Comments about the Global Shipping Program

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.

~Kalvin
eBay.ca Community Manager

kalvin@ebay.com

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Re: Comments about the Global Shipping Program

As someone who for a living does professional international shipping the GSP program is a ripoff. Today I sent some equipment to the US that will not be returned to us (if it is, different charges apply).

The total cost of the 5000 dollars worth of equipment is, 75 dollars.
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Re: Comments about the Global Shipping Program

I am so happy!! I went to make a repeat purchase from a U.S. seller only this time he is affiliated with the GSP.  I asked him to  remove GSP and appeared confused. I found a seller in Australia with exactly the same item and a better price. Item got here fast and NO GSP!! Great work eBay, if I was an American seller, I would be seeking alternatives to a class-action lawsuit for lost sales , just like G.M buyers are trying to do to G.M. for decreased sale value of their automobiles affiliated with defective ignition switches.

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Re: Comments about the Global Shipping Program

I consider myself lucky.

My package was routed through Kentucky.

 

After carefully navigating my way through eBay for the last couple of years, making a couple hundred purchases, but ALWAYS , ALWAYS avoiding any US sellers associated with the Global Shipping Program, it happened.

A paperback book I was searching for (worth $17) appeared on a GSP-sponsored site.

I bid and won.

Thankfully, Pitny asked 

only $13 and change to ship the 64-pg  paperback to Canada.

 

No additional charges!

And my $17 book (now worth $30) was a fair read.

So PB stands behind what they say - no merchandise under 20 bucks will be subject to extra charges. Apparently, even books.

 

I even have eBay tape on the envelope to prove my book was in Kentucky.

How incredibly, legibly, lucky.

 

Message 3363 of 6,171
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Re: Comments about the Global Shipping Program

i'm not a fan of this global shipping fees from pitney bowes. i will no longer be buying items from other countries.

 

The Global Shipping Program is only available to US sellers. You can purchase from any other country in the world (I think there are about 190 nowadays) without dealing with the program.

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Re: Comments about the Global Shipping Program

Actually the retail price would also include the cost of your provincial sales tax, between 5%and 15% .

That sales tax is also part of the 'import charges'.

 

 

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Re: Comments about the Global Shipping Program

What has worked well for you with the Global Shipping Program?

Not much if anything as I have received, a crushed Super Nintendo due to PBI Repacking the item with insufficient padding, and removing padding from the package.

I have received 2 gamecube game where your obviously stupid employes that have no idea to use a box cutter, causing damage to the DVD case and artwork with gashes about 5" long and very deep. No respect at all for the consumer packages, in those two cases I demanded new cases to be shipped out and 4$ off for the damaged artwork and for wasting my time again......... If sellers want o continue to use PBI/GSP then items will continue to be damaged by the employees with no high school diploma, and I will continue o demand replacement cases and $.

Just today I recived 2 dreamcast games scratched again with a box cutter, thankfully the dreamcast cases are essentially cd cases so the idiot employee and PBI couldn't butcher the artwork.

I also received a NES game with box cutter marks all over it, **bleep** are these people doing to our packages? Having fits and raging on the packages, slashing and bashing, taking their pathetic lives on our packages.

Somone is obviously doing this on purpose, or what's even worse possible reason that they don't train their non high school diploma employees.

Any ideas to help improve the experience for Canadian buyers?

Stop using Canpar, its a known fact their employees people with very shady pasts, they never knock on the door and I mean NEVER! They sometimes don't even get out of their truck because they are to lazy and assume no one is home, IV had to chase these idiots in my car on numerous occasions to get my package, and every time I watched them to see what they would do. STOP USING CANPAR AND SWITCH TO CANADA POST/PUROLATOR/FEDEX or UPS!!!

What has deterred you from buying items offered using the Global Shipping Program?

Items ALWAYS coming damaged/destroyed, a quick youtube search of GSP Damage or PBI Damage will prove my point that PBI and EBAY are here only for the money so they start, cutting corners everywhere they can and will continue to until, we the community fight back.

