What are the odds my GSP item from USA to Canada will be trackable in Canada

[theoldestfart]

I am giving it a 5% chance (being generous) of being able to track the item once it crosses into Canada. The last GSP it was Erlanger who put the address label on it which included the tracking # for Intelcom but PB never bothered to include the tracking # in the shipment info page. The Global Shipping tracking # number is useless in Canada for US sourced purchases devon@ebay 

[marnotom!]

Why do you require tracking information? I used the be a pretty obsessive tracking geek until I realized that knowing where my item was scanned doesn’t make any difference to when and how I receive my item.

[teeny*tiny*vintage]

I've purchased "many" items from US sellers using the GSP and have not had any problems to date. The tracking does eventually show up on the Pitney Bowes website as a hyperlink(?) that I can click on to show the Canadian tracking/shipping once the item departs customs in Canada ... there is probably a couple of days lag time though ... I'll try to add screen shots if it helps but it's an old transaction I don't have anything "live" ... but again I have always been able to track everything from start to end 

[devon@ebay]

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@theoldestfart wrote:

I am giving it a 5% chance (being generous) of being able to track the item once it crosses into Canada. The last GSP it was Erlanger who put the address label on it which included the tracking # for Intelcom but PB never bothered to include the tracking # in the shipment info page. The Global Shipping tracking # number is useless in Canada for US sourced purchases devon@ebay 

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Hi @theoldestfart! Just as @teeny*tiny*vintage has mentioned once the item crosses over to Canada is in the possession of the Canadian shipping courier you can usually track the item through Pitney Bowes. If there is an issues please reach back out and I can try to do some digging into this for you. 

[theoldestfart]

devon@ebay 

Sorry but I have tried that on both of the past GSP items and it provided exactly the same information as eBay tracking. It showed it reached Canada and the tracking stopped dead. there was a shipment in October 2021 and one this spring that showed the same thing even using Pitney Bowes system. All of these shipments were using the cheap IntelComm courier rather than Canada Post. It showed the parcel cleared customs and there was no further tracking showing up 

The huge problem with Intelcomm deliveries is that the Intelcomm tracking # is on the package when the shipment leaves Erlanger yet the eBay system does not know about that tracking number until after the package hopefully gets delivered!

Intelcomm takes 2 weeks to deliver the item once it gets into Canada and during that time I have no idea if Intelcomm even got the package.  The last package showed no tracking info on Pitney Bowes until the day before the delivery occurred i.e. 12 days after the item cleared Canada Customs. The next day it said out for delivery. 

[reallynicestamps]

This is old, but here's info about tracking GSP shipments.

——————————————————————————————————
Another poster worked this out for buyers who have not yet received their GSP shipment.
TRACKING SYSTEM FOR GSP
It's not user friendly... But I found how to track your package via the global shipping program, once it gets to Canada you need to:
- Log on to eBay.ca
- Under the My eBay menu select Purchase History
- Under your orders find the specific order.  It should have something like the following:
        Estimated delivery Mon, Jan 11 - Thu, Jan 21
        Tracking number: Tracking number UPAAB000000#########
- Click on the UPA number.  This should open up a Shipment Details window, which should contain something like this:
     This shipment has been transferred to CPC for delivery to the final destination # 70351#########
You will be shown limited tracking info. In my case, only up to the point the package left the USA and entered Canada.
 
Step 4: Click on the "Track on carrier's website" link at the top right.
 
Step 5: You will be provided with tracking on the page of the actual shipping company, in my case Canada Post, with a tracking number in THEIR system.
-Click on the Canada Post number to see where the Canada Post Tracking history and expected delivery 

Problem solved! If only eBay would put a link to https://parceltracking.pb.com/app/#/dashboard/ in their shipping emails, this could all be avoided... 
 

[reallynicestamps]

Like @marnotom!  I don't really understand the need to obsessively track a shipment.

Mark the last estimated date for delivery on your calendar and relax.

If you have problems with porch pirates, or just don't want parcels to sit unattended in the rain and snow, you could use Canada Post's new Flex Delivery.

This is a FREE SERVICE which promises not to deliver your shipment to your home address but to leave a Delivery Notice telling you where and when you can pick up at the local PO.

Bring appropriate identification.

