topic Re: Global Shipping Program delays in Buying

Global Shipping Program delays

terminalvelocd — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 11:48:20 GMT

G'day all,

Bought a handful of items over the past week. All of them have arrived at the eBay Global Shipping Program (PBI) centre in Erlanger KY for forwarding to me in Australia. Problem is, three of these items are sitting in the service centre (with a fourth on the way) and one of the items has sat there seemingly untouched for the last 4 days (arrived on 18 October). Is anyone else experiencing delays with outgoing items using the GSP?

Thanks for reading.

Re: Global Shipping Program delays

lyndal1838 — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 12:16:09 GMT

It just depends on how much freight arrives at any one time.

I have had items arrive and be dispatched all on the same day but another item took a week before it left Erlanger KY.

At least you know where the items are and even emailing will not get them moving any earlier.

Re: Global Shipping Program delays

terminalvelocd — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 01:17:05 GMT

Just an update. It has now been 7 days since the first item arrived at PBI's facilities in Erlanger KY. I now have 5 items, soon to be 8, awaiting on-forwarding to me with the first item arriving at PBI on 18 October. It is now 25 October and there has been absolutely NO updates. The normal turnaound time at PBI speaking from experience should be 1-3 days. This is ridiculous!

Once again, I would like to drop the question. Is anyone else experiencing major delays this week with the GSP?

Re: Global Shipping Program delays

i-love-my-sheep — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 02:20:24 GMT

Nope, because I don't buy from sellers that use it.............unless it's for a larger, heavier items, in which case shipping via GSP is much cheaper than via USPS.

Re: Global Shipping Program delays

terminalvelocd — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 04:38:26 GMT

No offense, but what was the point of posting that? Completely off-topic as my question was aimed at people who have items on the way via the GSP this week.

Re: Global Shipping Program delays

i-love-my-sheep — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 04:45:06 GMT

Not really off topic because you asked if anyone is having delays and I said that I don't. GSP is notoriously slow in delivering. Another reason why I don't buy from sellers that use it. You can safely double the delivery time estimated on the listing.

Re: Global Shipping Program delays

terminalvelocd — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 01:53:42 GMT

I'm sorry, but I don't understand your logic. You said that you don't use the GSP so how could anyone not consider your response be off-topic when I aimed my question at people who are currently waiting for items arriving via GSP? Seriously, if you have no experience with the GSP then why bother responding? As I stated originally, I have purchased tens of items via the GSP (must be getting close to the magic 100 items now) and my experince on 99% of occasions has been more than positive with swift turnaround times (2-3 weeks on average from seller to my doorstep) so you saying that it always takes twice as long as stated (especially when posting on a forum run by eBay) is bordering on defamatory.

Re: Global Shipping Program delays

imastawka — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 01:59:54 GMT

Try reading the dozens of threads regarding the GSP!

You will change your mind. While your experience has been, so far,

'pleasant' others would argue the point!

Re: Global Shipping Program delays

imastawka — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 02:05:36 GMT

Here are some of them. The titles of the threads speak volumes.

Re: Global Shipping Program delays

i-love-my-sheep — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 02:19:46 GMT

I have made several purchases in the past using the GSP. One was a large, heavy item which was delivered to me in 4 days from when I paid. The smaller items took 4-6 weeks. That is NORMAL for them. THAT is what most of the complaints about them are (and the outrageous costs). Look at some of the other threads started on this topic, it can be a fortnight before the item has finished its holiday around the US before it even looks like coming to Aus.

Defamatory? I don't think I've laughed this much in a long time! If my response was defamatory, the mods (who do an excellent job) would have removed it in a heart beat. It's not against the rules to express your disapproval to the GSP or anything eBay related.

Re: Global Shipping Program delays

lyndal1838 — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 03:08:42 GMT

The GSP is not new....members have been coming to the boards since it was introduced and there are far more complaints than compliments.

Many/most of the responders on these boards have had previous experience with it, which is why you are unlikely to get any response from members who are waiting for items to be delivered by the GSP.....we just will not use it except in the most unusual of circumstances.

How is it bordering on defamatory to state that a shipping method is slow and very expensive, when that is exactly what it is.

If you are happy with a system that delivers your item in 2-3 weeks at a grossly inflated price, then so be it....most of us are not.

Before the GSP I used to get items from the USA (thousands of items over the years) in 8-12 days by the very cheapest USPS service (First Class International). If I wanted to pay much higher shipping for a premium USPS service or courier delivery I could have my item in half that time...4 days from US seller to Australian buyer.

Now that sellers are using the GSP the buyer is paying higher prices for a supposedly premium courier service....the items do come to Australia by FedEx but take longer to arrive than under the old USPS First Class service....and taking humongous amounts of time. I have had small items cost me $25 (as against $5-$10 with USPS First Class) and take 4-6 weeks to arrive....and be passed to Australia Post who also take their own sweet time to deliver.

Re: Global Shipping Program delays

terminalvelocd — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 12:24:22 GMT

Before labelling the GSP as expensive and slow, I invite you to name a shipping method that is a) cheaper and b) faster than the GSP for shipping items that weigh over 1kg from the US to Australia. I have purchased HUNDREDS of items from the US over the past 13 years and can honestly say that USPS shipping is no quicker than the GSP.

And besides, sellers in the US are not obliged to ship via GSP if they or their customer chooses not to use it. It can be just as easy to ship using USPS if the item is not heavy / bulky.

