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.

[pierrelebel]

You want the item - you pay for the item (both charges - to seller and PB)

After you receive the item and are satisfied with it, then call PayPal and ask them to refund the import charge.

[mcdaver]

This program is a ripoff  to Canadians.  Not impressed in the least!

[mantree12]

Kalvin, isn't everything nice and clear enough by now for eBay to know what to do to improve the Global Shipping Option? If not, then maybe the eBay boys in short pants (with a finger up their bottom looking for their brain) should look for a job with the government. They are used to people not recognizing how to solve a really simple problem.

Hey, I get it now, they are ex-government employees over 92 years old and are now high paid advisors to eBay and Pitney Bowes? Is that it? Sorry for being so sarcastic but how can anybody have set up such a system with SO MANY INHERENT EVIDANT faults (read the emails) and just not get it "duh"?

Maybe you could hire a couple of people who wrote sensible emails with sensible solutions --- guess not cause now have to be 102 years and older? Well I guess I'll stop wasting my time writing out my frustration with Global Shipping by Mr. Bowes cause "knock, knock, knock" I am not convinced anybody is really "listening" and really looking to apply answers that will satisfy Canadian customers. 

Note : I am a business man and not knowing the breakdown of what I am paying for is a headache. Would eBay buy from eBay as a buisness and accept not to get a breakdown of costs. No way! But hey, we are only "clients"

[pierrelebel]

" I am a business man and not knowing the breakdown of what I am paying for is a headache."

Actually, you pay for two things:

1) shipping from the distribution centre to your address

2) "import charge" which is a fee charged to you by the forwarder (Pitney Bowes) and paid through PayPal.  That "import charge" may include GST/HST (depending where you live), duty if applicable, and a handling fee for their services.

Since, according to their terms of service,  Global Shipping Program (GSP) is only available to individuals - NOT businesses - there is no need for a breakdown of taxes (for potential ITC if the buyer were a business)  - but - once again the service is only available to individuals.

Overall, we all know that GSP is not buyer friendly as far as Canadians are concerned and should be avoided in most instances.

On the other hand, whether we like it or not, GSP is a very successful program for eBay generating more sales for American and British sellers now shipping overseas. It has again been expanded recently.

[snolan83]

This is the worst program I have ever seen and found this thread when googling how to remove any listings with it as the shipping method (well actually, the post was a rant about how **bleep**ty the program is that a mod locked but toma-toe tomat-o.

I bought an item early June it went from about 700 miles away all the way across the country and THEN ebay put it in with CPC so will likely get stuck in a strike because of it (over $1000 CAD of items). 

First, it should never take a month to go from two urban locations. Over a week was spent in the ebay processing center.  Second, no one wants to use Canada Post anymore it should not be the default. Finally, Other items purchased recently have been far more damaged than normal (and I am starting to realize it's from the extra transit step in the 'global shipping center')  - this is literally the worst program I have ever seen.

There is really no way to constructively say it - the person who signed off on the program should be in deep do-do. Some solutions though: 

1) Make it so this is not the default and sellers understand that their goods are going to be shipped around the US before going to their target and add time to transit, and increase chances of damage ten-fold. This should not be the default option as it adds a lot of time to transit and there is no way around it..... you can't effectively ship something a non-central location and THEN ship it to its destination. I don't even understand it, are you routing goods through Kentucky-Europe-SE Asia or Kentucky-West coast hub - SE Asia... either way it looks pretty stupid (from NY - Kentucky - NY - SE Asia? Would love to see someones tracking slip). 

2) Don't make the buyer deal with the sellers side of things - allow buyers to pick their method coming from the 'global shipping center' instead of just defaulting me to Canada Post. 

This thread is pretty full of malcontent I think this program may be a nail in Ebay's coffin. This program is a huge failure it makes buyers pay shipping twice and they cannot chose the method. What a cash grab!!!

[marnotom!]

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@snolan83 wrote:

I bought an item early June it went from about 700 miles away all the way across the country and THEN ebay put it in with CPC so will likely get stuck in a strike because of it (over $1000 CAD of items). 

. . . 

2) Don't make the buyer deal with the sellers side of things - allow buyers to pick their method coming from the 'global shipping center' instead of just defaulting me to Canada Post. 

