Item not received, Global Shipping Program Tracking not updated

maousus
Community Member

I have not received an order I placed on Feb 4th, shipping from US to Canada using Global Shipping Program.

The last Tracking Update displayed on eBay "Purchased History" page is as follows:

 

Arrived at Global Shipping Center

Feb-08-17, 10:25 AM, ERLANGER, KY 41025

 

Today is March 1st, it has since been over 20 days without any movement and new Tracking Update information on eBay.

I still want the item. Any suggestion at this point would be much appreciated.

 

Thank you very much.

 

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Item not received, Global Shipping Program Tracking not updated

marnotom!
Community Member

It's probably not so much that your item hasn't moved from the Global Shipping Center in Kentucky so much as that's the last scan to have been successfully transmitted to eBay.

A big problem with the Global Shipping Program is that Pitney Bowes doesn't seem to communicate tracking info to eBay very well, particularly the leg between Kentucky and the Canadian receiving hub.

 

If you've received a Pitney Bowes "UPAA" prefixed tracking code, see if it works on this site:

https://parceltracking.pb.com

If you get nowhere with that, call Pitney Bowes customer service (they're apparently very nice to deal with) and see if you can find out more from them.  A few numbers have been posted to this discussion board.  Here's a link to one possibility:

http://futilefiles.com/blog/?p=528

Having said all that, when all is said and done what you'll likely get is confirmation that you haven't received your item yet, which you already know.  It doesn't matter where it is right now, the main thing is that you have yet to receive it.

That is, unless it turns out that your item is one that doesn't qualify for the Global Shipping Program and it hasn't been shipped out to you as a result.

Message 2 of 37
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Item not received, Global Shipping Program Tracking not updated

Can you contact the seller and ask them to initiate a trace? 

Message 3 of 37
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Item not received, Global Shipping Program Tracking not updated

There is nothing the seller could do. The item arrived at the GSP hub, no original carrier could trace it beyond that point.

Message 4 of 37
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Item not received, Global Shipping Program Tracking not updated

Thank you very much for help providing such info. What's very strange is the last Tracking Update only showed "Arrived at Global Shipping Center" on Feb 8 - for all my other successful purchases on eBay, they all moved across following stages very fast in the next few days with proper Tracking Updates:

 

  1. Arrived at Global Shipping Center
  2. Processing at Global Shipping Center
  3. Customs Documentation and Labeling
  4. Shipped from the Global Shipping Center to International Destination

So for this shipment to be stuck at stage 1 for over 20 days, makes one wonder if it had encountered some problem at the center, and the center failed to communicate back to either the Seller or Buyer in this case.

 

The estimated Delivery Day for this shipment has long past by 10 days too (Feb 14 - Feb 20).

 

I have since tried contacting Pitney Bowes customer service regarding GSP issues both using the email and phone number you help provided, to no response yet (phone cuts to voice mail). I plan to continue to try tomorrow.

 

 

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Item not received, Global Shipping Program Tracking not updated


@maousus wrote:

 

I have since tried contacting Pitney Bowes customer service regarding GSP issues both using the email and phone number you help provided, to no response yet (phone cuts to voice mail). I plan to continue to try tomorrow.

 


Well, seeing as it's past 11:00 pm Mountain Time, that could be why you got sent to voice mail.

Message 6 of 37
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Item not received, Global Shipping Program Tracking not updated

I meant all afternoon between 2pm to 6pm. Again thanks for the info and I will attempt to contact them again even earlier tomorrow.

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Item not received, Global Shipping Program Tracking not updated

marnotom!
Community Member
There are other telephone numbers that have been mentioned on this discussion board. If you want a couple more to try, let us know and someone can try scrounging them up.
Message 8 of 37
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Item not received, Global Shipping Program Tracking not updated

Yes I would definitely like to get in touch with the Global Shipping Center on this case, one way or another.

 

I am determined to track down this package as it has many rare items I worked hard to have the opportunity to get, certainly I would appreciate any help on getting closer to what happened to this shipment.

 

Best regards.

Message 9 of 37
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Item not received, Global Shipping Program Tracking not updated

What specifically is in the shipment? It may be that it contains items that cannot be imported into Canada, and that's the reason it stalled at the GSP hub. Normally, however, there would be some kind of communication with you if that were the case.
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Item not received, Global Shipping Program Tracking not updated


@maousus wrote:


Yes I would definitely like to get in touch with the Global Shipping Center on this case, one way or another.

 

I am determined to track down this package as it has many rare items I worked hard to have the opportunity to get, certainly I would appreciate any help on getting closer to what happened to this shipment.

 


It took a bit of digging, but I found a reference to a Pitney Bowes customer service line that appeared to yield some results at the time of the post:

1 (888) 727-0781

For what it's worth, I agree with MJ that the nature of the shipment may have caused some problems.  The fact that your items may have been considered "rare" is worrisome as the Global Shipping Center sometimes gets a bit squicky about antiquities.