Re: Global Shipping Program delays

lyndal1838 — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 14:52:29 GMT

@terminalvelocd wrote:
Before labelling the GSP as expensive and slow, I invite you to name a shipping method that is a) cheaper and b) faster than the GSP for shipping items that weigh over 1kg from the US to Australia. I have purchased HUNDREDS of items from the US over the past 13 years and can honestly say that USPS shipping is no quicker than the GSP.

And besides, sellers in the US are not obliged to ship via GSP if they or their customer chooses not to use it. It can be just as easy to ship using USPS if the item is not heavy / bulky.

I no longer ship items over 1kg from the USA or to the USA for that matter. My husband's nephew is a senior pilot with UPS and flies into Sydney often enough for me to get him to bring things over for me and take things back to the family.

But I can speak with 30 YEARS of experience of the USPS and Canada Post, and a number of Courier companies such as FedEx, DHL and UPS......USPS is the cheapest option and the quickest. FedEx actually carries larger items for USPS.....it is cheaper to ship them through USPS than direct with FedEx.

That is true that uS sellers are not obliged to use the GSP but in many cases the smaller sellers have no idea that they have been signed up for the service by ebay....their listings even say thay will not ship overseas. And they don't have to....the items are shipped to Erlanger KY, often at no cost to the seller.

Most large sellers have been brainwashed into believing that the GSP is the best thing since sliced bread and is the only system that will protect them from scamming overseas buyers. They just don't want to know about using USPS.

If you really believe the GSP is the best service for you, then good luck to you, but those of us who have been using the USPS for a lot longer than you have are just as entitled to our own opinions. I would use USPS in a heartbeat, but using GSP would be over my dead body....it is slow and expensive for smaller items.

Re: Global Shipping Program delays

dark_red_fox — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 07:39:15 GMT

Defamation; logic - you must be kidding. Wth a name like you have, one couldn't expect too much from a Kiwi!

eBay's GPS is a joke and the sellers that use it, have to be in "on the game" as well. Somebody is making a living out of this service.

I will certainly not make any further purchases with those that do. I have two items in Kentucky (where they're only good with the occasional race horse) that show as DELIVERED. Obviously, English is not their first language. They need to learn what delivered means.

Maybe the word should be WAITING, as in waiting for whoever is next to cart the item around the place.

eBay should also grasp the idea that the fastest way from point A to point B is in a straight line. I'd hate to think how far these items must travel before they get anywhere near leaving the shores of the 'great' USA.

Re: Global Shipping Program delays

dark_red_fox — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 07:43:20 GMT

Defamation; logic - you must be kidding. Wth a name like you have, one couldn't expect too much from a Kiwi!

eBay's GPS is a joke and the sellers that use it, have to be in "on the game" as well. Somebody is making a living out of this service.

I will certainly not make any further purchases with those that do. I have two items in Kentucky (where they're only good with the occasional race horse) that show as DELIVERED. Obviously, English is not their first language. They need to learn what delivered means.

Maybe the word should be WAITING, as in waiting for whoever is next to cart the item around the place.

eBay should also grasp the idea that the fastest way from point A to point B is in a straight line. I'd hate to think how far these items must travel before they get anywhere near leaving the shores of the 'great' USA.

Re: Global Shipping Program delays

dark_red_fox — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 07:44:49 GMT

Sorry. My reply was not meant for you.

Re: Global Shipping Program delays

trevork7456 — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 05:13:42 GMT

The problem is many silly sellers only use this stupid rip off hopeless ebay global shipping.

USPS priority from US to Australia is 10 days or so, many times I have purchase ebay Global priority

2 weeks later the parcel is still sitting in Kentucky, we pay for a service that does not exist criminal

Re: Global Shipping Program delays

lyndal1838 — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 05:56:10 GMT

And nothing has changed in the nearly 3 years since this thread was started.

While I have not changed my mind about the GSP it is not really fair to label sellers silly for using it.

It is a super shipping method for sellers as they have full insurance and tracking with the system and ebay protects them from any negative feedback from disgruntled buyers who blame the sellers for all shipping/delivery problems. Once the items have been received by Pitney Bowes in Erlanger KY the seller has no more responsibility to the buyer at all.

I am not sure why anyone would prefer to use a USPS Priority service...they are almost as expensive as the GSP. The most cost effective service is USPS First Class International with e-DELCON. It is cheap, reasonably fast (faster than the GSP) and gives the buyer and seller tracking and confirmed delivery.

Despite the fact that the GSP is called a Priority service it is not.....Pitney Bowes only pays FedEx for Economy service, which means that once the item arrives in Australia FedEx has 3 weeks to get it delivered. In my exerience it rarely takes that long but it is slower than a USPS Priority service.

Re: Global Shipping Program delays

garcullu-0 — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 05:22:15 GMT

I must admit that the GSP is a very slow expensive system, I've been waiting on a letter of rare stamps for nearly 5 weeks now, the seller insisted that it was the only option because of the value of the goods..yeah ok fair enough but come on, i paid over $40AU for GSP and the wait is killing me and I've bought other stuff from the UK using normal airmail and got my items in around 2 weeks for about $3.50AU, so yeah it's really annoying paying so much and waiting so long, all i can say is it better at least get here safe and sound, but the next hurdle is Auspost and let's not get into that!

Re: Global Shipping Program delays

lyndal1838 — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 05:55:41 GMT

It may have something to do with the fact that the GSP is NOT a letter delivery service.....it is for parcels.

Have you been able to track the item yet?