[theoldestfart]

I live in an apartment and I would have no issue if it was Canada Post delivering these shipments since they would take it over to the nearest postal outlet if I am not home. With GSP eBay does not use Canada Post but Intelcomm which uses contract drivers. I have had bad experiences with these types of delivery services losing packages. I had one of these services have a shipment stolen out of their local warehouse. So when a shipment all of the sudden stops being tracked that sets off alarm bells with me.

[reallynicestamps]

It would be useful to know if couriers can deliver to Canada Post for the Flex Delivery service.

There have been a lot of annoyed posts about Intelcom, just as there were for AppleExpress earlier. Either AE has upped their game or GSP has stopped using them.

[theoldestfart]

I have never had IntelComm deliver any AE shipments. The vast majority is via Canada Post although two were via UniUni. Years ago the GSP used to use Canada Post here in Manitoba which stopped.

[marnotom!]

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@theoldestfart wrote:

I have had bad experiences with these types of delivery services losing packages. I had one of these services have a shipment stolen out of their local warehouse. So when a shipment all of the sudden stops being tracked that sets off alarm bells with me.

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The only scan that really matters to you as a buyer is the one that says "Item delivered."  What happens between where the item was sent off and your location really doesn't matter a lot.  Sorry you had an item go missing, that must sting, but you can also see that tracking didn't prevent it from going AWOL.

[marnotom!]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

It would be useful to know if couriers can deliver to Canada Post for the Flex Delivery service.

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Someone posted somewhere a few weeks ago her experience with Flex Delivery and the GSP that basically confirmed my hypothesis that the last mile carrier for a GSP-forwarded item is assigned in Kentucky, so an item destined for a Canadian PO box would go into the mail stream once it's trucked out to Mississauga (or Saint-Laurent or wherever the Canadian entry point is).

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@marnotom! wrote:

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@theoldestfart wrote:

I have had bad experiences with these types of delivery services losing packages. I had one of these services have a shipment stolen out of their local warehouse. So when a shipment all of the sudden stops being tracked that sets off alarm bells with me.

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The only scan that really matters to you as a buyer is the one that says "Item delivered."  What happens between where the item was sent off and your location really doesn't matter a lot.  Sorry you had an item go missing, that must sting, but you can also see that tracking didn't prevent it from going AWOL.

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For many buyers they watch the tracking to confirm first it is getting close and secondly that it is out for delivery so they can watch for it. Ordering something and not getting it for whatever reason is most annoying. And if an item is delivered to the wrong address it takes major discussion with Intelcom to first accept this as a problem and then you are required to deal with eBay as an INR. Issue being...Item tracking states delivered.

-Lotz

As a side note, recently speaking to a waitress at a restaurant, if UBER etc makes a mistake for delivering an order, the restaurant is required to make the food over again at their cost. The driver is not held accountable. Drivers will wait in parking lot for an order to be placed and arrived 4 seconds later and mark the order as late because it hasn't been prepared yet. (On average they have 15 mins to prepare). To me those situations don't see fair.

[reallynicestamps]

, so an item destined for a Canadian PO box would go into the mail stream

As I understand FlexDelivery, there is no PO box assigned. It's more of an ad hoc service.

So the question remains.

I have to go to the PO today, so I will ask, but it's the outlet this time so I may not get a useful answer.

[marnotom!]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

As I understand FlexDelivery, there is no PO box assigned. It's more of an ad hoc service.

So the question remains.

I have to go to the PO today, so I will ask, but it's the outlet this time so I may not get a useful answer.

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If you don't get any useful information from the Pharmasave staff, this page might shed a bit of light.  It states that the registrant uses a "FlexDelivery address" for shipping and that the carrier must be able to deliver to a PO box:

https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/personal/receiving/alternative-delivery/flexdelivery.p...

EDIT: Just found this page which has a bit more information:

https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/support/kb/receiving/mail-delivery/how-to-use-your-fle...

[marnotom!]

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

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For many buyers they watch the tracking to confirm first it is getting close and secondly that it is out for delivery so they can watch for it. Ordering something and not getting it for whatever reason is most annoying. And if an item is delivered to the wrong address it takes major discussion with Intelcom to first accept this as a problem and then you are required to deal with eBay as an INR. Issue being...Item tracking states delivered.

