@workingmodel wrote:
No combined shipping+
Not according to the GSP user agreement, but there's apparently a work-around that was discussed very recently on this board. I have no idea how it works out in practice, however, as I've had no reason to purchase multiple items from a seller using the GSP.
@workingmodel wrote:
Grossly overcharging on small items+
There's nothing that can touch the price of letter mail (First Class International, small/light packet) for individual shipments. Express mail, parcel post and couriers also "grossly overcharge" on small items if you want to follow your line of reasoning.
Also keep in mind that the GSP's shipping charge also includes the seller's charge for shipping the item to the Kentucky shipping centre.
@workingmodel wrote:
No contact info+
I've read some reports on the .com board of success getting in touch with PitneyBowes (administrators of the GSP) through its Facebook page. This was some time ago, mind you. I do agree, though, that PitneyBowes could use some serious schooling in public relations, including having decent communication channels open to those who are giving it money.
@workingmodel wrote:
Foreign entity collecting Canadian taxes(Canada post is federal,they know the tax to collect)+
PitneyBowes isn't collecting taxes. It's acting as importer on your behalf and paying taxes and duty due to a logistics firm (who in turn forwards the money to the feds). Part of the generically-named "import charges" you pay include the taxes and duty due based on the information provided by the seller.
@workingmodel wrote:
Total lack of customer loyalty from ebay to allow such an thing+
eBay has been trying to boost international sales for quite some time. Many US sellers are largely pretty comfortable selling within the large US market and a good proportion of those sellers don't know how to ship internationally and, what's more, have fallen for the horror stories of unaccounted shipments, mounds of paperwork and the international buying pool being a minefield of scam artists, amongst other things.
Forwarding services of various kinds have existed for some time, but it's been up to the buyer to initiate them. PitneyBowes, of postage meter fame, came up with the idea to make a service like this accessible for sellers. I suspect what we're getting is some ways away from the original idea, though.
@workingmodel wrote:
The insinuation we need this,we must all be crooks-thanks for negating my 100%,it`s for your own good don`t you know=
Sellers can't leave buyers negative feedback, don't you know? 😉
I've never felt that I've been branded a potential "crook" by eBay or PitneyBowes, but your kilometrage may vary.
What we may "need" the service for, though, is to help deal with all those US eBay sellers who have never shipped internationally in their lives. I believe that a lot of those listings that show the GSP as a shipping (more accurately, forwarding) method would not have shipping to Canada listed on them otherwise.
@workingmodel wrote:
One very displeased long time customer.
Almost made me smile to read how sales are down in the ebay.com community site.Sold my ebay shares over this one.
It's been a while since I hung out on the .com boards since they were rejigged and "streamlined". Are these reports from eBay itself or from individual sellers?
While I'll admit I've started looking more closely at other sites for the items I want, I've been finding that on other sites they're either more expensive or else shipping to Canada isn't supported. Again, your experience will likely be different, but that's how it is for me.
c!~~_7.JPG "kalvin@ebay.com"){kind=avatar}
