I received an email informing me that a purchase I had made and paid for along with postage has been

[totheboss]

Got an email today informing me that one of my purchases on eBay from the US has been stopped from delivery by GSP as the item is  restricted, I have checked eBays list of restricted item and cannot find it listed on the website, the item is question is a updraft carburettor (a car part) I have bought these before without problems so don't know what's happened and I can't seem to get an answer as to why it has been identified as restricted, I can't find one here in Oz and need to get one from the US, does anyone know if there's a  process by which you can challenge the decision by the GSP to stop delivery or at least get the item back to the seller so that they can send it via UPS, as the email stated that I was not getting getting the item and that the item was not going to be sent back to the seller, so what happens to the carburettor now? I need the carb to finish a restoration of a vintage Chrysler and I don't know where I'm going to get another carburettor, very Pi.... Off!

[11dustyattic]

Have you contacted the seller to see if they can help. Easier for them to deal with it at their end I would think

[padi*0409]

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@11dustyattic wrote:

Have you contacted the seller to see if they can help. Easier for them to deal with it at their end I would think

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dusty, once Pitney Bowes have received the item and decided to confiscate it the seller has no input into the transaction. I would doubt if the buyer can claim for INR because as far as the seller is concerned the item has been delivered, albeit to Pitney Bowes.

PB will put the item on their own eBay site (or other sites) to sell it but they will not recompense the buyer.

[padi*0409]

To add, I thought there had been cases of eBay making a one-off concessionary payment under the MBG for this, after being pushed hard, but I can't find any reference to it.

[etb321]

The slightest wiff of petrol would be reason enough for it to be unmailable. Either to you, or back to the seller. 

Tom

[totheboss]

Yes I think that could be the reason, but I believe that the unit has beig sitting in storage for a  numbers of years, all I want to know is the reason for the restriction, if I buy another one will that too be stopped for shipping? why won't they just answer my questions.

the next time if I buy from ebay I will ask the seller to ship USPS and if they want to use GSP I will simply not bid.

Thanks to all who replied, 

[lyndal1838]

The seller will have to relist without the GSP before you bid or buy.

They cannot change the delivery method after the listing has ended.

[totheboss]

Unfortunately the email from eBay stated that the item was not going to be shipped to me nor was it going to be sent back to the seller, so God only knows was is going to happen to the 60+ year old carburettor. 

[davewil1964]

It will either be destroyed or Pitney Bowes will list it on their own site.

[4channel]

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@totheboss wrote:

Got an email today informing me that one of my purchases on eBay from the US has been stopped from delivery by GSP as the item is  restricted, I have checked eBays list of restricted item and cannot find it listed on the website, the item is question is a updraft carburettor (a car part) I have bought these before without problems so don't know what's happened and I can't seem to get an answer as to why it has been identified as restricted,

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Hi, I'm sorry to hear of your problem. I have heard about other items being confiscated by Pitney Bowes as well as fuel related parts. With USPS and as you've indicated, they come through fine. This is overkill and it just adds to the plethora of problems related to this Pitney Bowes and it's Global Shipping Program which has basically ruined a lot of the good in eBay. Ask many people and they'll tell you it's a scam and they hate it with a passion.

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@totheboss wrote:

I can't find one here in Oz and need to get one from the US, does anyone know if there's a  process by which you can challenge the decision by the GSP to stop delivery or at least get the item back to the seller so that they can send it via UPS, as the email stated that I was not getting getting the item and that the item was not going to be sent back to the seller, so what happens to the carburettor now? I need the carb to finish a restoration of a vintage Chrysler and I don't know where I'm going to get another carburettor, very Pi.... Off!

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Yeah, this has set you back a heck of a lot now. I hope you can find another replacement somewhere if you don't get any joy out of rearranging something with your seller.

You know, many sellers overseas have no idea that their items are going via Global Shipping. One seller had "For overseas shipping and multiple items , please wait until I send you an invoice etc., but his auction pages had defaulted to GSP. Like a parasitic leach, it attached itself to auctions etc.. One US eBayer by the name of john-c-holmes even likened it to herpes !

Anyway, good news for the future is that many sellers are happy to re-list and put the postage as USPS First Class Int.. For items that are very rare, irreplaceable, very fragile or weird & wonderful electronic or machine parts, it's best not to risk it with Pitney Bowes and it's pet the GSP.  I've already had items damaged when they were re-packed at the Pitney Bowes depot.

Good luck, I hope you can get some satisfaction out of this mess.