the process.

Also, yesterday a seller was able to send me a bill for a GSP item directly via ebay with normal shipping.

Hopefully that wasn't a fluke but an indication that ebay has added a link for sellers to bill buyers with normal shipping.

[marnotom!]

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@danscoolpaper wrote:

the gsp is the worst thing for canadians yet..come on ebay fixing this is needed badly get on the ball... 

---

The GSP isn't completely terrible as long as it's used appropriately.  The trouble is, the roll-out was so haphazard and its marketing has been so hamfisted that we're finding that a lot of sellers are using it in their listings and they don't realize it.  If they do realize it, quite often they don't seem to understand the costs it demands of their buyers or how to set up their listings properly to minimize those costs.

And a lot of stuff about it, such as refunds for damaged or not-received items, is not clearly spelled out in the terms and conditions.  We've had to find out this stuff piecemeal through discussion boards such as this one.

And then there's the lack of accountability when it comes to the import charges.  If only we Canadians and our media were so vocal with our complaints about the lack of our governments' accountability as we are with the GSP.

Having said all that, there are deals to be had with the GSP provided one is willing to take the time to find them and put up with the program's weirdnesses.  That seems to be a big "provided" for many buyers, however.

[marnotom!]

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@i*m-still-here wrote:

A couple of things happening with the GSP:

First, I've noticed that a lot of sellers are now aware of how to bill via paypal and no longer require prompting through the process.

Also, yesterday a seller was able to send me a bill for a GSP item directly via ebay with normal shipping.

Hopefully that wasn't a fluke but an indication that ebay has added a link for sellers to bill buyers with normal shipping.

---

I'd qualify that by noting that a lot of sellers that you deal with seem to be aware of how to get around the GSP.  I suspect that the vast majority of day-to-day sellers of non-specialty items are still not aware that they're enrolled in it.

Without being able to see the listing in question, I'd have to speculate that the seller who was able to invoice you directly for a GSP item had added Canada to their list of GSP-exempt countries.

[pjcdn2005]

Also, yesterday a seller was able to send me a bill for a GSP item directly via ebay with normal shipping.

Were you on .com and did you use the cart? I'm just wondering if that would make a difference.

[pjcdn2005]

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@marnotom! wrote:

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@i*m-still-here wrote:

A couple of things happening with the GSP:

First, I've noticed that a lot of sellers are now aware of how to bill via paypal and no longer require prompting through the process.

Also, yesterday a seller was able to send me a bill for a GSP item directly via ebay with normal shipping.

Hopefully that wasn't a fluke but an indication that ebay has added a link for sellers to bill buyers with normal shipping.

---

I'd qualify that by noting that a lot of sellers that you deal with seem to be aware of how to get around the GSP.  I suspect that the vast majority of day-to-day sellers of non-specialty items are still not aware that they're enrolled in it.

Without being able to see the listing in question, I'd have to speculate that the seller who was able to invoice you directly for a GSP item had added Canada to their list of GSP-exempt countries.

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If the seller had exempted Canada from the program, I would guess that the buyer wouldn't even know that the seller was using gsp at all since they would see just the regular shipping amount...not the gsp information. 

[i*m-still-here]

marmo:  That's obvious!  Of course I'm referring to the sellers I deal with.  Who else would I be referring to?

The sellers I deal with don't sell new items but most haven't specialized in any give area either.

In other words, they are all over the board.

(.............. and as PJ pointed out I wouldn't have been purchasing a GSP listed item if the seller had an exemption for Canada)

PJ:  I don't use the cart.

Yes it was on .com.

I emailed the seller to ask what she did to be able to do that but haven't heard back yet.

We had arranged for paypal billing prior to my bid and so I was surprised to get a normal bill.

Hope it's not a fluke because that one small step by ebay would be a giant leap in the right direction for the GSP.

P.S.:  I just won another GSP item so I'll see what happens with this one.

[pjcdn2005]

 That's obvious!  Of course I'm referring to the sellers I deal with.  Who else would I be referring to?

By your reaction, I suspect that you misread his post or took it in a totally different way that how I read it.

[i*m-still-here]

Yes..........  I suppose I must have.

The post by marmo was 

"""II'd qualify that by noting that a lot of sellers that you deal with seem to be aware of how to get around the GSP.  I suspect that the vast majority of day-to-day sellers of non-specialty items are still not aware that they're enrolled in it.

Without being able to see the listing in question, I'd have to speculate that the seller who was able to invoice you directly for a GSP item had added Canada to their list of GSP-exempt countries."""""

That had nothing to do with my observations and even so it made no sense.

Obviously I was referring to sellers who I had contacted about the GSP prior to bidding.

Clearly,  if they hadn't been aware that their listings appeared via the GSP prior to my post they became aware when I emailed them. Since they agreed to ship without the GSP they were clearly aware of it at that time.

In addition:  I had also clearly posted that the items were in fact listed via the GSP for shipping to Canada so that made no sense either.

