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!

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@et227 wrote:

. . . . . It's no wonder the Yanks love their guns,wouldn't you just love to get loose amongst the "Help desk" staff with a shotgun . . . .

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no, never, not ever, and I find this part of your post is absolutely unnecessary and, to be honest, a bit worrying!

[davewil1964]

I'd be more worried about the President. The Filipino one, given where the call centre is located.

I don't see the relevance of what the Yanks do; they are further away than we are.

[jamesnorthproductions]

My product has just done a 2 week tour from Los Angeles, to Kentucky, back to Los Angeles and is apparently now ready to fly to Australia.

I can't believe that this is in any way a well designed service - it makes eBay look extremly incompetent.

[dalerf]

Going through this disaster now. Amazon is looking so good, only one postage charge. Won't be using Ebay again. What a ripoff.

[starwars_nerd]

GSP has totally ruined my hobby of coin and vintage star wars figure collecting.

A coin costs about $20 and shipping used to cost $8... now costs $40 to $60
A figure costs about $25 and shipping used to cost $12 ... now costs $40 to $60

So, sadly I thats the end of ebay shopping for me.

[starwars_nerd]

Ive got a brilliant idea.

Why doesn't GSP charge actual costs?

For example
They receive the package from the seller,
then once they know the actual postage cost send an invoice to the buyer,
then forward it on.

Brilliant hey?

Until Ebay fix this GSP scam Im out, im shopping elsewhere!

[starwars_nerd]

Id like to know what GSP do with the change, they certainly dont refund it..

If it costs $8 to send a coin and they charge $60 what the hell are they doing with the $52 change...just keeping it for themselves as an 'admin fee' ??

[padi*0409]

Often the sellers in the US or UK aren't aware that they are opted into the GSP by default by eBay, so are unaware they are selling internationally.

If they put in the dimensions and wieght of the item the postage usually drops significantly, so message the seller and ask them to do that and see what the difference is.

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@starwars_nerd wrote:
Ive got a brilliant idea.

Why doesn't GSP charge actual costs?

For example
They receive the package from the seller,
then once they know the actual postage cost send an invoice to the buyer,
then forward it on.

Brilliant hey

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brilliant NO.

Pitney Bowes operate the GSP.  They have staff to pay and wharehouses to operate as well as other overheads, including dividends to sharehders.

If the GSP only covered actual postage cost then they would go out of business.  Some might say this would be a good thing, but it would stop a whole lot of USA items being available for o/s purchase.

As padi has posted, the cost of GSP can reduce if the seller inputs correct weight and dimensions, otherwise the GSP just guesses and errs wildly on the side of caution.

I have experience in messaging sellers and asking them to input weight/size and this has reduced the shipping cost by up to 80%.