ebay Global Shipping Program - SCAM!

Just want to ask people who sell razors and other shaving related stuff, please, PLEASE DO NOT use the Global Shipping Program!. Use USPS option instead!.

Just bought a razor from the USA and eBay did 2 transactions on my PayPal acount - one to the seller and one to a company Pitney Bowes, Inc - additional shipment charge! I find this mean as was not aware of a 3-rd party company transaction while I was bidding and won the eBay auction. The seller said he was going to refund me the difference but he CAN NOT because part of my money went to a 3-rd party company, so the seller has no access to them. Most of the sellers do not suspect they have enrolled into the GSP, but for the buyers it is a real pain, especially for those buying from outside USA.
While I try to understand the advantage GSP might have on exporting heavy equipment, selling a $50 razor through it is a total non sense!
Sellers, please do not use that GSP on eBay, use USPS option instead!


Here is more to read:
http://forums.redflagdeals.com/ebay-global-shipping-program-you-victim-1448357/#post18355226

Just was reading more about GSP and it confirms what I suspected - sellers are unaware they use that crap:
"Eligibility
Your eligibility for the Global Shipping Program:
- You must have a US seller rating of standard or above."

Looks like every US seller is eligible and goes automatically into the GSP?!
They don't give you to choose the shipping option! Just put you in the GSP!

Opting out

If you opt out of the Global Shipping program, you must wait 24 hours before renewing your enrollment.
To opt out of the Global Shipping Program:

1. Go to My eBay > Account > Site Preferences, or Seller Hub >Overview > Shortcuts > Site Preferences
2. Click the Show link to the right of the Shipping Preferencessection.
3. Click the Edit link to the right of Offer the Global Shipping Program.
4. Click Opt Out.
5. Review the information. If you still wish to opt out, click Continue to opt out.

If you'd like to opt out of the Global Shipping Program but must wait 24 hours, you can still remove your active listings from the Global Shipping Program right away.
To remove a single active listing from the Global Shipping Program:

1. Go to My eBay > Activity > Sell > Active, or Seller Hub >Listings > Active
2. Select the listing you'd like to change.
3. In the Edit drop-down menu, select Edit selected.
4. In the Add shipping details section, click the Edit selected policylink.
5. In the International shipping section of the Edit shipping policydialogue box, clear the Send it to the US shipping center, and the rest will be taken care of for you box.
6. Save and confirm your changes.

To remove all active listings from the Global Shipping Program:

1. Go to My eBay > Activity > Sell > Active or Seller Hub >Listings > Active
2. In the Edit drop-down menu, select Edit all listings.
3. In Edit listings, select all of your listings by checking the box at the top of the left column.
4. In the Edit drop-down menu, select Shipping policy.
5. In the Edit business policies dialogue box, select Change to from the Shipping policy drop-down menu, and then click the edit link next to the shipping policy name.
6. In the International shipping area of the Edit shipping policydialogue box, clear the Send it to the US shipping center, and the rest will be taken care of for you box.
7. Save, confirm, and submit your changes.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/shipping-globally.html#opt_out

I see the option to offer alternative international shipping in my auctions. How is it a scam, doesn't eBay tell you how much shipping is going to be before you bid?

Is this alternative international shipping option your default or you have to search and switch to it?

eBay tells the total amount shipping but does not mention that I as a buyer have to make two separate transactions and pay to somebody else but the seller himself. When I enter the auction I intend and expect to deal with seller only and not with anyone else.
In my case above the seller agreed to use USPS shipping option by refunding me a portion of the shipping charge but was not aware that he can not do it because he does not get all the money I pay. This unawareness is caused on purpose, hence a SCAM

Luckily there isn't an option for the Global Shipping Program on eBay in Europe - from what I've read it would put me off the idea of buying anything
I use the local Post Office and charge an average shipping charge, sometimes it costs less when I ship within Europe, sometimes it costs a bit more when I ship outside Europe, but I usually break even on average

I disagree with OP's argument. Who cares if there are two transactions? eBay makes it clear to the buyer what the shipping charges and import charges will be. With the GSP program, the seller only has to ship the item to eBay's distribution center in the US. eBay will calculate the shipping charges and import taxes that the seller will pay in order to get the item from the eBay distribution center to the buyer's address.

The GSP does have benefits for sellers: 1) they don't have to figure out what the shipping cost will be, 2) they eliminate the risk of international shipping ("cheap" USPS shipping doesn't provide tracking for most destination countries, in which case, the seller takes on all the risk of lost/fraudulent claims).

