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.

[padi*0409]

The GSP started in the US but now it's also been rolled out in the UK.

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@djavusydney wrote:
This GSP thingy only in US right, Australia not yet?

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it may well get rolled out here in Australia one day.  For Aussie sellers who currently do not post internationally they would have an option to post items to a PB hub, maybe in Melbourne or Sydney, where the item would then be processed and sent overseas.

I know there would be sellers here in Australia who would opt in to GSP as it would increase the number of potential buyers while maintaining their desire to only post domestically as well as having seller protections against negative feedback and INR claims.

[*tippy*toes*]

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@andybal wrote:

My alternate mailing address is a US residential address. I was once advised to change it to my preferred mailing address at the time the item was purchased. I did and it didn't work. Why doesn't GPS tell us how they make decisions? I know it is new concept for Ebay and its partner Companies but providing information can be helpful for both parties.

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You need to change your address in eBay and PayPal BEFORE you purchase, not at time of purchase, or after. Your address is registered at soon as you hit the buy button. If you go to the postage tab in the listing and change the country to US and add the postcode of your mailing address, it will adjust to postage cost in the listing to what you will pay after you buy (please note, altering the postage tab doesn't alter your address or location. It is only to show what it would cost if you resided in that country).

I would also be inclined to purchase from the eBay US site, after you have changed your addresses.

[padi*0409]

Bumped to the top of the list.

[lyndal1838]

And bumped again.....it was on the way down.....displaced by rants against the GSP.

We need to keep it bumped so members can find something useful about the GSP.

[davewil1964]

And again

[tazzieterror]

Bump bump bump!

[cezm]

Thanks padi ... this was the thread I was refering to in one of the other rants

[countessalmirena]

[*tippy*toes*]

And we have another new rant thread started. Apparently to alert everyone about this dreadful service. I'm so glad we were alerted.