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.

[marnotom!]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

(Is bullion also exempt from sales taxes?)

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From the quick bit of research I did on this, certain types of bullion are exempt from HST and GST.  Netspuz provided the HS codes.  I'm probably oversimplifying things, but it appears that if the bullion is "raw" or intended for use in a manufactured item, it's untaxable.

The problem as it relates to eBay and Pitney Bowes seems to be that there's no way for the GSP's programming to differentiate between this sort of bullion and any other kind.

[anish.singh33]

I agree that the prices are still lower when shipped through GSP compared to buying in Canada but return is complicated. Sellers usually are understanding if it's a top rated seller but eBay does not refund import charges in any case and this is not explained in GSP while eBay guarantee claims full refund and it even shows as full refund issued under details but the actual refund amount is excluding import charges.

This needs to be considered while using GSP for cross border transactions. It's almost impossible to reach eBay customer service so I believe a lot of people will not worry about this. lol.

[shilohrepercussion]

The GPS system is a couple of things, corporate money grab, and time consuming shipping wise, how does it make sense when something is shipped from a Northern state in the US to Canada, then travel back South, before it moves North again.

I`ve found it generally takes 4-5 days longer with the GSP then it would with regular mail, and we pay extra for the extra travel time, it should be the other way round.

Its just corporate greed, another scam to bolster their coffers, I`m surprised that people, smart people anyway, havn`t moved away from ebay because of this or the very least refuse to buy when GSP is the only option.

[blackranda2]

Until recently I totally avoided all listings using the GSP. However exactly a week ago I purchased an item from a seller in California which was a GSP listing.  It was an item which I have been looking for for a long time and it was a good price. So I thought I would give the GSP a chance to prove themselves. Here is what happened.

When all was said and done I ended up paying close to 50.00 CAD for both shipping costs. The one to seller and the one to Pitney Bowes.

On the listing it says: This item will be shipped through the Global Shipping Program and includes international tracking.

There is a tracking number on my purchase history which is in a format which I have never seen before. When I click on this number guess what it says?  Multiple Carriers  Absolutely nothing else. This is not tracking in any sense of the word!

So I contacted the seller to see if she knew what this was all about. Yesterday she told me she had no idea how the GSP works but that she had shipped my package to the center in Kentucky using USPS Retail Ground and that the package had still not arrived at the Kentucky center yet? A week after purchase and the package hasn't even reached the Kentucky Center which is on the east coast! Once it does reach the center it will have to shipped all the way back to the west coast to BC. Makes absolutely no sense to me at all. This means I paid 50.00 for shipping which was supposed to be able to be tracked plus even more for all the fees and I will be lucky if get this package 3 weeks from the date I paid for it.

On the same night a week ago I bought another item from a seller in New Jersey which was not shipped through the GSP. This item weighed more than the GSP item and the seller's location was much farther away from me than the GSP item. The purchase price for this item was 5.00 more than the GSP item. My ship cost for it was 54.91 CAD. The seller shipped by USPS International Express. Guess what? This package is already in customs and I should receive it on Monday or Tuesday of this week. I have been able track it from the time she shipped it. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out which  shipping method is the most efficient for close to the same cost. It is also pretty obvious what I will do in the future when I buy from a US seller again.

Sorry GSP I gave you a fair chance and you blew it!! Never to happen again. This is unfair to the US sellers who use the GSP. It is restricting their sales to international buyers. I urge them to reconsider their options if they want to be able to compete in the international market.

[blackranda2]

Thanks for this info. I intend to contact them and ask why I can't track my package. If they tell me to download an app to track my package I am not going to be happy. I have heard this is what is required but it does not tell me that on my purchase history page or anywhere else that I can find. It should be there front and center on my purchase page. I should not have to jump through hoops for them to make money. 

[blackranda2]

I have this number you are talking about on my purchase history page for a GSP item I purchased a weeks ago. When I click on the number no new window opens to show me any shipping details. There is nothing there at all except the words Multiple Carriers. A week later and the only assurance I have that my item is even shipped is from the seller who gave me the tracking number she has to show she has sent it on it's merry way to Kentucky. Not good enough GSP.

[marnotom!]

Blackranda2, I've been able to track another user's packages from a Pitney Bowes webpage.  Try entering your tracking code there:

https://parceltracking.pb.com

I'll put my 1.5 US cents' worth in on some of the points in your original post shortly.

[blackranda2]

This does work for my GSP purchase.

[blackranda2]

Sorry meant to say this DOES NOT WORK for my GSP purchase.

[blackranda2]

Thanks for this link. I clicked on it and it has an entry which says: Tracking uploaded on March 15 which is 4 days after my purchase. I do realize this was purchased on the weekend. The tracking also shows it is only about halfway to the Kentucky center after 3 days of travel. I have bookmarked the tracking site so I can use it in the future.  Would also like to add that I purchased another item from a US seller in Washington a day after I bought the GSP item. She shipped by1st class mail and this package is sitting in our PO here and will be delivered to me on Monday. My ship cost for it was 12.47 CAD. Thanks again for your help.