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Just in case you return to this thread, you may be interested to know that eBay has little to do with the Global Shipping Program's operations.  It's mentioned in the terms and conditions that buyers agree to by using the program that it's operated by Pitney Bowes, of postage meter fame.  Pitney Bowes acts pretty much as a ringmaster overseeing a network of subcontractors, freight forwarders and logistics companies.

A GSP item is shipped as commercial freight from Kentucky to whatever Canadian receiving hub is deemed most appropriate (often by what seems to be a roundabout route).  From there, the item gets handed off to a logistics company (you'll see its return address on the shipping label for a GSP package) and it's that company that has determined the most appropriate method for shipping the item to the intended recipient.

Given the system that's in place, I don't think would be possible for buyers to request specific shipping methods for the Canadian leg of a GSP item's journey.

Incidently, the way Canada Post is talking right now, I think they're trying to bate CUPW into a lockout, or at least use the threat of one as a scare tactic.

[pcguy1980]

The global shipping program is bull**bleep**.  Paid more than half of the price of the item in shipping and it sat in **bleep**ing KY for 10 days.. Then they send some ridiculous email that says its shipped.. 15 days after arriving in KY.. **bleep** kind of bull**bleep** is this?!?  **bleep** do we pay for??  Im definitely going to talk to a lawyer about getting reimbursed for the cost of this bull**bleep**.  International Priority shipping it is NOT.  Low priority maybe.  Definitely bs.  NEVER will I EVER buy anything that uses the GSP.  ANY other service would have gotten my package here days ago, but this bs GSP just sits and doesnt move.. **bleep**ing bull**bleep**.

[maggiebvintage2010]

Good luck with your legal consultation - average billing in Canada in 2015 was $230/hr for a newly minted lawyer, $360/hr for a lawyer with 10 years experience, and $411/hr for a 20 year veteran.  A simple lawyer's letter will cost you at least additional $250.  Worth it to try to get reimbursed for your "late" shipment? 

[femmefan1946]

so will likely get stuck in a strike because of it (over $1000 CAD of items). 

If your item has been in transit for that long, it would make sense to file an Item Not Received Dispute in the Resolution Centre at the bottom of this page.

First let the seller know (politely) what is happening.

Mention in the Dispute that the item was sent through the GPS.

You may have to phone Customer Service (pee first, and have a comfy chair, a refreshing beverage and a good book to pass the time) and ask for a GSP specialist.

The GSP has been reasonably good about refunds according to reports.

And, again, for individuals, the GSP is usually a better choice for high value items than courier shipping. By $20 or more.....

But ... you've heard of Murphy's Law.

[marnotom!]

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@pcguy1980 wrote:

The global shipping program is bull**bleep**.  Paid more than half of the price of the item in shipping and it sat in **bleep**ing KY for 10 days.. Then they send some ridiculous email that says its shipped.. 15 days after arriving in KY.. **bleep** kind of bull**bleep** is this?!?  **bleep** do we pay for??  Im definitely going to talk to a lawyer about getting reimbursed for the cost of this bull**bleep**.  International Priority shipping it is NOT.  Low priority maybe.  Definitely bs.  NEVER will I EVER buy anything that uses the GSP.  ANY other service would have gotten my package here days ago, but this bs GSP just sits and doesnt move.. **bleep**ing bull**bleep**.

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If your item hasn't arrived by the latest estimated delivery date, you should be seriously considering filing an item not received claim.  See Femmefan's post above.

[lyrica2014]

which carrier do you use in canada

[marnotom!]

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@lyrica2014 wrote:

which carrier do you use in canada

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Canada Post seems to be the most commonly used one, but ultimately the choice of carrier on Canadian soil is up to the company that processes the item after customs.  See my earlier post (5506).

[00nevermind00]

Here we go again... eBay is once again tinkering with the way the GSP information is displayed (or in this case, not displayed).

(I took screen grabs but I can't figure out the new Insert Image interface. WTH??? It used to be simple so of course eBay had to go and make it complicated. I uploaded my first image to a host site because it doesn't look like you can upload directly from your computer anymore, and none of the links posted correctly. Why can't eBay ever leave well enough alone???)

