Global Shipping Program put into perspective.

[padi*0409]

Here are a few tips that can make the GSP more palatable or explainable for buyers.

1.  If the GSP postage is very high compared to USPS or Royal Mail from the UK. Ask the seller to input dimensions and weight into the listing - this will usually drop the postage rate significantly (though not on heavy parcels where the GSP is usually the cheapest option anyway).

2. If multiple items are being bought as a BIN, ask the seller to make one listing of all the items so that they can be sent together and not incur multiple postage charges,

3. It's also possible to ask the seller to opt out of the GSP and send by their normal carrier - they may not want to do this as it reduces their seller protection significantly.

4. eBay opts sellers into the GSP by default, so they may well be unaware that they are even posting overseas since all they will see as a shipping address is their countrie's GSP shipping hub. Often if the buyer sends a screen shot of the postage amount they will be amenable to enact the steps above.

5. Long delivery times?  Nothing much can be done about that buyers just have to be aware that sometimes parcels will do a scenic trip of the seller's country before being processed.

6. Pitney Bowes (GSP) will confiscate a number of items that they deem to be prohibited exports, these include any knife (even a butter knife), guitars, drums etc.  When they confiscate these the buyer will have to jump through hoops to get their money back from Pitney Bowes, while Pitney Bowes will put those item up for sale on their own eBay sites.

7. Pitney Bowes will often but not always repack items, so if the item is fragile maybe think twice about it and look for a different seller of that item, if the seller won't opt out of the GSP for you.

The GSP isn't necessarily the draconian monster that some members here portray it as, if some of the steps above are implemented.

I don't have the opt-out procedure to hand so if any members do have it could they post the steps here please.

Apologies for the long post, but getting an honest perspective of the GSP to my mind is more important than arbitrarily shooting the system down, and not giving the other side of the story.

[lyndal1838]

Mentioning a secure post office mail box is a red rag to most overseas sellers.  Their immediate reaction is that you are going to scam them. 

There is no way the average overseas seller will give up the security afforded to them by using the GST in order to facilitate a buyer who may well be a scammer.

[4channel]

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@lyndal1838 wrote:

Mentioning a secure post office mail box is a red rag to most overseas sellers.  Their immediate reaction is that you are going to scam them. 

There is no way the average overseas seller will give up the security afforded to them by using the GST in order to facilitate a buyer who may well be a scammer.

---

No it's not Lyndal!! I have been here on ebay as a member since around 2003 or whenever I joined. They would only have to look at my account to realise I was no scammer.   Come on Lyndal.    *SIGH*

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

@4channel

just one quick question before I say any more:

When you messaged that seller, did you include a link to one of your GSP threads?

[4channel]

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@k1ooo-slr-sales wrote:

@4channel

just one quick question before I say any more:

When you messaged that seller, did you include a link to one of your GSP threads?

---

No I didn't. And that was last year, before I really got involved in the discussions about Pitney Bowes / Global Shipping.

[lyndal1838]

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@4channel wrote:

---

@lyndal1838 wrote:

Mentioning a secure post office mail box is a red rag to most overseas sellers.  Their immediate reaction is that you are going to scam them. 

There is no way the average overseas seller will give up the security afforded to them by using the GST in order to facilitate a buyer who may well be a scammer.

---

No it's not Lyndal!! I have been here on ebay as a member since around 2003 or whenever I joined. They would only have to look at my account to realise I was no scammer.   Come on Lyndal.    *SIGH*

---

*SIGH*   You are the one who cannot understand why sellers will not oblige you and use ordinary airmail.   I was just giving you a possible reason.

As far as I know, Australia is the only country that has secure PO Boxes where identification is need to hold such a box.

Many overseas sellers equate PO boxes with roadside boxes which are anything but secure.

[4channel]

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@lyndal1838 wrote:

---

@4channel wrote:

---

@lyndal1838 wrote:

Mentioning a secure post office mail box is a red rag to most overseas sellers.  Their immediate reaction is that you are going to scam them. 

There is no way the average overseas seller will give up the security afforded to them by using the GST in order to facilitate a buyer who may well be a scammer.

---

No it's not Lyndal!! I have been here on ebay as a member since around 2003 or whenever I joined. They would only have to look at my account to realise I was no scammer.   Come on Lyndal.    *SIGH*

---

*SIGH*   You are the one who cannot understand why sellers will not oblige you and use ordinary airmail.   I was just giving you a possible reason.

As far as I know, Australia is the only country that has secure PO Boxes where identification is need to hold such a box.

Many overseas sellers equate PO boxes with roadside boxes which are anything but secure.

---

Lyndal, you're very good at doing what you do best to make the person with the opposing view look wrong or lacking a valid point by shifting the angle of the debate.

THIS IS EBAY and I am an ebay member who has been buying and trading since around 2003 or slighly earlier. Seller on Ebay is not going to have Scammer alert feeling when a verified member pays her or him. Is my money some kind of vaccum cleaner where if I pay it in to her PayPal, I will suck her funds out?

Dear woman, you are now talking nonsense.

[lyndal1838]

You really don't have a clue, do you.

There are plenty of ways to scam a seller, and not just by paying.

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

@4channel

I asked because it looked like you did in the post I replied to.

I have nothing more to add to your posts from today except . . . . . please stop the "dear woman" stuff. It lessens your credibility as a poster and only looks like you are trying to bait another poster into an emotional, off-topic response.

Spoiler

Spoiler

July

[kh-jean]

Hi Everyone,


This thread is getting a bit heated.  Please remember that it’s fine to disagree with others, but discussion should always remain courteous and respectful.



Thank you for your cooperation.​​​​​​​

[4channel]

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@lyndal1838 wrote:

You really don't have a clue, do you.

There are plenty of ways to scam a seller, and not just by paying.

---

I do have a clue actually Lyndal. Your bringing the scamming part into the debate has no point as it is irrelevant. I with courtesy approached a seller requesting she please change the settings for the item sale so I could pay the normal post amount as opposed to paying the "three times"  excessive  amount. I mentioned I had a PO box as many sellers feel more comfortable sending items to a secure postal address rather than a letter box on the street.

I doubt very much if any seller on Ebay would be feeling uncomfortable dealing with someone because they have a PO box as opposed to a street adress.  If you're talking about Canadian lotteries then maybe but thyen again any scamster can use a street adress just as easily as a PO box. Sorry but you're 100% wrong.