eBay USA's 'Global Shipping Programme'.

[pay-back!!!]

Anybody used the new (Oct 12) eBay shipping programme? Inadvertently clicked a BIN with a super fast shipping option and then discovered I had to pay import duties through an external shipping agent Pitney Bowes Inc. User Agreement indicated that eBay and Pitney Bowes Inc. would use any means to recover unpaid fees (not for the seller). How it works! You buy the item (never on purpose after this and this example is a  US$11.00 laptop charger). Then you got to checkout. You pay a $5.99 shipping fee to the seller on top of the $11.00 price. Then you pay insance shipping on the standard USPS shipping. Pitney Bowes a $4.88 Import Duties/Tax/Brokerage Fee based on the value of this item. Here, and in the UK, you would not pay anything to get that in. The shipper then ships it to Pitney Bowes Inc.'s central shipping centre. Then it is shipped to you. And the standard postie arrives with it at your door. The tracking number is not useable on USPS or Australia Post's sites and the hyperlink on the item goes nowhere. US sellers can elect to use this service under shipping tools. I will not be buying anything from sellers shipping in this fashion again. If the item does not list USPS First Class Airmail or USPS Priority Mail be careful. Feel free to send me a message if you need to know more. eBay and the shipper have more rights than the seller with regard to unpaid items and Pitney Bowes make money on the shipping and fees as our Customs don't get a cent. Fees for fees sake... Thanks and good buying..

[foxette-in-sox]

Each to their own cats-did you have any constructive advice for the OP BTW ?

IE anything that hasn't already been mentioned & thrown back in respondents faces along with a multitude of insults ?

[thecatspjs]

I am unable to respond to your question.

If I write my opinion about my take on the answer centre, it disappears.  

[nubian_treasures]

In your previous thread, you said to foxette:

"And why have you changed ID? Have you defaulted on seller fees or abused the eBay policies in some fashion? ".

You changed your ID as well from rignalspud to pay-back!!. Does that mean you defaulted on seller fees or abused the ebay policies in some fashion?

http://pages.ebay.com.au/help/account/change-userid.html

"You can change your User ID (once in a 30-day period) by going to the Change User ID page."

pay-back!! anyone can change their ID every 30 days if they wish. Some change with the seasons. Some change based on what they are selling. Don't assume someone is trying to hide (they can hide from ebay) just because they change their ID.

[pay-back!!!]

Changing the name OF my ID is not the same as starting multiple IDs, with different histories and supposedly independent account details, as the original post suggested. Regardless of the name change, thirteen years of feedback has always been visible. I think you missed the intent of my post. Actually read the posts instead of just jumping on the band wagon. There was talk of 'then I used this ID, then I used another ID' in the early post on the answer centre. Lots of collusion here, and not an overly positive interaction at all. Will let you guys get back to your little eBay Empire. I tend not to get into intellectual debates with those who are unarmed. And I have stuff to do in the real world.  

[phorum_junkie*]

Changing the name OF my ID is not the same as starting multiple IDs, with different histories and supposedly independent account details,

What makes you think multiple ids have independent account details? All my Australian registered accounts have exactly the same account details apart from the email address which is the only thing that has to be different. Likewise my UK registered accounts, they all share the same address, telephone number, ip address, bank account, credit card etc.

[thecatspjs]

well said payback :-x:-x

[foxette-in-sox]

They have  had several wins over eBay, as in the use of money order, cheque or direct deposit as payment options. All of which were quashed by eBay in the US years ago.

We are NOT in the US-different countries,different rules.

Perhaps you'd also like ALL countries to have FVF on postage as well like the US do ?

Or higher fees ?

[pay-back!!!]

eBay introduced Paypal only payments across the board years ago. The ACCC stopped them in Australia and forced a rewrite of the policy, which resulted in any items listed in Australia still accepting a payment via direct deposit (via linked bank accounts), money order or even COD, of course Paypal (once it was purchased by eBay) was always an option. I understand that there are different rules for different countries. In the case of the 'Global Shipping Program', many countries like Australia are being tarred with the same brush. With no duties/taxes or brokerage to be collected the fee is a 'self licking lollipop'. Given the low number of sellers using it at present the number of Australians affected with be small. I would expect the numbers to increase in coming months. It will certainly be up to the individuals to purchase the item. I would like to see how eBay and Pitney Bowes would attempt to retrieve unpaid monies in Australia if a buyer did not elect to proceed with the payment post-purchase. I would almost consider being a test case. With a known buyer who was eager to take an offline payment for the item and then wait and see what the big boys do?

How could the fees be any higher? At least in the US you get free listings. The 9% on the final value and 9% on the shipping is ridiculous and a reason why I have quelled selling via eBay. With the dollar up it is time to buy. And when that falls the purchases will stop. eBay is not the great place it once was. If eBay could have applied the 9% on the shipping in Australia it would have. The ACCC was possibly responsible for that too.

[putney32]

actually, the ACCC did not STOP them, but, after consultation with eBay Sellers, eBay Staff and the ACCC, eBay themselves withdrew the proposed changeover to PayPal only in australia.

I went to a couple of 'Town Hall' type meetings where this was discussed with eBay staff, PayPal staff and eBay sellers back in those days.

[leader-of-the-band]

Lets get a Town Hall meeting together and stop this next intrusion into our pockets by these greedy Corporate overlords!

sigh!