GSP – Miracles can happen!

[zanadoo_56]

I assume competition from Amazon has woken eBay up to the fact that the Global Shipping Program needed improvement.  I can’t believe how well this purchase went.

I ordered two books costing less than $10 from the US.  Shipping using the GST the cost for both books totalled:

2 Items:  $9.99 US

GSP:  $36.48 US

GST:  $12.45 US

I put both items in the cart thinking I might save them as a reminder (in case I found cheaper prices).  Then I noticed something:

2 Items:  $9.99 US

GSP:  $24.13 US

GST:  $7.40 US

Not only did the cart accept both items as one purchase but the GSP and GST were adjusted.  I decided to buy them.  I also contacted the seller and (feeling lucky) asked her to add delivery instructions for Aust Post, if she was sending them as one parcel.

The seller warned me Pitney Bowes would probably repackage the books and my delivery note would probably be lost but she added the note and posted them as a single parcel and it cost her a bit less…so I also got refunded $2.95 US.

The PB tracking number duly appeared and then about a week later there was a new tracking number – which wasn’t from FedEx.  It began with ‘APG’xxxxetc.  My parcel was on its way via Aust Post Global.  Hmm.  The next day the number was accepted on AP when I logged in.  The day after tht the parcel was in Oz and through customs without any hassles (which is a first in my limited experience with the GSP) and the next day it was at West Sunshine.  Interestingly, APG had received the shipping info BEFORE the parcel left America.

Today (with emails from AP and eBay) my books arrived – as wrapped by the seller with the delivery instructions intact (and they were followed to the letter after I’d had the opportunity to explain to the new delivery guy last week how safe drop needed to be done). 

Total time between buying items and delivery – TWO WEEKS.

Can anyone confirm things have also improved if using the GSP for UK purchases?

[twyngwyn]

can't confirm....but WELL DONE!!

[stuffpluspty]

For anyone new to this such as myself, there's extreme delays, misleading tracking info, several different tracking numbers for the same item through 4 different logistics company's (Pitney Bowes, Royal Mail, APG, Amarex) and an estimated delivery time of 5.5 weeks even though I've paid for express. I'm livid at EB for even offering this as a service. 

[papermoon.lady]

Ebay seems to have a new international service tracked with EasyShip that is part of DHL eCommerce Parcel Direct.

Apparently when sellers try to use First Class, when they print out the label it is actually the service above, and even when they use Priority (some claim). It is about the same price as First Class, so if they pay for Priority they should obviously get priority.

Anyway, it is not expensive, but slow, having to go through several couriers.

[zanadoo_56]

I hope you noticed my original post was in 2019!

One reason for delays from the UK are Royal Mail workers imposing a series of rolling strikes at the moment over wages and conditions.  According to a UK friend it is causing issues with domestic mail in a big way as well.

I had one UK purchase arrive where the seller used a courier service I had never heard of instead of RM.  People are scrambling to find who or whatever company they can find to get their mail and parcels out.