Global Shipping "What is the deal"? Ridiculous amounts!

[sharonspdc]

I recently purchased three items from a seller who uses the Global Shipping Service. I got very cranky when I paid for what I beleive is excessive costs to send using Global Shipping. The cost being around a third of my entire order using Global Shipping for a non-commercial order. I have copied and pasted part of the the receipt below. Sent by normal post I do not need any help with clearing customs. I will not shop again with a seller who uses this service, I think it is a complete rip off.

What is the deal, can someone explain this nonsense to me please?  Does Ebay own this Service? I reckon they would!

. Shipping and handling $10.75 USD
Tax amount
Total $77.75 USD
Payment $77.75 USD
Payment sent to: xxxxxxxxxx

International Shipping and Import Charge

Transaction ID: 6NT06795TH623212B

A separate payment was sent to this global shipping company to ship your package and to clear customs.

Amount
International shipping and Import charge
$35.25 USD
Total $35.25 USD
Payment $35.25 USD
From amount
To amount
Exchange rate
Payment sent to: pbecommerce

[imastawka]

4channel, why are you still moaning about the GSP?

No-one likes it, and I gave you a perfectly good way out of paying for it at post # 8

Take it or leave it.

I can't buy some things I want either, because of the GSP,  but you get over it. (eventually)

[k1ooo-slr-sales · Accepted solution]

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@locall1961 wrote:
If EBay don't get anything out of this, why do they put GSP down as the default option for shipping and why do they remove bad feedback about it?

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eBay put the GSP as a default on USA listings for a number of reasons:

- it has been reported that they do have a financial interest in Pitney Bowes, so when the GSP is used they get a cut of the proceeds

- there are many USA sellers who, much like many Australian sellers, do not wish to sell/ship internationally.  That is until they were opted in to the GSP, and even then they may not be aware that they are selling internationally as the buyer's address comes up as the PB address in Erlanger Kentucky.

- widening the range of buyers who can buy from USA sellers increases eBay profits through increased revenues from higher prices on auction items as there are potentially more bidders, and if an international buyer is unsuccessful in an auction then they have helped to bump up the price, leading to higher fees even though the item remains in the USA.

There are a number of reasons why USA sellers using the GSP are shielded from negative feedback:

- eBay wants sellers to continue using the GSP so that they continue to sell and ship internationally, albeit through a third party.  If they get negative feedback because to long delivery times they would stop using the GSP, and this would impact on eBay profits. So, sellers can not receive negative on the grounds of long or delayed delivery times.

- sellers do not set the rate charged by PB, although they can do something about reducing the cost to the lowest price possible while still using the GSP.  What they need to do is make sure they input the item weight and dimensions so that an accurate figure can be charged. When they do not input the weight and dimensions the item is charged a higher rate based on other items in the same category i.e. it tries to make a best guess of an appropriate rate while ensuring the rate is not underestimated.  This means a small or light item may be charged at the same rate as a much larger and heavier item. For this reason, eBay shield the seller from negative feedback on the grounds of postage/shipping charges.

- because items sent to PB are meant to be inspected and repacked by PB the seller is shielded from negative feedback on the grounds of poor packaging or items being broken in transit.

- PB is responsible for filling out customs forms and collecting and then paying customs fees should they be due.  If the amount charged for customs fees is excessive or incorrect, or an item is delayed due to incorrectly filed customers forms, then this is not the fault of the seller.  For this reason they are shielded from negative feedback.

- there are items that are sold internationally that PB decides can not be sent to Australia.  Some of these decisions by PB are difficult to understand.  For example, if you buy a butter knife from a USA seller using the GSP then PB will not process the item for shipping to Australia.  The same has been anecdotally reported about not sending a guitar to Australia.  Furthermore, they will not return the item to the seller and will, instead, sell the item on their own eBay ID.  For this reason the seller is shielded from negative feedback when PB refuse to send the item to Australia.

