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,

[lorraine_carol]

One would think, if in fact these are the correct instructions on how to track an item purchased from a US seller whom utilizes the GSP, that ebay or Pitney Bowes would have this information on hand to share with people who have tracking inquiries. Judging from the many complaints from Canadian buyers purchasing items in the USA, neither company seems to.

[afantiques]

Here is an item that costs $80 US, but shows no import charges to UK (should be about $20 for general merchandise) and shipping at $20.

It is listed in a books category and books are zero rated for import tax, maybe that is the answer, but if so it is fairly new, because charging tax on items that were exempt was one common complaint.

Canada shows me $15 import charges and $10 shipping.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Star-Wars-Imperial-Handbook-Deluxe-Edition-by-Daniel-Wallace-/201550683630?h...

[pierrelebel]

" books are zero rated for import tax, "... in the UK

books are taxable in Canada

[miksillike0]

How do I get them to ship ground when they use a lame reason for labeling my purchase as restricted for air travel

[reallynicestamps]

They are telling you they don't want your money and to go away.

The GSP does not necessarily use Air transport to Canada, but your seller may not know that Canada has its own set of rates at USPS, just as the USA does at Canada Post.

You could politely ask if the seller would set up a private listing *for you, without the GSP and with First Class International Parcel shipping to Canada. Make sure the seller knows that this service includes Delivery Confirmation and carries up to four pounds.

However, if it is restricted for air travel, it may also not be allowed into Canada at all. Fireworks are not, and some paintball equipment for example. Check on the CBSA website.

*Using your username as the title will make sure only you find it.

[darrenwahlheim2013]

What is the delivery procedure when a parcel reaches the address and no one is home to receive it? keep in mind i only have a post office box But I've used my home address as an alternative address.

[pierrelebel]

" i only have a post office box"

The postal clerk will leave a card in your box advising you that a parcel is ready for pick-up at the counter.

[femmefan1946]

There is a small chance that your parcel will have been handed off to a courier, usually CanPar. They can only deliver to street addresses, but since you have the street address in addition to the PO Box, a CanPar carrier would leave you a delivery slip telling you where and when you can retrieve your parcel.

In either case, you'll need photo ID with your address as identification.

[oragex]

The GPS has a serious issue.  I wonder if this is legal.

Here is an Ebay listing item #322005682707.   The seller was listing the item for $20.  There was an additional shipping fee of $20 to Canada, plus import charges of $5.  I asked the seller if he can revise the item for $19 so I don't have import charges to pay.  He kindly did so.  Well the new listing was indeed for $19 but now pay attention what happened to the shipping fees of GSP: the shipping fees are now $27!  and there is no import charges.   I asked the seller and he confirmed he didn't modify his own shipping fees which were $9.80 both when the item was listed for $20 and for $19.  So when there were no import charges to pay, the GSP charged them to the shipping cost!

Is this shipping fees 'adjustment' legal ?

[marnotom!]

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@hystria wrote:

The GPS has a serious issue.  I wonder if this is legal.

Here is an Ebay listing item #322005682707.   The seller was listing the item for $20.  There was an additional shipping fee of $20 to Canada, plus import charges of $5.  I asked the seller if he can revise the item for $19 so I don't have import charges to pay.  He kindly did so.  Well the new listing was indeed for $19 but now pay attention what happened to the shipping fees of GSP: the shipping fees are now $27!  and there is no import charges.   I asked the seller and he confirmed he didn't modify his own shipping fees which were $9.80 both when the item was listed for $20 and for $19.  So when there were no import charges to pay, the GSP charged them to the shipping cost!

Is this shipping fees 'adjustment' legal ?

---

One aspect of the Global Shipping Program that some people don't understand is that even if an item isn't subject to taxes (and duty, if applicable), it still has to clear customs and "paperwork" has to be filed on it. 

When the Global Shipping Program was first inflicted upon unsuspecting non-US eBayers, there was always a charge in the "import charges" line, even for items valued below C$20.  This confused some people who equated the "import charges" strictly with taxes so they were moved to the shipping charge for those modestly-valued items instead.  I think this makes the program even less transparent than it already isn't, but your take on it may vary.

For what it's worth, the GSP "import charges" are defined on this page:

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/buy/shipping-globally.html

And of course it's legal.  If you have something shipped to you from the United States by FedEx or UPS "Express," all those customs-related charges are added to the shipping charge.

[sylviebee]

I've mentioned this many times during the past month, but here I go again:  

I just purchased 2 half gallon jugs of Pureology hair products for $130.00 plus $18 shipping via the GSP.  These are very heavy items to ship.

Import charges should be about t $17 (Ontario).  

This seller ships to the US hub for free.  That leaves $1 to cover GSP handling fees plus expedited shipping to me from the Canadian hub.

Clearly, something is not adding up.