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So are you saying that tracking is useful to buyers or that they'd be better off without it?  🤔

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

, so an item destined for a Canadian PO box would go into the mail stream

As I understand FlexDelivery, there is no PO box assigned. It's more of an ad hoc service.

So the question remains.

I have to go to the PO today, so I will ask, but it's the outlet this time so I may not get a useful answer.

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There are no nays about PO boxes that I can find on the FAQ for GSP. 

https://www.ebay.com/sellercenter/shipping/ebay-labels-services/ebay-international-shipping-services...

It does state that Mixed Lots are not allowed with GSP. Something many sellers may not realize.

Brief video on GSP:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/neA1H1x6pl4

From webretailer I found this. Requirements and Limitations section.

https://www.webretailer.com/b/ebay-global-shipping-program/

For most destination countries, the buyer must have a physical address, rather than a P.O. Box. (No additional clarification uncovered). See comments for additional opinions on the service from sellers perspective. (Taken with a grain of salt due to age of some of the comments. Information may have been revised since they were posted.)

[marnotom!]

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

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There are no nays about PO boxes that I can find on the FAQ for GSP. 

https://www.ebay.com/sellercenter/shipping/ebay-labels-services/ebay-international-shipping-services...

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Under the "More Information" section is this note:

Note: With the exception of shipments to Canada, delivery to PO Boxes is not supported by the Global Shipping Program. Shipments to APO or FPO addresses.

I have no idea what that sentence fragment at the end is supposed to mean, but the previous one is the one that's relevant to us and this discussion.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@marnotom! wrote:

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

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For many buyers they watch the tracking to confirm first it is getting close and secondly that it is out for delivery so they can watch for it. Ordering something and not getting it for whatever reason is most annoying. And if an item is delivered to the wrong address it takes major discussion with Intelcom to first accept this as a problem and then you are required to deal with eBay as an INR. Issue being...Item tracking states delivered.

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So are you saying that tracking is useful to buyers or that they'd be better off without it?  🤔

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@marnotom! 

@theoldestfart 

Definitely useful for both buyers and sellers. It's how it's being "interpreted" inconsistently when any sort of situation arises. In the past couriers including the post office used to routinely get signatures when they handed them to the receiver. Even when no signature was required. That got thrown out the window with Covid and no person contact. Leaving us with drop and dash. At least with community boxes its a secure delivery. It does state that on couriers websites Puro/UPS(Interlcom should be included), that parcel should be left in a secure location....NOT in plain site. This is not happening. Parcels are getting left on walkways, steps, driveways and lobbies. 

-Lotz

From the Intelcom website:

Intelcom continually reviews and improves its measures to prevent package theft in order to maintain a high quality of service for our customers. Thanks to our innovative notification system based on the optimized sequence of parcels to be delivered, each consumer receives a personalized notice when their delivery is expected in the next 3 hours, and can thus prepare themselves or inform a neighbor who can receive the parcel.

Due to COVID-19 , our delivery procedures have been adapted to offer a contactless service. In order to follow social distancing measures customers are not required to sign on the devices of our delivery associates. Our independent delivery contractor will sign N/A (not available) after ensuring the package has been delivered to a secure location.

Thanks to our innovative notification system based on the optimized sequence of parcels to be delivered, each consumer receives a personalized notice when their delivery is expected in the next 3 hours, and can thus prepare themselves or inform a neighbor who can receive the parcel.

I've never received an out for delivery notification for either an amazon or ebay parcal with Intelcom. Do you know anyone has? Amazon is entirely from the website from my personal experience. And window can vary or be updated. Mostly up to the receiver to check back often.

-Lotz

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@marnotom! wrote:

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

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There are no nays about PO boxes that I can find on the FAQ for GSP. 

https://www.ebay.com/sellercenter/shipping/ebay-labels-services/ebay-international-shipping-services...

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Under the "More Information" section is this note:

Note: With the exception of shipments to Canada, delivery to PO Boxes is not supported by the Global Shipping Program. Shipments to APO or FPO addresses.

I have no idea what that sentence fragment at the end is supposed to mean, but the previous one is the one that's relevant to us and this discussion.

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Thanks for spotting but sad that was so difficult to confirm. I'm starting to lose track of all the negative press GSP has had over the last  ### years!!! FLEX or renting a PO box would be a good idea for anyone that uses the program regularly and wants to have secure delivery.

-Lotz