eBay

kalvin@ebay.com · ‎09-26-2013

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

afantiques · ‎02-13-2014

i*m-still-here wrote:
I'm far from convinced that afantiques and marmortom! aren't the same person.
There's so much mutual kudoing going on between those two and each pretty much only has kudos from the other ................. It's almost like they play touch tag (one comes, the other goes) in addition to many other things.
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Its funny you say that, that did cross my mind at one time, as i notice they never talk against each other, always on the same page, like you said touch tag, now its your turn to reply...lol

Marnotom and I have similar views and experience with international shipping so it is not altogether surprising that we tend to post similar answers to posts. If marno has posted an answer that I agree with I tend to give it a tick. Saves me the trouble of writing the same thing.

Apart from the International related boards our paths do not cross, I post on the UK boards and US Antiques and Clocks boards, I have no idea what marno specialises in.

I also generally agree with Pierre Lebel, and wonder if I am him as well?

i*m-still-here · ‎02-13-2014

Clearly you are not Pierre.

So you see, it has nothing to do with the fact that you two agree with each other's posts.

As I said: there are many additional reasons to believe you two are one and the same that I haven't posted.

afantiques · ‎02-13-2014

As I said: there are many additional reasons to believe you two are one and the same that I haven't posted.

I'm sure I'd both be interested to know what the giveaway clues are. 🙂

rick31797 · ‎02-13-2014

@afantiques wrote:
As I said: there are many additional reasons to believe you two are one and the same that I haven't posted.

I'm sure I'd both be interested to know what the giveaway clues are. 🙂

Just read there posts, if there not the same person, they are certainly working together on here to put a positive spin on the GSP, as you also do.....you would have to be blind not to see that.

i*m-still-here · ‎02-13-2014

@afantiques wrote:

I'm sure I'd both be interested to know what the giveaway clues are. 🙂

Freudian slip???

heathereh · ‎02-13-2014

Twice I've bought vintage sheets from sellers who are using the new shipping program through UPS. Both times, I've been assessed an import duty along with what I'd say is a higher than average postage fee. I have no way to verify whether the duty charged was correct. And, both times, my parcel was delivered by Canada Post, not UPS. What's that about?

I'm planning on *not* buying from sellers using the new programme. I've never liked the service which UPS provides as they are slower than Canada Post, charge at least double, and do basically nothing to earn their border broker fee. It's a nice way for Canada Customs and UPS to make money, but they'll not be making it from me, and especially not when Canada Post ends up doing the delivery anyway. Under the regular system, sending through USPS and Canada Post, parcels are inspected by Canada Customs and marked with the duty due. Under the new system, I have no idea whether the value assessed and the duty charged are correct. I don't like that.

heathereh · ‎02-13-2014

I don't know what you're selling, but I'll be looking for you and other Canadian sellers as I won't be buying from anyone using this GPS program. I've tried it - it's expensive - and my parcels (two of them, separately) were delivered by Canada Post. So much for UPS, eh?

afantiques · ‎02-13-2014

Freudian slip???

No, affian joke. I'm the one does the occasional joke.

I don't think trying to remove or examine both negative and positive spin in the interests of factual accuracy is a bad thing.

reallynicestamps · ‎02-13-2014

I have no way to verify whether the duty charged was correct.

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/mobile/est-cal-eng.html

And, both times, my parcel was delivered by Canada Post, not UPS. What's that about?

Pitney Bowes, which runs the Global Shipping Program (GPS) for eBay, occasionally does use couriers like United Parcel Service (UPS) or CanPar, but mostly seem to use Canada Post which has reasonable rates, delivers everywhere in Canada, even isolated communities, and is not a competitor.

parcels are inspected by Canada Customs and marked with the duty due.

Still true, but the assessment is done at the PB plant in Kentucky instead of at the Canadian border.

There have been complaints from business buyers that the customs and tax information is not clear, but it has been said that eBay did not intend the GSP for business to business transactions. Another badly explained policy.

The 'Import Charges" noted on the listing before sale (and modified after sale) (delivery location, sales tax, foreign exchange usually) include applicable duty, provincial sales tax , GST, and a small (usually about $5) fee for shipping from Kentucky to your doorstep in Canada.

arlene_v · ‎02-13-2014

LOL, AF! I love your sense of humour and to me you are one of the bright lights fighting the GSP on many boards,not only this one but also the US and Australian ones! I've read many of your posts and have not seen much in the way of support for the GSP! In fact, just the opposite.

Heather, many of us feel the same way as you ... we are all agreed - avoid the GSP at all costs! It's horrible for Canadians. Good for you for finding your way here and commenting. The more comments the better.

As for the GSP using Canada Post - I have no idea why that is the case. Afantiques mentioned in an earlier post that Canada is the only country in the world where a national postal service is used for the final delivery leg of the shipping under this program.

The CEO of Canada Post ... Mr Chopra, was highly connected with the company that is responsible for the GSP, namely Pitney Bowes. In fact before his current position with Canada Post he was President and CEO of several divisions of Pitney Bowes.

I read that interesting tidbit right here on this community board, thanks to another very knowledgeable poster.