How have you managed to search for items outside the program?

Nearly impossible, as the items I look for are mostly using the GSP forcing me to use this pathetic excuse of a Global Shipping Program. The fact you don't allow us to file complaints directly with the GSP/PBI shows us the consumers you you the faults of the program, and instead of having a reporting dispute program like we have with the sellers, Ebay at her cover it up and make it nearly impossible to get money back from PBI, instead the seller bites the bullet for the GSP's criminal practices.

There are reasons ther are laws in most of the first world countries except the USA that don't allow anyone to oem the package and repackage, unless is customs, but companies like PBI lobby the government to change laws in ther favo so they can repackage the item with less packing then before to save on shipping, but with the 50% chance the item will arrive destroyed. But they don't care because they hardly end up with the bill as the seller will just pay the user off to not et bad feedback, but the fact is PBI should be refunding 100% of the shipping if the item arrives damaged, as this is the only way I see thei employees actually taking care of the packages.

I am at my whits end with PBI and I'm considering filling a Class Action Lawsuit against PBI as its fact they are Repacking items causing damage and not informing the customer like USPS/Canada post does when they clearly damaged the item. They are also Repacking items that had sufficient packing and repacked the item with far from sufficient padding, causing damage to the item.

I am sure many ebay sellers would jump onto a Class ActionLawsuit as they had to foot the bill for PBI's negligence.
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Re: Comments about the Global Shipping Program

Simple remedy, for every damaged package make a not as described claim citing damage in transit.

 

You will be refunded in full and get to keep the item.

 

Going after the sellers is unfair. Make the GSP people pay till they improve their act.

Message 3367 of 6,171
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Re: Comments about the Global Shipping Program

No questions about GSP but just a comment or two... First, I will not purchase from a seller who is using the program so I tend to buy Canadian or not at all. Second, I think a lot  of Canadians feel the same as my sales to fellow Canucks has gone up 25% in the last few months....Which is fine by me!!!

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Re: Comments about the Global Shipping Program

Any ideas to help improve the experience for Canadian buyers?

 

When you recieve a damaged item, open an Item Not As Described claim. Pitney Bowes will refund you in full including shipping and import fees.

You will not be requred to return the item to Kentucky. What woudl PB do with all that damaged stuff anyway.

The original seller, who probably packed well, with the exception of not noting place of manufacture, will not be affected.

Message 3369 of 6,171
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Re: Comments about the Global Shipping Program

Why are sellers using this company for shipping? It must be decreasing sales? How are the rates calculated? Some of the rates are outrageous, for example $89 for a $250 item. For what? Plus another $25 for shipping... It's crazy! That was for a dress which weighs nothing. I can't see why sellers are continuing to use the program
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Re: Comments about the Global Shipping Program

Assuming you are referring to the GSP,  the posted shipping cost depends on the information the seller supplies.

 

If they don't know they are even in the program they won't see any need to supply correct shipping information if their shipping does not use ebay's shipping calculator. Therefore shipping will be wildly variable.

 

I can't see why sellers are continuing to use the program

 

Generally they have no idea of the costs to the buyer because they simply do not see them on their version of the item pages.

 

If they use the GSP consciously it is usually because they believe it is 'safe' and everything else is 'not safe'.

 

This is as irrational as religion, but you can't argue with a believer with nothing but reason and facts.

Message 3371 of 6,171
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Re: Comments about the Global Shipping Program

The Global Shipping Program was set up to encourage US sellers to ship internationally, by making it cheap and easy for the seller.

All the US seller has to do is send the parcel to the PitneyBowes plant in Kentucky with Delivery Confirmation (which costs less than a quarter domestically through USPS) and he is protected against claims of non-delivery, damage and 'not as described"

 

Unfortunately, the program was not well described to those sellers, many new sellers were signed up without their knowledge, and it tends to appeal to the least sophisticated of sellers.

