Pitney Bowes SCAM

[easyco69]

 This company makes mail machines with software & allows users to create their own mailing rates (custom) ... which leads to mail fraud.  This is evident in the outrageous mailing charges. I am not sure about illegal tax collection but wouldn't doubt it. Illegal tax collection was around before Pitney Bowes was it not? Combine this with the so called global shipping program then you have your answer.

I do not buy from any USA seller using the global program. In fact I buy from Canada (home),Ukraine,Europe ,Australia,UK,France,China,Japan or Russia.

I do know there is a problem with outrageous shipping rates .

Beware.

Don't be a victim .

[marnotom!]

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@paktaolo wrote:

Pitney Bowes Import charges has nothing to do with duty (read the fine print). In fact, I believe the sales tax  is on their services, not the ebay items.

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If by the "fine print" you're referring to the Global Shipping Program's Terms and Conditions for buyers, you actually have to go off the page to find out what goes into the import charges.

From https://pages.ebay.ca/help/buy/shipping-globally.html#checkout :

Import charges for items purchased through the Global Shipping Program include certain fees charged by the global shipping provider.

Import charges include:

• Sales, goods and services

• Value added taxes

• Duties

• Tariffs

• Excise taxes

• Other amounts assessed or levied by any government authority in connection with the importation of goods into the applicable country of importation

• Third party brokerage fees (including advancement and disbursement charges and customs brokers handling and filing fees

• Penalties

• Classification charges associated with the assignment of a Harmonized System ("HS") classification code

• Charges for export compliance screening and verification and the assignment of an Export Control Classification Number (ECCN)

• Charges relating to the management of variances between the quoted import charges and actual costs.

Import charges don't include:

• Income taxes

• Commodity taxes

• Any customs duties, taxes, surcharges, fines, penalties, or other charges which may be imposed on you by customs or tax officials after an item purchased through the Global Shipping Program has successfully cleared customs and been delivered to, or made available for pickup at, the delivery address that you specify

Wordy, but pretty straightforward.

In addition, there's this clause in the terms and conditions referred to earlier:

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) pay the assessed import duties and other taxes due upon importation of the GSP Item, each on your behalf

I doubt Pitney Bowes is paying taxes and duties out of the good of its corporate heart.  They have to be repaid as part of the "import charges". 

Keep in mind that in provinces where GST and PST are charged, the GSP only adds the equivalent of the GST to the import charges.  Maybe this is what's throwing off your calculations.

[ypdc_dennis]

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@paktaolo wrote:

As far as I know (may be ebay changed it), sellers cannot bypass it after they list the item under GSP. Sellers can only relist the item.

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Sellers can modify the listing before it is bought. They can remove Canada from the GSP and add a shipping method for Canada.

www.ebay.com/help/global-shipping-program/default/global-shipping-program?id=4646

[paktaolo]

Do you read my posts? I was saying when the Import charges is small, something like less $10.  When the import charges was $60 usd, of course it included duties. 

[paktaolo]

I asked a seller before, and he said that he could not change it after he listed the item. I am not a seller.

[marnotom!]

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@paktaolo wrote:

Pitney Bowes Import charges has nothing to do with duty (read the fine print). In fact, I believe the sales tax  is on their services, not the ebay items.

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This is the post that set the tone for your discussion on this. 

[momcqueen]

“Do you read my posts? I was saying when the Import charges is small, something like less $10. When the import charges was $60 usd, of course it included duties.”

Can you try that again? I cannot understand you or what it is that you are saying. When ‘what’ is small? Is any of this about an actual transaction that YOU have had experience with? If so, please give the item number. Or cite the specifics of your problematic transaction.

In the other post on this topic to which you’re actively contributing now, you speak of a ‘metaphor’ to which none of us know what you’re referring.