This is a great place to share your views, and let's hope that one day this program will be a faint memory for Canadians.

chimera148 · ‎02-13-2014

afantiques · ‎02-13-2014

and a small (usually about $5) fee for shipping from Kentucky to your doorstep in Canada.

rns, you keep repeating this but the 'small fee' is for processing the paperwork, the international shipping charge is quite another matter, and far larger, charged separately. It may be that this is what you mean since your posts are generally to the point apart from the repetition of this phrase.

Possibly "and a small (usually about $5) fee for organising and documenting shipping from Kentucky to your doorstep in Canada." would be better?

trinitylotr · ‎02-13-2014

Wow I just found out about this new 'program'. I am a Canadian buyer that sells a little but buys a lot on Ebay. I just made a $4 purchase from the States and my invoice wants me to pay $16 for shipping. The seller says she doesn't know what is going on? Well that makes 2 of us! thanks for the information and the choice Ebay!

marnotom! · ‎02-13-2014

@arlene_v wrote:

As for the GSP using Canada Post - I have no idea why that is the case. Afantiques mentioned in an earlier post that Canada is the only country in the world where a national postal service is used for the final delivery leg of the shipping under this program.

My guess is that it has something to do with Canada Post being contracted out by many carriers for delivery to rural or remote locations not served by them. I used to live in a remote location on Vancouver Island that had mail delivery by boat three times a week. Road access was (and still is) via a blood-pressure-raising logging road. If one had something shipped to them by the likes of FedEx or UPS, it would make it as far as one of the delivery hubs on the island, and Canada Post would take over shipping from there.

If I'm reading the information I've received so far on my Smartphone order correctly, the phone is being shipped by Canpar from Etobicoke to Vancouver, and from there Canada Post is supposed to deliver it to my door on not-quite-so-remote Vancouver Island.

marnotom! · ‎02-13-2014

@afantiques wrote:

No, affian joke. I'm the one does the occasional joke.

I actually do have quite a well-developed sense of absurdist humour, but like all good straight men, I see the value of coming off like Joe Friday.

Or Howard Moon.

pjcdn2005 · ‎02-14-2014

The only comment I take issue with it that the GSP "may" benefit sellers.

As I've posted before I've seen many powersellers on the U.S. board say how much they like the gsp. If it didn't benefit them, I doubt that they would be so happy with it. One comment mentioned more than once is that the seller doesn't have to worry about buyers asking them to lower the value on the customs form and also that they no longer have to worry about the buyer refusing to buy customs and having the order sent back.Personally, I don't think any of those two things are a major factor but some U.S. sellers do seem quite paranoid about selling internationally.

Some sellers have commented that their international sales have increased since they started using the gsp. Other sellers have had a 100% increase in their international sales because they did not sell out of the U.S. before gsp and wouldn't do if gsp didn't exist.

Financially it's a very good deal for me because these items sell for quite a bit less because they are avoided by all but US buyers (and me).

That's your opinion and obviously not shared by the sellers who use it considering they do have international sales.

chimera148 · ‎02-14-2014

Well, a 100% increase x zero is still zero. Maybe the math isn't too good.

arlene_v · ‎02-14-2014

@pjcdn2005 wrote:
The only comment I take issue with it that the GSP "may" benefit sellers.

As I've posted before I've seen many powersellers on the U.S. board say how much they like the gsp. If it didn't benefit them, I doubt that they would be so happy with it. One comment mentioned more than once is that the seller doesn't have to worry about buyers asking them to lower the value on the customs form and also that they no longer have to worry about the buyer refusing to buy customs and having the order sent back.Personally, I don't think any of those two things are a major factor but some U.S. sellers do seem quite paranoid about selling internationally.

Some sellers have commented that their international sales have increased since they started using the gsp. Other sellers have had a 100% increase in their international sales because they did not sell out of the U.S. before gsp and wouldn't do if gsp didn't exist.

Financially it's a very good deal for me because these items sell for quite a bit less because they are avoided by all but US buyers (and me).

That's your opinion and obviously not shared by the sellers who use it considering they do have international sales.

What are these powersellers selling?

I buy vintage costume jewelry and many sellers are using the GSP for that, totally wrong fit IMO ...I just can't imagine a brooch worth $20 and light as a feather selling via the GSP to any sane buyers.

But I am beginning to realize that there is quite a bit of insanity about. Esp. on Ebay. Seems a lot of buyers can't see costs that stare them right in the face, nor seem to see the screen that prompts them to accept these costs as part of the final purchase ...most odd.

afantiques · ‎02-14-2014

Seems a lot of buyers can't see costs that stare them right in the face, nor seem to see the screen that prompts them to accept these costs as part of the final purchase ...most odd.

Sometimes the circumstances of life shield people from contact with the really inept. Not here.

chimera148 · ‎02-14-2014

arlene_v wrote:

But I am beginning to realize that there is quite a bit of insanity about. Esp. on Ebay. Seems a lot of buyers can't see costs that stare them right in the face, nor seem to see the screen that prompts them to accept these costs as part of the final purchase ...most odd.

From the weekly chat on .com, lacemaker, with screen shots.