[marnotom!]

Blackranda2, an important consideration with the GSP is that it's essentially a fancily-marketed forwarding service.  If it had been named the Forward-UrPackage Service (F-UPS), that probably would have gone a long way to manage buyer and seller expectations of the program, as it would be more apparently that this isn't your mother's basic A to B shipping service.

It's not a great system for most items that Canadian buyers buy, which are generally small, modestly-priced items that can be easily shipped by First Class International.  But then, no one shipping method is perfect for everyone.  USPS International Express may be a great way to ship what you purchased, but it's a lousy way to ship a ten dollar vintage postcard unless the buyer is prepared to pay through the nose to get the item in a few days.

Because the GSP is a forwarding system, all items forwarded to it go through a central-ish hub, and that's where Kentucky comes in.  In fact, Canada Post uses a similar system for letter mail in British Columbia.  If I mail a letter to the person across the street for me, it goes to Richmond to be processed first before coming back to my town to be delivered.  It would be nice if for GSP items bound for Canada, there was an east coast and west coast hub for items to be sent, but I suspect the volume of GSP packages bound for Canada doesn't yet justify this sort of approach.

The fact that your item is taking a while to get from the seller to Kentucky isn't the GSP's fault.  As your seller noted, she's responsible for getting the item to Kentucky, and she gets to choose the shipping method used, which is presumably the same one she would use to send the item to a US buyer.  

I gave the GSP a try for a couple of cellphone purchases and found it worked quite well for me.  The sellers offered "free" shipping domestically, so I only paid for Pitney Bowes' shipping charge from Kentucky to where I am on Vancouver Island, and that charge was comparable to First Class International.  In fact, in both instances the phones arrived before the cases I purchased at the same time from sellers who shipped directly (supposedly) to me.  (I think one of them drop-shipped without advertising that fact, to be honest.)  I didn't have to pay stupid charges for a deluxe tracked-up-the-wazoo shipping method or pay ridiculous customs clearance charges at delivery on top of the shipping charge.  

I wouldn't recommend the GSP solely based on my experiences with it, but I would urge buyers to do their homework on it first to see if it makes sense for their purchase.  An unfortunate quirk of the GSP is that many US sellers don't actually realize that their listings offer it.  eBay may, at its option, apply the GSP to listings where international shipping has not been specified but the seller hasn't blocked international buyers from bidding on or purchasing their listings.  Many problems associated with the GSP are the result of either (or both) the buyer and seller not knowing about the GSP's workings.

[blackranda2]

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately my shipping cost was much higher than 1st Class International so I was expecting a bit more for my dollars than I appear to be getting. At the time of purchase I didn't know it had to go all the way to Kentucky first.which would have made a huge difference in me understanding the time factor.and perhaps even somewhat the high cost. I read the GSP buyer agreement before buying and there is nothing there that indicates the shipping center is in Kentucky as far as I can see. There is a delivery time quoted on the listing though and unless they move this along quicker than they are now I don't think it will arrive before that time is up. We will see. What is done is done and we all learn from our mistakes.

[marnotom!]

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@blackranda2 wrote:

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately my shipping cost was much higher than 1st Class International so I was expecting a bit more for my dollars than I appear to be getting. At the time of purchase I didn't know it had to go all the way to Kentucky first.which would have made a huge difference in me understanding the time factor.and perhaps even somewhat the high cost. I read the GSP buyer agreement before buying and there is nothing there that indicates the shipping center is in Kentucky as far as I can see. There is a delivery time quoted on the listing though and unless they move this along quicker than they are now I don't think it will arrive before that time is up. We will see. 

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The GSP's shipping charges tend to be competitive with parcel post (Priority Mail International) but not oversized letter mail (First Class International).  It's the seller's shipping charge to Kentucky that can really thrown things out of whack.  And don't forget the import charges which consist of GST and various customs clearance and processing charges.  If those aren't charged separately on your item, they've been added to the shipping charge instead.

You're right that the GSP buyer terms and conditions don't specify that the item will be shipped to Kentucky, but to a "US shipping center".  I guess Pitney Bowes figures that the Kentucky part is more of interest to sellers as most buyers faced with this program will be ones located outside of North America who likely won't have to concern themselves with their item hopscotching the continent.

Check the listing page and change the shipping location to USA ZIP code 41025.  What shipping method is stated for shipping the item to Kentucky and what's the estimated delivery time quoted by eBay?

[blackranda2]

I changed the shipping location to that zip code. It says;

Shipping and handling
To
Service
Delivery*
US $20.05
United States
Expedited Shipping (USPS Priority Mail®)
Estimated within 3-6 business days

Is this the Kentucky zip code?

