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]

eBay is an EDP, not a retailer.

eBay do not know the delivery address (or what, if any, GST applies) until the buyer commits.

eBay do not mark anything up.

This version of the GST is applicable ONLY to offshore purchases, so domestic rules don't necessarily apply.

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@alexsmiley1 wrote:
When GST was implemented in 2000, retailers were prosecuted if they
1. Didn't state the GST inclusive price
2. Tried to markup items beyond the 10%

eBay, as a retailer, should be prosecuted as they
1. Don't provide the GST inclusive prices
2. Embed the GST in a whole lot of unrelated charges.

I don't use eBay to transact with the US or UK anymore, I liase directly as eBay is deceptively taking us to the cleaners

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alex, I suggest you find brer's thread about the GST on imports and have a good read . . . . . and follow the links contained in the thread.

If you do, you will find out what the ATO says about not having "GST inclusive" pricing.  Instead, they include a statement in the postage tab saying that GST may apply.  This keeps them in compliance with the legislation.  Additionally,  I did a search the other day for a camera I am looking for and the "GST may apply" type message appears on the search page results.

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

@alexsmiley

here, I'll save you the time and effort of finding that thread . . . . . here tis

https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Buying/GST-when-buying-overseas-a-few-FACTS/m-p/2171248#M92475

[saltbushmike]

I have a 1930 USA made vintage car and I have been for years ebay buying parts Big (radiator in crate) and Small like (set of valves in packet) just this week from USA. I never used to care GSP added an extra 20% fee more than USPS. However that GSP fee on my lataest purchase A $25 has now made it cost saving to have these parts manufactured in Australia. So its a bit like an IMPORT TARRIF that forces us produce local again which has got to good for Aust.

[josma33]

Situation is correct and is still current.  I ordered goods on eBay over one month ago ; which was very expensive >40 % of the total cost, but  currently the item has not arrived.  

A similar item ordered from the USA 4 days afterwards was delivered days prior to this good; using USA Post at  a 11%  "Postage markup.".

The Global Shipping  so-called tracking system is a Farce.  It  records everything in New York time.  My goods were tracked as being delivered at about 10 pm local  Australian EST time.  But no such "delivery" took place!   No card or anything was left behind as to where the "postal deliverer" was located; and Ebay switches off all enquiries after the tracking system "reports the item as beig "delivered" (even though    none  took place).

EBay is "unable" or unwilling to enquire as to the Whereabouts or Local  Contacts of the "Postal Provider" leaving this  to the Supplier to provide the details!!  Very unsatisfying.

Buyers on EBay , outside of the USA,  should be warned  of the pitfalls of buying goods which use GlobalShipping as the carrier.

[davewil1964]

It is marked a delivered when FedEx deliver it to either the customer or Australia Post for on-delivery.

US buyers definitely don't have to worry about the GSP as it doesn't apply to them, Unless they buy from the UK, where it is also prevalent.

[lyndal1838]

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@josma33 wrote:

Situation is correct and is still current.  I ordered goods on eBay over one month ago ; which was very expensive >40 % of the total cost, but  currently the item has not arrived.  

Why would this surprise you.....the GSP has always been slow and expensive.  A month is not at all unusual.

A similar item ordered from the USA 4 days afterwards was delivered days prior to this good; using USA Post at  a 11%  "Postage markup.".

The service from USPS has always been faster than the GSP....it cuts out the middle man and the items come directly from the seller to you without detours and delays in processing the paperwaork.

The Global Shipping  so-called tracking system is a Farce.  It  records everything in New York time.  My goods were tracked as being delivered at about 10 pm local  Australian EST time.  But no such "delivery" took place!   No card or anything was left behind as to where the "postal deliverer" was located; and Ebay switches off all enquiries after the tracking system "reports the item as beig "delivered" (even though    none  took place

I have always found the GSP tracking to be very comprehensive.  Allowing for the item doing a Cooks Tour of the USA before arriving at the GSP hub in Erlanger KY, everything is documented very clearly.  And of course it shows in US time.....the GSP is run by Pitney Bowes, a US company, for the benefit of US sellers, using USPS initially.   Once the items arrive in Australia the tracking will show in local time.

EBay is "unable" or unwilling to enquire as to the Whereabouts or Local  Contacts of the "Postal Provider" leaving this  to the Supplier to provide the details!!  Very unsatisfying.

While the item is in the USA it is in the hands of the USPS till it gets to Pitney Bowes in Erlanger.  Once the paperwork is completed Pitney Bowes hands the items to FedEx for delivery in Australia.  After the goods have cleared Customs here they are either delivered by FedEx or handed to Australia Post for final delivery to the customer.

You don't need ebay to tell you where the items are or who has them....the tracking will tell you those facts if you know how to read it.

Buyers on EBay , outside of the USA,  should be warned  of the pitfalls of buying goods which use GlobalShipping as the carrier.

After all the time the GSP has been in use, most of us know full well the pitfalls....it is very well documented on the boards, if nothing else.

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[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@josma33 wrote:

Situation is correct and is still current.  I ordered goods on eBay over one month ago ; which was very expensive >40 % of the total cost, but  currently the item has not arrived.  

A similar item ordered from the USA 4 days afterwards was delivered days prior to this good; using USA Post at  a 11%  "Postage markup.".

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josma, do you judge the item shipping costs on items by the shipping cost as a % of the total cost?

[4channel]

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@josma33 wrote:

Situation is correct and is still current.  I ordered goods on eBay over one month ago ; which was very expensive >40 % of the total cost, but  currently the item has not arrived.  

A similar item ordered from the USA 4 days afterwards was delivered days prior to this good; using USA Post at  a 11%  "Postage markup.".

The Global Shipping  so-called tracking system is a Farce.  It  records everything in New York time.  My goods were tracked as being delivered at about 10 pm local  Australian EST time.  But no such "delivery" took place!   No card or anything was left behind as to where the "postal deliverer" was located; and Ebay switches off all enquiries after the tracking system "reports the item as beig "delivered" (even though    none  took place).

EBay is "unable" or unwilling to enquire as to the Whereabouts or Local  Contacts of the "Postal Provider" leaving this  to the Supplier to provide the details!!  Very unsatisfying.

Buyers on EBay , outside of the USA,  should be warned  of the pitfalls of buying goods which use GlobalShipping as the carrier.

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Hi josma33 and welcome to the board. The issue(s) I have had with GSP, the few times I ended up using it, three or four times I think, weren't so much tracking related. One resulted in damage. There was however a bit of a stuff-up when I had 2 extremely rare video tapes delivered to me. They were poorly repacked by Pitney Bowes. But on the last leg of the journey, I had Fed-Ex threatening to send my items back to the seller if I didn't provide extra personal info to them. Nothing but a damned hassle.

Too many links in an already-bad chain and too many things that can go wrong. Oh yeah, there was a bit of a delay as well.

Sad to hear it's cost you so much as well.

[psrossouw]

So true!

Beware of the Global Shipping Program.

- they are not contatible by phone!

- they don't respond to customer service request from eBay customre help!

- ttheir customer service is non-existent unless you make a complaint!

- they wont allow you to change the shipping address at any stage.

- they charge you for Priority shipping but ship with Economy and take their cut.

- they wont refund you because they used Economy shipping and make many excuses.

- they only use courier within and from the US and then use Australian Post in Australia - so no priority delivery.

- they will ship to the outside of the estimated delivery time so they can use Economy shipping.

- In short: terrible service and shipping times - way to go Pitney Bowes!

- I'll pay extra to avoid GSP in future.