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Item not received, Global Shipping Program Tracking not updated

 

Occasionally, well into the process if all else fails, calling GSP CS “might” make sense now and then.  It would yield results even less frequently.

 

As standard practice for a receiver/buyer to call GSP Customer Service to trace late or lost items seems counterproductive at best. In addition to ensuring that items arrive are buyers also responsible for ensuring that items are as described and without damage?

 

If buyers start calling GSP CS to trace late or lost items there would be chaos and that process would also open the doors to cases of potential fraud.

Virtually every GSP item has wonky tracking and also takes an excricitatinlgy long time to arrive. If buyers were invited to call GSP, their  CS reps would be inundated with unwanted and unwelcome calls.

 

What makes sense is for buyers to give sellers the head’s up when items are late and for sellers to assist buyers.

If that doesn’t work then a PP case should follow.

 

PP will refund if the item doesn’t arrive in a timely fashion and if the item does arrive at a later date, buyers can always re-pay sellers if they choose to do so.

 

Calling GSP CS adds nothing to the process.

 

Message 12 of 37
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Item not received, Global Shipping Program Tracking not updated


@sylviebee wrote:

 

Occasionally, well into the process if all else fails, calling GSP CS “might” make sense now and then.  It would yield results even less frequently.

 


What do you mean by that second sentence?

 

Consider:

 

  • the seller is no longer responsible for the item once it reaches the Global Shipping Center in Kentucky - Pitney Bowes / the GSP is
  • Pitney Bowes was paid by the buyer, not the seller,  to forward the item from Kentucky to its Canadian destination
  • eBay customer service reps aren't empowered to or even educated on how to make adequate judgement calls on GSP matters

Since Pitney Bowes takes over responsibility for the item from the seller and eBay encourages buyers to get in touch with the seller first in the event of a problem, it makes perfect sense for Pitney Bowes to be the first party to contact in the event of a problem with a GSP transaction.

Message 13 of 37
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Item not received, Global Shipping Program Tracking not updated

Except for the fact that's not how an Item Not Received case framework has been established. The procedure for a buyer is NOT to contact Pitney Bowes directly. Ever.
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Item not received, Global Shipping Program Tracking not updated


@mjwl2006 wrote:
Except for the fact that's not how an Item Not Received case framework has been established. The procedure for a buyer is NOT to contact Pitney Bowes directly. Ever.

Exactly.  I suggested that it might make sense to contact the GSP CSRs in extreme cases, but posting that was a mistake.

 

I was thinking about extremely rare items valued well into the thousands.  If an item like that was lost by the GSP I'd consider calling them if all else failed.

 

There's a reason that their contact information isn't readily available.

 

 

Message 15 of 37
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Item not received, Global Shipping Program Tracking not updated

I've advised taking the law into one's own hands from time to time as well. But it's the job of the seller to ensure safe delivery to the buyer. Even with a straight-forward mailing, it's the sender that has to open the trace ticket if an item goes missing en route. If anyone calls anywhere, it's the sender. For the buyer or receiver, it's merely an exercise in futility.

I'd advise the OP to open an Item Not Received case to get a search for this order going.
Message 16 of 37
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Item not received, Global Shipping Program Tracking not updated

Even with a straight-forward mailing, it's the sender that has to open the trace ticket if an item goes missing en route. If anyone calls anywhere, it's the sender. For the buyer or receiver, it's merely an exercise in futility.

 

This is not the case with GSP items. The seller can do nothing useful.

 

It is a good idea to start an item not received claim.

Message 17 of 37
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Item not received, Global Shipping Program Tracking not updated


@mjwl2006 wrote:

Except for the fact that's not how an Item Not Received case framework has been established. The procedure for a buyer is NOT to contact Pitney Bowes directly. Ever.


At this point, the buyer is not interested in filing an INR claim.  The buyer wants to know if there's still a chance that their order is going to reach them.

The seller isn't going to be able to help the buyer with that.

 

An eBay CSR isn't going to be able to help the buyer with that.

Who does that leave?

Message 18 of 37
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Item not received, Global Shipping Program Tracking not updated

The buyer has to follow the processes as they are outlined and established. For anyone to say otherwise on the grounds they have an opinion it won't 'help' is simply conjecture.
Message 19 of 37
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Item not received, Global Shipping Program Tracking not updated


@mjwl2006 wrote:

The buyer has to follow the processes as they are outlined and established. For anyone to say otherwise on the grounds they have an opinion it won't 'help' is simply conjecture.


The GSP has proven time again that the usual rules don't always apply, largely due to the fact that it relieves the seller of much of the responsibility of an item's safe passage to the buyer.

Since the buyer does not want to pursue a refund at this point and wants to know if there's still a chance that their item will reach them, the buyer needs to get in touch with the party responsible for this.  Nobody else has this information.  This isn't conjecture.

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