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,

[pierrelebel]

"I am going to simulate numbers"

Please start again using real numbers and currency.

For example, listing showed US$106.00 plus US$15.00 shipping plus US$11.45 import charge.

It is important to have exact amounts and the currency for each amount to understand the problem.

The listing on eBay from the USA is always in US$ while your payments made in US$ are converted into Cdn$ by PayPal or your bank or credit card issuer.

[aleziss]

Ok sorry about that and thanks for the reply. I thought that the amount was not important as it is not about the money conversion, it's about not receiving part of a refund (global shipping program) that was promissed by ebay and that I never received.

The item bought was 180USD (245.97CAD with conversion from paypal statement) on november 18th 2015.

Shipping (in the auction) was priced at 11.32USD (estimated at 15.27CAD) and customs were estimated at 14.06USD (no CAD conversion available). On my paypal, I was chaged a single fee of 24.99USD from pitney bowes (34.15CAD with conversion from paypal statement)

On december 3rd, I received a message from ebay stating that the seller agreed to refund 204.99USD to my paypal account and this was including the item price + shipping. I received a refund of 180USD to my paypal account on the same date (245.97CAD with conversion from paypal statement so the exact same exchange rate).

The part I never received is the 24.99USD from pitney bowes (global shipping program) and still to this day, I have not receive this 24.99USD.

I've contacted ebay and they confirm that the refund was for 204.99USD and tell me to contact paypal to clear this out. 

I've contacted the seller and he also confirm that the refund was 204.99USD.

I now contact paypal. Even with the paypal transaction id from the 204.99USD refund, they refused to hear that id transaction and tell me that the refund is 180USD and it was deposit to my paypal account then my credit card (confirmed received with exchange rate of 245.97CAD). At first, they were trying to make me beleive that the conversion rate was different (which is not!). It's not about that, it's about part of the refund not received.

I spoked with another person over at Paypal and he tell me to contact canadian customs and make a claim for the amount of 24.99USD. Paypal say that the seller never received that 24.99USD and that amount was directly sent to pitney bowes, this is why I need to claim this amount to pitney bowes.

Ebay tell me a refund of 204.99USD with a paypal transaction id. Paypal did not want to hear me with that transaction id and tell me the refund was only 180USD.

I hope this was describe better, I try to do this as short as I can...

I have the exact same situation with another defective product that cost me 50CAD to return to "maybe" get back 125USD IF I get the pitney bowes refunded once the seller receive that item. But that is another post I guess... First thing first, I'd like to understand what is going on with the refund of global shipping program from pitney bowes...

[pierrelebel]

Unfortunately, Canadian buyers have been getting contradictory information from eBay about making claims with goods shipped through GSP.

Sometimes one is told to claim through eBay, at other times through PayPal (which makes sense since PayPal did handle both payments)

In your case, the information received from eBay was correct and you are entitled to two refunds.

You only received one.

Contacting PayPal, you had the unfortunate experiences to get the wrong information twice. That is bad customer service from PayPal.  Unfortunately PayPal does not provide eBay users a forum here.

You will have to go back to PayPal and ask to speak to a supervisor; insist if you must.  You are fully entitled to the second refund (for shipping and import charge).  That should work.

If not, use the sledgehammer.  File a claim through PayPal for the second payment you made (to Pitney Bowes) as "goods/service not received".

One should not have to do all that but... sometimes, it is needed.

Good Luck and please return and let us know how things worked out.

[marnotom!]

---

@pierrelebel wrote:

You are fully entitled to the second refund (for shipping and import charge). 

---

I hope so, Pierre.  Reading the GSP buyer terms and conditions page, it states in section 12:

The returns policy specified by your Seller in his/her listing description of a GSP Item will apply to your purchase of the GSP Item. For GSP Items located in the United States that you purchase under GSP and that you return to your Seller, you will not be eligible for, and you will not receive, a refund of any Program Fees that you paid to Pitney Bowes and Pitney Bowes will not be responsible for shipping the GSP Item back to your Seller. Your rights under local law will not be affected.

