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

starick2002 · ‎12-16-2014

I don't have a question, i have a statement, "CANPAR IS A **bleep**PY CARRIER!!!"

They NEVER meet their estimated delivery date and it takes almost three weeks to get something from US to Canada because they sit on it for a week! Might as well order from Asia...

femmefan1946 · ‎12-17-2014

I placed an order on Dec 3rd and have not yet received the package. However, my eBay purchase page shows that the package was delivered on Sunday, Dec 7th. Given that the destination address is a business that is not open on the weekend, I don't see how this is possible.

Take a deep breath.

Your seller shipped the item to the GSP in Kentucky.

That's what was delivered on Dec 7.

Yes, businesses have different delivery dates (especially during holiday periods) than households. Including Sundays.

The GSP will add your parcel to a container, calculate Canadian tax and duty, and remit those to Canada.

Then the container will be shipped to Canada.

Once over the border, which is fast because all the fees are paid, the cargo will be sorted out to be re-shipped to all those Canadian addresses-- mostly by Canada Post, but some by CanPar.

It normally takes about 20 days for a parcel to arrive from the USA on your doorstep. Today is the 17th, so your item should arrive around the 23rd.

Canada Post is doing Saturday and Sunday deliveries intermittently during the holidays, so maybe sooner.

No. You can't track it. The GSP does have tracking but it is internal and not easily available.

If it is an important present, either buy something else, and support local businesses or give a card to your loved one with a printout of the eBay listing.

your_fashionista_store · ‎12-17-2014

I ordered an item from the Us for $137usd paid $21 usd shipping to australia. Kept tracking my item and weeks later it said "delivered" so i went to my local post offices and no parcel they said Global shipping program wont deliver to Australia post parcel lockers. So im left scratching my head with no option but to escalate to a claim. Then 1 week later i loose the claim because the tracking says it was delivered. Then where is my signature if it was delivered to me? Because i sure as heck didnt sign for the parcel with my goods in it! Now im $160aud out of pocket and pitney bowes wins and has clearly stolen my parcel. I emailed paypal and told them if no reimbursement in 48hours I plan to escalate to the ACCC and postal ombudsman and current affair if need be. Anyone else have other suggestions? I intend to push this to the full extent i can they messed with the wrong person

afantiques · ‎12-17-2014

THe delivery agent in Australia was probably Fedex, although they do hand off some items to Australian Post.

Delivery signatures are not usually required.

femmefan1946 · ‎12-17-2014

However, my eBay purchase page shows that the package was delivered on Sunday, Dec 7th. Given that the destination address is a business that is not open on the weekend, I don't see how this is possible.

Was the 'business address' in Kentucky?

The USPS does deliver to businesses on weekends and even on holidays if the amount of mail warrants. It's home delivery they restrict. The parcel is still in transit, somewhere between Erlanger KY and your home.

Was the 'business address' the address you gave as your location?

Ask at the Postal Outlet that services the business or at the Post Office nearest. Ask the reception desk at the business if she received a delivery notice when she picked up mail on Monday.

When using a work address as your delivery address it is very important that everyone who handles the mail knows that you are doing so, and that notices should be passed on to you as soon as possible.

dhya.jas.ezsntp · ‎12-17-2014

1.)i ordered an item through gsp from the states, when can i expect my package (how many days after it leaves the shipping center)? it says shipped from shipping center to international destination(im in canada). i also got an email from canada post on behalf of pitney bowes with a tracking # saying they are expecting a shipment at their facility and an electronic label has been created.

2.) what shipping service does gsp use for Global shipping and does it use air freight or ground shipping?

Thanks

abcswirlgirl · ‎12-18-2014

My Global shipping receipt doesn't explain what the fees are.

Shipping? This must be the charge from the brokerage company?

International leg????? Is this the Goods and Sales Tax - Federal Tax?????

Domestic leg??????? Is this the Provincial Sales Tax?????

Is there a fee being charged for the import of the package by the Canada Post Office?

I want to know how it all breaks down and so far from what I can see you aren't giving me that

information.....and you aren't telling me how it is calculated.

I don't like this program and would rather for the taxes and duties directly to the

Canada Post office.... at least their brokerage fee is only about $9.95 per package.

Deborah

afantiques · ‎12-19-2014

My Global shipping receipt doesn't explain what the fees are.

Shipping? This must be the charge from the brokerage company?

It is the total cost for sending the item from the seller to you.

International leg????? Is this the Goods and Sales Tax - Federal Tax?????

No, it's the cost of sending the item from Kentucky to you.

Domestic leg??????? Is this the Provincial Sales Tax?????

No, it's the cost of sending from the seller to the Kentucky depot.

Is there a fee being charged for the import of the package by the Canada Post Office?

The Canada Post Office does not import the item. It is imported as freight and only passed to Canada post or Canpar after clearance.

I want to know how it all breaks down and so far from what I can see you aren't giving me that

information.....and you aren't telling me how it is calculated.