[rjmassaro]

This is a revenue grab between eBay and Pitney Bowes.  eBay is just as quilt and in on it.

eBay...want to talk about Customer Experience. Lets start with the add unpredictable  cost targeted to Canadians with this model. Items shipped to Canada do not all get charged customs and duties.  Especially used items.  Canada Post will only charged when the regulations state so....which is fair and transparent.  eBay/Pitney ALWAYS CHARGE and HIGHER.

How about the extended delivery time. Item gets shipped to Kentucky before making its way to Canada.     I pay for priority International  air mail fee and get pony express tour of the US.

How about the ebay message telling the seller to ignore the PayPal address and ship to Pitney.

How about the fact that smart sellers that avoid and decline  this option are able to ship items into Canada with no problems....and the Canadian buyer are HAPPY

This is a elaborate revenue grab cooked up by eBay and Pitney.

As of this point, I will refuse to bid or buy any item that  has GSP.  I don't like the EXPERIENCE.

If others feel this way let eBay know.   Maybe CLIENT EXPERIENCE has a place in their Values. 

[momcqueen]

Used goods are not ever exempt from sales tax; this is a common misbelief. Legally, at this moment, sales tax (and a handling fee) are due on most items above the $20 CAD de minimus by mail. Just because you didn’t get dinged in the past, doesn’t mean you are entitled to never pay what the Government of Canada is allowed to collect.

Shop from Canadian sellers instead; they’ve pre-paid import fees when acquiring the merchandise for sale.

[momcqueen]

Also, the USA or UK sellers using GSP did NOT have shipping outside USA or UK enabled which is the main reason they were opted into the program. An individual seller may be coerced into direct-shipping but just as many will not. Without GSP being enabled, international buyers wouldn’t see those items at all. It’s to the detriment of buyers if GSP didn’t exist.

I’m no lover of GSP and as such rarely use it but misconceptions and untruths can’t be allowed to stand uncorrected.

[johnm7902]

That is absolute hogwash  when I  buy a $9.99 bicycle tire and it in the ends cost me $33. at the door that  is highway robbery .

[ypdc_dennis]

ZOMBIE thread

[marnotom!]

"When I buy a $9.99 bicycle tire and it in the ends cost me $33. at the door that is highway robbery ."

@johnm7902
A GSP shipment won't see you paying anything "at the door" if the seller has dealt with it properly.

[johnm7902]

I  am saying through paypal  I had 2 charges one from the seller and one from Pitney Bowes  in Canada . A $9.99 tire cost me $ 33 . I do not know how much customs will add on at the border yet. If this isn't a ripoff In the original mailing costs Global Shipping  also got a piece of me.

[femmefan1946]

So you paid $9.99US (~$12.50Cdn) for your tire?

The seller shipped it to Kentucky. You should see the shipping charge on the listing.

A tire is pretty bulky so it could be relatively expensive to ship even domestically (within the USA)

You can use this to see how accurate the seller was in his calculation.

https://postcalc.usps.com/Calculator/Index

In KY, the GSP assesses the tire for duty, there shouldn't be any nor would there be any Canadian sales taxes, when  import is not of high enough value to attract duty.

But GSP is still going to be doing some paperwork (that is outlined earlier in this ZOMBiE thread) and transporting the tire to Canada and subcontracting it to a Canadian carrier (usually Canada Post). 

The service charge is not public knowledge,  but over the past five years there seems to be a concensus that that charge is about $5 US ($6.25Cdn). 

That amount should be on your invoice from eBay. It was probably also on the original listing.

For comparison, you could look at the cost of USPS First Class Packet International which some sellers use because it has Confirmation of Delivery.

https://postcalc.usps.com/?country=10440

If they can find it. USPS kinda hides this service favouring more pricey Priority services.

By the way, "priority" is pretty well meaningless outside of the specific shipper who uses it. Canada Posts Priority Post service is super fast, super secure, and super expensive. USPS "Priority" is roughly equivalent to our "ExpressPost".

[tyler@ebay]

Hi everyone,

Due to the length of time that has passed since this thread began I have locked it from future replies. If this is still an issue that warrants discussion, don't hesitate to begin a new thread!