
08-25-2021 12:09 PM - edited 08-25-2021 12:11 PM
here to report that other than the high cost of shipping through global shipping, i've had quite the positive experience. the item i wanted, i was not able to find in canada and even with shipping and fees, it was a tiny bit cheaper than buying in canada (if available)
seller shipped last monday via fedex to erlanger, erlanger released the package this monday and my package is set to arrive today. a week and a half from wisconsin to toronto ain't bad at all! ariving a day earlier than the eta provided by eBay
maybe i just got lucky 🙂
08-25-2021 12:22 PM
"...other than the high cost of shipping..." For me, "other than" is pretty important. Glad you got your item quickly, which is exceptional.
08-25-2021 12:33 PM
in the end, i still saved $200 even after paying import charges and shipping costs and got what i really wanted in the end
i'm not sure how import charges are calculated but i got charged just a little more than what i would have paid in HST in ON. HST on my item would have been ~$153 and i was charged $164
08-25-2021 01:26 PM
Duty on US goods is due when the value of the item is over $150 and sales taxes when the value is over $40.
08-25-2021 03:40 PM
Most people don't post to these discussion boards when things go well. The boards are sort of the "complaint department" of eBay. There are probably loads of GSP shipments that have gone well enough for the buyer's liking.
Just out of curiosity, how much in shipping were you charged, and how much of that was the seller's charge and how much of it was the GSP's charge? How would you say it would have compared to using the postal system or a courier?
It's wise that you're taking a "big picture" view of the overall cost, though. When buying online, it's good to look at the overall cost of a purchase rather than get too fussed over one particular component.
02-24-2022 02:55 AM
Ebay's shipping policies are ridiculous. They charge customs on so many items that do not require customs fees.
02-24-2022 10:57 AM
@3uthyphro wrote:Ebay's shipping policies are ridiculous. They charge customs on so many items that do not require customs fees.
I doubt that's the case. Tax/duty-free limits have changed a bit since you first posted about this eight years ago, but the crux is the same. For items originating from the United States:
Items with a value of over $C40 have an estimate for GST/HST calculated by the GSP bot.
Items with a value of over C$150 have an estimate for duty (if applicable) calculated by the GSP bot.
Then there's a processing charge of around US$4-5 dollars charged by Pitney Bowes.
The tax and duty calculations are based on CUSMA guidelines for purchases transported by courier:
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/courier/lvs-efv/prsn-eng.html
If you have an example of a listing where you don't feel those calculations apply, I'd love to see it.