Yes, eBay's GSP program is probably more expensive than the cheapest USPS shipping option. And yes, you will pay a separate charge that doesn't go to the seller. The seller's portion of the shipping fee is only to ship the item to eBay's shipping center (so it's much faster/cheaper for the seller). The rest of the fee goes to eBay for their portion of the shipping cost.

I've only sold occasionally on eBay, but I won't ship internationally outside of the GSP program. It's just too much of a risk otherwise. The only way I'll ship USPS is if you can show me how to purchase a shipping option that will provide the same level of protection for the seller at a price lower than GSP. Every time I've priced an international package with tracking, it comes to 2-3x the cost of a regular international First Class package. So the shipping cost of a $50 razor will be another $25-30 with tracking.

vadim said:

...
So the shipping cost of a $50 razor will be another $25-30 with tracking.

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+1. eBay's requires tracking and international tracking is expensive. If you send a package internationally and don't have tracking then you have no leg to stand on when the buyer claims that the package never arrived.

The only way to get international tracking through USPS is to send it USPS Registered and you can't use clear, plastic tape to seal your boxes; you have to use brown, paper tape. Ain't no one got time fo dat.

AABCDS said:

The only way to get international tracking through USPS is to send it USPS Registered and you can't use clear, plastic tape to seal your boxes; you have to use brown, paper tape. Ain't no one got time fo dat.

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I wonder how other countries can ship registered mail so cheaply. I've received 0.99 items shipped from China with tracking. I've received bulk razor blades from Russia for less than $5 shipping. The only option I've seen from USPS starts at about $15 extra and requires purchasing it at the USPS retail counter in person.

Again, I'm open to anyone's suggestions how I can cheaply ship items internationally. If I'm selling on eBay, it's US-only or using GSP. If I'm selling on one of the buy/sell/trade boards, I'm only shipping to the small set of countries that can be tracked using USPS's system (e.g. Canada, UK, Australia, and a few others). I've had to severely restrict the countries I will ship to after I've had packages lost in transit. As much as OP hates being charged for two transactions, what sucks worse is having the buyer file a non-received claim when their country's postal service doesn't offer tracking on USPS sent packages.

As a buyer I will not purchase a razor that will be shipped using GSP or any other broker as it adds too much cost onto a transaction. There are still plenty of sellers that can and do ship using USPS with tracking for $15.

Bob

I guess that's whey so many eBay sales from US sellers limit it to CONUS.

BobLH said:

As a buyer I will not purchase a razor that will be shipped using GSP or any other broker as it adds too much cost onto a transaction. There are still plenty of sellers that can and do ship using USPS with tracking for $15.

Bob

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I will not buy if any item if it is in GSP, it's a horrible deal for the buyer. Overpriced shipping plus I pay for customs fee even when there is no customs fee.

vadim said:

The seller's portion of the shipping fee is only to ship the item to eBay's shipping center (so it's much faster/cheaper for the seller).

Click to expand...

In my case from the first post I pay $11.42 USD for shipping to the seller to ship to eBay's shipping center within US.
The USPS tracking option is $6.80 USD for the same service. Why the GSP charges me almost double???

Not to mention the import charges they put. Check the link in the first post for details!

Regular USPS shipping to Canada isn't all that problematic or spendy. You still can get USPS tracking all the way to point of delivery and with the exception of additional fees, it isn't that HUGE a deal...unless you live in Backwater USA (like me) and the postal clerk has no idea how to ship something out of country...gotta go to the big city for that!

Sent a package (small, very small-weighed around 6 ounces) to Australia a while back. Cost about $35.00. Sent registered so I got tracking to Sydney, that was it. Ironically it got to Australia in 8 days. After that...no clue, but a couple weeks later I was advised the buyer got the package. So, all went well but from now on...nah. CONUS only.

tonich said:

In my case from the first post I pay $11.42 USD for shipping to the seller to ship to eBay's shipping center within US.
The USPS tracking option is $6.80 USD for the same service. Why the GSP charges me almost double???

Not to mention the import charges they put. Check the link in the first post for details!

Click to expand...

Could be for a couple of reasons. Most importantly, total shipping charges are more than just postage (the fee that USPS charges). On eBay, the seller is allowed to charge the buyer for the cost of packaging materials and other incidentals. eBay (and PayPal) also deduct their fees from the shipping charges, so your payment of $11.42 is not entirely unreasonable. eBay and PayPal will take about 13%... add in about $2-3 for a box + packing materials + tape and you're close to $5 before you even pay for the postage itself.

