Leave Negative for Global Shipping Program

[willpetewaitara]

The whole GSP (Global Shipping Program) is a typical eBay abortion.

I think the easy way to send a message to eBay US Sellers who use GSP is to leave them Negative Feedback when an item doesn't arrive which was shipped using GSP.

Unfair against the Seller you say....well it sure is, however I email them first and advise what I'm doing and why.

Most understand and simply Opt-Out of the GSP, or has been the more common result they deal with you direct.

Ebay are just SO DUMB, they can't run anything right and will now lose even more customers and $$$$$.

Thanks eBay, but the US Seller and I have just concluded a transaction outside eBay on the same items your GSP said couldn't be shipped to Australia (which of course was wrong as chainsaws are perfectly legal in Australia) you MUPPETS

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@little_red01 wrote:

* As for anyone advocating negative feedback for sellers using GSP when a problem with delivery arises, I find that mentality rather disturbing and would urge anyone considering that option reconsider. I contacted the seller and while she was of little help she fulfilled her end of the deal. She subtly suggested I had stolen it initially, but I clarified my position and stated I only wanted to know from her who I needed to communicate with in tracking my package, as I didn't know who GSP was until I read this message board. If the seller is unhelpful or abusive, the package never arrives (& you take steps to find its whereabouts), or the package finally arrives with damaged goods due to poor packing, then you're well within your rights to leave Neg feedback & seek recompense. Otherwise I feel it unethical to do so based on end-of-line delivery service performance.

I suggested my seller use USPS only in future as my 15 years experience in shipping many hundreds of packages from the USA to Oz, via many different methods and forwarders, has shown me they now run a superior delivery service and I very rarely (if ever, these days) have issues.

As a seller myself receiving unwarranted Neg feedback is disheartening and frustrating. If you want to get your point across, contact the seller and tell them you will not buy from them again if they continue using GSP; if your item eventually arrives then I suggest you leave NEUTRAL feedback with a statement regarding the GSP service, not Neg.

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If the seller is unhelpful or abusive, the package never arrives (& you take steps to find its whereabouts), or the package finally arrives with damaged goods due to poor packing, then you're well within your rights to leave Neg feedback & seek recompense

The important thing to remember is that sellers using the GSP may not know they are selling to an overseas buyer. If they are abusive after receiving a “where is my item” message then who can blame them.  I mean, they have tracking that shows the item was delivered to Aussie Joe Citizen at Erlanger KY. Little wonder they would suspect a scamming buyer, especially if that buyer mentions they are in Australia.  Many USA sellers DO NOT want to be selling to overseas buyers because of the risks involved . . . . . AND . . . . use of the GSP mitigates this risk for sellers.

As for leaving negative feedback for:

- seller abusive when asked about tracking . . . . this feedback will be removed by eBay

- package not arriving . . . . . this feedback will be removed by eBay

- package difficult to track down . . . . this feedback will be removed by eBay

- package arrives with damaged goods . . . . this feedback will be removed by eBay

- poor packaging . . . . this feedback will be removed by eBay

- anything related to shipping time, shipping delays, shipping cost, anything that could relate to shipping . . . . this feedback will be removed by eBay.

You see, all of these negative types of feedback are the very reason why USA sellers might not want to be selling to overseas buyers . . . . AND . . . . is also the very reason why eBay introduced the GSP for USA sellers.

The items I have bought from the USA have generally only taken a few days to get to PB in Erlanger KY.  So this is fast shipping.  ANYTHING that happened to my items after that has nothing to do with the seller or the seller’s actions.  That is why negative feedback is going to removed for any reason other than item not as described or wrong item sent.

If you want to get your point across, contact the seller and tell them you will not buy from them again if they continue using GSP

To be honest, I doubt that the seller would care if you say you won’t buy from them again unless they ditch the GSP. They may be one of the millions of sellers who do not want to be selling to overseas buyers, OR, they may put you on their blocked buyer list based on your “attitude” . . . . I know I would.

I suggest you leave NEUTRAL feedback with a statement regarding the GSP service, not Neg.

ANY MENTION OF THE GSP WILL RESULT IN THE FEEDBACK BEING REMOVED . . . . even if it is a Neutral.

I have said this before, and I’ll say it again . . . . if eBay introduced a “GSP” type of service for Aussie sellers then when I start selling again I would choose to use it.  When I was previously selling I did not sell to overseas members because of the hassle of getting shipping quotes, customs declarations, slow shipping that is out of my control and the risk of damage to an item while in transit.  If I could send an item to Alexandria (Sydney) knowing that it was going to be inspected, re-packed and have all the customs requirements met by a freight forwarding company like Pitney Bowes in the full knowledge that negative feedback for the reasons I listed above would be removed by eBay then I would say “bring it on”.

[little_red01]

Thank you for the responses and additional input.

What a corrupt system is Ebay GSP then, if leaving any Neg or Neutral feedback with mention of GSP gets removed!?

What point then in leaving such feedback if it gets removed? Does that not just leave a Neg/Neutral mark in the sellers feedback tally with no avenue for recourse, or is that mark wiped altogether? I'm surprised this message board hasn't been wiped, in that case.

