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,

[beepee9]

I recently made a purchase on ebay. Seller was prompt and reasonable. Then pitney bowes adds a fee almost equal to the amount of the purchase. Charges that are way over the top of being reasonable . When paying by pay pal there was no way to complete the transaction without these charges being applied. W5 pitney bowes ?

BP9

[00nevermind00]

You bought an item from a seller who was using the Global Shipping Program (GSP)

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

Many Canadian buyers hate and despise this program and won't go near it. If you want to avoid sellers "offering" the GSP, use "List View" to conduct your searches and avoid any items which show the following blurb:

[patken123]

If you want to avoid sellers "offering" the GSP, use "List View" to conduct your searches and avoid any items which show the following blurb

I'm sorry but I did not quite get the above direction on how to avoid listings with GSP,could you please explain for those of us who didn't know it was possible to search for an item and avoid listings with GSP.

[mater721]

There is no filter unfortunately.

You need to do a search for your target, and make sure the option chosen is "List View", not "Gallery View".

As per the screen-shot provided above, avoid the listings with the text "Customs services and international tracking provided".

Those are listings that use GSP.

[synaptic2112]

How does a seller re-send an invoice to a buyer for an item in the Global Shipping program?

[patken123]

You need to do a search for your target, and make sure the option chosen is "List View", not "Gallery View".

I  knew ebay would not be that stupid to make it so easy for the buyers,BTW I am and have been set up to see "list view" ,but I misunderstood the comment by thinking maybe there was something else I should do in order to avoid listings with gsp,I can dream can't I ?lol.

[00nevermind00]

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@patken123 wrote:

If you want to avoid sellers "offering" the GSP, use "List View" to conduct your searches and avoid any items which show the following blurb

I'm sorry but I did not quite get the above direction on how to avoid listings with GSP,could you please explain for those of us who didn't know it was possible to search for an item and avoid listings with GSP.

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I'm sorry if my answer wasn't as clear as I'd hoped.

When searching for items, you have a choice between "List View" and "Gallery View". "List View" is the default option so unless you changed that, it's what you're using.

Using "Gallery View" will give you no indication what the GSP items are, but with "List View", you'll get something like this. The first two items on this list are GSP items (the red border around the GSP blurb was added by me, it does not appear on the actual list), while the third one isn't.

Normally you'd see the items' photos on the left but I cut them out of the image. I also blacked out the items' descriptions. I didn't click the items but I suspect that the third one is located in Canada. But that's how a US non-GSP item would look too.

So while you can't delete GSP items from your search results, you can identify them easily enough to skip right over them without stopping for a peek.

[afantiques]

A seller cannot send an invoice, let alone resend one.

Invoices are sent by the GSP, not the seller. The time to avoid the GSP is before hitting the 'Commit to Purchase' button when all fees and charges are visible to the buyer.

[ursus_draco]

I am sure this has been asked numerous times already but I have a shipment that has been in ERLANGER, KY for almost a week now with no progress.

What is going on?!  I hadn't even heard about this Global Shipping Program until I did some research because my package has not moved (at least from what I can tell).

[millerrca]

I am a long time eBay user in Canada, however hadn't bought anything for a while..  however I recently went into my account to do some shopping and was surprised to see that eBay now charges the buyer directly for any estimated duty or taxes on purchases made from US sellers..  My questions are: How in the world can eBay charge duty and taxes in the name of the Government of Canada?? How does eBay know what items are exempt? How does eBay know how much to charge? What do they do with the money they collect?

Historically, it has always been an issue between the buyer and seller regarding the issue of duties and taxes on cross border shopping, so why is eBay jumping into this..?  while probably scaring away any Canadian cross border business? I seriously doubt that I will be doing any more US shopping through eBay as long as this policy is in place.

Rick

[synaptic2112]

Ok..so if the buyers payment did not go through for whatever reason and wants to try repayment and the seller is cool with

that, but neither has any idea how to make a repayment so it still alots and sends the correct amounts to seller and GSP??

Not a fan of GSP so ya know..... GSP is so closed, leaves no room for error or recovery from it unless one totally ignores/bypasses it.

[afantiques]

am sure this has been asked numerous times already but I have a shipment that has been in ERLANGER, KY for almost a week now with no progress.

To some extent it depends what the item was, but assuming it was not a guitar, the tracking is notoriously useless and the item will probably arrive any day now.  Just don't let too much grass grow under your feet if it does not arrive by a week or two after the estimated delivery date.

