eBay

kalvin@ebay.com · ‎09-26-2013

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,

~Kalvin
eBay.ca Community Manager

kalvin@ebay.com

chimera148 · ‎01-28-2016

ebay Global Shipping Program Support from www.pitneybowes.com

marnotom! · ‎01-28-2016

Do you have a link to the page from where you got that screen shot, Chimera? I can't find any references to the "eBay Global Shipping Program" on the Pitney Bowes site map.

chimera148 · ‎01-28-2016

@lorraine_carol wrote:
What amazes me is why anyone in Canada would purchase from a US seller that employs the GSP. What amazes me even more is why .com/ebay USA has not educated their US sellers in the fact that the GSP is NOT mandatory, that it can be removed upon buyer request.

Yes and "Most sellers are automatically included in the Global Shipping Program." according to ebay.com .

chimera148 · ‎01-28-2016

Not sure of the link, but it came up under PBs "ebay Global Shipping Program Support"

xenotime · ‎01-29-2016

@lisemae wrote:
Thank goodness for me finding this thread. First time dealing with GSP, and what a headache.

Purchased an item, it was marked shipped on Jan 17, I was left a tracking number. It has been of no use, it tells me it's tracking number and that it's carrier is multiple carriers, no other updates. The Paypal transaction for my item, states USPS received and completed the parcel.

I actually called PB today. I got told that the tracking number I received from eBay, shows in their system as not received.

Anyone deal with similar situation?

My recent transaction has one of those non working "UPAAB" tracking numbers. I just emailed the seller for the actual tracking that's on his invoice. So I at least know that the item made it to Kentucky.

marnotom! · ‎01-29-2016

@chimera148 wrote:

Not sure of the link, but it came up under PBs "ebay Global Shipping Program Support"

Hmm. So far, I've found pages associated with PB Ireland and PB UK, but not PB Canada or PB USA.

femmefan1946 · ‎01-29-2016

And if it doesn't show up by Day 20 after purchase, open an Item Not Received Dispute in the Resolution Centre. Put in the Dispute that the item was purchased under the Global Shipping Program.

If the GSP/Pitney Bowes cannot prove delivery, they will refund you.

And if the item shows up after that, it yours to keep.

This has no impact on your seller whose responsibility for delivery ended at Erlanger KY.

lorraine_carol · ‎01-29-2016

Yes, I understand most US sellers are automatically enrolled into the GSP by ebay.com. Again, this is where ebay.com NEEDS to educate their US sellers the GSP is NOT mandatory and buyers can opt out if they prefer. I think ebay.com should have somehow made the shipping process decided by the buyers upon checking out.

pierrelebel · ‎01-29-2016

"and buyers can opt out if they prefer."

Not really.

Sellers decide if GSP is used.

Buyers of course always have the option to hit the back button and go to another seller.

dmil8030 · ‎01-29-2016

Hello 'jepcik',

<<My recent transaction has one of those non working "UPAAB" tracking numbers. I just emailed the seller for the actual

tracking that's on his invoice. So I at least know that the item made it to Kentucky.>>

You highlight one of the more irritating aspects of the GSP, - they assure buyers that they will be able to track their

purchases and then make it impossible to do so.

If your main concern is knowing that the item is on its way then you certainly did the right thing by asking the seller.

GSP items take longer than those mailed directly through the post, but it will get to you eventually.

I would, however, urge you to not be in a rush to file a 'not received' claim. Online buying means mail-order and that is

always a slow process. Too many 'not received' complaints and you could get in a stew with paypal. Not to mention that

just because Pitney-Bowes does not provide a tracking number does not mean the item is lost and you will lose the claim

unless the parcel is clearly traced to Beirut or some such place.

dmil8030 · ‎01-29-2016

Hello 'lorraine_carol',

<< most US sellers are automatically enrolled into the GSP by ebay.com. . . . ebay.com NEEDS to educate their US sellers

the GSP is NOT mandatory>>

Oh, how we all wish. Cynical me suspects that the whole point of signing up every seller and making them jump

through hoops of flames to get out of the program is so that there will be sellers using it. I imagine if the program was

simply offered as a way to sell internationally, "let us know if you are interested", we could count on one hand the number

of people who would have willingly opted in. But maybe I'm just feeling a bit jaded today.

<< I think ebay.com should have somehow made the shipping process decided by the buyers upon checking out.>>

Sellers need to be able to decide how to send their items because it is they who shoulder the risk and when there is a

problem, it is the seller who stands to lose the most. That is why some sellers will not ship any other way than Priority

no matter how small the item, - they insist it is for the insurance, not just delivery confirmation.

