eBay

vintage.toychest · ‎06-16-2020

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.

pjcdn2005 · ‎08-22-2020

If your packages were delayed in Erlanger, that shouldn't be because of the USPS problems as the gsp doesn't use USPS. The seller may use it for the first leg but the gsp uses other carriers.

noguffay0117 · ‎08-22-2020

Are you sure? Doesn't PB have to use the USPS to get it to the border, from Erlanger? They don't have their own fleet, do they? What would they possibly use? They have any number of parcels ready for shipment from the GSC to the border, they wouldn't wait for a massive container to build-up before shipping to the border? And then from there, it's Canada Post. I would think the USPS would be the cheapest option for them. Where's the tracking info once it leaves Erlanger? I haven't gotten one tracking number yet for four parcels still last scanned in Erlanger, and one now is approaching 20 days

noguffay0117 · ‎08-22-2020

Wow! I finally just proved something to myself and inadvertently to us all.

I just plugged the UPAAD000000 number into the USPS Tracking site, guess what?

pjcdn2005 · ‎08-22-2020

Yes, I'm sure. They send large quantities at one time using various freight companies and deliver it to the gsp processing center in that particular country. It's possible that they use some couriers too.

pjcdn2005 · ‎08-22-2020

I'm actually surprised that usps acknowledges the gsp tracking but I think that just proves that the UA number associated with the gsp is connected to the USPS tracking number that the seller gets when they send the package to Erlanger.

noguffay0117 · ‎08-22-2020

@pjcdn2005 wrote:
I'm actually surprised that usps acknowledges the gsp tracking but I think that just proves that the UA number associated with the gsp is connected to the USPS tracking number that the seller gets when they send the package to Erlanger.

No, they used FedEx, so that doesn't jive.

pjcdn2005 · ‎08-22-2020

@noguffay0117 wrote:
@pjcdn2005 wrote:
I'm actually surprised that usps acknowledges the gsp tracking but I think that just proves that the UA number associated with the gsp is connected to the USPS tracking number that the seller gets when they send the package to Erlanger.

No, they used FedEx, so that doesn't jive.

Ok, but I still say that they don't use USPS. I suppose it is possible that they just started using it but I really doubt it I have no idea why you get that information when enter the UA number on the USPS site but since there is no tracking info on your screenshot I don't think it really proves anything at this point.

When you enter that tracking on the PB site, what information does it give you?

http://https://parceltracker.pb.co

noguffay0117 · ‎08-22-2020

It gives the usual, last scanned, as arrived at the center. That's it. Which would indicate to me, that the item is stuck between received and handed over to USPS, which probably means is stuck in customs. Actually, I'm not sure about that, would they do customs clearance at the US Kentucky GSC, possibly?

marnotom! · ‎08-22-2020

Yes, items are pre-cleared for customs purposes in Erlanger. They still have to pass through customs in Canada, of course, but the process is faster than it would be if pre-clearance wasn’t done.

lea-too · ‎08-24-2020

I'm not too happy to read these comments. I have a parcel stuck in Erlanger as well. Granted it has only been a few days, but my experience with tracking parcels is that they at least provide infi as to why there is a delay. It would seem like this postal facility is a problem that apparently no one is addressing.

I don't buy much on eBay, but packages from China have no problem arriving. If this is a regular issue, I'll remember not to order from the U. S. again. Hopefully this one will arrive.

reallynicestamps · ‎08-25-2020

@lea-too

Erlanger is not a postal facility.

It is the processing centre for the Global Shipping Program, which is a Seller Protection program set up to encourage US sellers, a provincial, paranoid, and xenophobic bunch, to sell internationally. It is a freight consolidator and forwarder.

It ships to about 70 countries from Erlanger. Canada is one.

The program is not a good fit for Canadian buyers and even worse if the purchase is low cost/ under $100.

This may improve with the new NAFTA that increased our duty-free allowance from $20 to $150, but we still will be paying sales taxes on imports with values over $40, which is going to confuse lots of people.

