I've been having ongoing problems using eBay's Global Shipping Program as a buyer. Half the battle is figuring out how the system works in order to resolve the issues it has. Recently I have been discussing this with a seller I bought from, and I have posted here on the forums, as well as sending numerous complaints to eBay and FedEx. What I have learnt is this (and feel free to correct me if I am wrong): A GSP seller's responsibility begins with the sale and ends with the handover of the goods to eBay's chosen third-party shipper. All responsibility for the goods is then in the hands of the shipper until it reaches the hands of the buyer. The seller is protected for any and all responsibility the moment the goods leave their hands. The only protection offered the buyer is a refund if goods are lost or damaged in transit. I can certainly see the benefit to the seller, and I can't begrudge them the choice to use the GSP. However, the program has been nothing but a pain in the rear-end for me as a buyer. Apparently (again, correct me if I'm wrong), the third-party shipper re-packs the goods received from the shipper. Frequently my goods have been packed so poorly they are barely recognisable on arrival. I recently purchased a very rare and delicate vintage porcelain bell that arrived on my doorstep in a bag, no wrapping or protection, shattered to pieces. This was just one among many such incidents that have led me to assume the third-party shippers care nothing for the goods, despite how carefully the shipper initially wrapped them. I have an Australia Post Parcel locker for security and convenience. I do not have a fixed residential address, and I have found that goods delivered to an address I stay at get misplaced or stolen. Third-party shippers such as FedEx refuse to ship to parcel lockers, yet USPS and Royal Mail have never failed to deliver safely to my parcel box, signature or not. If a seller ships by ordinary means and goods are lost or damaged, I have never had an issue with contacting the seller directly to resolve the problem - whether that results in a refund or replacement item. With the GSP, as the seller is absolved of any responsibility, I am only left with the option of getting a refund via eBay or PayPal, which has proven time-consuming and frustrating. And its not the money I want - its the goods I paid for. The best advice I can receive, it seems, is to simply not purchase from a seller using the GSP. However, this is not often feasible, as I frequently buy rare, hard-to-find vintage items that are often only sold by one or two sellers at a time, usually internationally. So my question is thus: If the ongoing issues I am having are with the incompetency and lack of care on behalf of the third-party shippers, what is the most effective way of bringing this to eBay's attention? Clearly the GSP benefits the seller. I assume it also benefits eBay by theoretically increasing efficiency and keeping costs down, while increasing international trade opportunities. However, the buyers are being disadvantaged. By paying the not insubstantial increased international shipping costs required by the GSP, we are supposed to be getting faster, safer deliveries. Yet the opposite is true: Goods take far longer to arrive, if at all, and are frequently in very bad shape when they turn up. All I want is for eBay to improve the service. How can I get this to happen??!
