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.

[ferrantho]

I'm not sure why you would say Canadians find it hard to understand.. We are very smart and well educated.. Especially with respect to economics and business.
I would love to see some facts and numbers to back up that statement proving that the US sale increase is a direct result of the implementation of the GSP. A large amount of the sellers using GSP do not even know what that means. So it may well seem as sales using GSP are high but that does not mean they are using it correctly and shipping through specific GSP/PitB locations. Some sellers still ship the packages through USPS and NOT GSP/Pitney Bowes Shipping Location. So you may in fact be correct, maybe sales have gone up; however that is not to say this program won't eventually cause more harm than good. As more and more international buyers realize they can buy from a different seller and get the same item without GSP, they will stop buying from these sellers.

I amend that statement to: The GSP was put into use as a benefit to the eBay sellers, however there are no benefits whatsoever for the buyer. More buyers everyday are beginning to realized they are paying fees for nothing; some are even calling it what it is: Getting "Ripped off." Others above have stated themselves they could simply buy from a non-GSP location and avoid the fees. That can't be good for sellers.. losing potential buyers because of excess fees.
A hypothetical example, people in Canada cannot afford to purchase a new iPhone 6 using GSP. $800+ price tag PLUS GSP "Import Charges" PLUS shipping costs. I would be scared to even look at the final price to my door. Furthermore, if the seller does not ship through a Pitney Bowes location and ships via USPS-CANPost, the buyer could have to pay a hefty duty bill at the border. It's not the CBSA's fault as they do not know if we paid duty?

All in all the GSP needs to be phased out. They need to consider the buyer when implementing a program that charges buyers extra on each purchase.

PS. To eBay: Add a refine option within the search options for GSP FREE items! Would make us Canadians happy 🙂

[ferrantho]

That was a reply to the fellow that commented last. Sorry ! 🙂

[pjl28]

   I have purchased an item that was to be shipped to me in the southern interior of British Columbia Canada through the Global Shipping Program . The item was shipped from Sacramento California USA , it then went through several States ending up in Grove City Ohio , and then to Erlanger Kentucky . The item has now traveled from the west coast of the USA to the eastern States only to return at some point to the western Province of BC . Seems like alot of needless wear and tear on my item . Is there not a more efficient way to send parcels ?

                                                                       PL

[ferrantho]

@pjl28 wrote:

   I have purchased an item that was to be shipped to me in the southern interior of British Columbia Canada through the Global Shipping Program . The item was shipped from Sacramento California USA , it then went through several States ending up in Grove City Ohio , and then to Erlanger Kentucky . The item has now traveled from the west coast of the USA to the eastern States only to return at some point to the western Province of BC . Seems like alot of needless wear and tear on my item . Is there not a more efficient way to send parcels ?

                                                                       PL

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The most efficient would be USPS to the border, then Canada Post takes it from there to your local post office which then is delivered to you. That is the normal shipping outline for say USPS Economy (or other cheap ground service). USPS Air a faster and more direct option but also more expensive.These are a couple options offered by non-GSP sellers in the USA. Unfortunately if you choose to go the GSP route, the item has to go to a GSP/PittneyBowes location before the border. This is to ensure it is marked as "Duty Paid" so the CBSA knows upon entry. It is a good thing the item went there because that shows the seller used the correct GSP locations and you didn't pay that "import fee" for nothing. 

For future purchases, be sure to check diligently for sellers that do not use the GSP if you want to use the standard USPS. I never use GSP as I feel it is an unnecessary charge; I have had no problems and all my deliveries have gone smoothly.

[marnotom!]

What I don't understand is how sellers who are unknowingly using the GSP end up shipping directly to the buyer when the seller receives notification from eBay to ship the item to the Global Shipping Center in Kentucky.  Does anybody have any insights on that?

[pjcdn2005]

Many American sellers would not sell outside of the U.S. before the gsp was introduced. Many felt that it was too 'risky' to do so  and since the U.S. market by itself is quite large, they only sold within the U.S.  The gsp was introduced to encourage those sellers to offer their items to other countries. More listings for other countries means more items sold to other countries which equals increased sales  overall.  

The gsp was recently introduced in the UK as many sellers there were also too paranoid to sell outside its borders. If introducing the gsp in the U.S. had decreased international sales I can guarantee that they would not have introduced the same program in the UK.

[pjcdn2005]

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@marnotom! wrote:

What I don't understand is how sellers who are unknowingly using the GSP end up shipping directly to the buyer when the seller receives notification from eBay to ship the item to the Global Shipping Center in Kentucky.  Does anybody have any insights on that?

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I don't understand that either. Does a gsp sale even show the seller the buyer's address? 