Now, before anyone gets the idea that I am an apologist for the GSP, then they should read any and all posts I have posted about the GSP.  I understand the GSP and how it operates, and post objectively about the GSP.  Nothing I have written above is in support or against the GSP.  I am only posting facts and anecdotes about the GSP in reply to questions asked by another poster in the post that I have quoted at the top of this post.

Additionally, I will declare that I have bought items from the USA that I could only buy because of the GSP as the sellers of those items did not wish to sell internationally which would have excluded me from purchasing.  I have had success in getting sellers of GSP items to input weight and dimensions into their item listings so that the GSP rate could be more accurately reflected in the shipping charges.

Take a look at this thread for some examples of GSP stupidity, but also take note of afantiques post about communicating with sellers to get a more realistic GSP charge applied to a listing:

http://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Buying/GSP-stupidity-documented-on-this-thread/td-p/1708839

Please do not post on that thread though as it is an old thread.

[*tippy*toes*]

Seems the only thing I didn't get accused of, is being an eBay employee.

The last item I bought with GSP postage was more than half what it would have cost being sent with USPS.

[4channel]

Hello again lyndal1838 ,

You said     ........    "Not sure why you are getting belligerent with me.....nowhere have I said that I like the GSP.  I am more than aware of it's failings and high costs."

I'm not getting "belligerent" with you. Baffles me why you could say that. yes I agree, there is nowhwere here or probably enywhere else that you have said you like GSP. I bet you don't. And yes I bet you are aware of all the horrendous aspects of it just like I am.

You  said .....

"I have been dealing with the US and Canadian Postal systems for close to 40years now and believe me they have always been slow and expensive.  That is just one of the drawbacks of buying from overseas."

OK that's probably 15 years more than I have. But. I've found US post to be fine. I have never had an item lost in the mail with the hundreds of transactions I have done here and hundreds with Amazon and other sites over the years. As for cost, well for First Class International, even though it has doubled in the last 4 years, it is half of what I would pay if I used the Global Shipping rip-off that has angered, saddened and disgusted so many ebayers.

First Class International is cheaper than priority and stuff arrives as it always has in good time. I will continue to use this.

Global Shipping is not that reliable and I am already having issues over something that I decided to use as a once-off.  BTW: One seller (ages ago)  that I bought off had global shipping and I have never ever seen that item. I was refunded and it was an unpleasent experience.

Stick with USA post and have the item registered if getting lost in the mail is a concern.

[4channel]

davewil 1964,

                       You said ......

"Tippy has considerably more selling experience than you, going by your feedback. As have I, and probably stawks (imastawka to you). Certainly overall, including buying, for all of us."

Well *tippy*toes*  as far as I can see has a feedback rating of (0) but has made Posts: 5,585 since being Registered: ‎07-28-2015. So, more posting experience than I have.  No doubt you have done some buying and selling just as I have.

You say ..... 

"Given you haven't deigned to give us the benefit of your 'wisdom' for almost all of your 15 years on eBay, why start now?"

Well, simple! The reason is just like others on ebay are voicing their displeasure and disgust with Global Shipping. Many call it a scam. Others are now buying off Amazon.  And ...  I like everybody else who sees injustices has a right to voice their concern.

You say ....

"And what you might not realise is that those US sellers who won't post outside of the GSP probably wouldn't post overseas anyway, if the GSP didn't give them the same protections as local post would."

Many sellers who used to post via USPS First Class International and Priorty have now got this  LEACH called Global Shipping attatched to their pages and often don't know what to do. Some US and UK sellers who have sent me stuff in the past, now have Global Shipping.  So regretutfully and with all due respect, I have to say that you are wrong in that assumption.

[4channel]

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@imastawka wrote:

4channel, why are you still moaning about the GSP?

No-one likes it, and I gave you a perfectly good way out of paying for it at post # 8

Take it or leave it.

I can't buy some things I want either, because of the GSP,  but you get over it. (eventually)

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Hello imastawka , interesting you use the term "moaning". Hmm.

