Item is stuck in Erlanger KY.

[vintage.toychest]

I live in Canada and purchased a BGS 10 Population 1 pokemon card and a Supreme Zippo lighter on eBay, both items very valuable. Both got to Erlanger and were never again updated. I tried using other tracking apps and they just get there and disappear. Got great deals on both late at night, this is why a refund seems like half the issue. I would like to know why items get there and then vanish. Quite often, we are spending lots of time to win these auctions... are they being stolen? If so, someone should probably look into who is doing it. Keeps being the rarest items ironically. 

[ypdc_dennis]

How long have they been stuck at the GSP center?

Have you tried: https://parceltracking.pb.com/

[lady.stark]

A Zippo lighter is probably prohibited.... unless it's empty. You should check the prohibited items of the GSP.

As for the Pokemon card... when did it arrive in Kentucky?

[pferlow]

My motorcycle chain and sprockets has sat in someone‘s lazy lap in Erlanger for 27 days. Get ready for 1st class garbage service. PLEASE eBay can you add a filter in the search for sellers NOT using GSP?????

[15westcoast]

There have been so many posts on here about the flaws of the

Global Shipping Program and the fact it is not good for buyers 

out of the USA.  I am surprised that Canadians are still buying from

sellers that are on the program.  It is a very flawed program.  Items

take much longer to arrive and sometimes are lost in transit after

being shipped out of Erlanger.  The GSP have many restrictions and

if your item is on their list it will not be shipped.  Yes, you can get a

refund, sometimes with difficulty.  Best to contact the seller and see if

he will post by regular mail with tracking.  The item will arrive much sooner

and not be subject to the many problems associated with the GSP.  I no longer

will purchase any item that is being sent by the GSP after having numerous problems.

[reallynicestamps]

What is the estimated last date for delivery ?

Mark that on your calendar.

If your item has not arrived by then, open an Item Not Received dispute in the Resolution Centre at the bottom of this page.

State in the Dispute that shipping was handled by the GSP.

GSP is pretty good about refunds. And should the refunded item show up later, they don't want it back.

It would be polite to inform the seller, who acted in good faith, although using the GSP is something done by more paranoid sellers, so there is that.

The seller did his job by getting the product to Erlanger. But he may want to rethink his business plan where the GSP is involved.

[retroman_studios]

Because of the lack of proper communication on eBays part, most of these buyers don't know they have purchased from GSP.

So it's basically a trap, new users who are inexperienced and don't know to check links and read "terms and condition" links before buying no matter how small or vague, often get stuck in a rather fishy situation, and good news is the smart ones post here and we help them. I shudder to think how many people have let technical glitches or scammy sellers defraud them of hard earned money. Sadly the stats just don't exist.

[home-health-systems]

---

@vintage.toychest wrote:

I live in Canada and purchased a BGS 10 Population 1 pokemon card and a Supreme Zippo lighter on eBay, both items very valuable. Both got to Erlanger and were never again updated. I tried using other tracking apps and they just get there and disappear. Got great deals on both late at night, this is why a refund seems like half the issue. I would like to know why items get there and then vanish. Quite often, we are spending lots of time to win these auctions... are they being stolen? If so, someone should probably look into who is doing it. Keeps being the rarest items ironically. 

---

There are lots of reports of things sitting in Kentucky for long periods of time. I'm waiting on something that has been sitting there since June 12. There's no tracking update after that (and it hasn't made it to my post office either).

[briannkaple0]

Are these just reports of delays or are parcels actually getting lost? I have a few items that have been sitting on "customs cleared" for 3-4 days now.

[jdj53]

I think it’s mostly just backups and volume in Erlanger. I had one package sit in Customs Documentation and Labeling for almost a week. Probably extra large volumes plus possibly short staff due to Covid. It eventually seems to show up but can be a week or two late.

