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.

[mater721]

That looks like the Original tracking # that tracks to KY, and what happens in KY.

Once the shipper for second leg to Canada is identified, there will be another tracking # that tracks from KY to Canada doorstep.

[harleyrider6424]

>>Actually you do not accept it. If you see a listing by an American seller using GSP (indication of "import charges" in the listing) use the back button. You do not have to buy anything you do not want.<<
i believe i found the answer BUY AMAZON. No headaches at all and rapid delivery

[afantiques]

you might would like to bring an order in this caos because the posts are not in any order woudl be great if you could order it from most recent date to least recent

You can use the board options to change the details of how you see the posts.

[pjcdn2005]

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@harleyrider6424 wrote:
you might would like to bring an order in this caos because the posts are not in any order woudl be great if you could order it from most recent date to least recent

Thank you

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They are in order for most of us. You probably need to change your preferences. Click on your user id near the top of the page then click on My Settings in the drop down.  Then click on my preferences and Linear Layout.

[marisafadavi]

As a Canadian buyer since 2007, I do not want to know more about the Global Shipping Program. I just want it removed. I will not purchase from any seller who is involved with this program. It adds an unnecessary cost and has no benefits whatsoever. Remove it now!

[pierrelebel]

" I will not purchase from any seller who is involved with this program."

That is the correct course of action for most Canadian buyers.

"I just want it removed"

That will not happen as overseas sales by American sellers have increased since the program started nearly three years ago. 

More sales by sellers result in more revenues (fees) for eBay and PayPal. 

That program is here to stay.  In fact it was recently expanded to the United Kingdom.

[mater721]

"In fact it was recently expanded to the United Kingdom."

Ugh - as if Royal Airmail Confirmed was not already expensive enough...

[pierrelebel]

"as if Royal Airmail Confirmed was not already expensive enough"

As we all know by now, GSP (from the USA or the UK) has nothing to do with lower costs or better service to buyers. 

It is just an easier way for sellers to ship outside their country (as if they were shipping domestically) with all added costs paid by buyers. 

Sellers benefit, eBay benefits, PayPal benefits, buyers pay dearly.

[scott0639]

Something that isn't mentioned very often is package tampering by Pitney Bowes. Yes, you heard me correctly. Shippers usually take great care in packaging their items for shipping. Sturdy boxes, foam peanuts, bubble wrap, etc. On many occaisions, parcels are beingOPENED by Pitney Bowes and being repackaged in a substandard fashion to reduce parcel size and weight by removing packing materials and using smaller boxes. Damages then occur and you have an unhappy customer. Pitney Bowes should NOT be opening packages! Their service is supposed to collect duties and ship the item the way they receive it. Not only are Canadian customers getting dinged for duties that shouldn't even be on some items, but PB is also reducing weight and volume so they can skim a little more. I wonder just how much of this money is actually going to CBSA (Canadian Border Services Agency). Until this whole mess gets sorted out, I refuse to pay this extortion fee. I feel bad for the GSP sellers who are losing sales or are wondering why their sales are dropping. Just something to think about.

[afantiques]

Something that isn't mentioned very often is package tampering by Pitney Bowes

This is mentioned very often, and is usually due to the need to check items for country of origin for the customs documentation because sellers omit this. The terms and conditions for users of the GSP do allow this.

There is a simple remedy. Anything that arrives with any damage should be the subject of a claim for item not as described , damage in transit.

Since at the time any repacking occours, the items are the responsibility of the GSP, the sellers will not suffer.

Indeed, since the buyer will get a free item (full refund plus no need to return item) if they make a claim sloppy repacking would be the direct financial burden on the GSP that it should be.

[bonekracker]

What is happening here is exactly what UPS does to Canadian consumers who buy from the U.S. They charge an pittance for shipping and the driver shows up at your door asking for exorbitant amout of money for brokerage and duty and taxes and fees and levies. They have gotten away with it for many many years. However there are several class action lawsuits being pushed through the courts about their brokerage fees.

What has happened here is that eBay and Pitney Bowes figured out they could take all that money away from UPS and keep it themselves. It's all fake and drummed up fees for all this work they say they do, which really is none. It's all done by the shipper. And then they charge the buyer for the work the shipper does and keeps it. Having been in management with UPS for several years I can tell you the money they make from brokerage is borderline criminal for the little amount to null work they do for it. It has long been rumoured that brokerage in Canada for UPS is what makes the company money. ebay and PB realized this and have taken advantage of consumer stupidity and apathy.

[zlin01]

It appears that the GSP comments  arr all bad. Is there anything good about?

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kalvin@ebay.com wrote:

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.

---

[femmefan1946]

For buyers of inexpensive items?

No.

For buyers of expensive items?

Hmm.

Well, since CBSA does charge applicable duty and tax on more expensive or bulky items ($100 and up usually) then GSP's $5.00 service charge is lower than Canada Post's $9.95 service charge.

And either is lower than the cost of shipping by courier where the applicable tax and duty will be charged at $20CDN just like the GSP, but the service charge is $25 or more.

The other claim, and it does appear to be true, is that US sellers are accepting more and more non-US bidders because they feel secure about shipping through the GSP.

So if you always wanted a sparkly purple Tennessee Widgerette, but they were only available to US customers from one paranoid and xenophobic American seller, it may now be available to you.

But you will have to pay hard.