As I said:  I don't want to drag it out but as ut pointed out above it's virtually impossible to post about the GSP without these challenges which side-step the issues and have no meaning.

[bobenis]

Here is a prime example of how inconsistent the GSP is.

Shoes:

$19.99 starting bid = $8.44US GSP charges on the current price

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Adidas-Adipure-Mens-Size-15-Running-Training-Toe-Sneaker-Shoe-Black-Neon-Gree...

And another pair, same starting price and yet the GSP is $13.47

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Merrell-brown-casual-boots-men-size-15-preowned-/121287206460?pt=US_Men_s_Sho...

Total joke, really and I can promise you Customs would not charge taxes on a pair of $20 used shoes.
In fact customs now are open to $200 or less duty and tax free.
I head down to Point Roberts WA frequently too grab items I have shipped there and Canada Customs checks the receipts to see if the item is $200 or less and if so they just pass you through without owing anything.
That paradigm is now in effect as Canadians heading to the the US for 24hrs are allowed $200 in merch without penalty.

Sad thing is, many US sellers have no idea their items are going out of country and clearly state they ship only within the US.

ebay is screwing everyone over int he name of greed and the only way this is going to stop is to boycott them.

[marnotom!]

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@pjcdn2005 wrote:

If the seller had exempted Canada from the program, I would guess that the buyer wouldn't even know that the seller was using gsp at all since they would see just the regular shipping amount...not the gsp information. 

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You'd think that would be the case, but we've also seen that there's been more than the usual eBay glitches and quirks associated with the GSP.  🙂

[marnotom!]

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@i*m-still-here wrote:

Yes..........  I suppose I must have.

The post by marmo was 

"""II'd qualify that by noting that a lot of sellers that you deal with seem to be aware of how to get around the GSP.  I suspect that the vast majority of day-to-day sellers of non-specialty items are still not aware that they're enrolled in it.

Without being able to see the listing in question, I'd have to speculate that the seller who was able to invoice you directly for a GSP item had added Canada to their list of GSP-exempt countries."""""

That had nothing to do with my observations and even so it made no sense.

Obviously I was referring to sellers who I had contacted about the GSP prior to bidding.

Clearly,  if they hadn't been aware that their listings appeared via the GSP prior to my post they became aware when I emailed them. Since they agreed to ship without the GSP they were clearly aware of it at that time.

In addition:  I had also clearly posted that the items were in fact listed via the GSP for shipping to Canada so that made no sense either.

As I said:  I don't want to drag it out but as ut pointed out above it's virtually impossible to post about the GSP without these challenges which side-step the issues and have no meaning.

---

Keep in mind that many people encountering this thread are first-time posters here and they're relying on the clarity of your posts.  Someone may not realize that you're referring to just the sellers that you're encountering when you say "I've noticed that a lot of sellers are now aware of how to bill via paypal and no longer require prompting through the process."  For all they know, you may be referring to sellers you've encountered on .com discussion boards or other forums.

My post was actually a two-parter in the same vein that yours was.  The second part to my post was a response to your second part.  Apologies if that wasn't clear enough.  How much time had elapsed between your request for direct shipping and the seller sending you the invoice?

[marnotom!]

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@bobenis wrote:

Here is a prime example of how inconsistent the GSP is.

Shoes:

$19.99 starting bid = $8.44US GSP charges on the current price

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Adidas-Adipure-Mens-Size-15-Running-Training-Toe-Sneaker-Shoe-Black-Neon-Gree...

And another pair, same starting price and yet the GSP is $13.47

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Merrell-brown-casual-boots-men-size-15-preowned-/121287206460?pt=US_Men_s_Sho...

Total joke, really and I can promise you Customs would not charge taxes on a pair of $20 used shoes.
In fact customs now are open to $200 or less duty and tax free.
I head down to Point Roberts WA frequently too grab items I have shipped there and Canada Customs checks the receipts to see if the item is $200 or less and if so they just pass you through without owing anything.
That paradigm is now in effect as Canadians heading to the the US for 24hrs are allowed $200 in merch without penalty.

Sad thing is, many US sellers have no idea their items are going out of country and clearly state they ship only within the US.

ebay is screwing everyone over int he name of greed and the only way this is going to stop is to boycott them.

---

In the first listing, the seller goes into some detail with in the Item Specifics portion of the listing, noting among other things that the shoes are manufactured in China, which as far as I know still has "preferential nation" status when it comes to duty charges.  On the other hand (or foot), the second listing doesn't provide information on the shoes' country of manufacture, so there's likely more duty being calculated on those shoes than the Chinese ones.

As for the issue of being charged taxes and duty, keep in mind that the tax/duty-free limit for a personal import sent by mail or similar carrier is quite different than if you hop across the border to Point Roberts for the weekend.  As long as that exemption limit stays at C$20 for couriered items, you're not going to get anything like your Point Roberts free rides when you purchase through the GSP.  (The mail, of course, is a different ball of wax.)