"Program fees" are described in section 7 as:

The pricing that is displayed to you at checkout is inclusive of all shipping and import charges associated with the Services ("Program Fees").

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), the buyer terms and conditions page doesn't appear to make a distinction between items returned as defective and items returned due to the buyer finding them unsuitable.  I cannot find the word "defect" anywhere in that document.

This is one aspect of the GSP that gave me pause when it first came about (although those who label me a "GSP cheerleader" likely won't believe it) and I haven't seen anything posted to suggest that it's been rectified or clarified.  Then again, I did take a break from the eBay boards for a while.

I, too, would like to know how this works out.

[hookedondressage]

I have been purchasing through Ebay for years and fortunately have only recently noticed that many US sellers are opting for the GSP. In the past any shipments that I purchased from the US simply arrived and I paid import/duty and taxes upon arrival, which I didn't have a problem with.  Sometimes the shipments arrived with no charges whatsoever and I considered that a bonus. Now with almost all listings adding this bogus "Import Fee" charge, it makes it unaffordable.  I can only see this as a money grab for Ebay/PB and why would they need to become the duty and tax police anyway. Isn't that what we pay customs employees for? Sellers shipping to Canada don't pay this charge up front when they ship to Canada, so why do they need to collect. Where are they getting the correct (if it is correct)import fees from?? I agree that I would wager these fees collected are not being given to the government. I will be contacting my local MLA to find out more details. I believe that Ebay couched this GSP to sellers by saying this would make things easier for Canadian and UK purchasers when in fact, I don't believe we had a problem to begin with.

[marnotom!]

Posting this to see if this will enable me to see page 116 of this thread.  Right now I can't see past page 115.

[rebejos]

hi i got a question i purchased  2 aquarium lights from a seller in the us on the 7 th and i got the upaab tracking number , but it has bean 3days now and it still says (The seller has provided a tracking number. The tracking status will be updated once the shipment reaches the carrier.) so i am getting suspicious?

[afantiques]

Anybody else seeing the navigation of this thead go a bit astray? Apart from the post count, which has been messed up for ages, the message listing link from this thread leads bak to posts 2 years old.

[8144todd]

How am I able to track??? Don't just say click on the shipping info, that is usless. I mean a real site that actually works.

[00nevermind00]

GSP tracking rarely tracks anything. An empty promise from eBay to buyers of GSP items.

If your item hasn't arrived by the last estimated delivery date, open an "Item Not Received" case in order to receive all of your money back.

[pjcdn2005]

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@marnotom! wrote:

---

@pierrelebel wrote:

You are fully entitled to the second refund (for shipping and import charge). 

---

I hope so, Pierre.  Reading the GSP buyer terms and conditions page, it states in section 12:

The returns policy specified by your Seller in his/her listing description of a GSP Item will apply to your purchase of the GSP Item. For GSP Items located in the United States that you purchase under GSP and that you return to your Seller, you will not be eligible for, and you will not receive, a refund of any Program Fees that you paid to Pitney Bowes and Pitney Bowes will not be responsible for shipping the GSP Item back to your Seller. Your rights under local law will not be affected.

"Program fees" are described in section 7 as:

The pricing that is displayed to you at checkout is inclusive of all shipping and import charges associated with the Services ("Program Fees").

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), the buyer terms and conditions page doesn't appear to make a distinction between items returned as defective and items returned due to the buyer finding them unsuitable.  I cannot find the word "defect" anywhere in that document.

This is one aspect of the GSP that gave me pause when it first came about (although those who label me a "GSP cheerleader" likely won't believe it) and I haven't seen anything posted to suggest that it's been rectified or clarified.  Then again, I did take a break from the eBay boards for a while.

I, too, would like to know how this works out.

---

The gsp user agreement also states that the user is covered under the eBay MBG.  The MBG refunds all money paid when a claim is ruled in favour of the buyer regardless whether the buyer is a gsp or non gsp buyer. You won't find anything in the MBG saying that gsp users do not receive back fees paid to PB because those fees are returned to them. Granted, the process isn't always a smooth one but the statement that you refer to is specific to returns which are not covered under the MBG. 

