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

pierrelebel · ‎01-06-2014

"Duty would kick in at the same declared dollar amount as taxes,"

To be more precise, Taxes (HST/HST/PST) are calculated on the duty paid value. The distinction is important.

So if the item is valued at Cdn$100.00 and duty is 10% ($10.00), the GST/HST/PST will be calculated on the duty paid value $110.00, not the original value of $100.00

marnotom! · ‎01-06-2014

Yeah, that was rather poorly worded on my part. By "dollar amount" I meant the threshold. I wasn't even trying to get into the issue of taxes being charged on duty, but that's a useful point.

afantiques · ‎01-07-2014

Duty would kick in at the same declared dollar amount as taxes, AF.

I suspected this might be the case. Thank you.

In the EU nothing under about 200 Euros is dutiable (more or less, tobacco and spirits are an exception but not ebayable)

arlene_v · ‎01-07-2014

What I find especially worrisome is that taxpayers have NO recourse to appeal tax and duty incorrectly levied on items bought through this program.

Unlike items checked by the CBSA where we have the right to appeal.

We have a free trade agreement that requires vigilance, and, in all fairness to both the seller and buyer, it is simply not possible to administer this fairly when using a program like the GSP which defaults to "duty owing" if the place of manufacture is not stated.

I have no idea about the legal aspects of this,but as a taxpayer I feel that my rights have been violated by not having a process or means to appeal the taxes etc.. levied through the GSP.

I strongly suggest that Ebay simply remove Canada from the list of eligible GSP countries.

marnotom! · ‎01-07-2014

@arlene_v wrote:

We have a free trade agreement that requires vigilance, and, in all fairness to both the seller and buyer, it is simply not possible to administer this fairly when using a program like the GSP which defaults to "duty owing" if the place of manufacture is not stated.

I have no idea about the legal aspects of this,but as a taxpayer I feel that my rights have been violated by not having a process or means to appeal the taxes etc.. levied through the GSP.

I strongly suggest that Ebay simply remove Canada from the list of eligible GSP countries.

In fairness to the GSP, it's stated right in the terms and conditions for sellers that they need to specify country of origin--when possible--in the "Item Specifics" section of the listing. Check section 2 (h) "Program Rules":

http://pages.ebay.com/shipping/globalshipping/seller-tnc.html

I'm of two minds here. On the one hand, I don't like denying a choice to someone--in this case a U.S. eBay seller--just because I personally have issues with that choice. It may not work for me, but it may work fine for them in certain circumstances. On the other hand, this choice has all sorts of issues that I've gone into elsewhere in this particular discussion board that I think sellers may be better off spared this program until those issues have been better worked out.

Let's face it (Hmm--I think I may be channeling Pierre here.), when have we seen a new eBay initiative that has gone smoothly from day one? Not too often. However, it usually hasn't taken over a year to get the biggest bugs worked out of this initiative. In this case, it's probably because the GSP isn't technically an eBay initiative; this is Pitney Bowes' baby and eBay's hands are more or less tied while they wait for PBI to get the kinks worked out.

And if history is any indicator, we may be in for quite a wait.

arlene_v · ‎01-07-2014

I've just got off the phone with a CBSA agent.

He was very helpful indeed, and assured me that the CBSA is aware of this program, and has received calls about it

.He says the only way to get duty reimbursed is to provide an invoice from PB that breaks down the exact charges, any overcharges can then be appealed.

Despite the verbiage it appears that PB is not entitled to rob Canadians of our right to appeal, and our Government has no intention of keeping duty that is not legally required under NAFTA.

I await my recent GSP purchase to see if a detailed receipt of all charges (GST/HST/PST, duty,etc) is provided by PB.

If not, I plan to report this matter to the CBSA, consumer watchdogs, my MP, and also to the press, because I do not know if this practice is legal and it probably needs scrutiny.

femmefan1946 · ‎01-07-2014

Thank you for doing that research. Were you able to get a copy of the information sent to you by the CBSA agent by fax or email (or snail mail, mustn't forget that)?

