Beware - Do NOT buy from a seller that uses Global Shipping Program from UK to Australia

[mitchelnoc-0]

I just recently bought something from a seller in the UK because I saw it was PRIORITY shipping but never knew the notoriety of the GSP until I read these forums so I didn’t even think twice when I saw it, I just thought it meant it was eBay’s priority service. Well there is nothing priority about it, I paid extra for quick delivery and it is like a scam!!! I could have bought it for the same price on Amazon UK with DHL shipping and it would have arrived within a week guaranteed. Absolutely shocking and pathetic eBay. And to make it much much worse, apparently now the courier they use when it gets to Australia for ‘final delivery’ is Aramex. Need I say more about that scum bottom of a barrel courier company and their reputation for everything they touch. So beware anyone buying anything coming from the UK always check if they choose GSP and do NOT buy from them if you want quick delivery. The less business they get, the sooner they’ll choose not to use this hideous low cost option for them and do the right thing and use companies like DHL & FedEx that actually do their job right every time in my experience

[davewil1964]

There you go. You went for the bargain without checking the specifics.

Caveat emptor.

And you will likely still get your item, so your bleat is, at best, premature.

[countessalmirena]

I avoid buying items on eBay that are listed with this service or eBay International Shipping. However, in my recent hunt for some of the hard-to-find Wedgwood Christmas tree ornaments, I'd no choice! I saw the rare items I wanted, contacted the seller if they'd be agreeable to putting these in one listing for me (so that we could combine them - otherwise each listing would have its separate shipping charge as it's not possible to combine with GSP or eIS), and I purchased, knowing that it wouldn't be delivered with great speed.

As it was, the delivery time was just over 2 weeks.

As long as you know that it won't be turbo-charged delivery, and you check to make sure that the seller has included the correct dimensions and weight, and you've arranged for a special combined listing if you want more than one item from the seller, and it's not a butter knife or other incredibly prohibited item... it's fine. It's certainly not my delivery method of choice, but c'est la vie. I wanted what I wanted, and I got what I wanted!

[michellebartley]

I have had “Aramex” couriers deliver my parcels for quite some time, I have never ever had any problems, so I don’t know why you think they are pathetic, I can’t understand why, I speak with their local courier and their office (depot) and they have always been helpful and professional, far from being scum bags as you called them.

[countessalmirena]

Michelle, from what some have posted, it seems to depend on the area. I have not had any Aramex problems - in fact, the couriers in my area are all fine - but people in other states or in certain areas in those states haven’t been as lucky.

(I know you weren’t replying to me… It just looks as though you were because you must have clicked REPLY on the bottom of my post.)

[*sons_n_daughters*]

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@michellebartley wrote:

I have had “Aramex” couriers deliver my parcels for quite some time, I have never ever had any problems, so I don’t know why you think they are pathetic, I can’t understand why, I speak with their local courier and their office (depot) and they have always been helpful and professional, far from being scum bags as you called them.

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I too have never had an issue with Aramex, but a lot of people have. Some of the posts on these forums are like reading a horror story. As Countess said, it is probably location dependent. I'm lucky in that in my area, they seem to take pride in their work. They are pleasant with deliveries, they don't just dump and run like other couriers. That said, I've only had 6 deliveries. They were all overnight from interstate (Qld and Vic). I'm in NSW.

It's been years since I bought anything that was sent via GSP. I didn't know they had moved over to Aramex for the Australian leg of the journey. In the past, mine came via Aust Post, or one of the local couriers. I think in the city areas it was FedEX. Happy to be corrected if I'm wrong.