The biggest problem is that every shipping service was caught off guard by the pandemic surge in online buying. Even AZ which publicizes next day delivery was saying they could not guarantee delivery in less than 30 days for a while there.

It's getting better.

But the USA has horrible COVID infection numbers which affects the numbers of workers not only in plants, but also truck drivers and customs officers. Then the drop in passenger flights also makes shipping slower since most flights carry at least some cargo or mail.

Look at the last date eBay gave you for delivery. Mark it on your calendar.

If it passes without delivery, open an Item Not Received Dispute in the Resolution Centre at the bottom of this page.

jdj53 · ‎08-25-2020

My suggestion is to take a holiday from using GSP, or even buying from the US. At the moment the USPS is in turmoil and chaos with this idiot CEO they brought in. Makes sleeping at night a whole lot better. Just my opinion of course.

noguffay0117 · ‎08-25-2020

"a provincial, paranoid, and xenophobic bunch,"

OK, that's funny and also very specific. lol How did you come to such a refined description? lol

noguffay0117 · ‎08-25-2020

"Look at the last date eBay gave you for delivery. Mark it on your calendar.
If it passes without delivery, open an Item Not Received dispute in the Resolution Centre at the bottom of this page."

Most buyers are not interested in refunds, and more interested in "information" about the status of their shipment. They are interested in getting their shipments. They are only buying from eBay, and furthermore, from a foreign country, because that's all that's available. So it's rare, or hard to find...etc. Shipping it again might not be an option if that was the last one, and now it's missing.

The real solution to all this is for eBay/PB to get a handle on the whereabouts of items within the Erlanger facility and give updates to the sellers/buys of any issues. That's what we really want.

marnotom! · ‎08-26-2020

How would knowing the whereabouts of your item in a Walmart-sized facility make any difference to your receiving your item? Buyers want to receive their items in the condition stated in the listing within the timeframe stated in the listing. The only delivery confirmation that matters is having the item in their hands.

We’ve been brainwashed into believing that tracking information benefits buyers somehow.

lea-too · ‎09-11-2020

Thanks for your help. I will check shipping details before buying anything again from the U.S. Hopefully I will at least get my money back.

lea-too · ‎09-11-2020

Thanks, I am trying not to fret over it, but I'd like to get my money back. This is the first time in over 20 years I have ever had a problem buying things online. Even things coming from China move faster and have better tracking. If they can't ship to Canada, they shouldn't accept the business. I could have driven to Erlanger and back about 20 times by now..

nowaygloria · ‎09-11-2020

I ordered an electronics component using GSP (from USA to Canada). According to EBay tracking it arrived in Erlanger within a couple days and has been sitting there ever since with no updates. It's now been 9 days. Haven't reached the estimated delivery date yet but it's not going to make it if it just keeps sitting there.

Next time going to negotiate with the seller to use USPS instead or try to find on Amazon or elsewhere. This will be a Pitney-Bowes delivery if it ever moves from Erlanger and no updates on their web site either.

No more GSP or Pitney-Bowes for me!

marnotom! · ‎09-11-2020

@nowaygloria wrote:

Next time going to negotiate with the seller to use USPS instead or try to find on Amazon or elsewhere. This will be a Pitney-Bowes delivery if it ever moves from Erlanger and no updates on their web site either.

No more GSP or Pitney-Bowes for me!

The official news is that things aren't much better with USPS at the moment, although they are improving:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/postal-delivery-delays-trouble-e-commerce-sellers-11597869212

For what it's worth, earlier this summer my wife ordered some small items from the United States that were mailed in two cheque envelopes without customs forms. They arrived a few days apart from each other, but it took just over a month to reach us on Vancouver Island.

I find that the GSP catches a lot of flack for things that aren't really it's own making. I don't think it can be faulted for people going on online buying sprees after the world went sideways in mid-March, for example.