[blackranda2]

Maybe this is what is caused the delay. It is my understanding that the seller did not ship it to Kentucky by Expedited Shipping (Priority“ Mail but by USPS Retail Ground. When I check that tracking it now says the package arrived in Erlanger  Kentucky at 7:15 AM this morning. This is sure becoming a lot of extra work for me to track this purchase.

[marnotom!]

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@blackranda2 wrote:

Is this the Kentucky zip code?

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Yes, 41025 is the ZIP code for the Global Shipping Center in Erlanger, Kentucky.

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@blackranda2 wrote:

Maybe this is what is caused the delay. It is my understanding that the seller did not ship it to Kentucky by Expedited Shipping (Priority“ Mail but by USPS Retail Ground. When I check that tracking it now says the package arrived in Erlanger  Kentucky at 7:15 AM this morning. 

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It's likely that's where the delay lies, as USPS Retail Ground has different delivery standards than USPS Priority.

What can't be determined is why the seller opted to ship by a method different than the one stated in the listing.  Perhaps this is a multi-person operation and the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.  Perhaps you've run into a seller who really doesn't understand anything about the GSP and, anticipating extra costs, elected to use the cheapest shipping method possible for the item's shipping leg to Kentucky.  At any rate, what's happened has happened.

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@blackranda2 wrote:

This is sure becoming a lot of extra work for me to track this purchase.

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Not trying to be rude, but why are you bothering?

You know that you don't have your item yet.  All this research into your item's tracking is just confirming that.

I used to be a tracking geek, but I eventually realized that tracking doesn't make my items arrive any faster, doesn't really tell me anything I don't already know, and isn't a particularly useful tool for determining when my item is going to arrive.  As others on this board say, tracking is more for the seller's benefit than the buyer's as it's supposed to be their line of defence against a fraudulent claim of non-receipt.

I generally allow two or three weeks for items to reach me on Vancouver Island, no matter where in the US they ship from, unless they're sent by a truly expedited shipping method.  I now only start looking into how the item's transit is progressing if it hasn't arrived by the time three weeks have elapsed.

For items that are truly time-sensitive, I usually order them from a brick and mortar retailer that gets regular shipments onto which my order can be piggybacked.

[blackranda2]

You are right. Why bother anymore. I have never had a package from the US take 3 weeks to get to me on Vancouver Island. They always arrive within 6 to 12 business days at the most even the ones sent by 1st Class Mail from Texas. I like tracking because I have found it to be reliable so I then know when to be home to receive the package. I know they will just leave it if no one is home unless it has to be signed for .I don't like the idea of it being left on my doorstep for anyone to take if so inclined. I really appreciate the effort you have put into this to help me. As you say enough is enough. Time for both of us to move on to better things to occupy our time. Thanks again.

[femmefan1946]

I know they will just leave it if no one is home unless it has to be signed for

Well, there is the human factor, but you can both speak to your carrier(s) and post a notice on your door telling the carrier that there is NO SAFE DROP.

In theory, that will remind the carrier that she should leave a Delivery Note and not the package itself.

Dealing with porch theft is a big deal for Canada Post and your local police. If and when it happens, both should be notified. Although it may not get your purchase back (and your loss would be a household insurance question, not eBay) your Report may help the authorities to find the culprits or the fence who is sending them out.

[mel26140]

I Can't find How & Why in 30 words or less. Tell me why I need it and provide a link to How and where I sign up.
A Central shipping is a good idea, but since Canada Post has central locations and they already deliver to ALL locations they should have a huge competitive advantage to provide a reasonable price to deliver all small packages. There's no point trying to buy a $25 item and then paying $25 s&H.

[femmefan1946]

How and Why for what?

The GSP?

It's a Seller Protection Program. Once delivered to GSP's Kentucky plant, the seller's responsibility ends.

but since Canada Post has central locations

The GSP has nothing to do with Canada Post.

It is a Seller Protection Program available to US and UK sellers only.

The distribution system is not 'central' is is a 'hub and spoke' system (with only one hub at the moment). Canada Post is also a hub and spoke system, which is why a letter mailed in Nanaimo goes to Richmond before being delivered to Victoria.

GSP uses Canada Post as one of their local sub-contracted delivery services. Others are CanPar and FedEx. Canada Post is the most usual one because it is very efficient, cheaper than couriers, and delivers everywhere.

There's no point trying to buy a $25 item and then paying $25 s&H.

Yes. 

If you Search on  List View and never on a phone, you will see GSP listings marked with the words:

Customs services and international tracking provided

And no.

The cost of delivery bears no relation to the cost of the item.

Parcel delivery is based on weight, dimensions and destination.

Sales tax and duty, which are part of the GSP import fees, are based on declared value.