[afantiques]

What has happened here is that eBay and Pitney Bowes figured out they could take all that money away from UPS and keep it themselves. It's all fake and drummed up fees for all this work they say they do, which really is none. It's all done by the shipper. And then they charge the buyer for the work the shipper does and keeps it. Having been in management with UPS for several years I can tell you the money they make from brokerage is borderline criminal for the little amount to null work they do for it. It has long been rumoured that brokerage in Canada for UPS is what makes the company money. ebay and PB realized this and have taken advantage of consumer stupidity and apathy.

The PB brokerage fee is about $5. All other import charges are paid to Canadian customs on entry. When you say "it's all done by the shipper", do remember that PB or its agent is the shipper.

The PB charges is half that of Canada Post. The main difference is that they collect it regardless of whether the item incurs any taxes, as it is a charge for preparing the cargo manifet rather than for collecting and passing on money.

There is plenty wrong philosophically, practically and administratively about the GSP without inventing stuff.

[aphroditebeautysalon]

Could not agree more with above said. 

I accidentally bought an item that has GSP and now I'm waiting for it. I have no tracking number neither I know will I be charged again for taxes and shipping.

Will never buy from gsp seller again and will try to avoid Ebay as much as possible. too bad this item was not shipping to canada thru amazon.

I'll just cross the border next time and buy in a regular mortar store. it cheaper. and no headache!

90% of canadians live in the within 50km of the border! I see states from my window.

[afantiques]

I know will I be charged again for taxes and shipping.

How do you know this? It is just not true.

[pierrelebel]

" I know will I be charged again for taxes and shipping."

Where did you get that piece of misinformation?

If the American seller uses GSP, the goods are cleared through Canada Customs by Pitney Bowes and/or its agent and part of the money you have paid through PayPal to Pitney Bowes covers taxes (GST/HST). 

There will be no other charge at time of delivery.

If the seller does not use GSP, then yes you may have to pay taxes and brokerage fee ($9.95) to Canada Post at time of delivery.

[iwc]

I have fought with Ebay over Global Shipping Import charges now for the last 3 months. This issue is not about Global shipping, even though I refuse now to buy anything on Global Shipping this issue for me became Import Charges. Today I spent 2 hours with a senior official from Revenue Canada (GST) on the phone trying to get a ruling on IMPORT CHARGES. I am a Canadian who has a GST license. I collect GST and get back GST I pay. Import charges have NOTHING TO DO WITH TAXES COLLECT BY GLOBAL SHIPPING PROGRAM IMPORT CHARGES. I was told by Revenue Canada today they do NOT GET A SINGLE RED CENT FROM THIS PROGRAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who gets this money, I do not have a clue. Called Ebay today for the 10th time. Finally they admitted a 3rd party in Canada not CONNECTED TO REVENUE CANADA collects the money goes to broker the item into CANADA. This is a pure 100% SCAM. It is hard to believe a company like EBAY would allow this to happen. FACE IT CANADIANS EBAY DOES NOT CARE ABOUT ANYONE ON EBAY OUTSIDE THE US. Was told by Ebay this program was started to PROTECT !!!!!!!AMERICAN SELLERS!!!!!!!! They do not care about anyone other than US BUYERS OR SELLERS!!!!!!!

Write your MP, tell them this is a scam to look like Import Charges are collected for Revenue Canada. Stop this ABUSE EBAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[afantiques]

I was told by Revenue Canada today they do NOT GET A SINGLE RED CENT FROM THIS PROGRAM

Not true, in fact Canada collects more revenue from GSP items than they do from items sent by post, but the items enter Canada as normal international freight, in exactly the same way as a container of Chinese widgets for your local shops.

The customs officer would have been confused by the mention of the GSP. Of course they know nothing about it as it is merely an ebay/PB label for what amounts to exactly the same process as all commercial freight entering the country. It is nothing special.

Canada collects more money because many items that although taxable would have been ignored if sent by post. Sent through the GSP the tax due gets paid to the last penny, not waived as a concession.

There are many things wrong with the GSP but there is nothing criminal or fraudulent.

You cannot reclaim import GSP paid through the GSP as firstly the importer of record is not you but PB INC, and secondly it is specified in the terms and conditions that the GSP is not for business users.

[winken_weasel]

I just discovered this new fee.  So I have been reading up on it. 

How I missed this until now is because I generally avoid any items with high shipping costs, and my preferred sellers have not opted for this high cost shipping method.  But this time I was looking for an item that my usual sellers do not have yet.

When I saw this the first time, I was shocked by a new fee that adds 17% in the $45 USD item I was looking at.  That is HUGE.

I am amused by eBay's replies on the various forums.  It boils down to they are pushing this hard and giving Canadians a lot of lip service, and Canadians have the choice to accept it or chose not to buy anything with this.

After reading all of this I went and double checked my usual sellers, and they indeed still ship much cheaper, and without this huge extra fee.  One of my favorite sellers actually ships for free from USA to Canada, and his prices are not inflated.  So we do have options.

I contacted the seller of the item I was interested in buying, and he replied that it is an eBay thing, and I should bring it up with them.  So I replied that I will not be buying anything shipping with this extra cost, and if the wants to sell it to me he should relist it for international shipping instead of global shipping.

I REFUSE TO BUY ANY ITEM WITH THIS NEW CHARGE.

In the case of the item I was looking for, I will just wait a little longer and my preferred sellers will eventually have it for sale.

Amazon.ca has been getting more and more of my business lately.  The biggest reason is that they have much more reasonable shipping costs, and in general the item prices are in line with eBay.