The rough breakdown is what you see on the item page,so much for total shipping, so much for import charges including a small brokerage fee,

I don't like this program and would rather for the taxes and duties directly to the

Canada Post office.... at least their brokerage fee is only about $9.95 per package.

The GSP brokerage fee is about half the postal brokerage charge/collection fee. Although it is true to say that most of the time the taxes would not be collected for items of modest value with a postal import.

I'm not saying GSP is good, just that I have answered your specific questions.

mikesgarage60 · ‎12-19-2014

Well someones owes me 92.20 the amount I was charged by Canada Customs for taxes and brokerage fee. I bought ski boots using the GSP and was shocked when I had to pay this at the post office. Everything I have read says - The import charges include applicable customs duties, taxes, brokerage, and other fees

On the listing its said beside the Import Charge - This amount includes applicable customs duties, taxes, brokerage and other fees. This amount is subject to change until you make payment.

Also here on Pitney Bows site it says - The landed cost engine provides the international buyer with the total cost, including duties, taxes, and shipping charges, during check-out, so there are no surprise fees upon delivery.

The Beauty of the Global Shipping Program with eBay & Pitney Bowes - http://blogs.pb.com/ecommerce/2013/07/10/global-shipping-program/

No surprise fees upon delivery, well I can tell you 92.20 is quite a surprise.

Also in the eBay.com Global Shipping Program Buyer Terms & Conditions http://pages.ebay.com/shipping/globalshipping/buyer-tnc.html#programfees its states - Pitney Bowes' Role as Your Forwarding Agent. By purchasing the GSP Item and consenting to these Terms, you authorize Pitney Bowes to act as your agent for the shipment and delivery of the GSP Item. As your appointed forwarding agent, Pitney Bowes will: (A) make export classifications and complete export filings, including but not limited to, preparing and transmitting any Electronic Export Information or other documents or records required to be filed by the US Census Bureau, US Customs and Border Protection, Bureau of Industry and Security, and/or any other US government agency, (B) arrange for the importation of the GSP Item, including, but not limited to, assigning Harmonized System classification codes to each GSP Item and filing a completed customs entry and related documents with the customs authorities of the country into which the GSP Item is being imported, (C) account for and pay the assessed import duties and other taxes due upon importation of the GSP Item, each on your behalf.

Not happy at all! Ebay/ Pitney bowes owe me a refund of 92.20

afantiques · ‎12-20-2014

Well someones owes me 92.20 the amount I was charged by Canada Customs for taxes and brokerage fee. I bought ski boots using the GSP and was shocked when I had to pay this at the post office. Everything I have read says - The import charges include applicable customs duties, taxes, brokerage, and other fees

The seller mistakenly sent you the item direct. Look at the shipping label. The problem was with the seller and their understanding of the GSP, not the system itself, unless you can call the lamentably poor instruction of GSP users in what to do.

Post a scan of the label if you can, for confirmation.

You need to contact ebay customer service, then ask for the item to be referred to a GSP specialist saying that the item was sent direct to you.

They may promise a call back, so wait for this. Run of the mill CS reps can do nothing useful for you so do not expect them to.Then give the details and your GSP charges should be refunded.

There is a route for dealing with this not uncommon problem, but it is not at all an easy one and it should be.

mikesgarage60 · ‎12-20-2014

Your right, this is the tracking number they gave me before I received it , plus the seller put double the value on the customs form.

Hello we are sorry to inform you but we cannot seem to find your global tracking number your domestic tracking number is CF019222579US with USPS

So I guess I am out the 92.20 . What a rip!

mikesgarage60 · ‎12-20-2014

I have attached a copy of the mailing lable looks like you are right came direct from seller in Salt Lake City.

Here is the tracking. There is also a tracking number on paypal that does nothing, and an extra charge from pitney bows.

Your item was delivered in CANADA at 7:24 pm on December 19, 2014.

December 19, 2014 , 8:34 am

Attempted Delivery - Item being held, addressee being notified

CANADA

December 19, 2014 , 4:18 am

Arrival at Post Office

CANADA

December 18, 2014 , 6:39 am

Customs clearance processing complete

CANADA

December 18, 2014 , 1:19 am

Processed Through Sort Facility

CANADA

December 18, 2014 , 1:19 am

Customs Clearance

CANADA

December 16, 2014 , 11:28 am

Processed Through Sort Facility

ISC SAN FRANCISCO (USPS)

December 16, 2014 , 10:45 am

Arrived at Sort Facility

ISC SAN FRANCISCO (USPS)

December 13, 2014 , 3:46 pm

Picked Up

SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84121

December 5, 2014 , 11:49 pm

Shipping Label Created

SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84121

December 5, 2014

Pre-Shipment Info Sent to USPS

pierrelebel · ‎12-20-2014

Based on the information you provided, it appears to me that the seller made three mistakes:

1) He shipped to you directly using USPS instead of shipping to the eBay distribution centre as instructed by PayPal

2) While he printed the USPS label early, he sat on the parcel for over a week (Dec 5 to 13) at his place in Salt Lake City

3) For whatever reason, he put a higher value for Customs purposes that what you have paid.