This is how ridiculous this GSP system gets:
I thought I called my local newsagent this morning but in my haste I had called the post office by mistake...and they had just received the package...from Fedex. I thought I was speaking to the newsagent. This afternoon I attempted to collect it from the newsagent only to be met with a blank stare...and puzzlement all round, then realising my phone error off I went to the Post Office.

Fedex do not usually deliver to Aust Post, im my experience & that of the store owners, yet the label attached at Brisbane airport instructed the driver to do so.

The ridiculous part? Well, updated tracking on Fedex as supplied to me in an email response from PB (timing not bad to be fair) told me the driver had been unable to deliver to the specified location and it had been left in another location. What the?! If I was just watching this via tracking...confused!

So I now have tracking showing delivered, when it had not been...then it was supposedly delivered somewhere else 2 days later...but actually ended up where it was supposed to go.

Bizarre. Almost better off not following GSP tracking until it is overdue.

Alls well that ends well, now I need to email PB and apologise for the spray I gave them about allowing Fedex drivers to leave packages at a different location, signed for by persons unknown, without the buyers consent. My bad, but only working with the information supplied to me at the time.

As for USA sellers not wanting to sell overseas, that is their preogative. As a buyer I do not know they do not wish to sell to me here in Oz unless it is stated, prohibited delivery location, or I enquire and they tell me so. They also have the right to cancel the sale. Thats no skin off my nose, just a potential lost sale for them. How they feel about that is no concern of mine, its their right as a seller to send where and to whom they please.

[little_red01]

And yes, agreed on the benefit of auto-quoting for international shipping. I have some American car parts that would undoubtedly be of interest to buyers in the US, but i'm sure the lack of immediate shipping pricing scares them off straight away. Aust Post shipping costs from Oz to the Us can be most prohibitive too.

[padi*0409]

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@little_red01 wrote:

What a corrupt system is Ebay GSP then, if leaving any Neg or Neutral feedback with mention of GSP gets removed!?

What point then in leaving such feedback if it gets removed? Does that not just leave a Neg/Neutral mark in the sellers feedback tally with no avenue for recourse, or is that mark wiped altogether? I'm surprised this message board hasn't been wiped, in that case.

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It's not corrupt at all. Why should a seller be penalised with a neg or a neutral for something that's totally beyond their control ?

Regarding the removal of feedback for GSP items, the whole feedback is removed, not just the comments. 

No different to buyers dinging postage stars, or worse giving the sller unfavorable feedback, because an item doesn't arrive within eBay's ETA - again something that's beyond the seller's control if they have posted within their handling time.  

[davewil1964]

... or sellers getting negs because the buyer didn't like the movie they bought...

There are enough rods for sellers' backs without eBay giving more rods for numpty buyers to flail.

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@little_red01 wrote:

Thank you for the responses and additional input.

What a corrupt system is Ebay GSP then, if leaving any Neg or Neutral feedback with mention of GSP gets removed!?

What point then in leaving such feedback if it gets removed? Does that not just leave a Neg/Neutral mark in the sellers feedback tally with no avenue for recourse, or is that mark wiped altogether? I'm surprised this message board hasn't been wiped, in that case.

As for USA sellers not wanting to sell overseas, that is their preogative. As a buyer I do not know they do not wish to sell to me here in Oz unless it is stated, prohibited delivery location, or I enquire and they tell me so. They also have the right to cancel the sale. Thats no skin off my nose, just a potential lost sale for them. How they feel about that is no concern of mine, its their right as a seller to send where and to whom they please.

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What point then in leaving such feedback if it gets removed?

We have tried to explain, but if you are asking this question I feel that the message is a little slow in sinking in.

Does that not just leave a Neg/Neutral mark in the sellers feedback tally with no avenue for recourse, or is that mark wiped altogether?

When the negative feedback is removed it does not affect the seller’s feedback tally in any way.  It is as if there was never feedback left at all.  

They also have the right to cancel the sale. Thats no skin off my nose, just a potential lost sale for them.

Actually, if they cancel the sale there is the possibility that the buyer would still be able to leave feedback.  But that is a moot point, as the seller will see the PB Erlanger address as the buyer’s address, meaning that they might not even know it is an overseas buyer . . . . so why would they cancel?  The GSP affords them stronger seller protection than using USPS or some other shipping method . . . . possibly the strongest protections for sellers.

How they feel about that is no concern of mine

Yeah, I’m starting to see that.

You need to stop lumping the seller and GSP in the one basket.  They are two different identities, and your feedback left on eBay is for the seller and the item and NOT the GSP.  Using eBay feedback to have a go at PB/GSP is useless except in giving you the satisfaction of punishing the seller for listing with GSP as shipping . . . . a short lived sense of gratification due to the removal of the feedback.

If you want to rate the GSP then go onto some business rating site where you can leave ratings for Pitney Bowes/GSP OR go onto their Facebook/twitter pages.  At least then your feedback might have an affect.

Spoiler

JULY

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

I may not have been clear in part of my previous post

Spoiler

What point then in leaving such feedback if it gets removed?

