eBay

cottagewoman · ‎04-14-2023

Selling on .com and used the GSP for years flawlessly. Now as they are switching to the new eBay international shipping platform, all of my policies have been switched to no international shipping (which is how the new system works) but I'm not yet enrolled - no invite email sent, I checked with CS on twitter and they said to wait it would happen. Just wondering if anybody else has been enrolled? Thanks!

marnotom! · ‎04-14-2023

I don't believe the GSP was intended for use by resident Canadian sellers listing on .com, but as there wasn't much in the way of terms and conditions for sellers to adhere to, some Canadian sellers ended up using it.

eIS has more in the way of terms and conditions for sellers, and it states in the "eligibility" section that the seller must be "U.S. domiciled" and their "items must be shipping from within the U.S." More info here:

https://pages.ebay.com/internationalshippingprogram/seller/terms/

For what it's worth, someone else in shoes similar to yours posted to another board a couple of days ago:

https://community.ebay.ca/t5/User-to-User-Help/Global-Shipping-Program-Canada/m-p/493124

cottagewoman · ‎04-14-2023

As per the other member thread, I use a US shipping address and for returns. I asked the question specifically to Twitter CS if I would be able to use the program being registered in Canada with US addresses and they stated it wouldn't be an issue.

I've contacted the international department directly on . com, we'll see what they say.

marnotom! · ‎04-14-2023

My understanding is that there shouldn't be a "dead period" between when a seller is able to use the GSP and when eIS kicks in. Either there's a glitch in your transition, or else the CSR you chatted with on Twitter is unaware of the US residency requirement for the use of eIS.

Keep us posted, please, @cottagewoman.

cottagewoman · ‎04-14-2023

Thanks for that info. I'll see what response, if any I get from the team handling the program.

38e_avenue · ‎04-15-2023

Would someone using EIS provide a shipping price example? UK / 250 g, or similar. Thank you!

recped · ‎04-15-2023

@38e_avenue wrote:
Would someone using EIS provide a shipping price example? UK / 250 g, or similar. Thank you!

If you are talking abouit the EIS (eBay International Shipping) that is/has replaced GSP there is no "price list" because the international portion of the shipping is charged to the by by eBay the seller has no input whatsoever except for the portion within the US.

If you are talking about the EIS (eBay International Standard) then you can find a price list here:

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

You may wonder how eBay managed to create two different services (one DDP the other DDU) that have different rules, different requirements to qualify and different protections for buyers and sellers where both utilize the same acronym (EIS). Further confused because pages for the old GSP are still online as if the new EIS doesn't exists although it is the only one you can actually sign up for now.

Several answers come to mind and none of them are very complimentary to the creators.

It's possible that the original EIS (Standard) may not be around for long, the info pages for EIS (Shipping) indicate it will become a hybrid system (DDU/DDP) in the future.

For both of these services they really don't apply to Canadian sellers who maintain inventory in Canada. Maybe if you keep inventory in the US one could use them but for both there are better and cheaper options available.

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

cottagewoman · ‎04-15-2023

I use freight forwarding (not chitchats) so in effect my inventory is US domestic. The big advantage of the eBay programs (well GSP when it was still in effect) was the fee savings. A first class USPS label runs 4-6 dollars on average, shipping to a US hub. Using any other service to ship internationally at minimum quadruples that cost as well as the fees. If I can't use one of their services selling on .com, that'll end my international sales. It wasn't that much anyway with GSP, I just liked having the option and getting those few sales.

38e_avenue · ‎04-16-2023

@cottagewoman wrote:
I use freight forwarding (not chitchats) so in effect my inventory is US domestic. The big advantage of the eBay programs (well GSP when it was still in effect) was the fee savings. A first class USPS label runs 4-6 dollars on average, shipping to a US hub. Using any other service to ship internationally at minimum quadruples that cost as well as the fees. If I can't use one of their services selling on .com, that'll end my international sales. It wasn't that much anyway with GSP, I just liked having the option and getting those few sales.

I am not sure about your math. I also use a forwarding service, so my shipments are US domestic. What do you mean by "quadruple"? If you use the GSP, you get only a part of the shipping fee, just enough to cover the domestic shipping to US hub. But if you do NOT use the GSP, you get 100% of the shipping fee paid by the buyer, so you have more money to buy the shipping label from CP, Asendia or APC.

marnotom! · ‎04-16-2023

@recped wrote:4

@38e_avenue wrote:

Would someone using EIS provide a shipping price example? UK / 250 g, or similar. Thank you!
If you are talking abouit the EIS (eBay International Shipping) that is/has replaced GSP there is no "price list" because the international portion of the shipping is charged to the by by eBay the seller has no input whatsoever except for the portion within the US.

