WARNING to all AUSSIE Buyers

[barneywomble]

I would like to take this opportunity to warn all Australian eBay buyers about a serious problem that exist when purchasing items from eBay USA and paying for "Priority" International Postage through the Global Shipping Program.

I recently made 2 purchases from eBay USA from 2 different sellers. On both the listings it clearly stated the postage method was "Priority" International Postage. When I clicked on the "see details" link underneath the postage section on the listing it confirmed the service I was paying for was indeed "Priority" International Postage. (I have screen shots of both the listing and the Postage details to verify this). So I went ahead and paid for the items and the "Priority" International Postage via PAYPAL. ONce this was completed I clicked on the "view order details" link for each of the 2 purchases and it also confirmed the postage as being "Priority" International Postage. I was given a number of tracking numbers and eventually the items were dispatched from the USA via FEDEX where another tracking number was provided for the international leg of the postage from the USA to Australia. Now to my horror on checking those FEDEX tracking numbers they provide detailed information including the method of delivery which in both cases showed "ECONOMY" International Postage. (I have screen shots verifying this) I contatced FEDEX directly regarding this and they responed via email stating the eBay shipments via the Global Shipping Program are dispatched via "ECONOMY" International Shipping (I have screen shots of this email).

I contatced eBay regarding this matter and then began an amazing "run a round" of companies and responabilities and confusing wording all leading to the point that if an Australian buyer purchases an item from eBay in the USA and pays for "Priority" International Postage through the Global Shipping Program then the items are shipped "ECONOMY" irrispective of the payment made for postage. Apart from the fact that it appears to be completely unfair to clearly advertise a service, pay for that service and not get that service it appears to raise a number of serious legal issues within eBay and its partners.

When I paid for my items from the USA the "shipping or postage" portion, the amount I paid for the "Priority" International Postage was sent to PItney Bowes as they are the legal entity responsible for the Global Shipping Program and a simple check of my PAYPAL account verified a portion of my payment indeed did go to Pitney Bowes. I contatcted them directly and asked them why when I paid for "Priority" International Postage did they not arrange for the items to be shipped that way and I was immediately met with a wall of silence and was told to contact eBay. Pitney Bowes and the Global Shipping Program stand to make millionsof dollars of the backs of hard working Australians if they are charging us for a "Priority" International Postage service but using an "ECONOMY" postage service which is of course CONSIDERABLY CHEAPER and SLOWER. I had posted these concerns along with the screen shots on eBay.com facebook page and they were immediately removed and I guess because I was correct and the less people who know about it the better.

If you are an Australian eBayer and have purchased an item from eBay USA and you paid for "Priority" International Postage through the Global Shipping Program please CHECK with the actual carrier (it will probably be FEDEX and see how your items were shipped. If they were not shipped using a "Priority" International Postage Service you are by law entitled to be reimbursed for the difference between the "Priority" International Postage you paid for and the "ECONOMY" service actually used. I will of course be contacting the revelent a number of media outlets both here in Australia and in the USA and I will also get a facebook campaign up and running to promote awareness for this disgusting business practice.

[4channel]

---

@aussiklaus wrote:

Hello Guys, thanks for your comments. The case (mine) is as follows: ONE order from the UK consisting of 2 items @ 16.99 GBP, total cost 33.98 GBP plus international postage @ 39.38 GBP. Received 2 invoices, one for the items on order and one for the shipper. 

Items did not arrive at all so raised a dispute with the seller in the UK via eBay. 

Actual refund subsequently then received was 16.99 GBP from Seller and 16.69 GBP from shipper adjusted for Australian Dollars. Obviously tried to raise the difference with eBay but as a refund was made the case opened is closed - end of story. Raised then with PayPal requesting assistance under the Buyer protection policy but same issue. System detected a refund and case closed. 

Countless messaging with PayPal so far has not penetrated closed minds - it seems impossible to get it thru anyones head that the refund was only 50% of the original total purchese cost. 

After more than 10 days of circular messaging took screen shots of the original 2 invoices as  well as the 2 refunds per my Activity report of my PayPal account. To date no response to that info - OK, forwarded only 3 days ago. . 