[femmefan1946]

can only see this as a money grab for Ebay/PB and why would they need to become the duty and tax police anyway. Isn't that what we pay customs employees for?

Basically the work of the Canadian customs officers has been sub-contracted to the Global Shipping Program.

Specifically to Pitney Bowes, which has had a Canadian presence for decades and is closely allied with Canada Post.

This is not unusual. If you order from some US businesses like LandsEnd or Eddie Bauer who sell by catalogue from the USA, the import fees are also an addon to your order.

Sellers shipping to Canada don't pay this charge up front when they ship to Canada, so why do they need to collect. 

The sellers are not sub-contractors. It would not be economical to have thousands of part-timers and hobbyists trying to figure out Canadian duty and sales taxes.

Where are they getting the correct (if it is correct)import fees from??

Revenue Canada.

[femmefan1946]

i purchased  2 aquarium lights from a seller in the us on the 7 th

Well they won't arrive in time for Christmas.

Allow 20 days for any parcel to arrive from anywhere in the USA or Canada.

If they arrive before that, good news!

And that goes for Canada Post, UPS, FedEx, or the GPS.

Tracking is not a benefit for the buyer. It protects the seller from fake claims of non-delivery. If a seller gets such a claim, she gives eBay the tracking number and date of delivery. The scamming buyer loses the case.

If you are not home when the postie arrives with your lights, she will leave a notice telling you where and when you can pick them up. Usually this is the local Postal Outlet the next day.

Better than taking the day off work because you are expecting a parcel, right?

If your item has not arrived by December 27th, go to the Resolution Centre at the bottomof this page and open an Item Not Received Dispute. Tell the Dispute that the GSP was involved.

If the GSP cannot show delivery (and they do track internally), you will be refunded.

Since the GSP does not support returns, if the item arrives later, you can keep it.

Your seller will not be affected by this process.

[femmefan1946]

How am I able to track???

You don't need tracking.

If the item has not arrived before 20 days have passed since purchase, open an Item Not Recieved dispute.  If the GSPcannot prove delivery, you will be refunded.

And if the item arrives later, you get to keep it.

But if you ordered after November 27th, it will not arrive in time for Christmas.

Little Christmas maybe. Are you Orthodox?

[tmcdaniel1109]

I would like to be contacted regarding a recent purchase with GPS, one very unhappy buyer right now!

[pierrelebel]

eBay does not contact members based on post on this dicussion board.

Your choice: contact eBay directly

or contact your seller directly

or ask your question here

[00nevermind00]

---

@pierrelebel wrote:

eBay does not contact members based on post on this dicussion board.

Your choice: contact eBay directly

or contact your seller directly

or ask your question here

---

If the buyer's problem is GSP-related, it is not advisable to contact the seller for a resolution.

Opening a case is often the only way to get satisfactory resolution but in order to give the best advice, we need to know what the problem is.

[reallynicestamps]

The seller won't be able to help, but it would be polite to let her know what is happening for two reasons.

First because there could be a Hold on her Paypal balance while the situation is resolved. Such holds have been reported.

And second, because such a report might lead to her rethinking the badly thought-out GSP.

Opening the case is the way to resolution, however.

[smurfyspiffy]

Yes, I have a question, I purchased an item from the US  using the global shipping program. This is the tracking number UPAAA000000144065349  What is this tracking number for? Petttys useless on this side of the transaction.

Rodney in Canada

[brettdis1975]

i purchased an item. on my ebay page it shows a tracking number. when i click on it a pop up screen appearss and gives me 2 tracking numbers but no other info. whats with two different tracking numbers for one item? and no other info. whats the point? isnt a tracking number suppose to tell me where my item is? when i click on either number the same screen pops up. pointless i think. so wheres my item? no one knows apparently. this is very frustrating for me. is it on its way? is it almost here? has it even left? This is not the sellers problem he/she did their part. so now i just wait. how long? 30 days 60 days 120 days?