eBay

maureenr5700 · ‎01-23-2022

I started buying again on eBay a year ago, previously I would request only USPS Priority International shipping and item would arrive generally in 10 days, most of the time free of fees and taxes. NOW with GLOBAL Shipping no matter First Class or Priority takes 20 to 30 days for item to arrive. Wherever the GSP seller is East or West coast the item ships to Erlanger, Kentucky to get customs papers filled out and to put Canada's government taxes on 3 or 4 days delay interrupting the route from seller to buyer ... from there the package is sent to the East or West coast of Canada to go through customs clearance then to your city post office and out to you. Totally completely a rip off for Canadian eBay buyers that purchase from the USA paying Priority mail prices for First class delivery time! I've been told my sellers they have to use GSP not true, they prefer not to fill out the import papers which could not be simpler or did not read eBay's directives. Bottom line I'm lessening my eBay shopping...the shipping has gotten too pricey and takes too long to arrive.
p.s. There are USA sellers that don't use GSP and/or are flexible with shipping method.

femmefan1946 · ‎01-23-2022

The buyer is not part of the reason for the GSP.

This is a Seller Protection program.

It is aimed at xenophobic and paranoid US and UK sellers who are terrified of shipping outside the lower 48.

It's interesting that complaints about the GSP (which I have only used three times over the years) used to be about import fees which ended when Canada raised our duty free allowance from the USA from $20 to $150, and now are about delivery time.

Over 30 years in mail order selling, I have learned that 20 days for delivery is pretty normal.

I currently have aan eBay, USPS shipped order coming from Seattle, ordered Jan 16 with a delivery window of Jan27- Feb 18, and a different company's order made on Jan 11 which arrived in Canada on the 21st and is expected on the 31st.

We'll see.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎01-23-2022

@femmefan1946 wrote:
The buyer is not part of the reason for the GSP.
This is a Seller Protection program.
It is aimed at xenophobic and paranoid US and UK sellers who are terrified of shipping outside the lower 48.

It's interesting that complaints about the GSP (which I have only used three times over the years) used to be about import fees which ended when Canada raised our duty free allowance from the USA from $20 to $150, and now are about delivery time.
Over 30 years in mail order selling, I have learned that 20 days for delivery is pretty normal.

I currently have aan eBay, USPS shipped order coming from Seattle, ordered Jan 16 with a delivery window of Jan27- Feb 18, and a different company's order made on Jan 11 which arrived in Canada on the 21st and is expected on the 31st.
We'll see.

@maureenr5700

With GSP there is definitely the issue with the taxes/processing being added but that is what it is. As for the other side of the equation, In the past when I could find sellers not using GSP everything would routinely arrive in 10 to 15 days and thats not business days. (That's the biggest challenge now.) With GSP you are looking at 3 to 5 weeks for a service that is descibed as Priority. Major false advertising.

-Lotz

Definition of the day.

Minimum wage - We would pay you less if we could!

teenytrinkets · ‎01-24-2022

The GSP is a disaster IMO. I live in BC and I used to order shipments sent First Class from US sellers on the West coast, and it was 1-2 weeks tops. And most of the time I didn't have to pay any duties/ taxes. With GSP, shipment times are doubled regardless of where you order from, and you have to pay import fees upon checkout. Not to mention the added risk of loss/ damage/eff-up/ theft of your package at its stop in Kentucky. They really need to scrap that program. I can't imagine that they're really making any money on it - especially considering more Ebayers are using re-shippers these days, anyway!

femmefan1946 · ‎01-24-2022

GSP is a reshipper- if you mean a freight forwarder.

GSP is eBay's freight forwarding sub-contractor- just as chitchat is for many Canadian sellers.

And frankly I suspect most of the delays are related to the famous supply train disruptions- fewer truckers, fewer flights, fewer workers at processing plants due to illness.

That being said, I've only made three GSP shipped purchases, one of which was repacked into a 30"x20" x4" box although it was a book only one cm thick, one of which was the cheapest available including import fees on any eBay site, and one of which I noticed the GSP after ordering and paying because : brainfahrt.

The repacked one included a letter saying it had been and all arrived within the window for delivery.

dannyw1975 · ‎01-30-2022

GSP = Global Scamming Program. This scam has one goal. That goal is for EBAY and Pitney Bowes to rip off Canadian and UK buyers. Avoid using this bull**bleep** program at all costs.

reallynicestamps · ‎01-31-2022

.

maureenr5700 · ‎01-31-2022

It may be some "supply train disruptions" taking 7 days from shipper to Erlanger KY ., 2 - 3 days there repacking & paperwork another 5-7 days to Canada customs...10 - 18 days from customs to buyer. Shipping via Erlanger KY from anywhere USA to west coast or east coast of Canada is ludicrous.

maureenr5700 · ‎01-31-2022

I agree totally except I believe they are making money on it in large amounts. I would like to know the cut taken for collecting the taxes for the Canadian government.

maureenr5700 · ‎01-31-2022

I'm in B.C., on the west coast of Canada next to the Washington USA border, which in turn is next to Canada customs in B.C., ...my item was shipped from Seattle, Washington to Erlanger, Kentucky processed there then sent to Toronto on the East coast of Canada for customs and finally shipping back to the west coast to me😒

nkmipgolf · ‎01-31-2022

I ive in BC also and I like the GSP.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎01-31-2022

@maureenr5700 wrote:
I'm in B.C., on the west coast of Canada next to the Washington USA border, which in turn is next to Canada customs in B.C., ...my item was shipped from Seattle, Washington to Erlanger, Kentucky processed there then sent to Toronto on the East coast of Canada for customs and finally shipping back to the west coast to me😒

Unfortunately the only clearing point with the US GSP program is in Erlanger, KY. Everything gets routed through that location. Similar for me using CP. I'm in Calgary. My US parcels go to Richmond...Then LA or SF and then on for delivery. Even AK has to go to LA for US customs clearance. All you can do if you have something you would like to purchase from GSP seller is ask them to opt out for that particular listing. Instructions below.