[afantiques]

My questions are: How in the world can eBay charge duty and taxes in the name of the Government of Canada?? How does eBay know what items are exempt? How does eBay know how much to charge? What do they do with the money they collect?

The shipping company uses reference tables that are readily available to calculate the tax, and on import the pre- collected money is paid over to the Canadian government.

[foreveryoung1984]

Hello fellow Canadian members,

I have just become a buyer of an item that is being shipped by PBI (or GSP) does anyone know exactly how this program works and how long does it take for me to get my item? (my tracking shows it arrived in some place in Kentucky on Oct 29th Thurs) Lastly, is it true about how PBI messes up your package and your item gets damaged because of it.

Thanks guys

[00nevermind00]

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@foreveryoung1984 wrote:

I have just become a buyer of an item that is being shipped by PBI (or GSP) does anyone know exactly how this program works and how long does it take for me to get my item? (my tracking shows it arrived in some place in Kentucky on Oct 29th Thurs) Lastly, is it true about how PBI messes up your package and your item gets damaged because of it.

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I would have asked the question about how the program works before buying, not after, but this should give you some of the information you're looking for:

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

The "international tracking" doesn't seem to track much of anything beyond the Kentucky hub so just keep an eye on the last ETA date.

The workers at the hub seem to be pretty rough in the way they handle and/or repackage items but I really cannot imagine that every single item arrives damaged. If your item arrives with damages, open an Item Not As Described dispute:

http://resolutioncenter.ebay.ca/

That is the only way to get all of your money back, including the GSP portion of your payment. You will not have to return the item and the seller will not get a defect but his/her funds may be frozen for a little while, so you may want to let him/her know what you are doing and why, as a courtesy.

But hopefully your item will arrive quickly and undamaged.

[foreveryoung1984]

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@00nevermind00 wrote:

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@foreveryoung1984 wrote:

I have just become a buyer of an item that is being shipped by PBI (or GSP) does anyone know exactly how this program works and how long does it take for me to get my item? (my tracking shows it arrived in some place in Kentucky on Oct 29th Thurs) Lastly, is it true about how PBI messes up your package and your item gets damaged because of it.

---

I would have asked the question about how the program works before buying, not after, but this should give you some of the information you're looking for:

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

The "international tracking" doesn't seem to track much of anything beyond the Kentucky hub so just keep an eye on the last ETA date.

The workers at the hub seem to be pretty rough in the way they handle and/or repackage items but I really cannot imagine that every single item arrives damaged. If your item arrives with damages, open an Item Not As Described dispute:

http://resolutioncenter.ebay.ca/

That is the only way to get all of your money back, including the GSP portion of your payment. You will not have to return the item and the seller will not get a defect but his/her funds may be frozen for a little while, so you may want to let him/her know what you are doing and why, as a courtesy.

But hopefully your item will arrive quickly and undamaged.

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Thanks

[psqdoll]

Hi
Sorry to use reply on your post, but I am new here and don't know how the things work that much.
I am trying to read all these answers on the thread, but it is 88 pages and my eyes are failing me.
I am wondering if your question was answered by the ebay officials. I just bought an item and paid $44 import on it. It is exactly the same amount I paid UPS when I bought the same item from the actual store in US which did not charge taxes. Do I have to start biting my nails about the tax upon delivery, or have them been cleared already? I am not home during UPS working hour and their office is very far away from me. The only reason I bought this item from ebay was because I would not be charged more tax. The last package caused me a lot of trouble since I wasn't able to meet UPS delivery guy during attempted deliveries.
Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for the reply ( to whoever replies )

[pierrelebel]

"Do I have to start biting my nails about the tax upon delivery, or have them been cleared already? "

The amount paid to PayPal for "import charges" includes all duty (if applicable), taxes (GST/HST) and handling (brokerage) fee. 

There is nothing to pay at the door regardless who delivers the parcel (Canada Post, Purolator, UPS, Fed-Ex, Canpar, whatever).

[psqdoll]

Thank you so much for your ( super fast ) reply!
So, using Global Shipping Program does guarantee paying no additional tax/import/duty. Did I understand correctly?
Sorry for double checking. I didn't mention I was charged the fee through GSP.
Thanks again

[pierrelebel]

"So, using Global Shipping Program does guarantee paying no additional tax/import/duty. "

That is correct.... unless the seller screws up and ships to you directly instead of using GSP as instructed (it does happen from time to time). 

When receiving payment, the seller is instructed by PayPal to ship to the distribution centre in Kentucky.  Since you are new to eBay, you may contact him to confirm that is exactly what he is doing.