Why are ebay endorsing FedEx? Rant!

[trembla007]

Ive had recent problems with items not arriving on time from the US. When i have tracked the item I see that it arrives in Australia with no problem and then all progress stops. The first time I enqiured with ebay, they tell me the item has been transfered to FedEx for delivery but when I inquire with FedEx they tell me the tracking number isnt theirs! What good is this tracking info if you cant tell who has your package! Suddenly the item arrived. Fancy that....

The next case was from the same buyer and I had the same issue. The package made it to Australia and the stops with FedEx! Im currently still waiting for that package which is now 8 days past the latest delievery date which was the 5th May. This time ebay provided me with a new tracking number for FedEx and on their website my item is sitting at a rural depot and has been for the last 10 days. My item was shipped priority mail from the US but on FedEx's site its listed as economy..I asked for a refund so I could buy the item from a different forum as I need it quite urgently. I looked at my cases progress and ebay have put it on HOLD until th 17th! to gather more documentation....So I googled FedEx and ebay and up comes an endorsement from ebay for sellers to sign up to use FedEx through thier ebay sales to recieve discounted rates on postage.

Do the sellers know thier items arent arriving at the correct time? Do they realise why they might get bad feedback? What point is complaining to ebay when they are in bed with FedEx!

Today is Saturday 13th of May. What's the bet my item arrives on Monday now.....

[*tippy*toes*]

A handful of people having a whinge to ebay about the GSP is not going to stop them using the company. They are making bucket loads of money from them. The US/UK sellers love it because they are protected against unsavoury buyers.

I avoid the GSP, so have nothing to whinge to ebay about. Unless it's for a large item, where often the GSP is 1/4 of the price of USPS. Then, I'll even ask a seller to change the listing to GSP for that item.

[4channel]

You said .... "A handful of people having a whinge to ebay about the GSP is not going to stop them using the company. They are making bucket loads of money from them. The US/UK sellers love it because they are protected against unsavoury buyers."

A handful. Come on !!!! Bucket loads of people are complaining about Global Shipping / Pitney Bowes. The terms scam, rip off , ad some terms I won't repeat here out of respect for others are often and regularly said. Sellers are not making bucket loads of money. Many are losing money. I have onloy come accross a few sellers who for various reasons refuse to change the settings. Many sellers don'

t know how to change the settings. Thanks to a member here, I now know how to tell selers how to change it. many  sellers hate and loathe Pitny Bowes but erroneously think they have to go along with the agenda.. Because of buyers now going to Amazon and other sites to buy stuff, sellers are losing money. Most buyers are fine and it's not about protecting sellers, it's about Pitney Bowes making money $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

You said ...  "I avoid the GSP, so have nothing to whinge to ebay about. Unless it's for a large item, where often the GSP is 1/4 of the price of USPS. Then, I'll even ask a seller to change the listing to GSP for that item"

Well that's strange even on large items such as hi-fi components, GSP is double the cost of USPS First Class International. If GSP was 1/4 the price of USPS then we wouldn't be seeeing the many, many, many, many threads / discussions with people expressing anger, dismay and utter disgust at this scheme. !!

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@4channel wrote:

People have a right to voice their concerns. People like you, canberrafisher, myself and ken6311_2008 . We all have a right to voice our displeasure and hopefully find a solution to a crippling effect.

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yes, any member has a right to voice their displeasure at the way the GSP works.

However, eBay will not be doing away with the GSP because bucketloads of members (buyers) complain on discussion forums.  The reasoning is that the millions of sellers in the USA and U.K. who would not normally offer international postage due to the risks involved are able to ship items to Pitney Bowes and therefore shield themselves from the risks of the international transaction going pearshaped and costing them many $ and/or negative feedback.

It it has been explained to you before that once the GSP came into being the auction items of sellers who were unknowingly signed up to the GSP were opened up to many more potential bidders, which has a flow on effect of higher prices and increased fees for eBay.  The problem for international bidders is that these sellers, who think they are only selling domestically, do not input the weight and item dimensions into their listing which can be a cause of the stupid prices shown for GSP shipping.  You also need to factor in that the GSP shipping that shows on a listing includes the domestic posting quoted in the listing for shipping to USA addresses which covers the cost of getting the item to Pitney Bowes.  Look for free domestic shipping to help reduce the GSP amount.