Opting out of the Global Shipping Program

More info

You can opt out of the Global Shipping program at any time. Here's how:

Go to Manage Shipping Preferences.
Select Edit beside Global Shipping Program.
Select Opt Out. Please note it may take up to 72 hours to process your request.

You can also remove a single active listing from the Global Shipping Program. Here's how:

Select Active under the Listing tab in Seller Hub.
Select the listing you'd like to change.
In the Edit dropdown menu, choose Edit selected.
In the Add shipping details section, select Edit selected policy.
In the International shipping section of the Edit shipping policy dialogue box, clear the tick box beside Send it to the US shipping center, and the rest will be taken care of for you.
Save and confirm your changes.

Note: This has to be done before a sale has been completed.

-Lotz

PS. Please note: These instructions only display within the dot com help pages

maureenr5700 · ‎01-31-2022

Why?

maureenr5700 · ‎02-01-2022

Femmefan Import fees haven't ended with the GSP they have increased. The GSP collect taxes GST etc., for the Canadian government on every applicable package that goes through there, it is part of their gig ... As another poster pointed out...in B.C., we rarely got extra charges on items from USA until the GSP started.
Also on your shipping time line First class package could take 20 days, however Priority Int'l was 10 days (I'm saying USPS and approximate) , now all service is the same as First class package and longer, Erlanger itself is a weeks travel never mind the repacking and paperwork. I have over 60 experiences with GSP...takes me a while to get annoyed😊

ypdc_dennis · ‎02-01-2022

@maureenr5700 wrote:
Femmefan Import fees haven't ended with the GSP they have increased.

For many shipments the charge has gone down because of the revised free trade agreement.

Old rules when GSP started: duty and tax if worth more than $20CA

Current rules: duty if more than $150, sales tax if more than $40

My one and only GSP purchase from the USA was last month.

Mailed Jan 13, cleared Global Jan 20, in my hands Jan 26.

-;-

marnotom! · ‎02-01-2022

@ypdc_dennis wrote:

For many shipments the charge has gone down because of the revised free trade agreement.
Old rules when GSP started: duty and tax if worth more than $20CA
Current rules: duty if more than $150, sales tax if more than $40

My one and only GSP purchase from the USA was last month.
Mailed Jan 13, cleared Global Jan 20, in my hands Jan 26.

The C$20 limit is actually still officially the case for items sent through the mail system, although we know how well that's enforced. The $40/$150 limits apply to other carriers.

Your turnaround time for your GSP item sounds relatively reasonable, BTW. What carrier handled it in Canada?

ypdc_dennis · ‎02-01-2022

@marnotom! wrote:
Your turnaround time for your GSP item sounds relatively reasonable, BTW. What carrier handled it in Canada?

Intelcom. No problems.

reallynicestamps · ‎02-02-2022

@maureenr5700

From about 1985 to 2020, Canadians were supposed to pay duty and sales taxes on any import over $20.

The public servants at CBSA decided that was stupid- it cost more to assess and collect import fees on low value imports than could be collected.

So for postal imports they stopped bothering on anything under ~$100.

It was no secret. The Agency actually had a press release saying that 93% of low value packages were not assessed.

But that was POSTAL, not couriers like UPS, FedEx... and Pitney Bowes (which runs the GSP for eBay).

Couriers had to obey the law.

When the newest iteration of NAFTA was negotiated, US and Mexican imports got a huge break.

We can now import from those countries up to $150 in value without duty and up to $40 without sales taxes.

So yes, you rarely got charged when your US seller used USPS/Canada Post to export to you.

If your seller used UPS however, you not only paid duty and tax, but also their "customs brokerage" fees* which started at $25.

There are archived threads about UPS that are 5000 or 6000 posts long.

BTW-- the GSP plant is busy enough that they are actually processing part of their workload in Cincinnati - about 15 minutes away from the original plant.

Now.

How long do you think it takes to unpack every one of those packages and repack them? The minimum wage in Kentucky is $7.25 an hour. How much do you think it would cost to pay a worker to do that? How many packages could she unpack, inspect and repack in an hour? And their minimum wage is rising this year to $10 an hour. ($12Cdn).

I've been in mail order selling since the late '70s. I avoid the GSP, but I don't buy much anyway mostly I'm trying to get rid.

*Canada Post charges $9.95 for this. GSP is ~$5.

opcguys · ‎07-16-2024

Exactly what I've been trying to telll US sellers - this has happened to me and I live just across the border near Buffalo NY. Even worse are the hidden shipping costs after you have committed to buy and that many US sellers can't change the shipping method/fees - in fact they are often unaware of the extra costs to us (and I'm not talking customs/duty) US POST hasn't failed for me in over 30 years of ebay and collecting - occasionally I get dinged for customs but that is relatively rare.