[pierrelebel]

I looked at 172172496269

I see US$130 price

plus US$ 12 shipping through GSP

plus US$ 27 import charge (Ontario)

Is that the listing?

[sylviebee]

Oh, for Goodness Sake!

I'm not lying and I understand the way purchases work by now.

172179519189

[pierrelebel]

"I'm not lying "

Where does it say that in my post?

Now i know you made the purchase under a different user ID.  It would have been easier to take a look if you had provided the listing number.

Looking at the shipping charge and no import charge (assuming it was still $0.00 at checkout), I cannot explain it.  The product appears to be taxable at 13% (as HST) in Ontario.

[marnotom!]

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@sylviebee wrote:

I just purchased 2 half gallon jugs of Pureology hair products for $130.00 plus $18 shipping via the GSP.  These are very heavy items to ship.

---

Yup.  One of the few things the GSP does well is create provisions for shipping heavier items economically.  That's where shipping as freight can have its advantages, and why my favourite liquid castile soap from the US (made with Canadian hemp) doesn't cost twice as much in Canada compared to the United States.

[sylviebee]

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@pierrelebel wrote:

"I'm not lying "

Where does it say that in my post?

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You were trying  to prove me wrong by suggesting that I'm either a liar or inept. I am neither. (Not that long ago you accused me of tax avoidance.)

If you just wanted to see what I was talking about you would have asked politely for the item number.  I'm not interested in arguing with you or anyone else.

[misslee706]

i sold a picture on ebay and  used global shipping fedex and it got lost (actually it was sent to Ohio instead of Ky,) and i filed a claim through ebay fedex smart post and ebay won't pay for the lost item, ...they decided to hold it against me because as they said"I chose to ship through global"......so they have ruled in favor of the buyer, and have taken the money out of my paypal account.......even though i filed a claim.....i am not disputing the buyer should get his money back, only that the claim should of been paid to the buyer instead ebay is black-listing me and using it to lower my rating on ebay

i am at a loss at what to do now....i tried to appeal it but they wont' allow it, said its my fault for using gsp/fedex/usps

[sylviebee]

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@sylviebee wrote:

I've mentioned this many times during the past month, but here I go again:  

I just purchased 2 half gallon jugs of Pureology hair products for $130.00 plus $18 shipping via the GSP.  These are very heavy items to ship.

Import charges should be about t $17 (Ontario).  

This seller ships to the US hub for free.  That leaves $1 to cover GSP handling fees plus expedited shipping to me from the Canadian hub.

Clearly, something is not adding up.

---

Back to my original post.

I don't pay attention to what types of items are charged duty as 95% of the items I buy are antiques and not subject to duty,.

It may be even be possible that new hair products are subject to duty as well as tax.  I don't know.

These types of listings are occurring more and more often.   I did not search this listing out.  I found the product I wanted and bought it If there had been surprises at the check out I would have pointed that out long ago.

[pjcdn2005]

I've been wondering how that works too.Even though I am in Alberta, I would be charged the same amount as you so in theory, we would be paying the same amount for taxes.

That does look like a great deal. I love that shampoo!

[pjcdn2005]

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@misslee706 wrote:

i sold a picture on ebay and  used global shipping fedex and it got lost (actually it was sent to Ohio instead of Ky,) and i filed a claim through ebay fedex smart post and ebay won't pay for the lost item, ...they decided to hold it against me because as they said"I chose to ship through global"......so they have ruled in favor of the buyer, and have taken the money out of my paypal account.......even though i filed a claim.....i am not disputing the buyer should get his money back, only that the claim should of been paid to the buyer instead ebay is black-listing me and using it to lower my rating on ebay

i am at a loss at what to do now....i tried to appeal it but they wont' allow it, said its my fault for using gsp/fedex/usps

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I'm a bit confused by your post. Does this sound right.... You're in the U.S. and someone purchase an item from through the gsp. You shipped the item using fedex smart post to Ohio but it never made it to Ohio or are you saying that you shipped it to the Kentucky gsp hub and it never reached there? As far as I know there is only one gsp hub and that is in Kentucky.  You're positive that it was being shipped through gsp?

Assuming that it was going through gsp, you are responsible for the item until it reaches the gsp shipping hub. If you have delivery confirmation showing that the item reached there then eBay/Pitney Bowes are responsible for losing the package and yes they would have to pay the buyer. If it didn't reach the hub then you would have to file a claim with Fedex smart post/USPS since they are the ones that lost it, not eBay.  If the package did reach the hub and you can prove it with delivery confirmation you need to contact eBay again. You might want to ask about this on the U.S. sellers board as they are more similar with the gsp from the selling point of view. Here on the Canadian board we are more familiar from the buyer's point of view.

I'm not certain either why you would have filed the claim..usually a buyer a files for a lost item. There really isn't any way for a seller to file a claim.