Questions about the Global Shipping Program

[kalvin@ebay.com]

Do you have questions about the Global Shipping Program? Please post here & I'll do my best to track those answers down for you!

If you have any comments about the program, use this forum instead.

Thanks,

[00nevermind00]

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@arlene_v wrote:

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The fact that a buyer has to now waste all this time and effort to sort out this mess is quite absurd.  I put myself in this situation and begin to feel my blood pressure rise ... this is a busy time of year and to have to waste it on this kind of nonsense, printing out invoices and claiming back tax, phoning reps and waiting for call backs .... doesn't help one little bit.

All Maxum wanted to do was buy an item and get it, fer Pete's sake,  with the guarantee that the GSP was going to make life easier, not more complicated.

eBay has to come up with a way of dealing with this that makes their guarantee worth something because this is false advertising.

 

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I agree with this 200%. Ebay is supposed to be so focused on the buyer's experience (to the detriment of sellers), yet this seemingly doesn't apply to the buyers purchasing from their GSP sellers, who are often left twisting in the wind when something goes wrong.

Maxum, if you have the time and are not totally and completely disgusted, I would also email katherine_hfrgsp and give her the blow-by-blow of your GSP experience. Ebay needs to know that this stuff is happening. They need to know that buyers are often left to figure out what to do and how to recoup significant amounts of money when things go wrong. They need to know that many sellers lack education on how to properly use the GSP. And they need to do something about this problem.

[mollymaddy]

I will not purchase from a seller that is using the global shipping program. If the item is something I really want I will contact them and ask if they will ship First Class International. Every single one has.

[altenhe]

GSP stinks.  I will never use it.  It is a rip off of biblical proportions.

[allangpprr]

I recently won an item and the shipping a month ago was calculated on the postal code to Canada at $33.20 . I subsequently bought an identical item from another vendor ( same Central state) and the "priority mail international" was close to $80. there is some **bleep** therein re "Pitney Bowes'.

But the plot thickens.. as the original vendor re-listed an identical item and now the shipping is $122!  what is going on? I am completely dissatisfied by these outrageous shipping costs to Canada and as a member ( both seller and buyer) for many years I am having second thoughts! Incidentally on another note toys and vintage vehicle parts (my usual purchases) are exempt form duties and import taxes. ... so who is getting rich here?

Allan

[allangpprr]

my experience recently is that some sellers will not take visa or send items any other way than the GSP! in the past I would do the same and have items shipped at a reasonable cost by speaking with the vendor. but not now!

what a load of do do! cheers

Allan

[afantiques]

Incidentally on another note toys and vintage vehicle parts (my usual purchases) are exempt form duties and import taxes. ... so who is getting rich here?

No such exemption exists. The Canadian government is the main beneficiary, since it is getting tax that is simply ignored on many postal items.

If sellers do not specify weight and size of GSP items, a default value for  the shipping is applied. This is an average value for the category, so in motor parts it is likely to be a lot heavier than a gasket, for example, would merit.

The problem is the ignorance of the seller, and the stupidity of the programming  that allows listings without size and weight being specified.

[ca_cunn]

You offer apologies for costs that are added for no reason other than a system your company created? That is very insulting! The entire GSP program must be scrapped, it is a patent money grab and has no use or benefit to Canadian buyers.   Your sellers in the USA have lost all my business until this rip is fixed!   Sadly I doubt EVILBAY give the north end of a south bound rat about Canada.  We are profitable, just not profitable enough, sheer, unmitigated greed carried to the ultimate power.  Shame on EVILBAY and the money changers in charge!

[jackjd2005]

I have the same problem item shipped ended up in Etobicoke Ontario - Canada -In transit -exception Held

at Terminal. Ebay has advise me the items will not be delivered or returned to the seller -nobody can tell me why.

This will be the last time I will accept Global shipping. I shall advise the seller that if Global is used I will

 request a refund and shall only use USPS in the future. I do not know why Ebay and Pay Pal accept this mess.

 I am now in the process of processing a refund -what a mess.

[afantiques]

 I am now in the process of processing a refund -what a mess.

Your refund should be automatic, no 'processing' needed.

What was the item?

It should be quite clear before you buy that the GSP is involved

[rkr83]

Are you Canadian Kalvin?

[pocomocomputing]

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@rkr83 wrote:
Are you Canadian Kalvin?

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Kalvin is no longer at eBay Canada and the eBay id is no longer actively posting since the original post over a year ago.

[bn880]

Yeah letting sellers know that you wont bid due to the GSP and how to opt out of it makes the most sense.

[tinman-row]

I had a global shipping item in my watch list with shipping of about $14us, It was an auction or buy-it-now. I bid in the last minute and won. After winning i noticed the shipping had increase to $18.33us. How can the shipping price increase? After I won, in my purchase history it still showed the shipping of just over $14us, however when paying for the item they charged $18.33us. Now in my purchase history it shows shipping as $18.33. I then did a search of sold items "Sterling Silver Dog Pin Brooch Canine" and it shows shipping as $16.80can. I am confused and feel like I overpaid for shipping.

[pierrelebel]

What was your final (winning) bid?  Under Cdn$ 20.00?

[tinman-row]

My winning bid was $15.95us or about $18.80can. The item had a opening bid of $15.95us or buy-it-now for $49.95us.

[pierrelebel]

OK - That is a regular occurrence. 

If you recall, at the time you placed your bid, the listing would show

Shipping $x.xx

Import charges $x.xx  (those charges were based at that time of the Cdn$ value of the Buy-it-Now (over Cdn$ 20.00)

When an item sells for less than Cdn$20.00, no "import charges" are added by Pitney Bowes.

However, the $4/$5 handling fee is shifted from being included in the "import charges" to being added to the "shipping charge".

Buyers do not pay more.  They simply pay the same amount differently with the handling fee ($4/$5) added to the shipping charge.

[pjcdn2005]

When a gsp listing is under $20C and no duty or tax is due, they add an approximate $4-$5 import/service charge to the shipping price. You don't see that total cost until you click into the listing. When you look at it in search, it shows the amount before import fees. If someone had purchased that item at the buy it now price then there would have had taxes and/or duty due so then that $4+ charge would show under import charges along with taxes & duty. In that case, the shipping price of $14U.S. would stay the same.

When you were looking at the listing in search view it said U.S.$14 shipping. The $16.80 now showing in search view is in Canadian dollars.

[chimera148]

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@tinman-row wrote:

My winning bid was $15.95us or about $18.80can. The item had a opening bid of $15.95us or buy-it-now for $49.95us.

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Bait and switched ?

[tinman-row]

Thanks for your replies. Very confusing.

[pierrelebel]

" Very confusing."

Yes it is... more so when the bidding is below Cdn$ 20.00 while a Buy-it-Price is above Cdn$ 20.00

The system reflects what the import charges would be if the buyer uses the Buy-it-Now option. 

If the listing ends with bidding below Cdn$ 20.00, then no import charges apply BUT Pitney Bowes "moves" its $4/$5 fee that would have been included from "import charge" and adds it to "shipping charge".