BEWARE Global shipping program

[daffyduk]

Buyers beware before you purchase from US sellers check that they do not use the Global shipping program. You will have to pay 2 shipping costs. One for the seller to ship the item to the shipping company in the US. And a second exorbitant cost (min of aboutUS$25) to then ship to you. A simple $5 purchase becomes $50 before you know it. To make it worse most of the yanks don't even know they have signed up for it. This has to be one of ebays biggest rip offs yet!

[lyndal1838]

Yes, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that it is great for heavier/larger items.  I can only speak of my own experiences, and I believe I make it plain that I have only recounted my own experience with regard to prices and delivery times.

[dallasnumberone]

GSP is nothing but a scam no matter what size item you're shipping..

[lyndal1838]

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@dallasnumberone wrote:

GSP is nothing but a scam no matter what size item you're shipping..

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I don't agree with that at all.

There is more than enough evidence on the boards that it is good value for money for large and heavy items.  It is only the small items (in my case a pair of earrings and a brooch) that cost US$25 to ship when USPS could do it for around US$10 with e-DELCON tracking.

[piece_of_fashion]

I ordered an item from the Us for $137usd paid $21 usd shipping to australia. Kept tracking my item and weeks later it said "delivered" so i went to my local post offices and no parcel they said Global shipping program wont deliver to Australia post parcel lockers. So im left scratching my head with no option but to escalate to a claim. Then 1 week later i loose the claim because the tracking says it was delivered. Then where is my signature if it was delivered to me? Because i sure as heck didnt sign for the parcel with my goods in it! Now im $160aud out of pocket and pitney bowes wins and has clearly stolen my parcel. I emailed paypal and told them if no reimbursement in 48hours I plan to escalate to the ACCC and postal ombudsman and current affair if need be. Anyone else have other suggestions? I intend to push this to the full extent i can they messed with the wrong person

[lyndal1838]

The postal ombudsman cannot help you as the item did not come via USPS/Australia Post.

The GSP uses FedEx to ship from the USA....sometimes the items are delivered by FedEx themselves, sometimes they are off laoded to Australia Post and sometimes FedEx gives it to another courier service if you are not in their delivery area.

FedEx cannot deliver to AP lockers as they are couriers and most courier companies will not pay the fees asked for by AP to use the lockers..

I would suggest that your argument is with FedEx...ring them with the tracking number and see what they say before you go off half cocked.

[rikrichardh]

GSP is simply a scam to make even more money for the eBay/paypal monoply. For example I have an invoice for three small items for 21.60 pounds but the GSP postage is 42.89 pounds. Naturally I am not crazy enough to actually pay. I told the seller to sort the mess out. If I see items with GSP on them I usually email the seller and explain that I (and no doubt many others) are not bidding on his goods due to GSP and that if we did bid, even if we lost it would push the sale price up. So by using GSP he is loosing out. Spread the word....Ban GSP.

[rikrichardh]

Keep well away from GSP and never bid on items that mention GSP.

[lyndal1838]

After more than 2 years I doubt that your warning is going to have any effect on the GSP.

More and more sellers are using it despite buyers objections.

And just for your information, sellers cannot "sort anything out" with regards to postage....they cannot combine postage and give discounts.

You buy 3 items,   you pay 3 lots of postage.

[letscleanupmycupboards]

People who say the GSP uses couriers, what do they do if I live in a remote area with no courier deliveries? Once it gets to Australia wouldn't it have to somehow transfer from a courier to Australia post? Otherwise how am I going to receive it?

[lyndal1838]

This just shows why old threads shoud not be dragged up.....the information is out of date.

While the GSP did start as a courier only service, that is no longer the case.

The items are handed to FedEx for delivery to Australia and once here they are either delivered by FedEx themselves, or handed to another courier if FedEx do not deliver to an area OR in the case of smaller items they are sent through the AP e-Parcel service with FedEx as the sender of record.