 

The GPS fee covers Canadian duty and sales taxes as well as a small fee (~$5) for PB.

Message 3372 of 6,171
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Re: Comments about the Global Shipping Program

kokojjh
Community Member

Was looking to buy a dress.  Listed at $20 US.  Shipping 9.65 US.  Import Charges 13.58 US.  Really!!  I'm not paying over double 


what the item was worth.  Sent a message to the vendor saying I was thinking of buying it but not with those extra charges.  I have

 

 

ordered lots of things from the US and abroad over the years and have only been charged duty once on a combined order of boots

 

and clothing.  The total was over $200 and I know I paid around $30 for duty.  I'd rather take my chances with customs then get raked

 

over the coals by the "Global Shipping Program"  any day .Smiley Happy

 

Message 3373 of 6,171
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Re: Comments about the Global Shipping Program

Hi.. I've been a member in the eBay community for a while.. This Global Shipping Program is a Cash Grab from a third party.. I'm in Canada and have purchased many items because of a little savings South of the border and convenience but this system takes that and adds more cost than it should.. Duty ,tariffs, Brokerage fees I understand, but this program adds more costs to the buyer.. Ebay,if your reading this,please consider removing this program..

 

Thanks Mark

Message 3374 of 6,171
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Re: Comments about the Global Shipping Program

What is a 'Cash Grab'?

 

Surely any business that does not actually hand out money or just break even is grabbing more or less cash.

 

The GSP is terrible, and I am sure ebay have noticed the thousands of posts about it, but the tired cliche should have no place in any post.

Message 3375 of 6,171
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Re: Comments about the Global Shipping Program

Sorry.. Cash Grab is a common phrase up here in Canada with our government constantly approving "New" and improved programs for the good of the people.. How's,"Non-essential charges"... And yes,I hope they resolve this issue soon...

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Re: Comments about the Global Shipping Program

I, like many non-USA ebayers, find the global shipping program to be an expensive scam.  I live in Canada and have never once been charged import duties on used articles bought from US sellers.  Ebay claims that sellers are not required to use this program but I have an email from a seller who says that he was threatened with the loss of selling priveleges if he agreed to my request to ship the item I was interested in directly to me, and not through this program.  This raises two flags:  One, ebay is monitoring communication between ebayers on the subject of this program.  And two: Ebay is clearly (and unfairly) profiting from this program, otherwise there would be no need for such heavy-handed tactics.  I used the program once.  The prints that I ordered arrived damaged as a result of Pitney-Bowes using a knife to open the package from the seller.  (The seller was gracious enough to refund my money for the ruined prints.)  And of course delivery takes twice as long and is twice as expensive since it involves shipping twice.  I WILL NEVER USE IT AGAIN.  I simply disregard items shipped using this program.  Marc

Message 3377 of 6,171
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Re: Comments about the Global Shipping Program

Yes a Cash Grab! Someone at ebay have thought up another way to get more money from buyers. Extra costs that were not there previously. Had no problem having items shipped directly to me in the past. Now with this GSP--- That is a cash grab!!!!

Message 3378 of 6,171
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Re: Comments about the Global Shipping Program

Yes a Cash Grab! Someone at ebay have thought up another way to get more money from buyers. Extra costs that were not there previously. Had no problem having items shipped directly to me in the past. Now with this GSP--- That is a cash grab!

 

The GSP is an entirely different service, so it has different costs and charges. Ramping up the charges for the same service could be called a 'cash grab' I suppose, but I doubt if anyone is making much if any extra cash from the GSP.

 

I'm not saying it is a good service, just that buses and taxis charge different prices.

Message 3379 of 6,171
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Re: Comments about the Global Shipping Program

 

"The GSP is terrible, and I am sure ebay have noticed the thousands of posts about it, but the tired cliche should have no place in any post."

 

 

Being noticed is one thing ....... doing something about it is an entirely different story.  Even "tired cliches" about the GSP are more relevant here than some of the more recent innuendos about religion or politics.

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