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!

[davewil1964]

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@brettg1226 wrote:

I have only recently come across the evil that is the Global Shipping Program. I collect posters and it seems that the standard charge to send a few pieces of paper to Australia through the GSP is $US119! I will NEVER again buy from any seller that uses the GSP. In fact, as it seems to be an American thing, I will probably just not buy from US sellers at all. If I were to say what I truly think of the GSP my comment would, no doubt, be removed as inappropriate material. All I will say is that it is a scam of epic proportion and that it is beyond infuriating.

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I know of at least one Australian eBay seller who deals in posters. Most of which seem to be desirable outside of Australia, so presumably would also be of interest to Australian collectors. Maybe try shopping closer to home and supporting the Australian economy.

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@brettg1226 wrote:

I have only recently come across the evil that is the Global Shipping Program. I collect posters and it seems that the standard charge to send a few pieces of paper to Australia through the GSP is $US119! I will NEVER again buy from any seller that uses the GSP. In fact, as it seems to be an American thing, I will probably just not buy from US sellers at all. If I were to say what I truly think of the GSP my comment would, no doubt, be removed as inappropriate material. All I will say is that it is a scam of epic proportion and that it is beyond infuriating.

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have you considered that some posters that you wish to collect might only be available to you BECAUSE of the GSP?

Many USA sellers only post internationally because of the GSP.  They may have been signed up to the GSP without realising it AND might not even realise that members who win/buy their items are overseas, even after the item sells as they send the item to a USA address.

My advice to you is simple.  Re-read this whole thread as it probably contains information that will be helpful to you in getting the shipping costs down for items from the USA, like weight and dimensions in listings.

Also, collectors of items normally have contacts all over the world, and they are normally open to helping each other out in building their collections.

Do you know someone who resides in the USA who could receive posters from USA sellers on your behalf?  If you do, and they will, you could save a lot of money by having them wait until you have had a few posters sent to them and have them rolled up and posted in a single sturdy mailing tube.

The advantages of doing this are that:

- it will be cheaper for you,

- you can buy multiple posters from a seller and have combined postage to a domestic location

- you can probably have more say in the type of tube to be used i.e. less damaged posters arriving to you

- you build a stronger relationship with a collector in a region where many more posters will be available than here in Australia

There are some disadvantages, and these include but are not limited to:

- negating PayPal buyer protections in some circumstances

- you may have to wait months before receiving posters if you are not a high volume buyer

- you will have to trust someone you have never met or even spoken to (unless they are a close friend or relative)

If you do not have any contacts who live in the USA you might do as I did when I started buying cameras from the USA, which is contact someone you have bought eBay items from and ask them if they would mind acting as your 'shipping agent' in the USA.  I use the PayPal 'send money' facility to reimburse my friend in the USA for the shipping costs when they did on-send me my cameras.

Your dismissal of ever buying from sellers using the GSP just might be a case of biting off your nose to spite your face.

[stinkypantsmulligan]

I saw some vintage hand planes that I wanted on ebay USA. they were sent via Global shipping who woudl not forward them to me as they were "restricted" items, I have bought similar ones previously but now I can;t get them.No explanation, no reason given, ebay doesn't know so I've contacted the company who runs it in Kentucky,,, maybe I'll get lucky, I don;t have the items and never will. 

Would I recommend this program for mail? 

Not in my lifetime.

It's expensive and unreliable.

[lyndal1838]

You are unlikely to get a reply from Pitney Bowes any time soon.

I suspect that your hand planes are being treated as a knife with a sharp blade.   There is a blanket ban on all knives despite the fact that many/most ordinary knives are quite OK to import into Australia.

[kon3110]

Yeah but even with the shipping cost IT'S STILL CHEAPER than the price in Oz ie Hemp Seed Oil

[lyndal1838]

You are replying to a 4 year old thread....I doubt that the OP is even going to see what you have said after all this time.

[imastawka]

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@kon3110 wrote:

Yeah but even with the shipping cost IT'S STILL CHEAPER than the price in Oz ie Hemp Seed Oil

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 Don't know how you search...but....

# 322535698913   100ml from USA via GSP - $44.14 plus $31.25 postage =  $75.13

#  263128151456    250 ml  Australian  $20.19  free postage and 2½ times as much

[4channel]

 k1ooo-slr-sales ,

You said:     .....  " have you considered that some posters that you wish to collect might only be available to you BECAUSE of the GSP?"

Well, I have yet to encounter something collectable that is available just becasuse of the GSP. And GSP blowing th postage costout by 3 x makes it more unavailable!

Many sellers go along with GSP because they feel that they have to or just go with the flow. A bit like the Fluoride issue. Most people who research  the subject via other sources than the Murdoch empire l know that it's an industrial waste that causes major problems. People, however just accept it and go along with it. Another example is income tax in the USA, people don't have to pay it but are forced to because nobody knows any better.

You said:  .......  "Also, collectors of items normally have contacts all over the world, and they are normally open to helping each other out in building their collections."

"Do you know someone who resides in the USA who could receive posters from USA sellers on your behalf?  If you do, and they will, you could save a lot of money by having them wait until you have had a few posters sent to them and have them rolled up and posted in a single sturdy mailing tube."

Good in theory but never practical when chasing rare items. Also what you suggest can take ages and ages to do.

Global Shipping / Pitney Bowes has crippled the enjoyment of collectors as well as the liveleyhoood of resellers of collectable items.

Yes, I know people who buy on ebay and then re-sell with a more exciting looking acution and make profit on their outlay. Global Shipping destroys that. 

[*tippy*toes*]

You have missed the point. The collectable may become available because of the GSP because the seller doesn't know the item is being offered outside the US/UK. As far as they know, they are only offering domestic post. They don't know that they have been automatically opted into the GSP. Often the first they know about it is when someone like yourself contacts them asking them to change postage method. Therefore, because they have been opted in to the GSP, you are able to buy it. If they had previously opted out and only post within their own country, then you won't be able to buy it. So yes, items can become available because of the GSP.

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@4channel wrote:

 k1ooo-slr-sales ,

You said:     .....  " have you considered that some posters that you wish to collect might only be available to you BECAUSE of the GSP?"

Well, I have yet to encounter something collectable that is available just becasuse of the GSP. And GSP blowing th postage costout by 3 x makes it more unavailable!

I would suggest that with eBay's MBG for buyers that many sellers of collectables would jump at the chance to have the seller protections offered by the GSP if selling internationally.  Hence, as stated so clearly by tippy, there would probably be items you have viewed (or even bought) that are only available to you because of the GSP and you wouldn't know.

You said:  .......  "Also, collectors of items normally have contacts all over the world, and they are normally open to helping each other out in building their collections."

"Do you know someone who resides in the USA who could receive posters from USA sellers on your behalf?  If you do, and they will, you could save a lot of money by having them wait until you have had a few posters sent to them and have them rolled up and posted in a single sturdy mailing tube."

Good in theory but never practical when chasing rare items. Also what you suggest can take ages and ages to do.

Well I'm done then.  I have tried to help you and have failed. I have no further ideas (or inclinations) to help you.

Spoiler

my real reason for bowing out is that all these colours and "You saids" is doing my head in.