[pjcdn2005]

if the seller does not ship through a Pitney Bowes location and ships via USPS-CANPost, the buyer could have to pay a hefty duty bill at the border. It's not the CBSA's fault as they do not know if we paid duty?

In that situation the buyer would be able to show ebay that the seller did not ship through the gsp and they would be able to recover their import and international shipping fees from Pitney Bowes.  It would probably be a bit of a hassle  but in the end the buyer shouldn't be out those fees.

They need to consider the buyer when implementing a program that charges buyers extra on each purchase.

You would think that would be a no brainer but apparently they didn't put much thought into that part of it.

PS. To eBay: Add a refine option within the search options for GSP FREE items! Would make us Canadians happy

I doubt that they will do that but it is a great idea.

[afantiques]

I would love to see some facts and numbers to back up that statement proving that the US sale increase is a direct result of the implementation of the GSP.

No one says it is due to the GSP, just that international sales have increased AND the GSP was introduced. No direct link is alleged, it is just two facts that may or may not be related.

[femmefan1946]

The most efficient would be

Or possibly not.

Many companies, including airlines and FedEx, use hub and spoke movement.

All the parcels are sent to a central location, redistributed and sent on again.

Which is why we see Canada Post sending parcels from Thunder Bay to GooseBay via Winnipeg, or the plot of Castaway where Tom Hanks worked in one of those hubs,  or flights that go from Ottawa to Chicago to Florida to Bermuda.

Each carrier has a full load on each leg of the trip. And that is more efficient in labour and overhead, than shipping many understocked .

[ferrantho]

I am assuming the person asking about the most efficient route is strictly speaking on the most efficient route for the customer which would be a direct route to the border. Not the most cost efficient route for the shipping company. If we are speaking strictly about the shipping company efficiency you are definitely correct. They would want to minimize transport costs by ensuring full loads before departure; which can lead to delays for the buyer. 

"All the parcels are sent to a central location, redistributed and sent on again."

Correct. The centralized location will begin inspections and routing options. Great castaway reference! Haha! (One of my fav movies)

[ferrantho]

"No one says it is due to the GSP, just that international sales have increased AND the GSP was introduced. No direct link is alleged, it is just two facts that may or may not be related."

Check the page before this one. Someone replied to me implying the GSP has caused an influx of sale for US sellers specifically international sales. Since the international sales are using the GSP, we can only assume based on the statement, the person replying was implying the direct relation to GSP & Sale Increase. If the person did not mean to imply this I apologize however my point still stands. 

Maybe sales have gone up but that in no way has anything to do with the GSP.. Reading through tons of comments in this forum there is a daily increase in people who will never use it again. As more eBuyers realize GSP items can be purchased from a different location to avoid the fees, GSP specific sales will decrease. 

I will never purchase an item with GSP. I refuse to pay extra when I do not have to. Thousands of other listings for the same items do not use GSP. I am sure I'm not the only one that has figured this out. Anyone else?

[arlene_v]

The increase in international sales for US sellers might have to do with the USPS  offering tracking and delivery confirmation to many international destinations for a very nominal amount. I'm pretty sure that even the most paranoid US seller is now  a bit tempted  because they have international tracking to more countries, it couldn't be easier. The tracking is available on the USPS site, so when it is delivered internationally, it updates in almost real time on the eBay site too.

Here's an example:  I bought a small brooch as a gift for my mom here recently. The brooch cost $25 (US) and the postage was  (US) $6.55. This came with full online tracking and delivery confirmation for the seller. It arrived within 10 days from Florida to Ottawa.  No GSP required, tyvm. No need to double the cost for absolutely no value added and virtually guaranteed slower shipping times is there?

Here's hoping more US sellers use the good old USPS international tracking option and increase their sales. It makes so much sense to both buyers and sellers and may just account for a spike in  international sales on this site.

Hard to tell because both were introduced at roughly the same time ....

 And yes, once again, I add my voice ..... we desperately need a filter to get rid of GSP items. The  biggest turn off for many of us here are those horrible listings. We've been asking for a filter for what ... 2 years now ... still no response. Or maybe the lack of response is a response?

[arlene_v]

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@pjcdn2005 wrote:

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@marnotom! wrote:

What I don't understand is how sellers who are unknowingly using the GSP end up shipping directly to the buyer when the seller receives notification from eBay to ship the item to the Global Shipping Center in Kentucky.  Does anybody have any insights on that?

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I don't understand that either. Does a gsp sale even show the seller the buyer's address? 

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The buyer's address would be viewable in Paypal, maybe?

[pierrelebel]

"...Someone replied to me implying the GSP has caused an influx of sale for US sellers specifically international sales. Since the international sales are using the GSP, we can only assume based on the statement, ..."