[reallynicestamps]

https://www.lex18.com/news/coronavirus/kentucky-up-to-14-141-cases-of-covid-19-537-deaths

[home-health-systems]

---

@briannkaple0 wrote:
Are these just reports of delays or are parcels actually getting lost? I have a few items that have been sitting on "customs cleared" for 3-4 days now.

---

My package has been showing "customs cleared" for almost two weeks now (since June 12).

Looks like there are significant delays.

I read the posts here about Canada Post and fortunately I don't have the same experiences with that, but most of my shipments are fairly local and not traveling across country.

[retroman_studios]

I will add to this (I posted another thread a while ago).

When I purchased a GSP item, I got notification that a label had been created (when eBays tracking tells you to check carrier website for tracking) and when you check on Canada Post website if that's the carrier they use, it will tell you where the label was submitted. For example, my package was marked as created in RICHMOND, B.C. on the Canada Post website.

I assume a truck must have transported a bunch of parcels out this way.

For other areas I understand that other carriers may be used so the situation probably is different.

Also, I'm not sure if this applies, but in many freight forwarding situations, a cargo ship/truck rarely leaves without being full or they lose money, so I'm wondering if Pitney Bowes is stalling some shipments to bulk up the trucks a bit? With Covid 19 I'm sure spending is reduced, so PBI might be having to adjust how it deals with reduced levels of packages.

[andyandted]

The GSP program right now seems to be haphazard, meaning you may or may not get your purchase. I ordered two items from the USA. One item was a legal sporting knife, unavailable in Canada, so I had to use the USA. Second item was pants, with the same results. Both orders were unfulfilled by Pitney Bowes. Very frustrating to say the least. Both sat in Erlanger for quite some time, till notifying me.

[clemowbooks]

With Covid 19 I'm sure spending is reduced,

If anything online sales are up, as is shipping. Canada Post has been saying they are working with three to six times Christmas shipping levels, with a reduced staff due to CONVID sick leave.

The problem is more likely the opposite, that PB/GSP is unable to hire enough trucks to transport their piling up shipments.

[xtreme4x4parts]

I hope ebay is making a fortune off this fraud shipping program because they're going to need this extra revenue when everyone switches to amazon. I can't cross the border to my shipping location thru kinek so I'm doomed to use GSP. Why? because 90% of the sellers on here use it now! 10 days and counting stuck in their warehouse.  I've had it, I'm gonna start leaving negative feedback every time this happens and maybe sellers will take the hint.

BTW, I specifically asked this seller to please not to use the service but he flat out refused.  Before u say I should have went elsewhere, like I said it seems everyone is using this scam now and the item is rather rare. Ebay and paypal has been going downhill so fast the last couple years!

[marnotom!]

Until you're able to pick up your items from the United States again, is there nobody you know in the States you can have your items shipped to and forwarded to you from there?

[donkeykongvsbowser_7]

Not sure what I should say to OP but I suspect my own orders are in KY too. Are they super busy?

[marnotom!]

---

@donkeykongvsbowser_7 wrote:

Not sure what I should say to OP but I suspect my own orders are in KY too. Are they super busy?

---

Given that a hundred or so countries' worth of goods goes to the Global Shipping Center in Kentucky and that the volume of parcels being transported has increased considerably since mid-March, I'd say, yes, they're super busy in Kentucky.  They're also super busy in Canada.

https://www.ecommercebytes.com/2020/06/06/tracking-ebays-international-shipping-programs/

https://www.citynews1130.com/2020/06/25/customers-seeing-long-delays-at-canada-post-as-packages-stac...

I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of GSP-forwarded items that show a last scan in Kentucky have actually made it to Canada and they're waiting to be scanned and processed here.

[jdj53]

I’ve had one item sit in Erlanger for a week in Customs documentation & labeling. Now it’s been sitting in Mississauga for a week. Take your pick, all the postal services are **bleep** at the moment. Only thing to do is wait, 99% will eventually arrive.