Global Shipping Program

[15westcoast]

Do US sellers realize that the Global Shipping Program charges out of

the country buyers (Canada) a very high fee that is a total rip off and goes

directly to Pitney Bowes ?  There are no import duties as they claim this

fee covers.  I don't know if this fee shows on their original listing in the US

but it does on the Canadian listing.  Also,  I ordered an item from California

that has taken 8 days to reach The Global Shipping Depot and it has been

another ten days and still not arrived in Canada.  I have ordered from California

before with regular shipping and have had the item in 6 days.  Anyways, I intend not

to order from any sellers on the Global Shipping Program in future and now join many of the

other Ebayers I know who will not order from the GSP.

[retroman_studios]

Yes and no. And for many they have no desire to ship out of the US.

To slightly correct you, Pitney Bowes does get a payment, but a certian portion does go to CBSA as taxes etc.

Companies like Pitney Bowes MUST collect all taxes and duties if any, they don't have a choice, just like UPS, FedEx etc.

[momcqueen]

"There are no import duties as they claim this

fee covers."

What do you mean? What did you buy? The item number, please.

[reallynicestamps]

It doesn't matter where you bought the thing.

Duty is based on where it was made.

Most of the import charges cover Canadian sales taxes.

PB/GSP service fee is ~$5USD (~$6.25Cdn).

from California that has taken 8 days to reach The Global Shipping Depot

Was the seller shipping by USPS or by courier?  GSP only takes over once they receive the item.

In my 35 years in mail order, it has taken 21 days on average for shipments from the US to arrive. And the opposite-- it takes about three weeks on average for shipments from Canada to arrive in the USA.

This is over thousands of shipments bulky, fitting in an envelope, cheap, valued in the thousands, tracked, dutiable, letterpost.
Most things arrive sooner, which is a pleasant surprise, but 30 days is not unusual either.

What does the tracking reveal about the last location of your item?

[retroman_studios]

https://pages.ebay.com/shipping/globalshipping/buyer-tnc.html

Have a look there, that page covers the details of the GSP. Note specifically it states that:

"

1. Pitney Bowes' Role as Your Forwarding Agent. By purchasing the GSP Item and consenting to these Terms, you authorize Pitney Bowes to act as your agent for the shipment and delivery of the GSP Item. As your appointed forwarding agent, Pitney Bowes will: (A) make export classifications and complete export filings, including but not limited to, preparing and transmitting any Electronic Export Information or other documents or records required to be filed by the US Census Bureau, US Customs and Border Protection, Bureau of Industry and Security, and/or any other US government agency, (B) arrange for the importation of the GSP Item, including, but not limited to, assigning Harmonized System classification codes to each GSP Item and filing a completed customs entry and related documents with the customs authorities of the country into which the GSP Item is being imported, (C) account for and pay the assessed import duties and other taxes due upon importation of the GSP Item, each on your behalf, (D) manage any dispute with such authorities regarding customs classifications, applicable duties and/or taxes, and (E) perform any other act that may be required by law or regulation in connection with the exportation, importation and/or transportation of any GSP Item purchased by you for shipment out of the United States and into any other country. The making of export classifications and assigning Harmonized System classification codes requires expertise. You will defer to the expertise of Pitney Bowes in performing this task and will not question the export classifications made by Pitney Bowes on your behalf or the Harmonized System classification codes so assigned by Pitney Bowes."

Clearly mentioned in the TOS is duties and taxes. Also, when you are purchasing an item with GSP, on the desktop (computer) browsers it will have a small blurb that you are purchasing an item with GSP and that the GSP terms apply, with a hyperlink to those terms. 

Also, because you are granting PBI to act on your behalf and assigning Power Of Attorney, if PBI decides that a product your are importing is classified as a high taxed/dutiable item, then that will explain the extra charges. Of course, it is up to the seller to accurately describe the item.