"implying"..."assume"..."influx"

Frankly I do not like those words.  I prefer a direct quote.  I like to call a "spade, a "spade"!

Anyone with a few minutes to spare can read the audited quarterly and annual financial statements filed by eBay, a public company.

The numbers show a clear (nothing "implied" or "assumed" here) correlation (not "influx") between the introduction of GSP and an increase in foreign sales by American sellers.  Basically, the percentage of export sales by Americans has increased.  Maybe not to Canada as Canadians rightfully do not like nor benefit from the system, but overseas.

Canadians for centuries have had few problems purchasing from the USA. We understand the currency differential and shipping methods and costs. 

However, the same cannot be said for Americans shipping overseas.  The new program - as much as it is disliked in Canada - brings many items to international buyers that were only available domestically within the USA previously.  And yes, international buyers are paying for that privilege.  Their money... their choice.

[arlene_v]

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@ferrantho wrote:


PS. To eBay: Add a refine option within the search options for GSP FREE items! Would make us Canadians happy 🙂

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I have some good news. It would appear that some radical changes have been made recently to the .ca site, and GSP listings are  virtually invisible, they simply do not come up in your main search but are listed way way down under international options, if at all.

If you are on the .com site then you will still come across them.

I am not sure if this is permanent .... but if it IS .... finally eBay.ca has come through for us and kudos to them ... we have repeatedly asked for this and they responded.

So, if Canadians want the option of seeing GSP listings they can do so on the .com site, otherwise they can choose to stay on the .ca site to eliminate them from searches. At least this is how it appears this week.

If this is only a glitch it would be sad because this is the perfect answer to a lot of our problems.

[00nevermind00]

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@arlene_v wrote:

I have some good news. It would appear that some radical changes have been made recently to the .ca site, and GSP listings are  virtually invisible, they simply do not come up in your main search but are listed way way down under international options, if at all.

If you are on the .com site then you will still come across them.

I am not sure if this is permanent .... but if it IS .... finally eBay.ca has come through for us and kudos to them ... we have repeatedly asked for this and they responded.

So, if Canadians want the option of seeing GSP listings they can do so on the .com site, otherwise they can choose to stay on the .ca site to eliminate them from searches. At least this is how it appears this week.

If this is only a glitch it would be sad because this is the perfect answer to a lot of our problems.

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To further add to Arlene's good news, it also appears that GSP items under $50 (more or less) are now showing up with zero "import charges". Again, since there has been zero announcement from eBay, this is pretty much all conjecture at this point but it is derived from observation.

Please bear in mind that this apparent change to the "import charges" threshhold is only for US GSP items. The ones coming from the UK still seem to show "import charges" as soon as their price gets to C$20.

[arlene_v]

@pjcdn2005 wrote:

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@marnotom! wrote:

What I don't understand is how sellers who are unknowingly using the GSP end up shipping directly to the buyer when the seller receives notification from eBay to ship the item to the Global Shipping Center in Kentucky.  Does anybody have any insights on that?

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I don't understand that either. Does a gsp sale even show the seller the buyer's address? 

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In this thread on the US seller forum a seller shows an example of what info they receive re mailing an item purchased  through the GSP.

http://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/quot-Opted-In-Again-quot-against-my-wishes-and-settings/m-p/241...

[pjcdn2005]

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@arlene_v wrote:

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I have some good news. It would appear that some radical changes have been made recently to the .ca site, and GSP listings are  virtually invisible, they simply do not come up in your main search but are listed way way down under international options, if at all.

If you are on the .com site then you will still come across them.

I am not sure if this is permanent .... but if it IS .... finally eBay.ca has come through for us and kudos to them ... we have repeatedly asked for this and they responded.

So, if Canadians want the option of seeing GSP listings they can do so on the .com site, otherwise they can choose to stay on the .ca site to eliminate them from searches. At least this is how it appears this week.

If this is only a glitch it would be sad because this is the perfect answer to a lot of our problems.

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I don't see that at all. I tried a couple of searches on .ca and I see the gsp sellers along with all of the other sellers. What specific searches are you seeing this on and do you have any extra parameters checked off?

[pjcdn2005]

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@arlene_v wrote:

@pjcdn2005 wrote:

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@marnotom! wrote:

What I don't understand is how sellers who are unknowingly using the GSP end up shipping directly to the buyer when the seller receives notification from eBay to ship the item to the Global Shipping Center in Kentucky.  Does anybody have any insights on that?

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I don't understand that either. Does a gsp sale even show the seller the buyer's address? 

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In this thread on the US seller forum a seller shows an example of what info they receive re mailing an item purchased  through the GSP.

http://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/quot-Opted-In-Again-quot-against-my-wishes-and-settings/m-p/241...

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Thanks Arlene, that's explains a lot.