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!

[dodgyfilms]

I agree, and not only that it is exceptionally slow. For example, if purchasing an item shipping to Australia from California, it has to travel to Erlanger, Kentucky before shipping overseas. A shipment that would usually take 7 days via a normal eshipping service, Fedex included, somehow endsz up taking more than double that because it all has to divert past some central shipping depot. Really disappointed! Slow! Ripoff for the cost of the shipping service offered. Really disappointed Ebay tries to force buyers through this racquet. Once the seller has selected this option you cannot choose otherwise!

[imastawka]

Once the seller has selected this option you cannot choose otherwise!

Not true.  Most sellers are unaware they have been opted into the GSP.

Sometimes a polite message to the seller,before purchasing,  will get them to opt out.

[agro2166]

This programme is a total Scam. I'm in Australia & want to purchase a trading card from a US seller. Card is only $3usd but $24usd in postage using that blatant rip off system. I recently bought 18 cards from a different US seller & postage was only $7usd. How can they justify this? I sooke to ebay & the woman tried to tell me this rubbish about important duties/taxes. I've bought heavy cameras that have cost less ro post than 1 pissy little trading card. I refuse to buy from anyone who uses this terribly unfair system.

[imastawka]

Most sellers are unaware they have been opted into the GSP.

Sometimes a polite message to the seller, before purchasing, asking them

nicely if they will opt out works.

To opt out of the GSP, US sellers only have to go into

(My eBay summary page) account > site preferences > shipping preferences >

Offer the Global Shipping Program > edit > no

[brerrabbit585]

A lot ONLY use it because they're protected from negatives, and I think also from chargebacks and everything else. They wouldn't post overseas if they couldn't use it so there's no point in people ranting about the cost of it. It's no different to a seller having US only on their listings.

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

ask the seller to put the dimensions/weight into the listing specifics and this may produce a more realistic postage price under the GSP.  

Read the last post on this thread for a more detailed explanation regarding this (thanks to afantiques):

http://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Buying/GSP-stupidity-documented-on-this-thread/td-p/1708839

(but please don't add to that thread as it is old)

[monte2005kids]

Global Shupping is criminal and is killing all international sales. I bought a very expensive item at $1200, postage was $200. I thought wow thats all I can afford, then was shocked and disgusted to discover Global Shipping deducted from my credit card a separate and unauthorised fee of $500. The Seller advertised no import charges. When I called their attention to the unauthorised transaction. The Global Shipping sent me letters threatened to fine me and non delivery of the item. How disgusting

Global Shipping Program is advertised to the Seller as a get out of jail card for the Seller. For the Seller, they guarantee 5 stars for postage charge, 5 stars for time taken for arrival and Sellers are not responsible for lost / damaged items. Meanwhile, they rip the Buyer off 40% of the cost of the item as a separate and additional charge to postage. Why are we paying twice ebay????

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@monte2005kids wrote:
Global Shupping is criminal and is killing all international sales.

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I've also read somewhere that it gives a lot of buyers the shuts!

Spoiler

sorry everyone, couldn't help myself 

[lyndal1838]

The initial $200 would have been the cost of local shipping for the seller to send the item to the GSP hub in Erlanger KY.

As the cost of the item was over $1200 you would have paid import charges on the item cost plus the postage.  The seller has no say in the import charges....they are added by Pitney Bowes and paid on your behalf before the item enters Australia.  The $500 charge from Pitney Bowes would include these import charges.  Have you looked at the invoice for the $500 charge?

From previous experience before the GSP was introduced, if you have to pay import duties once the item arrives here you would pay between 20% and 40% of the value of the item and the postage, depending on the rates applying to the item.