Global Shipping Programme UK - observations

[chezzy]

Hi folks

My own experiences with using GSP for items from the US:
- shipping quite expensive (my items are normally small and under 10oz)
- long shipping/transit time/long wait when it got to my capital city
- flimsy cardboard boxes used for repacking item, box usually arrive with dents/crushed

I generally try to avoid using the Global Shipping Program - and I buy a lot less from the US now

Recently I purchased an item from the UK, the seller uses the Global Shipping Programme. Whilst I was not thrilled about this I thought I would try it as I did the sums and surprisingly it was going to be only 59 pence dearer to send the item via GSP than it would have if they did the shipping themselves with Royal Mail (GBP 13.49 for GSP versus GBP 12.90 for Royal Mail International Tracked).

The tracking situation was interesting: I received 4 progress emails from ebay, one from myHermes and I even found out via googling that I could track my package at wnDIRECT. It seems once the package landed in Australia it became an eParcel with Australia Post (and then trackable on their site). I didn't take too much notice of times and dates as it  was mostly in BST (British Summer Time).

Much to my surprise the package only took about a week to get to me!
The box arrived dented (flimsy box - repacked/resealed by pitney bowes/GSP) but I can not complain about the delivery time.

Would be interested to know if others have had a better experience from GSP UK than GSP USA. Thanks.

[lyndal1838]

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@davidc4430 wrote:

this is my worry,

i wrap/pack my sold item in a way i'm quite sure will get to my buyer in good condition. sure there allways a horror story of parcels getting crushed.

then my parcel get sent to a center somewhere where some neanderthal nobhead unwraps it and repacks it in a flimsy box to send on to my buyer.

the item being now in the flimsy box and not my good strong box gets damaged causing my once well wraped item to be damaged.

when my buyer gets the damaged item he/she is not a happy camper.

will ebay/pitneybungole pay for replacement including postage or will i have to refund or resend plus pay postage again?

and recieve a red dot.?

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It is a bit premature to be worrying about how it will affect you as a seller.....the system is not available to Aussie sellers yet.

It is not ever feasible to ask on the UK or US forums as ebay often has different rules for different sites.

[davidc4430]

maybe it is premature but i rekon having dropped it onto usa and uk sellers we can't be too far off.

and with AP doing its best to kill itself its becoming easier to sell here.

[maddynz]

I recently purchased a vintage poster and the seller was in the UK with the GSP.

I paid pitney bowes £10.78 GBP in postage - and all I got for that was a paper envelope.
The stamp on it is 2nd Large which I understand works out to cost less than £1 if purchased in bulk.

When it arrived the envelope (and the poster) was damp and ripped.

I dont mind paying as long as the packaging is safe and secure, but in this case with no protective packaging and a damaged item I need to query where is the other £9.78 going? 

I have opened a case and provided photos but ebay keep putting it back on hold asking for more photos of the packaging. How many photos of a paper envelope can one take!!!

[davidc4430]

another fine example of the GSP doing a fine job....not.

i wonder what the packing looked like before pitney bowels re packed it. i'm asuming the seller didnt stick it into such poor packing.

have you contacted the seller regarding this?

it would be interesting to know what they have to say.