Anyway, rant over. Just browse eBay.ca and click any GSP item which normally attracts "import charges". You'll see that nothing has changed. Then view the same item on eBay.com. Poof! The "import charges" no longer show. You have to click the shipping tab and look under "import charges" to see a blurb that says "see import charges at checkout".

Whaaaa??? Many people use the .com site to browse for items. How many are going to think to click the Shipping tab, since the shipping charges are plainly shown on the item description page? The import charges will jump at them after they hit bid/buy (but thankfully before they confirm). This will undoubtedly look deceitful and underhanded. If eBay keeps turning its site into a minefield that buyers have to navigate at their own risk, they will simply shop elsewhere.

[marnotom!]

"New" interface?  This set-up has been around since the boards were rejigged by Lithium.  Unless things somehow work differently on your device.  What sort of problems are you having with it?

At any rate, I tried replicating your search experience on .com, both while logged into the site and logged out of the site and import charges showed up for me on the listing page in each case.

[00nevermind00]

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@marnotom! wrote:

"New" interface?  This set-up has been around since the boards were rejigged by Lithium.  Unless things somehow work differently on your device.  What sort of problems are you having with it?

At any rate, I tried replicating your search experience on .com, both while logged into the site and logged out of the site and import charges showed up for me on the listing page in each case.

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I was on Firefox when I wrote my post this morning. Now I am on Chrome and everything looks "normal" again. This is the image interface I see on Firefox:

Again, when on Chrome, the import charges show on both .ca and .com.  But on Firefox, this is what shows up on eBay.com:

Surely I'm not the only eBayer using Firefox. I'm not sure what is causing this, but I think it needs to be fixed.

[marnotom!]

Is the shipping price the same as the one on Firefox when you view the listing on Chrome?   Is it same as the one on .ca?

Also, are you logged into eBay.com when you view the listing on Firefox?  What additional information on shipping and other charges do you get when you click the "see details" link after the shipping rate/GSP information?

[sylviebee]

I don't follow this thread closely, but I have to wonder if there are fewer complaints about the GSP.

In my category, American GSP listings have been reduced substantially.   (In the UK they're still plentiful.)

It looks like someone has been paying attention.

It took so long, and if Canadians made good on their threats to leave eBay because the GSP, it may be too late to repair that damage.

Also, in the meantime First Class shipping rates sky-rocketed making the GSP more attractive for items valued under C$20.

In amy case, if my category is any indication of eBay in general, then it looks like someone has been paying attention to what we've been saying for many years.

[marnotom!]

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@sylviebee wrote:

I don't follow this thread closely, but I have to wonder if there are fewer complaints about the GSP.

In my category, American GSP listings have been reduced substantially.   (In the UK they're still plentiful.)

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It might also depend on how your search results are being manipulated and how detailed your searches are.

I just did a search for "vintage purse" on .com without being logged in.  Of the 50 results that came up in the first page of my search results, 45 were from the United States and 23 (so about half) of them were GSP listings.  I then logged in and came up with 48 listings from the United States with 20 of them being GSP listings.

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@sylviebee wrote:

In amy case, if my category is any indication of eBay in general, then it looks like someone has been paying attention to what we've been saying for many years.

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I think your category's community may be made up of sellers who are more responsive to their buyers than what's typical on eBay.

[sylviebee]

The way I do my search is part of the reason I'm seeing the most recent trends.

Everyday I check out the newly listed items so I'm only seeing fresh listings and not looking at items which have been sitting for years.

It will take some time for older listings to show the most recent trends.

I's true that my category may not be indicative of what's going on in general.

At the same time the GSP has been monkeying around with lowering charges (which often no longer make sense), and First Class shipping costs have gone up so much that the GSP can now compete with FCI charges.

Those 3 changes should mean that fewer and fewer Canadians are complaining here about the GSP from the U.S.

[cruzmiester]

late to the party..... but The Global Shipping Program is an act by a desperate company trying to raise revenues from stagnant sales. eBay is so obtuse it does not realize it's customers growing apathy towards it is due to it's overbearing policies towards everyone. I'm paying a fee for what benefit to me? I haven't been able to rationalize a single benefit I derive from the program, misinformation / lies don't make up a good reason as a benefit.