Global Shipping Program

[jumunjipeter]

 Buyers beware of sellers in the USA who are on the Global Shipping Program. I recently bought 4 watches from the same seller in the USA, and when I went to pay, there were 4 shipping costs - $17.70, $17.40, $17.80 and $17.89. (Try and work out why they were all different???). When I asked the seller to combine the posting, he replied that he cannot as the Global Shipping Program does not allow him to combine.

 When I messaged eBay about this I received a message back that said in part "The seller doesn't know the import cost since it is the global shipping provider that would determine depending on your location. Thus, the US sellers are not allowed to combine postage." That is a load of crock. THERE IS NO IMPORT COST FOR WATCHES INTO AUSTRALIA. I have imported for the last 2 years.

 Talk about getting ripped-off.

 Pitney Bowes are the Global Shippers, and their site reads "AFTER you've completed checkout, you can review these charges on the Order Details page. The Order Details page shows the total charges and the payment amounts to the seller and the payment amount that went to the global shipping provider".

 The seller posts your item to Pitney Bowes and they forward post it to you.

 I read up on this Global Shipping Program and it says that they are not affiliated with eBay, yet eBay obviously gets a kick-back from them. This is what their site reads under "Description of Fees"::

 1. U.S. Shipping Fee

 2. International Shipping Fee

 3. Fuel Surcharge

 4. Transportation Fee

 5. Parcel Processing Service Fee

 6. Distribution Center Management Fee

 7. Loss Management Fee

 8. Transportation Risk Premium Fee

 9. Referral Fee - a variable fee paid by Pitney Bowes to eBay Inc. for referring you to the program.

 I wonder, if ever, when eBay will stop it's quest for greed at the expense of the buyers and sellers. There are millions of items sold and bought on eBay every day. When is "enough" enough??

[afantiques]

Are sellers compelled to use GSP when listing an item for international buyers?

NO,they are not.

But the way it is marketed  many may think they must use it or not even know they are enrolled,

Sellers are told that it is easy, free and absolves them of responsibility. What's not to like?

[lyndal1838]

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@afantiques wrote:

Sellers are told that it is easy, free and absolves them of responsibility. What's not to like?

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If you are a seller it is the quick and easy way to sell overseas and too bad about the buyer.

[cupcake15]

So basically the GSP is a strategy for eBay to take away the shipping business from traditional carrier companies without violating monopoly law at the expense of the buyers?

Ps. how do you quote in this forum??

[lyndal1838]

The GSP does use traditional carriers......in the USA it is handled by Pitney Bowes and they hand it on to FedEx for delivery to Australia.  Once in Australia FedEx either delivers it themselves or give it to AP for delivery or another courier company if it is more convenient for them

I have no idea what companies are involved in delivering to other countries.

[cupcake15]

So potentially three carriers involved for a single shipping transcation. Bloody ridiculous. 

And people wonder why they can not compete with Asians in the manufacturing sector. 

If a Chinese seller can get their your product from HK to Sydney for a fraction amount of the cost and in less than half the time, yet white people instead of coming up with a better and more efficiency service, comes up with all these bureaucractic BS designed at avoid and shifting liabilities.

[lyndal1838]

Nope, potentially there are 4 companies involved in delivery......USPS is used to send the item to Pitney Bowes in Erlanger KY, who hand it to FedEx who either deliver it themselves (3 companies) or hand it to AP or another courier company (4 companies)

[bonzagazz]

Its too expensive and slow. It should not be used by anyone shipping overseas.

[ozdon42]

My goodness this Global Shipping Program is a dogs breakfast. My little item seems to be bouncing all around the place and with so much 'handling' and transfering going on I really fear for it's safety. It will be a minor miracle if it arrives in one piece, if at all. Expensive, slow and perilous.

Sure wish I had researched and read all the negative reports on this GSP of ebay's before purchasing. Never again.

[zanadoo_56]

Gosh my overseas eBay spending has gone down lately.

More and more US sellers are using the GSP and now of course it has spread to the UK.  I'm now seeing some US sellers who mention in their listings that they will use alternative shipping methods for overseas sales on request.  But I've contacted two sellers about this recently....and they have not even bothered to reply.  Sigh.

The latest item I'd like to buy has a GSP cost of $33.20 AU.....but I bought two of the same item with USPS postage about half that (combined shipping).  Don't really want to pay $33.20 shipping for one..... 

[chezzy]

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@zanadoo_56 wrote:

Gosh my overseas eBay spending has gone down lately.

More and more US sellers are using the GSP and now of course it has spread to the UK.

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Yep. My overseas spending AND browsing has gone down heaps. Even if there are those sellers who are willing to

be 'educated' or ship using alternatives I find I am just losing interest in the whole thing, especially as GSP has now

'infected' the UK....