WARNING to all AUSSIE Buyers

[barneywomble]

I would like to take this opportunity to warn all Australian eBay buyers about a serious problem that exist when purchasing items from eBay USA and paying for "Priority" International Postage through the Global Shipping Program.

I recently made 2 purchases from eBay USA from 2 different sellers. On both the listings it clearly stated the postage method was "Priority" International Postage. When I clicked on the "see details" link underneath the postage section on the listing it confirmed the service I was paying for was indeed "Priority" International Postage. (I have screen shots of both the listing and the Postage details to verify this). So I went ahead and paid for the items and the "Priority" International Postage via PAYPAL. ONce this was completed I clicked on the "view order details" link for each of the 2 purchases and it also confirmed the postage as being "Priority" International Postage. I was given a number of tracking numbers and eventually the items were dispatched from the USA via FEDEX where another tracking number was provided for the international leg of the postage from the USA to Australia. Now to my horror on checking those FEDEX tracking numbers they provide detailed information including the method of delivery which in both cases showed "ECONOMY" International Postage. (I have screen shots verifying this) I contatced FEDEX directly regarding this and they responed via email stating the eBay shipments via the Global Shipping Program are dispatched via "ECONOMY" International Shipping (I have screen shots of this email).

I contatced eBay regarding this matter and then began an amazing "run a round" of companies and responabilities and confusing wording all leading to the point that if an Australian buyer purchases an item from eBay in the USA and pays for "Priority" International Postage through the Global Shipping Program then the items are shipped "ECONOMY" irrispective of the payment made for postage. Apart from the fact that it appears to be completely unfair to clearly advertise a service, pay for that service and not get that service it appears to raise a number of serious legal issues within eBay and its partners.

When I paid for my items from the USA the "shipping or postage" portion, the amount I paid for the "Priority" International Postage was sent to PItney Bowes as they are the legal entity responsible for the Global Shipping Program and a simple check of my PAYPAL account verified a portion of my payment indeed did go to Pitney Bowes. I contatcted them directly and asked them why when I paid for "Priority" International Postage did they not arrange for the items to be shipped that way and I was immediately met with a wall of silence and was told to contact eBay. Pitney Bowes and the Global Shipping Program stand to make millionsof dollars of the backs of hard working Australians if they are charging us for a "Priority" International Postage service but using an "ECONOMY" postage service which is of course CONSIDERABLY CHEAPER and SLOWER. I had posted these concerns along with the screen shots on eBay.com facebook page and they were immediately removed and I guess because I was correct and the less people who know about it the better.

If you are an Australian eBayer and have purchased an item from eBay USA and you paid for "Priority" International Postage through the Global Shipping Program please CHECK with the actual carrier (it will probably be FEDEX and see how your items were shipped. If they were not shipped using a "Priority" International Postage Service you are by law entitled to be reimbursed for the difference between the "Priority" International Postage you paid for and the "ECONOMY" service actually used. I will of course be contacting the revelent a number of media outlets both here in Australia and in the USA and I will also get a facebook campaign up and running to promote awareness for this disgusting business practice.

[kopenhagen5]

Looks like we all need to ask the seller first if they are sending by USPS or GSP.

I always back page when I see GSP in a listing.

[barneywomble]

It makes no difference - both listings clearly stated "Priority International Shipping" via the Global Shipping Program - Weather the items are shipped via USPS direct by the seller or FEDEX by the Global Shipping Program the fact remains the service I PAID for was a "Priority International Service". The Global Shipping Program (Pitney Bowes) should have arrange "Priority International Shipping" with FEDEX, instead they arranged for the items to be shipped using the far cheaper and slower "ECONOMY" shipping. Pitney Bowes is obviously pocketing the difference and making a tidy sum of money on the side and at the expense of Australian Buyers. And is illegal! - NOWHERE IN THE LISTINGS OR THE POSTAGE DETAILS OR THE ORDER DETAILS AFTER PURCHASING DOES IT MENTION "ECONOMY SHIPPING" - INDEED ALL THE INFORMATION CLEARLY STATES THE POSTAGE SERVICE OFFERED AND PAID FOR WAS "PRIORITY INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING.

I am happy to post secreen shots showing all of this however this message board only allows one image per post, so attached is the screenshot showing the listing clearly showing the postage as Priority and a shot of the FEDEX information clearly showing the method of delivery as being Economy.

[barneywomble]

Here are the screen shots showing this. the first 3 images clearly show the Priority International Shipping, and the last image clearly shows FEDEX shipped the item Economy International. There is no doubt after this has occured twice to me in the space of a week with 2 different sellers that this is a wide spread practice between eBay, Pitney Bowes and the Global Shipping Program and FEDEX. All of whom stand to gain but it is the the aussie battler who pays out their hard earned dollar for a priority service that gets ripped off. There is NO ambiguity in the listings, I was offered and paid for a Priority International Service and I did NOT get what I paid for.

[lyndal1838]

You have not told us anything we don't already know.

The GSP is actually a Priority service as it uses an international courier company....FedEx....to bring the items to Australia.  The economy part of the service only kicks in when the items arrive in Australia.  FedEx has extra time to deliver the items.....most of them are handed to Australia Post once here....or are delivered by FedEx themselves.

If you had come to the boards before making all your enquiries you would have been told all this information.

The GSP has been in use for a number of years now and you really are wasting your time with all your plans to bring it to everybody's attention....the only people who may be interested are ebay members and any member who reads the boards will already know.

I doubt that you will find any member who likes the GSP but we are stuck with it and have to make the best of it....and learn to make it work for us if we want to buy from the USA or the UK.

[lyndal1838]

There is no collusion with FedEx.....Pitney Bowes only pays for an Economy delivery to Australia.  If the GSP is being used Pitney Bowes cannot arrange anything but the contracted service for the goods.

[barneywomble]

No, you are wrong. The service from the USA to Australia is an ECONOMY Service NOT a Priority Service and a simple check of the consignment note/docket on the actual parcel as well as the shipping details at FEDEX "CLEARLY" show this. I also emailed FEDEX directly and they confirmed this for me.

[barneywomble]

So then I pay for a Priority service, but get an economy service - THAT IS FRAUD!

[lyndal1838]

Any courier service is a priority service......the economy part kicks in once the items arrive here.....FedEx does not have to deliver the items as quickly as we would like.   The hand most of the smaller items to Australia Post for delivery as an eParcel.

[gutterpunkz05]

Priority international,  11-21 business days.   The pony express has made a comeback.  Maybe it is a matter of terminology versus expectation, that is I would expect a priority service to be well less than  21 business days.  When sending from Australia  via standard air,  Delivery is usually expected in less than 21 business days to most countries, and when sending via International express, the delivery time is usually less than 11 days.

So really the test will be if your items arrive/d within the 21 business days timeframe