The MP and the others you mention will find that information, as well as copies of your own transaction records. This gives the bureaucrats something specific to work from. Beside we bureaucrats love paperwork. It gives us the warm fuzzies.

marnotom! · ‎01-07-2014

@arlene_v wrote:

I await my recent GSP purchase to see if a detailed receipt of all charges (GST/HST/PST, duty,etc) is provided by PB.

*snork* (Sorry. )

arlene_v · ‎01-07-2014

Well, I've just spoken to someone at David McGuinty's office here in Ottawa South (Local MP) and have been advised to send details via email. The person I spoke to agrees that this is certainly something worth looking into.

May I suggest that folks here who feel strongly about this issue contact their MP as well?

Every person I have spoken to about this issue in the last day or so feels the same way as I do ... something about this program goes very much against the grain, and we have the right to get to the bottom of this, most especially the right of appeal.

And on that note I am going to join my husband for a beer at our local pub in this freezing cold! .Brrrrr.

CHEERS!

maries2242 · ‎01-07-2014

I've just had my first experience of the global shipping program and it will definitely be my last. I am going to boycott any seller using this. As Canadian buyers, we have to stick together. I paid duty on a book with a value of less than $20 up-front, to supposedly speed my package through the border, only for it to be opened by customs and the cover damaged in the process. Had it shipped directly, I doubt that I would have paid any duty, as I've made lots of larger purchases from the US and not been charged anything.

rick31797 · ‎01-07-2014

@maries2242 wrote:
I've just had my first experience of the global shipping program and it will definitely be my last. I am going to boycott any seller using this. As Canadian buyers, we have to stick together. I paid duty on a book with a value of less than $20 up-front, to supposedly speed my package through the border, only for it to be opened by customs and the cover damaged in the process. Had it shipped directly, I doubt that I would have paid any duty, as I've made lots of larger purchases from the US and not been charged anything.

You are not alone, there has been others posting that have had the same experience with this service. For whatever reason they seem to like to open packages, and charge import tax on everything, you are right choosing a buyer not using GSP and shipping USPS , you would have not paid import taxes , and in my experience , your item would not have been damaged.Because of posts like yours i will never use the GSP.

spiritofgreywolf · ‎01-07-2014

I purchased a couple items from a seller in the US and my items were shipped through the GSP program seeing I am in Canada, it took quite some time to receive my package, it was shipped on the 18th of December and I got it on the 3rd of January, and when I did I was not pleased with the condition. The package was ripped and falling apart, tape was torn. There was no packing in the box to keep my two items from being tossed around except for one piece of paper and the box was almost fully opened. There was a note inside which read package was opened and inspected. I paid close to $50 US to have this shipped and I feel that it should have arrived in much better condition. I haven't installed either units yet but seeing the condition of the box I am worried that there may be damage done to the internals of the units. I don’t want to go through the trouble of installing only to find they are defective. I contacted the seller and he advised me to open a case with E-Bay but I could not find a topic which matched mine. He also advised me that my item would have been opened and repacked, and in this case it was a very poor job done. Any help that can be given to me I would be thankful. I have pictures of the package as I received it.

Derrick

marnotom! · ‎01-07-2014

@rick31797 wrote:

You are not alone, there has been others posting that have had the same experience with this service. For whatever reason they seem to like to open packages, and charge import tax on everything, you are right choosing a buyer not using GSP and shipping USPS , you would have not paid import taxes , and in my experience , your item would not have been damaged.Because of posts like yours i will never use the GSP.

Rick, it's been explained a few times now why the Global Shipping Center may open packages. Sellers don't seem to be providing country of origin information in the "Item Specifics" of their listings and the Center is required by regulatory law to determine this information.