That said, buyers do, to a point (albeit a very small one), have some influence over how things are sent. They can ask

to have items taken out of the GSP and mailed. They can ask a seller using a courier (UPS, aack!) to send the item

with Priority (First Class has that size & weight limit). They can find a more accommodating seller.

A lot of sellers are offering fragile and expensive items so they need to be able to decide how to ship these and to

whom. The GSP may be a bad idea, especially for fragiles, but at least if an item arrives to the buyer broken the seller

will not be held accountable. She got the item to Kentucky safely, so her troubles are over.

Hence, we can see the appeal of the program for a lot of American sellers, particularly when it comes to getting any

related negatives removed.

Shoppers always have the choice of not buying from a seller who insists on using the GSP.

marnotom! · ‎01-29-2016

@dmil8030 wrote:

You highlight one of the more irritating aspects of the GSP, - they assure buyers that they will be able to track their
purchases and then make it impossible to do so.

Pitney Bowes has worded things to assure buyers that it will be able to track a GSP shipment.

In the August 2014 update of the GSP terms and conditions, it eliminated wording suggesting that buyers and sellers would be able to do the same.

I still can't find the page that Chimera got that screenshot from, at least for one that pertains to Pitney Bowes' Canadian or American operations. However, I suspect that if it's there somebody would claim it's outdated information and that the T&C page prevails. I don't know if that's considered "internet legal," but that's how things seem to stand.

The sooner we all realize that the tracking problem is actually one of clever/sneaky wordsmithing being used to cover up what appears to be communication problems between PItney Bowes and eBay's systems, the better. You can more effectively battle the Dark Side when you understand its ways.

dmil8030 · ‎01-29-2016

Hello 'marnotom',

<<the tracking problem is actually one of clever/sneaky wordsmithing being used to cover up what appears to be

communication problems between PItney Bowes and eBay's systems,>>

In my opinion it is beyond sneaky wordsmithing, the proposed tracking information, and is just plain untrue.

On a GSP listing it tells buyers "This item . . . includes international tracking", and when the buyer clicks on the Learn more

link offered, then again finds the Tracking selection on the subsequent page, that buyer is clearly informed,

"Once the seller has shipped your item, you receive an email letting you know that the item has shipped. The email

includes a global tracking number which enables you to track your item as it travels from the shipping center to you.

The global tracking number can also be found in My eBay and on the Order details page."

This unequivocally tells buyers they will be able to track GSP items to their door (or postal box or whatever) and because

this is patently untrue, the statement should not be made.

It should read, "Depending on the initial service used by the seller, you may be able to track your items as far as

Kentucky and that's it. Your parcel will have a forwarding number to trace it in case it ends up in Kazakhstan, but

you will just have to wait".

marnotom! · ‎01-29-2016

@dmil8030 wrote:

In my opinion it is beyond sneaky wordsmithing, the proposed tracking information, and is just plain untrue.
On a GSP listing it tells buyers "This item . . . includes international tracking", and when the buyer clicks on the Learn more
link offered, then again finds the Tracking selection on the subsequent page, that buyer is clearly informed,

"Once the seller has shipped your item, you receive an email letting you know that the item has shipped. The email
includes a global tracking number which enables you to track your item as it travels from the shipping center to you.
The global tracking number can also be found in My eBay and on the Order details page."

This unequivocally tells buyers they will be able to track GSP items to their door (or postal box or whatever) and because
this is patently untrue, the statement should not be made.

It should read, "Depending on the initial service used by the seller, you may be able to track your items as far as
Kentucky and that's it. Your parcel will have a forwarding number to trace it in case it ends up in Kazakhstan, but
you will just have to wait".

I suspect this would be regarded as an eBay problem as the help pages are eBay's responsibility and not Pitney Bowes' (although the help page doesn't unequivocally state that the tracking information is accessible online).

Pitney Bowes probably figures it's done its part by eliminating the T&C's reference to having the tracking information accessible to the buyer and seller.

I have a dim recollection that the "includes international tracking" message on listing pages where the GSP is offered also used to be hyperlinked to further information, but that information is simply in bold font now.

In other words, the left hand may know what the right hand is doing, but they're operating at different speeds and doing different tasks.