Again, I don't see how in the world you consider this a scam. Is it expensive? Yes. Does it make most purchases a bad deal? Yes, probably so. But it's not a scam. There is plenty of notification about what you're being charged and why.

tonich said:

Is this alternative international shipping option your default or you have to search and switch to it?

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The GSP is the default, I can add additional options when I list the item. I have no idea how they actually appear in the auction, as I've never used anything but the GSP since it became available. It's the only reason I offer overseas sales at all.

keithmax said:

I will not buy if any item if it is in GSP, it's a horrible deal for the buyer. Overpriced shipping plus I pay for customs fee even when there is no customs fee.

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Exactly the same here. It is a broker service and they levy import duties regardless if it applies or not, then there is their own brokers fee and then there is the tax on all the services they provide. I might have left out a few others too.

If it is sent USPS with tracking to Canada it is handled by CanPost, they have their own bonded warehouse, and can be tracked to my door. From what I have been told CBS, Canadian Border Services, is only called in if there is a suspicious package to deal with. It has been a very efficient service, for me, where a package rarely spends a great deal of time hung up in "Customs".

Bob

I've used the GSP a lot and am fully aware of the extra expense for shipping. I look at it as the cost of buying the razor you really want as I don't live in the US. It's no scam just an easier and safer way to post things OS for the seller. Its your call to bid on the item!!

Not really a scam if you knew about it ahead of time.
Sounds like you tried to make a side deal outside of the normal eBay system. If the auction is still not ended you can ask the seller to add or edit the shipping options for you. Then as long as both parties are happy, Bob's your uncle.

Th ONLY time I had trouble selling using the GSP was when one buyer bought two items and I agreed to combine shipping. Thing is, eBay won't allow combined shipping "yet" through GSP. I think they want a separate tracking number for each sale.

I understand that it's a revenue stream. They also sneakily put a big spin on it to make sellers think buyers WANT to use it too.

For Canada it's just silly.

Pretty much any country that has VAT or import fees is a roll of the dice with regular shipping. I won't falsify customs declarations. I will be as vague as possible though. So if a buyer trying to avoid paying fees upon delivery has to buy through the eBay GSP then yeah, that's another issue I can see being sore about.

I won't use it to sell to Canada. I won't use it to sell to most other places to be honest. I block certain countries anyways that either I have had problems with in the past or I have read about others having problems with. I'm not shipping without tracking either. So, tough luck. It's not because I don't trust you- I don't trust anyone when it comes to shipping eBay sales internationally.

If you're outside the US just do like most every other international buyer does and use a forwarding service. I ship items to Portland, New York, and California all the time. Sold stuff to Australia and shipped it to a company in the States. Then I know my tracking and delivery is confirmed, the buyer pays what he's comfortable with using whatever service he's comfortable dealing with. I'm sure there have to some that will even let you order a few things from different places and consolidate it all into one parcel for you. It isn't free obviously, but it beats giving the bloodsuckers at eBay and PayPal any more than they already get.

Shipping is expensive. The GSP is a major cost too. I imagine it makes many things available that would otherwise not be on eBay. You want it or not? Keep looking and maybe you'll find another with better prices and cheaper shipping.

I see where it hurts the most for Canadian buyers. That's silly to even include them in the program. It should be for over seas international sales only.

No tracking is a no go though for me. Period. You sell something and have a buyer open an "item never arrived" claim on you. You'll never ship without tracking again on eBay either after giving a full refund, not getting your eBay and PayPal fees refunded, and not having your item anymore either. Yeah- it sucks.

Isn't a scam. They're clearly a financial incentive for eBay and all other parties involved besides the buyers and sellers to encourage its use.

I rarely have to go to the post office in person anyway even for international mail I'm shipping. So I just opted out of the program the last time it caused me a headache. eBay charges so much in fees I'm debating trying etsy to sell things. Can't be any worse.

Anything that costs under $100 and shipped to Canada through GSP is not worth from buyer prospective. Period!

Seller's argument they use the GSP to Canada because they need tracking is silly. For those who still need tracking there is a tracked option for Canada through USPS - no stinkin GSP needed!

The seller was not even aware of this GSP as I asked him to do USPS shipping instead while the auction was live and he agreed to refund me part of the funds later on and use USPS shipping instead. At end he couldn't do it because someone else had my money...
Oh well... he cancelled my order upon my request and he's been debating on how to sell the item - BIN through eBay or outside the eBay. Whatever he goes for I'll accept his decision. Even if he decides to not sell it to me I am OK with with it.