Personally, I have had success with messaging sellers and getting them to input weight and dimensions which has reduced the GSP shipping considerably.  The items I buy, cameras, sell for much higher prices here in Australia than in the USA so I bought up big when our A$ was high against the US$.  The GSP worked in my favour as many of the items I bought had free domestic shipping, and I was calm when communicating with USA sellers and guided them through the process of improving their listings.

If your communications with a seller are hostile, i.e. lecturing them about the GSP and how unfair it is, then you are less likely to get them to revise their listing.  When I have encountered sellers who are unwilling to revise I just move on and buy from someone else.  It really can be that simple.

4channel, what I'd like to see is you start a new thread so that bucketloads of members can post in support of you and your views, and petition ask eBay to seek removal of the system.  Put all the comments on one thread rather than spreading them all over the place.  I promise not to post on that thread should you start it.

[*tippy*toes*]

I wouldn't call 20 or even 50 people whinging on a discussion forum, compared to millions of eBay members "bucketloads".

The terms scam, rip off , ad some terms I won't repeat here out of respect for others are often and regularly said.

I wouldn't say often or regularly. Most of the threads you dragged up are old and dead. As for not adding terms you don't want to repeat here, that's smart. You'd either get bleeped or the mods would take offence and boot you out. They may not post much, but they are always watching.

Sellers are not making bucket loads of money

I never said they were. EBay are making the money. Sellers just reap the benefits of using the service, whether they have chosen to use it or not,

Thanks to a member here, I now know how to tell selers how to change it.

Good, it means you've at least taken notice of a small amount of what's been written here.

many, many, many, many threads / discussions with people expressing anger, dismay and utter disgust at this scheme. !!

I don't disagree there have been a few threads started about this company, but I don't think I'd go as far as to say many, many, many, many. There have been far more threads on the MBG, feedback, items not as described, returns/refunds from angered and dismayed members. Those members don't have a choice, because they have already bought. You DO have a choice, yet you don't seem to be taking any notice.

Here's an idea, start a petition and then come back here and post the link. I'm sure the many, many, many, many angered and dismayed members would gladly sign it. Heck, even I'll sign it. I have no issues with PB because I CHOOSE not to buy from sellers who use it, but I'll still happily support your cause.

[imastawka]

Thanks to 4channel derailing this thread, a lot of people are not going

to see the invaluable information put here about the GSP.    Good or bad.

[tazzieterror]

I've had one experience with GSP, for a Pelican 1630 case purchased from a seller in the USA.  This is a lrage case, 80cm x 62cm x 45cm, and weighs about 18kg in its carton.

Cheapest shipping I could find from a USA based retailer was around USD120.  eBay's GSP got it here for USD53, which I couldn't believe. It took about two weeks, and finding out the tracking number once it left the USA proved tricky since eBay seemed to only want you seeing tracking info direct from them.  FedEx handled it's arrival in Australia, then passed it on to Aus. Post for the actual delivery (well, pick up from the PO).

So it does seem that GSP is excellent value for larger items, assuming the seller has inputed dimensions and weight correctly.

I think I worked out at the time that it would cost me more to send this within Australia than it did for it to be shipped here from the USA!

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@tazzieterror wrote:

I've had one experience with GSP, for a Pelican 1630 case purchased from a seller in the USA.  This is a lrage case, 80cm x 62cm x 45cm, and weighs about 18kg in its carton.

Cheapest shipping I could find from a USA based retailer was around USD120.  eBay's GSP got it here for USD53, which I couldn't believe. It took about two weeks, and finding out the tracking number once it left the USA proved tricky since eBay seemed to only want you seeing tracking info direct from them.  FedEx handled it's arrival in Australia, then passed it on to Aus. Post for the actual delivery (well, pick up from the PO).

So it does seem that GSP is excellent value for larger items, assuming the seller has inputed dimensions and weight correctly.

