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.

[cerebus]

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Be fair, here.  How is the GSP's fault that the seller chose a less than expedient domestic shipping method for getting the item to Kentucky?

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Well, it IS the GSP's fault because without the GSP (as it was in the 'old days'), the seller would have been compelled to utilize an INTERNATIONAL shipping method in the first place to get their item DIRECTLY to the buyer's address.  And don't even get me started on how the GSP's third party service just might damage the item while re-packaging it for international delivery and/or getting the mailing address wrong and/or putting the item in the wrong envelope (mistakes can happen).  There is nothing good about the GSP for me, the customer.  Nothing.   Those who would say the GSP gives me access to auctions that would normally be closed to non-Americans are forgetting the fact that those same auctions are useless to me anyway due to the GSP's inflated postage fees ($17 to ship a $12 DVD, for example).  And, to add insult to injury, the buyer pays 100% of the GSP expense while receiving 0% of the benefit!  No wonder my purchases at eBay are down by 50% (if not more) over the past couple of years.  In a way, I should thank eBay for its GSP.  Now I have more money in my bank account!

[femmefan1946]

 And don't even get me started on how the GSP's third party service just might damage the item while re-packaging it for international delivery and/or getting the mailing address wrong and/or putting the item in the wrong envelope (mistakes can happen).

This is something of an urban legend.

The GSP does open parcels if the Seller was unclear about the contents and the origin of the contents (Because;NAFTA)

But the Urban Legend part comes when there are claims that every one of the thousands of parcels pouring in every day is opened, repacked and readdressed.

That would be just too bloody expensive.

The minimum wage in Kentucky is $8.20USD an hour. (~ $9.85 CDN). How many parcels can a sloppy minimum wage worker open, inspect, repack and readdress in an hour.

Have you ever worked on a production line?

It just doesn't happen. Certainly not to Every Package as some delusionals claim.

It doesn't happen, because it is too expensive and cuts into profits unnecessarily.

[marnotom!]

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@cerebus wrote:

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Be fair, here.  How is the GSP's fault that the seller chose a less than expedient domestic shipping method for getting the item to Kentucky?

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Those who would say the GSP gives me access to auctions that would normally be closed to non-Americans are forgetting the fact that those same auctions are useless to me anyway due to the GSP's inflated postage fees ($17 to ship a $12 DVD, for example). 

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You're looking solely at the majority of instances where the GSP is employed where it's being employed improperly.  The reason it's so pricey to ship small items like DVDs is because GSP shipping is priced to be competitive with parcel post, not letter post which is the most appropriate way to mail items like DVDs internationally.

If US eBay sellers using the mail for international sales took leave of their senses and started shipping by parcel post (Priority Mail International) instead of letter mail (First Class International) you'd find that their shipping costs were closer to those of the GSP.  No question the GSP can be much more expensive than international letter mail, but what shipping method isn't?

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@cerebus wrote:

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Be fair, here.  How is the GSP's fault that the seller chose a less than expedient domestic shipping method for getting the item to Kentucky?

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And, to add insult to injury, the buyer pays 100% of the GSP expense while receiving 0% of the benefit!  No wonder my purchases at eBay are down by 50% (if not more) over the past couple of years.

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I don't know of any shipping method where the shipping costs are borne by the seller.  Even "free" shipping is paid for indirectly by the buyer.  What 'benefits' do shipping methods other than the GSP have for the buyer, anyway?

Don't disagree that the GSP is generally not a viable shipping method in the vast majority of cases where it's been applied, but I do think that most of your objections are a bit OTT.

[cerebus]

I don't know of any shipping method where the shipping costs are borne by the seller.  Even "free" shipping is paid for indirectly by the buyer.  What 'benefits' do shipping methods other than the GSP have for the buyer, anyway?

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From eBay's own "Using GSP" page for sellers:  "We generate a global tracking number for you. This global tracking number appears on the label and on the Order details page and allows you to track the package from the time you ship it to the time it reaches your buyer."  

Well, if I am buying the aforementioned $12 DVD, I personally don't need that parcel to be tracked because its value is relatively low.  However, with the GSP, I am paying for that service anyway.  Remember, the aforementioned eBay seller was charging $17 to ship a $12 DVD.  However, that $17 more than doubled my expense for that item, thus pricing it well its beyond its actual value.  Any other shipping method would be less expensive for the buyer.

While it might be easy to say, "Well, just shop elsewhere then," my response to that would be:  the GSP and its automatic inclusion policy ("all eligible listings for sellers who qualify are automatically included in the Global Shipping Program") has left far, far fewer US-based sellers who have NOT opted into the GSP.  That makes it much more difficult to find reasonably-priced items with reasonably-priced shipping fees.  At the same time, the GSP has artificially inflated the shipping expense for all non-American buyers.  A DVD should never cost $17 to mail.  Period.  And yet, under the GSP, it does.  

Oh, and please don't get me started on how the GSP also often includes an arbitrary, unnecessary "import" fee, even for items with a stated or likely value of $20 or less.  I've said it before and I'll say it again:  The GSP offers nothing positive for the buyer.  Nothing.

[cerebus]

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@femmefan1946 wrote:

The GSP does open parcels if the Seller was unclear about the contents and the origin of the contents (Because;NAFTA)

But the Urban Legend part comes when there are claims that every one of the thousands of parcels pouring in every day is opened, repacked and readdressed.  That would be just too bloody expensive.  It just doesn't happen. Certainly not to Every Package as some delusionals claim. It doesn't happen, because it is too expensive and cuts into profits unnecessarily.

