Global Shipping Program - Ebay

[Stiletto]

Hey guys,

I'm hoping someone can help me understand the Global Shipping Program on eBay, and if I should stay opted in or if I should opt out?  I remember years ago people hated it, but with all of the changes to shipping with USPS, is it worth it?  The more I read about it the more confused I get but I want to offer worldwide shipping on my auctions.  I need someone to explain like I am 5 years old .... thanks!

[Pierlala]

Hey guys,

I'm hoping someone can help me understand the Global Shipping Program on eBay, and if I should stay opted in or if I should opt out?  I remember years ago people hated it, but with all of the changes to shipping with USPS, is it worth it?  The more I read about it the more confused I get but I want to offer worldwide shipping on my auctions.  I need someone to explain like I am 5 years old .... thanks!

I honestly rarely buy from people who use the Global Shipping Program. To me it's just a lazy way of sending stuff. It doesn't take much effort to go to a local post office and get info there on specific countries you want to send to. It is rediculously expensive. double, sometimes tripple the amount of what is actually costs to send a package. I have bought from people who used it back in the day when I was new to Ebay, but I quickly learned the hard way.

I say a big NO to Global Shipping Program. I often buy from people who use standard USPS which should be around 13 USD for a pony.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

If you know how to fill out a customs form and are willing to take the package to the post office yourself, then OPT OUT of GSP. 

Most of us international folk won't/can't afford to bid on GSP auctions because they inflate the cost at least twice as much.  ALSO!!!!  If Pitney Bowes (the company that runs the GSP) thinks that they can get your package in a smaller box, they will rip it open, destroy your careful packaging, and they just re-jam the stuff in a tinier box.  They have been known to even OPEN MIB/MOC things to get them to fit in smaller packaging...

[Sebby6]

Yep. I also won't buy from people who use it

[NightGliderSA]

It's a very expensive shipping option for me (to South Africa), and doesn't allow for combined shipping on lots. I try to avoid it too.

[Duenia]

I tend to not buy if the seller is using the GSP. I generally ask if the seller would consider relisting without it or try to find someone in that country who will combine shipping for me but if neither option is available I almost never buy. No way would I pay $122 in shipping for 6 ponies when I know I can get a lot that's larger or the same size shipped for $19 (those are numbers from a real experience unfortunately).

Rarely I will relent and buy from someone using the GSP. I've found that with larger/heavier items they tend to be more true to cost. But I guess that could haev also just been luck on my part lol.

[Pierlala]

I do sometimes contact sellers who use GSP but always get the same response. "I can't change the shipping price, EBay is handling all of that".

So, please if you want a wider customer circle, don't use the GSP. GSP litteraly charges you per pony if you buy a lot instead of as a whole.

[Stiletto]

Thank you for all the replies and information.  Sounds like I did the right thing opting out of the GSP!  Honestly, it sounds like a nightmare and I would rather just fill out a customs form/go post office myself anyway.  Shipping is already expensive without them trying tou double or triple it, and I would die if they open an MIB box and it in a smaller box!  So yeah, I am officially opt'd out.

Also, since you guys seem to be outside of the US, maybe you can help me with this question:

If I list an item on US eBay and offer worldwide shipping, does it show up on other other countries eBay sites like Germany or Austrailia? Or would I have to go to each site and list it for it to show up in the search?

[Taffeta]

A little bit late but I read a great post by someone on one of ebay's forums about how he utilised the GSP. He literally used it as a customer service tool - if the shipping was higher without the GSP, he used GSP, and if it wasn't, he didn't use the GSP. I have no idea how he did that, but it sounded the best way of working the system.

I bid on GSP things when it's a large lot and ultimately more economical as US shipping is most expensive. I have never bought GSP from any other country and am not even sure how many countries have it set up though I know here in the UK is one unfortunately...some UK ebay sellers do not need encouragement in being lazy about international postage.

GSP does not guarantee a signature on delivery. Ebay told me this themselves when a parcel was left under a bush then marked as delivered outside my parents' house. I assumed the bush must have signed for it, but apparently they don't care if it's stolen and are fine about things being left out in the rain. It also gives the buyer less control over tracking it, you don't necessarily know which company has the contract to deliver it and you definitely don't have a means to track it beyond ebay's site. Sometimes that screws up royally and leaves you stranded.

GSP takes 2x as long as regular post and they do meddle with the packaging. I haven't lost anything yet but I never buy anything GSP that can be damaged badly by repacking.

If it's a MIP item I will not buy GSP. Too risky. I don't want the heartbreak of a damaged MOC tossed in a box or mailer without packing or worse, opened.

I have also heard of people leaving boxes half way up people's roads because they don't want to drive to the actual property on a narrow or winding lane.

There is also a big problem that with valuable items sometimes the customs charge is 2 or 3x what the border fees would be. I have missed out on baby sugarcake before because although I could afford her bid price, I couldn't afford an extra $150 (!) on import duty. To put it into perspective, the actual custom charge for the amount in question at the time of the auction would have been closer to $35...but because it was GSP, no dice. I did also get a nice seller to switch off GSP for me on Brazilian Dancing Butterflies. She got to me fine without a custom charge at all, even though she was marked up correctly. That can happen with second hand items if they decide they're not really valuable or worth taxing sometimes...it can never happen with GSP though :/ I don't know if it should happen, but if the UK border customs people decide it shouldn't be charged then why should I question them? GSP presupposes this decision process and frankly, I like the chance that maybe customs will realise a second hand pony really doesn't add to the tax value of the nation.

In terms of your other question, I am not sure. In the past listing it internationally meant it did show up on ebay UK (and presumably any site that has the same categories as the US ebay) but when I listed recently it wanted to charge me extra to list it showing on Ebay US and ebay UK even though I was shipping internationally. Ebay is all about fees these days, so it might be there's an extra cost.

I noticed that a lot of UK auctions show up on European Ebay sites even though the categories are different. I don't tend to see US ones show up there but I may be wrong about that.

[Pierlala]

If you lost it as world wide, it will show up on all Ebays.

[tornadoe]

AVOID IT LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!

seriously though its horrible.

[Stormness_1]

For big, loose lots of ponies, when the shipping is cheaper, or loose playsets, it works well, because international buyers get cheaper shipping. Otherwise, just NO. I've bought two lots from the US via GSP, because the shipping was dirt cheap. In fact it cost the EXACT SAME amount ($52AUD) as shipping 12 pony ribbons via GSP. I kid you not! For that I got an almost 1m square box, with a playset and about 70 G1s. I couldn't collect it, I had to get hubby to go get it from the PO in his 4WD.

[ClosetAvalanche]

It's a lot safer for sellers to use.

[Stormness_1]

It's a lot safer for sellers to use.

Yes, and no. Sure you have tracking so that you're guaranteed to have no refunds for not received, but if it's 'not as described', Pitney Bowes are not going to accept responsibility for a repacked item being damaged, or a MIP item being opened. So it's 50/50, really, even for sellers who it claims to protect.

[Pierlala]

It's a lot safer for sellers to use.

Yes, and no. Sure you have tracking so that you're guaranteed to have no refunds for not received, but if it's 'not as described', Pitney Bowes are not going to accept responsibility for a repacked item being damaged, or a MIP item being opened. So it's 50/50, really, even for sellers who it claims to protect.

Lol what!? Are MiP being opened sometimes?