Although you may have purchased the item through GSP, the seller did not ship through GSP.

What to do next?

1) accept the parcel and pay the taxes and $9.95 brokerage fee to Canada Post

2) file a claim with Canada Customs for the excess value declared by the seller. The claim form is available in the back of the Canada Customs form. Attach a copy of the eBay listing and PayPal payment to justify the lower value. Typically Canada Customs sends refund for excess taxes within 6 to 8 weeks.

3) file a claim with PayPal for the "Import charges" you have paid PayPal since the service was not provided

4) explain to your seller that he screwed up and should follow instructions next time he sells and ships through GSP.

pierrelebel · ‎12-20-2014

"Not happy at all! Ebay/ Pitney bowes owe me a refund of 92.20"

As stated above, the mistake was by the seller, not eBay nor Pitney-Bowes. They had nothing to do with the problem.

pierrelebel · ‎12-20-2014

By the way, when you check your seller's feedback record, you will find a total of ten (10) negative and neutral comments with 214 positive in the last twelve months. That works out to almost 5% of buyers not satisfied with their transactions.

On that basis, that seller is not someone I would recommend.

00nevermind00 · ‎12-20-2014

@pierrelebel wrote:
"Not happy at all! Ebay/ Pitney bowes owe me a refund of 92.20"

As stated above, the mistake was by the seller, not eBay nor Pitney-Bowes. They had nothing to do with the problem.

Ebay, at least, does have something to do with the problem, albeit indirectly. If they weren't enrolling sellers into the program by stealth (something they deny doing but which we all know is happening), and if they explained this mess of a program a little more clearly, maybe this wouldn't keep happening over and over.

As Pierre said, you should try informing the seller of his mistakes, in the hope that he doesn't reapeat them. Or I suppose you could add to his collection of red donuts. If you feel you must go that route, keep it calm and factual. And don't mention the GSP, or the feedback could be removed. I would write something like this: Took a week to ship and doubled the value on the customs form.

kerouac47 · ‎12-20-2014

With respect to shipping to Canada, the GSP system is almost always a rip-off, whereby the buyer pays twice for shipping

and handling -- i.e. pays first from the seller to the Pitney Bowes depot address & pays again from there to the buyer. No taxes or fees or duties are "saved" via this system, as nothing they offer is in fact guaranteed & most of what they charge for does not apply to average shipments made to Canada through Canada Post anyway. Unless you are prepared to pay these extra GSP fees, I would avoid any US seller that uses the system. Unfortunately this means that many sellers are off limits to Canadian buyers & Ebay itself consequently becomes less and less useful to the average Canadian buyer. There are alternatives out there -- take a moment to look for them. It's important to understand that most of this GSP system is not obvious to the seller -- i.e. it might be useful to contact sellers regularly and indicate why you are NOT bidding on their item. Maybe if they become aware that they are losing potential bidders & buyers the, too, will object. The only "winner" with GSP is Pitney Bowes & presumably Ebay. I know of no one who likes or defends the system except Ebay "spokesfolk." No big surprise, I guess.

afantiques · ‎12-20-2014

You're right, this is the tracking number they gave me before I received it , plus the seller put double the value on the customs form.

No GSP shipped item will have a customs form.

Hello we are sorry to inform you but we cannot seem to find your global tracking number your domestic tracking number is CF019222579US with USPS

So I guess I am out the 92.20 . What a rip!

You do not seem to have understood my post above. You can reclaim the GSP charges but you cannot do it by a PP claim, as Pierre suggests. The route is phone CS, ask for a reference to a GSP specialist, wait for a return call within 48 hours, explain the situation, (just quoting the USPS tracking number should be enough}, and you GSP payment will be refunded.

Then follow Pierre's advice to reclaim excessive taxes charged due to the overstated value.

It is all a big mess and no one but you is in a position to sort it out.

All caused by the incompetent seller.

arlene_v · ‎12-21-2014

@afantiques wrote:

It is all a big mess and no one but you is in a position to sort it out.

All caused by the incompetent seller.

AND eBay and Pitney Bowes. They do need to shoulder some of the responsibility here.

I agree with 000NeverMind's observations in an earlier post.

The fact that the GSP is a default setting for many new sellers doesn't help one little bit.

There are many "casual" sellers on eBay who don't read every last word of the fine print, nor do they even know that they are enrolled in the GSP (a program that is not all that easy to grasp at first) and this is where these problems crop up, over and over.

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.

I'd most certainly leave negative feedback for the seller in this instance, Maxum, and I have never left a neg for a seller online, ever. But this is simply not good enough.

You've received great advice from the posters here, thankfully, because this program also comes with no help whatsoever for buyers in cases like this. So kudos to community members here for the hours they spend helping folks like you who've been burned by this very poorly implemented program.