[bobenis]

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@marnotom! wrote:

In the first listing, the seller goes into some detail with in the Item Specifics portion of the listing, noting among other things that the shoes are manufactured in China, which as far as I know still has "preferential nation" status when it comes to duty charges.  On the other hand (or foot), the second listing doesn't provide information on the shoes' country of manufacture, so there's likely more duty being calculated on those shoes than the Chinese ones.

As for the issue of being charged taxes and duty, keep in mind that the tax/duty-free limit for a personal import sent by mail or similar carrier is quite different than if you hop across the border to Point Roberts for the weekend.  As long as that exemption limit stays at C$20 for couriered items, you're not going to get anything like your Point Roberts free rides when you purchase through the GSP.  (The mail, of course, is a different ball of wax.)

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They are all made in China and ebay does not adjust the duty owing based upon info in the auction.

If that were the case then why does Pitney still open every parcel and tosses a note in it to say they needed to know the country of manufacture?

I go to Point Roberts with each visit being only 15 min to an hour so that visit still counts as a $200 limit.

Nothing should be owed on camera or electronic gear either.

[marnotom!]

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@bobenis wrote:

They are all made in China and ebay does not adjust the duty owing based upon info in the auction.

If that were the case then why does Pitney still open every parcel and tosses a note in it to say they needed to know the country of manufacture?

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I don't see any mention of China in the listing for the Merrells.  If I've missed it, feel free to point it out.  If the seller doesn't provide country of manufacture information in the "Item Specifics" portion of the listing, the GSP's fee calculator isn't going to assume that it's duty-free.

Unless someone's purchased and received every single GSP listing out there since the beginning, nobody knows for certain that the Global Shipping Center has opened "every parcel" to check the item for country of manufacture.  Most listings I've looked at still don't have this information, for what it's worth.

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@bobenis wrote:

I go to Point Roberts with each visit being only 15 min to an hour so that visit still counts as a $200 limit.

Nothing should be owed on camera or electronic gear either.

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But the rules of the game are completely different when it comes to items shipped by mail or similar carrier.  Only a $20 limit applies there.

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/postal-postale/duty-droits-eng.html

Cameras and electronic gear are not exempt from being assessed and charged taxes (GST/PST).  If they were, we also wouldn't have to pay these taxes if we bought the same items from a store in British Columbia.

[bobenis]

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@marnotom! wrote:

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But the rules of the game are completely different when it comes to items shipped by mail or similar carrier.  Only a $20 limit applies there.

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/postal-postale/duty-droits-eng.html

Cameras and electronic gear are not exempt from being assessed and charged taxes (GST/PST).  If they were, we also wouldn't have to pay these taxes if we bought the same items from a store in British Columbia.

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Taxes, no.

Duty exempt, yes.

Electronics and camera gear are duty free.

[arlene_v]

Bob, did you notice that one is an auction and the other is an auction with  a BIN of $39.99? The charges for the one with the BIN indicate what you would pay if you chose to BIN. If you were to place a bid, the import charges would be recalculated to reflect the lower amount. 

That would be my take on this. 

I agree that the issue of duty  is the Achilles heel of the GSP, although I suspect that in this case it is not playing a role. 

If sellers on this site are still getting away with omitting essential info about country of manufacture, and this negatively impacts buyers and sellers,  Pitney Bowes needs to address this somewhere along the line ... especially if the GSP is expanding beyond the US, as Donohue has indicated.

It has been stated here that when the place of manufacture is omitted, the parcel is opened in Kentucky to be checked for this info. This is a legal obligation for export purposes. 

If this is already being done, then there is no reason why charges should not be modified at that point, and any over payment of duty calculated in error based on the listing refunded to the buyer.

This was suggested on another thread by another poster

[arlene_v]

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marnotom! wrote:

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Unless someone's purchased and received every single GSP listing out there since the beginning, nobody knows for certain that the Global Shipping Center has opened "every parcel" to check the item for country of manufacture.  Most listings I've looked at still don't have this information, for what it's worth.

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Marnotom! this is exactly what I am seeing as well ... the place of manufacture is more often than not omitted. At huge cost to sellers (loss of potential sales, especially high price items because this is where the impact is really felt) ... and of course for buyers in lost opportunities to buy and if they do go ahead and purchase, they are paying too much, so loss of cash. 

And,  bear in mind the US isn't the only country we have a free trade agreement with ...

http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/fta-ale.aspx?lang=eng

Now add to this that many other countries are also included in the list of eligible countries to ship to, and those countries have various agreements as well.

The enormity of this begins to hit home. 

 I don't know if you remember the issue of  cotton t-shirts we discussed here a few months ago, in particular those made in the USA (ie vintage, collectible t-shirts) .. this was what first got me a tad irate about the way the GSP is calculating costs here. 

If no place of manufacture is stated, a whopping 18% duty is added. 

If the seller gets it right ..only HST.

Here is an example from the duty calculator.

A t-shirt worth $100 (nice vintage US).