THERE IS NO POINT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[countessalmirena]

@little_red01,

I take it that you mean that eBay's policy of not allowing negative or neutral feedback if it's attributable to the GSP is corrupt...?

You probably need to consider eBay's reason for their relationship with Pitney Bowes and setting up the Global Shipping Program in the first place. Now, don't take this to mean that I love the GSP. I don't. (I don't buy if the only postage option is via the GSP.)

However, I can certainly understand the benefits to sellers.

It's also important to note that many many sellers are opted in to the GSP without even being aware that they are. As others here have explained, for such sellers there isn't any flag popping up to notify them that the sale is to an international buyer, because the delivery address is not, for instance, 1 Platypus Drive, West Flaming Kookaburra, NT, 8888, but rather the address is local - to Erlanger, Kentucky, USA. As far as the seller is concerned, it's just a case of domestic shipping. Once the parcel gets to PB's warehouse, it's deemed to be delivered (as far as the seller is concerned, and as far as eBay is concerned IN TERMS OF THE SELLER'S RESPONSIBILITY).

You might want to read through the Global Shipping Program page to see why US sellers (and UK sellers - similar but not identical policies) who have DELIBERATELY opted in to it love it.

Concerning feedback, I'll quote from that page:

❝Any negative or neutral feedback that can be attributed to the Global Shipping Program from item handling during international transit will be removed.❞

Sellers also love this: ❝If an item is lost or broken during international shipping, eBay Money Back Guarantee cases will be resolved in your favour, and your seller performance standards won’t be affected.❞

Spoiler

Stated on eBay.com's Money Back Guarantee page, ❝A buyer is covered by the applicable eBay Money Back Guarantee or similar buyer protection policy of the eBay site where checkout occurred.❞

However, the eBay.com.au Global Shipping Program Buyer Terms & Conditions seem to confuse the issue:

❝Lost, Damaged, or Undeliverable Items; Valid Delivery Address Required.

If a GSP Item that you purchase is not delivered to the delivery address specified by you or to the collection center near you that is designated by the shipping carrier, it is damaged, or it does not match your Seller's description, your purchase may be covered by the PayPal Purchase Protection program. More information about PayPal Purchase Protection may be found here.❞ (and I should note that the link to PayPal Purchase Protection is a dead link. The correct link is here (and scroll down to Item Not Received claims - about a quarter of the way down the page).

It doesn't say that GSP items are not covered by the MBG, merely being silent on the subject. That makes it doubly confusing since the eBay Money Back Guarantee (eBay.com.au) page actually refers the user to that very page from which I quote directly above.

❝For items shipped through the Global Shipping Program, the Global Shipping Program's terms and conditions for buyers describe how members are protected by the eBay Money Back Guarantee.❞ There is nothing on the GSP's terms and conditions for buyers which even mentions the MBG.

Don't be too dismayed about whether or not you can leave feedback. Many buyers don't look at feedback, or don't bother reading relevant feedback... most don't seem to realise that a feedback score of less than 99.5% is bad in a high-volume seller. So many buyers come to these boards incandescent with fury about a purchase that wasn't satisfactory (never arrived, or completely different item, or obvious fake, or incredibly poor quality, etc., etc.), with a good portion of their fury about their inability to leave negative feedback - usually because it's past the timeframe for being able to leave feedback. The buyers want to vent their frustration and make the seller pay by giving the harshest criticism they can. All caps, words such as "scumbag seller", "thief", liar", "WARNING! AVOID! NEVER BUY FROM THIS LIAR!" etc., are glowing red on the end of the buyer's fingertips, desperately wanting to be flung free into feedback.

... But it's rare that such feedback would be the very first negatives given to that seller. I don't think I've ever seen an example where the buyer's negative (if they were able to give it) would be the only red dot in a sea of green. The buyer so frequently says "I want to warn other buyers", but really, truly, that cannot possibly be the true motive. Not when that self-same buyer has ignored every other piece of "WARNING! AVOID! BAD SELLER!" negative for the very seller from whom they purchased...

I don't know if it's any comfort to realise that your negative is highly unlikely to "save" other buyers (when you give negatives to genuinely bad sellers) if subsequent buyers don't bother checking the feedback properly... I also don't know if it's any comfort to know that if you had a bad experience with an item that you could purchase only because it was available through eBay's GSP, it is almost certainly not the seller's fault... You are definitely not alone in preferring not to purchase items if they're going to be sent through the GSP. It is by no means a perfect system.

There are benefits to using the GSP, although admittedly the benefits are primarily for sellers. There are issues involved for buyers, and there are certain items you should never attempt to purchase through the GSP because they are items which PB will deem restricted or forbidden (and thus deem undeliverable), even if the items are NOT forbidden by Australian customs. Used with care and with awareness that the delivery time is probably going to be around 3 weeks, and that there are various stages of "delivery" throughout the process, it is still an option worth considering for some items, I believe.

[abbott1332]

Ebay global shipping double dipping charging **bleep**holes

[abbott1332]

Ebay global shipping double dipping charging **bleep**holed