It takes a bit of virtual legwork and patience, @38e_avenue, but if you're willing to go through listing pages and do a bit of math, you can get an idea. I went through some listings for an iPhone 7, which should have a shipping weight of around 500 grams, depending on packaging and how much other stuff is included. I found two listings with "free" US shipping where eBay International Shipping was used. One had a shipping rate of US$15.61 to the UK, while the other was US$16.36. (Their shipping rates to Canada were between US$11 and US$13, for what it's worth.) @recped is right, though. There's no way to find out this information from a selling page.

@recped wrote:
It's possible that the original EIS (Standard) may not be around for long, the info pages for EIS (Shipping) indicate it will become a hybrid system (DDU/DDP) in the future.

From what I've seen so far, the expectations set up by the info pages are at odds with what I'm seeing as a prospective buyer. I've seen listings where the new eIS is being used that caution that import charges will be charged upon delivery, listings where it's stated that import charges will be charged at checkout, and yesterday a listing where it stated that import charges will not be charged at delivery, with no note about them being charged at checkout. (The buyer's screengrab didn't show them as a line item on the confirmation page, either.)

38e_avenue · ‎04-16-2023

I think I will not enroll. As of today, I charge 10 USD flat international rate for 100-250 g items. Sometimes it costs less (UK), sometimes more (NZ). Still much cheaper than most of US sellers offer.

pjcdn2005 · ‎04-16-2023

@cottagewoman wrote:
I use freight forwarding (not chitchats) so in effect my inventory is US domestic. The big advantage of the eBay programs (well GSP when it was still in effect) was the fee savings. A first class USPS label runs 4-6 dollars on average, shipping to a US hub. Using any other service to ship internationally at minimum quadruples that cost as well as the fees. If I can't use one of their services selling on .com, that'll end my international sales. It wasn't that much anyway with GSP, I just liked having the option and getting those few sales.

ellers do not every pay fvf on the international part of shipping whether they use the gsp or ship directly. For example, if you charge $10 to ship to the UK and according to your listing, that same items ships for $4 within the US, you will be charged the fvf on $4, not on the $10.

cottagewoman · ‎04-16-2023

My cost reference as being quadrupled is if I were to use my own international labels, such as USPS first class international or pirate ship simple export. This will be the only way to ship internationally when they end the eBay international standard delivery option which I can still use.

By the way Twitter CS confirmed last night that currently non US address registered sellers can use the the new EIS. They do intend to roll out the program to other countries, but obviously no idea when.

cottagewoman · ‎04-16-2023

Whoa my bad! Twitter CS confirmed Canadian registered sellers CANNOT use the new EIS. Rest is true regarding rollout to other countries.

cottagewoman · ‎04-16-2023

Oh, so even if I buy my own international label I only pay fees on domestic rate? That's great to know, I'll be able to plan accordingly. Thanks!

38e_avenue · ‎04-16-2023

@cottagewoman wrote:
Oh, so even if I buy my own international label I only pay fees on domestic rate? That's great to know, I'll be able to plan accordingly. Thanks!

I thought that info is not correct at all, so I have verified it. AND IT'S TRUE!!!!!

Even if the buyer paid 10 dollars for the shipping, I am charged the procentage of the DOMESTIC 5 dollars rate! WOW!!! 😁

recped · ‎04-16-2023

@38e_avenue wrote:
@cottagewoman wrote:
Oh, so even if I buy my own international label I only pay fees on domestic rate? That's great to know, I'll be able to plan accordingly. Thanks!
I thought that info is not correct at all, so I have verified it. AND IT'S TRUE!!!!!
Even if the buyer paid 10 dollars for the shipping, I am charged the procentage of the DOMESTIC 5 dollars rate! WOW!!! 😁

This has been standard eBay policy for decades, even prior to the existance of eBay Canada. Same policy exists in the US and probably all eBay sites.

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

38e_avenue · ‎04-17-2023

@recped wrote:
This has been standard eBay policy for decades, even prior to the existance of eBay Canada. Same policy exists in the US and probably all eBay sites.

Had no idea (despite of selling here since 23 years) .... well, I never counted pennies, but it's simply good to know, that somewhere I pay LESS than expected ..... 😊

ricarmic · ‎04-17-2023

This is a good benefit of FREE shipping domestically, it means one doesn't pay any fees on the international shipping. This is one of the reasons I moved most of my listings to free shipping wayyyyyyyy back when this rule came into being!

Addendum, because I also don't keep a close eye on this stuff, I went and looked at an international item I've sold and yep no fees against their shipping charge (there are fees against the VAT as we all know).