By the way, books don't have a $20 tax/duty-free limit, so there's a possibility--however remote--that that book could have been assessed taxes and duty, if applicable. In fact as once happened to me and my wife, customs didn't like the declared value on an item we had sent to us by mail and made up its own value based on market rates and charged us based on that value instead.

marnotom! · ‎01-07-2014

@spiritofgreywolf wrote:

I contacted the seller and he advised me to open a case with E-Bay but I could not find a topic which matched mine. He also advised me that my item would have been opened and repacked, and in this case it was a very poor job done. Any help that can be given to me I would be thankful.

If you're starting out on the eBay Resolution Centre home page

http://resolutioncentre.ebay.ca/

select the option "I received an item that does not match the seller's description" and take it from there.

arlene_v · ‎01-08-2014

I want to ask regular posters here a question ...how often has this problem of duty as opposed to taxes (HST/PST/GST) been raised here, is this a frequently encountered problem?

How have PB and/or Ebay responded to these concerns (i.e duty being erroneously calculated on items that qualify as exempt under NAFTA, and bought on this site through the GSP? )

It occurred to me that possibly this issue has not been raised much and to give PB and Ebay the chance to respond and try to fix this.

If mods are still reading this thread these two examples illustrate what I am getting at, they were made in the US, by the same manufacturer (Trifari) and are listed by the same seller .

.NOTE: I am not disparaging the seller in this, to me the problem lies in the way the program is implemented.

... first one "place of manufacture" correctly stated = no duty payable.

..second one place of manufacture omitted = duty payable.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Trifari-Philippe-Pastel-Cabochon-Rhinestone-Gold-Tone-Bracelet-Earrings-Set-...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Crown-Trifari-Sterling-Pat-Pend-Rhinestone-Bow-Brooch-Pin-/121243088...

I'm finding many, many examples of "inflated" import charges in the categories I'm interested in i,e, vintage jewelry, and antique silver on items that were made in the USA, or items that are in fact antique and should be exempt from duty but are in the wrong category and are being slapped with duty.

rick31797 · ‎01-08-2014

@arlene_v wrote:
I want to ask regular posters here a question ...how often has this problem of duty as opposed to taxes (HST/PST/GST) been raised here, is this a frequently encountered problem?

How have PB and/or Ebay responded to these concerns (i.e duty being erroneously calculated on items that qualify as exempt under NAFTA, and bought on this site through the GSP? )

It occurred to me that possibly this issue has not been raised much and to give PB and Ebay the chance to respond and try to fix this.

If mods are still reading this thread these two examples illustrate what I am getting at, they were made in the US, by the same manufacturer (Trifari) and are listed by the same seller .

.NOTE: I am not disparaging the seller in this, to me the problem lies in the way the program is implemented.

... first one "place of manufacture" correctly stated = no duty payable.

..second one place of manufacture omitted = duty payable.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Trifari-Philippe-Pastel-Cabochon-Rhinestone-Gold-Tone-Bracelet-Earrings-Set-...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Crown-Trifari-Sterling-Pat-Pend-Rhinestone-Bow-Brooch-Pin-/121243088...

I'm finding many, many examples of "inflated" import charges in the categories I'm interested in i,e, vintage jewelry, and antique silver on items that were made in the USA, or items that are in fact antique and should be exempt from duty but are in the wrong category and are being slapped with duty.

The Gsp was implemented a year ago, by what i read, so since that time, has there been any improvements for the buyer ???????,not that i know of. Ebay reads every post that is written here, they know how the buyers feel about the GSP, but that's as far as it goes, they are more interested in there bottom line.

I will change my buying pattern,that's how i deal with GSP. When i click on your two links posted, i get import taxes on both items..

arlene_v · ‎01-08-2014

More examples of "import charges" I'm routinely running into and saying "huh????" on vintage jewelry made in the USA (all by the same great maker, Trifari, a highly regarded US manufacturer of costume jewelry).