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Thanks for your input into this discussion.  I understand what you're saying, but my point is still valid.  Something like what I described could happen, and probably does happen, yet it never would have happened pre-GSP.  Even one misaddressed or damaged item per day is one too many.  I personally have received parcels that had been opened and repackaged by that 3rd party, so I know first-hand that it does occur.  And it is all so unnecessary!  That's what makes me so frustrated.  That, and the fact that many if not most small-scale eBay sellers don't even know they have opted into the GSP in the FIRST place until I bring that fact to their attention... usually when I am informing them that their international postage fee is more than the value of the item they are trying to sell (and they often don't even know THAT, either).  And let's not forget the potential time delay between the date the item arrives in Kentucky and the date it gets sent off to its ultimate destination.  Add in a weekend and a holiday... whew!  Anyway, I wish I could report that the GSP has opened eBay up to more American-based sellers for me, but if anything it has done the exact opposite.  Too bad.... for all concerned.

[marnotom!]

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@cerebus wrote:

I understand what you're saying, but my point is still valid.  Something like what I described could happen, and probably does happen, yet it never would have happened pre-GSP.  Even one misaddressed or damaged item per day is one too many.

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Okay, but there's also the possibility that an item sent directly to you by mail could get damaged in transit or misdirected and sent somewhere else.  It happens.  Doesn't that bother you, too?

Earlier in this thread you mentioned that the GSP is now saving you money as you're purchasing less from eBay.  You don't seem to be shopping elsewhere, unless I'm misunderstanding your post.  Have you investigated other sites for the items you're looking for?  How do their shipping methods compare?  

[wesdidier]

This program sucks. Ordered item from LA to Vancouver BC. Where did they send it? To the other side of the continent! Now I get a message there will be an additional 3-5 day delay. A bicycle courier could have literally got it here by now!
Priority shipping, give me a break. Regular US post would have it at the border in 3 days not 11-18 + 3-5 day delay.
Never had this kind of delays prior to GSP. I am done with eBay.

[shenchiu]

As a buyer this is my first experience with eBay's GSP (Sept 3 - present, 2016), and I have to say it is something I will stay away as far as possible. I will never buy from any sellers that use this program again, ever. Poor sellers! Because most frustrated buyers will lash out their frustrations on the seller without realizing that it is eBay's problem. eBay must have realized this long time ago and yet GSP still sucks. If you are looking for positive experiences with GSP, then I would recommend that you get rid of this program all together, because I will stay way from GSP and probably from eBay if things don't change soon.

[pjcdn2005]

How has it been a negative experience for you?

[afantiques]

Because most frustrated buyers will lash out their frustrations on the seller without realizing that it is eBay's problem

THat is why ebay made  negative FB for GSP items removable. 🙂

[billybishop72]

Thanks to the GSP, I can now hit the 'BACK' key on my keyboard without looking....

[00nevermind00]

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@billybishop72 wrote:

Thanks to the GSP, I can now hit the 'BACK' key on my keyboard without looking....

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Give your overworked back button a well-deserved rest! If you use "List View" to search for items (see green highlight on the screen grab below), all the GSP items will be identified by a blurb that reads "Customs services and international tracking provided" (red highlight).

No need to overuse your back button! Simply scroll right past those listings.

(Notice the $23.55 GSP shipping charge on a postcard...)

[i.am.vivian]

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@billybishop72 wrote:

Thanks to the GSP, I can now hit the 'BACK' key on my keyboard without looking....

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LOL!  Now there's a skill to bolster the old resume!   🙂   

Seriously, in addition to what the previous poster said if total cost is an issue for you it might be a good idea to shop for Price + Shipping and not use eBay's Best Match which almost always brings up lots of GSP first.  Since GSP makes items among the most expensive you can find lower cost items by starting with a price search. 

[i.am.vivian]

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@cerebus wrote:

 this video and its comments at YouTube does not bode well:  

GSP

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Interesting video.  Finally!  Official confirmation from eBay that they actually DO repack things!   🙂

[reallynicestamps]

Two year old video.

And the speaker is not very coherent about what he did with his complaint.

It sounds as if he went to Customer Service, instead of opening a SNAD dispute.

[i.am.vivian]

Still relevant anyway.  And I enjoyed it.   It would appear so did you.   😉  

[00nevermind00]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

the speaker is not very coherent about what he did with his complaint.

It sounds as if he went to Customer Service, instead of opening a SNAD dispute.

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In that sense, he's a perfect illustration of how lost some (many? most? who knows...) buyers seem to be whenever a problem arises with a GSP shipment. Ultimately, this may be the real (albeit unintended) message of his video: the claims process is needlessly convoluted and counterintuitive.

[powercosmiccomics]

So something I have encountered with GSP and haven't been able to find any info on is this:

I recently bought some stuff from a seller in the US who shipped using the Global Shipping Program. I paid for everything upon receiving an invoice and the seller shipped the stuff and I received it, however, the seller didn't actually ship it through GSP. It never went to their warehouse in Kentucky. It went from the seller to a few states, crossed the border and arrived to me.

Does anyone know how I go about getting my money back seeing as Pitney Bowes had nothing to do with the shipping of this item to me?

[powercosmiccomics]

I should point out that I have contacted eBay's customer service...they were quite useless when it came to GSP which is really sad at this point since it has been around for 3 years now. They said that they would forward the info on to the people who deal with the GSP and I would hear back from them...I'm not holding my breath on that though.