---

 Hi again assiklaus, thanks for explaining it some more. With two invoices, it sounds like your purchase was sent via the Pitney Bowes GSP (Global Shipping Program). Many of us here avoid it like it was the plague as it's more expensive, often slower and a pain to deal with. I contact sellers and most times they are happy to change to normal US AirMail or normal UK AirMail. Some sellers have no idea that their auctions have been clamped with GSP. Oh and you can get charged twice for shipping (double) if you buy 2 items from the same seller in different auctions / sales. Seller can pack them together but they get unpacked at a depot and sent separately causing you to get billed for shipping twice.

Gosh, what an ordeal, you're dealing with tunnel thinking as well as robotic understanding by the people you have contacted.

I think do what tippytoes has suggested and contact PayPal via phone. Also contact seller and get them to email PayPal as well.

Please keep us posted.

[aussiklaus]

Hello again, many thanks for all your comments - very encouraging indeed.

I would love to call PayPal here in Australia  in due course but I have not yet found a contact no (Maybe I am too stupid to see the trees for the forrest) .

Is there in fact a suitable No somewhere to be found on PayPal site? 

Oh, I forgot to mention that I contacted the seller re the issue encountered but regretably there is only silence.

[countessalmirena]

@aussiklaus,

If you opened a dispute under the eBay Money Back Guarantee, and only received back the cost of the items, then it is through eBay that you must pursue this. (Caveat: the T&Cs of the Global Shipping Program do say ❝ 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.❞ However, that is convoluted and confusing for most buyers, and in my view it's best to try to get eBay to come through with the shipping cost. You may not be successful in persuading eBay to do this... I would not raise this issue when chatting to eBay CS unless they raise it first.)

It's more difficult at the moment with to the phones of eBay CS being unavailable due to COVID-19 restrictions; it means that you must communicate via chat.

You can contact eBay Chat by going to the Help page and scrolling down to the bottom of the page. (Direct link for Chat is here.) Select the appropriate subject. Then, when the blue Start Chat button appears under Chat with Us (left column), click onto that.

Explain that you are following up the INR case number xxxxx, as you only received a refund for the item cost, not the postage component. Explain that as per eBay's Money Back Guarantee policy, ❝Buyer protection is available to buyers who have purchased items on the following eBay sites: eBay.com, eBay.co.uk, eBay.com.au, [etc.]❞ Explain that with the shipping cost not having been returned even though your items have not been delivered, you hereby urge eBay to perform that refund. Explain (very politely - don't make this sound aggressive) that in the event of this not being done, you'll unfortunately have to instruct your credit card issuer to perform a chargeback for the shipping amount, since clearly you have not received what you ordered and paid for.

Quote from relevant policy as much as possible; repeat the same information as needed; stick to your guns; remain courteous at all times.

Good luck!

[4channel]

---

@aussiklaus wrote:

Hello again, many thanks for all your comments - very encouraging indeed.

I would love to call PayPal here in Australia  in due course but I have not yet found a contact no (Maybe I am too stupid to see the trees for the forrest) .

Is there in fact a suitable No somewhere to be found on PayPal site? 

Oh, I forgot to mention that I contacted the seller re the issue encountered but regretably there is only silence.

---

Hi assiklaus, foillow up on what countessalmirena said but if you need to ring Paypal then here's the number - 1800 073 263

Please keep us posted. Cheers.

[aussiklaus]

Many thanks for that - will do.

[lyndal1838]

---

@4channel wrote:

---

Hi assiklaus, foillow up on what countessalmirena said but if you need to ring Paypal then here's the number - 1800 073 263

Please keep us posted. Cheers.

---

The Aussie 1800 number takes you direct to the call centre in the USA and it is not working at the moment due to COVID.

[aussiklaus]

Many thanks for the info - Surprise, surprise - everything that goes wrong nowadays : Blame Covid 19 - sad actually.
As a matter of fact I did all the chats with eBay already and they suggested to contact PayPal. Will keep you all informed.

[tazzieterror]

I had to contact PayPal the other day, and the only way I could do so was via their online chat. Even then I couldn't get a live agent, but had to send a chat message and wait for a reply (which took a good day or so).
I've read reports of others experiencing the same, so if that happens to you also, it's normal (for the moment at least).

[aussiklaus]

Hi - I thank everyone here for their support over the last few weeks. It has been a journey but PayPal just came thru and issued the missing refunds. I am sorry but I do not know how to address all the people who responded with suggestions and support. Thank again and best wishes all round,
Aussiklaus

[countessalmirena]

I’m glad that it has worked out! You were entitled to the full amount.