As your tongue-in-cheek example shows, though, having tracking information accessible to the buyer and seller doesn't really make much difference to them in the case of a misdirected shipment. The package is still in Kazakhstan either way. 🙂

pocomocomputing · ‎01-29-2016

Are sellers aware of being in the GSP? Maybe not because there is no indication that they are using the GSP to the seller short of looking at their listing and entering a country outside the USA.

I remember reading back a year or more ago in an eBay announcement on .com, that seller who ship only to the USA may have some of their listing shown as part of the GSP listings available. The seller never needed to opt in, eBay would just show them as available.

I never see this mentioned here in the GSP discussions since I read this announcement 2? years ago. Of course, I can't find the announcement. I think it was a footnote on an announcement about the GSP having more countries. Does anyone else remember this announcement?

chimera148 · ‎01-29-2016

@lorraine_carol wrote:
Yes, I understand most US sellers are automatically enrolled into the GSP by ebay.com. Again, this is where ebay.com NEEDS to educate their US sellers the GSP is NOT mandatory and buyers can opt out if they prefer. I think ebay.com should have somehow made the shipping process decided by the buyers upon checking out.

yes, it would likely be better if ebay told the sellers that ebay has decided to automatically enroll them in the GSP, instead of the seller's being unaware of enrollment and the GSP terms and conditions.

marnotom! · ‎01-29-2016

@pocomocomputing wrote:

Are sellers aware of being in the GSP? Maybe not because there is no indication that they are using the GSP to the seller short of looking at their listing and entering a country outside the USA.

I remember reading back a year or more ago in an eBay announcement on .com, that seller who ship only to the USA may have some of their listing shown as part of the GSP listings available. The seller never needed to opt in, eBay would just show them as available.

I never see this mentioned here in the GSP discussions since I read this announcement 2? years ago. Of course, I can't find the announcement. I think it was a footnote on an announcement about the GSP having more countries. Does anyone else remember this announcement?

Is it the August 2014 announcement you're trying to remember?

http://announcements.ebay.com/2014/08/updates-to-the-ebay-user-agreement-user-privacy-notice-and-mon...

Global Shipping Program. We updated this section to underscore that for eligible listings for which you have not previously specified an international shipping option, buyers from select countries will be shown an International Priority Shipping option with end-to-end international tracking plus an estimate of associated import charges which will be confirmed for and paid by your buyer at checkout. If a buyer from one of the select countries purchases your eligible item, you simply ship the item to a US shipping center. Once accepted at the US shipping center, a global shipping provider handles the international shipping, customs clearance, and delivery of the item to your international buyer. Sellers are not responsible for any loss or damage during the international leg of the shipment; buyers take on compliance responsibility for the export and import shipment.

marnotom! · ‎01-29-2016

@chimera148 wrote:

yes, it would likely be better if ebay told the sellers that ebay has decided to automatically enroll them in the GSP, instead of the seller's being unaware of enrollment and the GSP terms and conditions.

As suggested in the previous post, this is mentioned in an eBay announcement and the eBay.com user agreement. However, one has to do a bit more reading than that to find out about opting out of the program.

pocomocomputing · ‎01-29-2016

Yes, I am pretty sure that is the one. Sounds right and fit my time frame of 1-2 years ago in the announcements.

So Sellers listings are available for the GSP even if they never opted in. Do they see an opt in or out in the listing in this situation. Have they only provided domestic shipping in the listing with no International shipping specified?

If so, this would account for the total lack of GSP awareness some sellers seem to claim for some sales.

IS what I wrote above what the announcement means? Is that announcement still valid today?

marnotom! · ‎01-29-2016

@pocomocomputing wrote:

So Sellers listings are available for the GSP even if they never opted in. Do they see an opt in or out in the listing in this situation. Have they only provided domestic shipping in the listing with no International shipping specified?

If so, this would account for the total lack of GSP awareness some sellers seem to claim for some sales.

IS what I wrote above what the announcement means? Is that announcement still valid today?

I suspect the answer to your first set of questions from Somebody Important At eBay would be along the lines of, "It's all in the user agreement."

The introduction to the section on the Global Shipping Program seems to suggest that the GSP is a "default setting" and it's up to the seller to extricate themselves from it if they so wish.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/user-agreement.html#13b

You may prevent your listings from being made available to international buyers through the program by adjusting your account settings within My eBay. Additional information about the program, including policies governing feedback, the handling of lost, damaged, and undeliverable items, returns, and the resolution of buyer protection claims for items that you sell through the program, can be found on the Global Shipping Program Seller Policies and Frequently Asked Questions page.