I think I worked out at the time that it would cost me more to send this within Australia than it did for it to be shipped here from the USA!

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tassieterror, thanks for sharing your GSP story here.  It solidifies what many have been posting for some time now.  Specifically:

- the GSP can be good value for heavy/large items

- when a seller includes the weight and dimensions of an item a realistic GSP shipping cost eventuates, or as your case shows, a low shipping charge may apply

- the GSP is not a horror program for all buyers

Spoiler

now, how do we channel this info in the right direction?

[4channel]

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@imastawka wrote:

Thanks to 4channel derailing this thread, a lot of people are not going

to see the invaluable information put here about the GSP.    Good or bad.

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I've derailed nothing. The thread title is Why are ebay endorsing FedEx? Rant!

many good folk are unhappy with the intrusion this service has made into their buying and selling. The OP has shared a sad tale involving this so-called service.

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@4channel wrote:I've derailed nothing. The thread title is Why are ebay endorsing FedEx? Rant!

many good folk are unhappy with the intrusion this service has made into their buying and selling. The OP has shared a sad tale involving this so-called service.

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yep, the Opening Post is about FedEx . . . . . NO mention that the GSP was used at all.

But, lets assume it was GSP shipping.  Although "many good folk" are unhappy, there are millions who are probably happy about the GSP.

Count among these millions the sellers who are now selling internationally with protection against refund claims and negative feedback.  They are probably selling more, getting higher prices, and eBay are probably getting more in fees.

Count among these millions the buyers who previously had no access to items from USA sellers who would not consider selling internationally.  

Count me among these millions as I have had some good purchases from the USA with GSP shipping involved.  If the GSP shipping amount is unreasonable I move on to another seller and don't b!tch and moan about it ad nauseam.  I certainly don't go through with a sale that includes unreasonable GSP shipping and then cry victim about it.

Spoiler

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_nauseam (quite apt in this instance)

[4channel]

You said ..... "I wouldn't call 20 or even 50 people whinging on a discussion forum, compared to millions of eBay members" "bucketloads".

You're not looking in the right places. Very interesting that you use the term "whinging". Very intersting that!

You said ...

" Most of the threads you dragged up are old and dead. As for not adding terms you don't want to repeat here, that's smart. You'd either get bleeped or the mods would take offence and boot you out. They may not post much, but they are always watching."

Wrong! , 2 threads out of the others I have REPLIED TO are from last year. Don't know why you say "boot you out". Who wants to boot me out ?  I guess you just feel the need to. I know the score here. NOT MOST In relation to Pitney Bowes, 3 from last year, 2 from this year. See below. Also there are an assortment of other topics I have replied to. Nothing  DRAGGED UP as you so refer.

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* pitney bowes postal scam - started by ag4440 on ‎09-26-2014 07:14 PM   - Prior to me: last post  by davidc4430 ‎05-07-2016 03:20 AM

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* Global shipping rip off Started by oztralien on ‎11-24-2016 09:44 PM - Prior to me:  last reply by lyndal1838 on ‎11-24-2016 09:54 PM

https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Buying/Global-shipping-rip-off/m-p/2056219#M79224

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* The GSP company Pitney Bowes is absolutely killing my purchases from the USA Started by ken6311_2008 ‎02-04-2015 06:37 PM - Prior to me: last post by *tippy*toes*  on ‎05-07-2016 01:54 AM

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* Global Shipping "What is the deal"? Ridiculous amounts! Started by sharonspdc on ‎01-17-2017 12:58 PM, Prior to me: last reply by lyndal1838  on ‎01-18-2017 09:04 AM

https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Buying/Global-Shipping-quot-What-is-the-deal-quot-Ridiculous-amount...

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Tippytoes, you should be accurate in what you say.

Please don't distort things!

You said .... "Here's an idea, start a petition and then come back here and post the link. I'm sure the many, many, many, many angered and dismayed members would gladly sign it. Heck, even I'll sign it. I have no issues with PB because I CHOOSE not to buy from sellers who use it, but I'll still happily support your cause."

 I'm sure someone else will start a petition. I won't need to. There are enough disgusted people out there!