But, for your benefit I'll tell you why I am still discussing it. One: because I am allowed to. Two: because it is a vile proactice. Three: because I am concerned about other people who are feeling the hurt. Four: Because I believe strongly that no change is made unless people discuss things. Five: I would like to see the end of this extotion scam.  Please look at the many other posts relating to this subject and the utter dismay and disgust voiced by the ebay community.

Yes thanks for the advice at post # 8. I have saved that. Great help.

Yes I will leave it and only  deal with sellers who have normal post. But it sad. very tragic that this form of (Almost) extortion and blackmail has been thrown on to the people!

[davewil1964]

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@4channel wrote:

davewil 1964,

                       You said ......

"Tippy has considerably more selling experience than you, going by your feedback. As have I, and probably stawks (imastawka to you). Certainly overall, including buying, for all of us."

Well *tippy*toes*  as far as I can see has a feedback rating of (0) but has made Posts: 5,585 since being Registered: ‎07-28-2015. So, more posting experience than I have.  No doubt you have done some buying and selling just as I have.

You say ..... 

"Given you haven't deigned to give us the benefit of your 'wisdom' for almost all of your 15 years on eBay, why start now?"

Well, simple! The reason is just like others on ebay are voicing their displeasure and disgust with Global Shipping. Many call it a scam. Others are now buying off Amazon.  And ...  I like everybody else who sees injustices has a right to voice their concern.

You say ....

"And what you might not realise is that those US sellers who won't post outside of the GSP probably wouldn't post overseas anyway, if the GSP didn't give them the same protections as local post would."

Many sellers who used to post via USPS First Class International and Priorty have now got this  LEACH called Global Shipping attatched to their pages and often don't know what to do. Some US and UK sellers who have sent me stuff in the past, now have Global Shipping.  So regretutfully and with all due respect, I have to say that you are wrong in that assumption.

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Tippy as tippy has 0 feedback. I, as Dave, have 100 feedback. I can assure we both have a helluva lot more than that.

[4channel]

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@*tippy*toes* wrote:

Seems the only thing I didn't get accused of, is being an eBay employee.

The last item I bought with GSP postage was more than half what it would have cost being sent with USPS.

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You said: "Seems the only thing I didn't get accused of, is being an eBay employee."

Why would you even say that???? Nobody has accused you of anything. Very strange you say that!

You said: "The last item I bought with GSP postage was more than half what it would have cost being sent with USPS"

Yesterday, I saw a stereo tuner/amp with $400 Plus to be sent via FedEx to Australia from the US. Yet another seller with an item the same size and also a stereo component, charging $120 via USPS priority which is more than First Class Int.

[lyndal1838]

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@4channel wrote:

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@*tippy*toes* wrote:

Seems the only thing I didn't get accused of, is being an eBay employee.

The last item I bought with GSP postage was more than half what it would have cost being sent with USPS.

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You said: "Seems the only thing I didn't get accused of, is being an eBay employee."

Why would you even say that???? Nobody has accused you of anything. Very strange you say that!

If you read the boards you will see that the regular responders often get accused of being ebay/paypal employees if they give an answer that seems to favour ebay/paypal in any way. 

You said: "The last item I bought with GSP postage was more than half what it would have cost being sent with USPS"

Yesterday, I saw a stereo tuner/amp with $400 Plus to be sent via FedEx to Australia from the US. Yet another seller with an item the same size and also a stereo component, charging $120 via USPS priority which is more than First Class Int.

If an item is advertised as being sent with FedEx then it is not the GSP.  The GSP never mentions what courier company is being used.  International courier delivery has always been expensive.

I suspect that a stereo tuner/amp would be too heavy for First Class International mail....hence the seller having to use USPS Priority.

You do not seem to grasp the fact that USPS International First Class has a top limit of 4lbs and a top value of US$400.  Anything outside those parameters must be sent with a Priority service.

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[*tippy*toes*]

I'm just catching the horse now Lyndal. It will be dead shortly, so you can flog it good and proper.