Anyone care to guess which of these three sellers correctly entered "place of manufacture" as United States?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-60s-CROWN-TRIFARI-STAINED-GLASS-Modern-Mosaic-NECKLACE-EARRINGS-SET-...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Crown-Trifari-Rhinestone-Dog-in-Basket-Brooch-Figural-/221323156530?...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-CROWN-TRIFARI-SIGNED-NECKLACE-BRACELET-BROOCH-PARURE-SET-CORAL-COLOR...

arlene_v · ‎01-08-2014

Rick thanks for replying - like you I am pretty annoyed with this GSP (I could have chosen different words but need to bite my tongue!)

If you look closely at my last post maybe I can clarify what I am especially upset about .... we should not pay duty (not talking about good old HST, PST, GST here), I'm talking about duty. That is what Brian Mulroney got us signed up for back in the 1990s and it would seem the GSP has not heard of it ..?

See,when an item is MANUFACTURED in the USA, Mexico or Canada it is subject to tax but NOT extra duty.

So all the illustrations here are to do with examples where sellers have not entered the place of manufacture as "United States" when they should have, and we are getting slapped with duty on top of tax if we buy these items.

In the last post there is almost a $40 difference in "import charges" between items that should all be subject to the same "import charges" but are not.

Hope this makes sense.

pierrelebel · ‎01-08-2014

"when an item is MANUFACTURED in the USA, Mexico or Canada it is subject to tax but NOT extra duty."

You are correct.

And no duty is charged to Canadian buyers if the seller shows the item was manufactured in the USA.

Now, it is quite possible that some mistakes are made from time to time. We all make mistakes.

The real problem, as I have expressed often on these boards, is the lack of education for sellers. eBay instituted this new program to help American sellers sell more outside their borders. Unfortunately eBay failed to properly instruct sellers as to how and when to use the program.

We can all find hundreds of example where things are not working the way they should. A month ago I pointed out a ridiculous situation where duty and taxes are charged on maple syrup produced in Vermont and shipped to Canada. Despite being aware of the problem, eBay has not yet corrected it. It is a big bureaucracy passing the buck: your problem; no sir, your department; no no it is on your side of the border; what are you talking about?; etc.. etc...

It has reached the incredible point where eBay counts on users to try to correct the problems for them!

Nothing will improve until eBay makes the executive decision to accept they screwed up in the implementation of the program and take corrective measures.

It would not surprise me to see eBay cancel or roll back the program within a year (as they did a long time ago for ill-conceived eBay Express) and come back a few years later with a better, smoother program with the same goals (increase exports for American sellers) without having buyers pay for the service.

rick31797 · ‎01-08-2014

@pierrelebel wrote:
"when an item is MANUFACTURED in the USA, Mexico or Canada it is subject to tax but NOT extra duty."

You are correct.

And no duty is charged to Canadian buyers if the seller shows the item was manufactured in the USA.

Now, it is quite possible that some mistakes are made from time to time. We all make mistakes.

The real problem, as I have expressed often on these boards, is the lack of education for sellers. eBay instituted this new program to help American sellers sell more outside their borders. Unfortunately eBay failed to properly instruct sellers as to how and when to use the program.

We can all find hundreds of example where things are not working the way they should. A month ago I pointed out a ridiculous situation where duty and taxes are charged on maple syrup produced in Vermont and shipped to Canada. Despite being aware of the problem, eBay has not yet corrected it. It is a big bureaucracy passing the buck: your problem; no sir, your department; no no it is on your side of the border; what are you talking about?; etc.. etc...

It has reached the incredible point where eBay counts on users to try to correct the problems for them!

Nothing will improve until eBay makes the executive decision to accept they screwed up in the implementation of the program and take corrective measures.

It would not surprise me to see eBay cancel or roll back the program within a year (as they did a long time ago for ill-conceived eBay Express) and come back a few years later with a better, smoother program with the same goals (increase exports for American sellers) without having buyers pay for the service.

I would not want to be a ebay seller in the USA and have the responsibility of knowing all the import regulations around the world, i think this task would be near impossible to get right, as regulations change from time to time.Having an ebay program to do it for you, would be only as good as the program, sounds quite complex to me .