GSP & Combined Postage

[lindsey2573]

I am well aware that this topic has been covered many times, but when are eBay going to realise they are losing massive amounts in sales by not allowing combined postage  with purchases from overseas? It is seriously not worth buying from the US anymore & most sellers are unwilling to do the postage element themselves because the think they are not protected.

The GSP is frighteningly expensive as it is without doubling or tripling it.

I have communicated with eBay several times about this topic but they say there is nothing they can do.

On a slightly different topic, If you don't manually select 'allow combined shipping' in your own auctions it automatically tells buyers requesting a total 'this seller doesn't allow combined postage' It's not an easy thing to do either. 

Rant over 😞

[*tippy*toes*]

I have asked sellers in the US to edit a listing to include all the items I want. I don't ask them to opt out of GSP because I don't want them to lose their protection and safety net. Most are willing to edit a listing to include all the items I want. The postage price doesn't usually increase. I suggest to them to not end the other listings, edit them to become a new listing, so they don't lose a free listing.

[4channel]

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@lindsey2573 wrote:

I am well aware that this topic has been covered many times, but when are eBay going to realise they are losing massive amounts in sales by not allowing combined postage  with purchases from overseas? It is seriously not worth buying from the US anymore & most sellers are unwilling to do the postage element themselves because the think they are not protected.

The GSP is frighteningly expensive as it is without doubling or tripling it.

I have communicated with eBay several times about this topic but they say there is nothing they can do.

On a slightly different topic, If you don't manually select 'allow combined shipping' in your own auctions it automatically tells buyers requesting a total 'this seller doesn't allow combined postage' It's not an easy thing to do either. 

Rant over 😞

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Hi lindsey2573, yes eBay are losing money here as potentail buyers can be frightened off or then horrified when they find out how much they have to pay when buying multiple items off of a single seller. But Pitney Bowes with its GSP (Global Shipping) would be making $$$$$$s as we are aware.

Many sellers have no idea that their items have GSP as the shipping method for overseas and are happy to change to USPS or the UK eqivalent. I have spoken to some sellers as well as seen posts here confirming that sellers are going back to USPS etc. One seller I have just been dealing with has been on eBay for around 15 or so years and had no idea what GSP is. He's got a rating of over 1100. So there you go.

Thanks for your post and good to hear from you.

[zanadoo_56]

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@*tippy*toes* wrote:

I have asked sellers in the US to edit a listing to include all the items I want. I don't ask them to opt out of the GSP because I don't want them to lose their protection and safety net. Most are willing to edit a listing to include all the items I want. The postage price doesn't usually increase. I suggest to them to not end the other listings, edit them to become a new listing, so they don't lose a free listing.

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I bought two books this year from the US using the GSP.  I added the second book to the cart and to my amazement the GSP and GST was slightly increased to accommodate the second smaller and cheaper book BUT not doubled as I feared.

So far it is the only seller using the GSP (US or UK) that I've found where the items were successfully combined.  Someone (clearly not eBay or PB) needs to get the message out to sellers that combining items is possible.  Trouble is, it will probably take years and years.  After all, there are some US sellers out there who still insist USPS 1st Class International has no tracking of any kind for lightweight parcels to Oz.  Sigh.

[*tippy*toes*]

You used to be able to request an invoice via the cart for GSP items, but they closed that loophole a few years ago. Thankfully the sellers that I have asked to combine have been really good about it. It only takes them a minute to add the other items to their listing for me to buy. One I had to remind to adjust the price accordingly!

Most are also pretty good too if you ask them to put in the weight and dimensions into the listing. Especially when you explain why. That brings the price down to a realistic amount. Usually only a dollar or 2 more than USPS. Assuming the item could ordinarily come First Class. Once it goes into the next bracket, the weight and dimensions added makes it cheaper than USPS Priority.

Of course there are some here who won't accept that there are size and weight limits for First Class International and think they can get absolutely anything sent that way. I think 4lb is the limit before it has to go to Priority.

[lyndal1838]

The 4lb weight limit is still the same but the prices have risen astronomically just recently Tippy.

For the higher weight parcels the GSP is almost a bargain, especially if the seller puts in the measurements and weight.

Edit....I also read somewhere that in the UK at least there is some provision for combining items.   I did not take a lot of notice at the time as I was in a hurry.

[shoppingbag*]

Just another good reason to avoid The Global Shipping program.

[twyngwyn]

https://www.ecommercebytes.com/C/letters/blog.pl?/pl/2019/12/1577210453.html