Global Shipping Program - Got Questions?Here are the Answers.

[bluerose9978]

I am in the US. And as a seller I have had nothing but problems with it so I do not use it. They charge buyers to ship to to somewhere else in the US. Then to ship overseas. And pay for the customs fees that might otherwise not be charged. And the tracking number does not necessarily get entered. And it takes longer than it should to ship.

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[bluerose9978]

And it costs at least 2 times the amount I charge. Plus they don't allow sellers to combine shipping.

Here's a thread that combines a lot of other threads about the GSP:

http://mlparena.com/index.php/topic,348904.0.html

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[Ariadna]

Wow, that is really sucky

[ponylady]

I am going to merge this with our main thread on the discussion of Global Shipping.  PL

[Tulips]

Can anyone explain to me how the tracking numbers work with eBay's Global Shipping Program and USPS? I'm getting worried, I've been watching a purchase get tracked across the US via the tracking number the seller provided, and suddenly it says that it has been delivered?

The confusion of tracking is this (exactly as it appears to me, all mixed up lol):

Delivered                                   ERLANGER, KY 41018           March 1, 2014 10:26 am
Sorting Complete                           ERLANGER, KY 41018           March 1, 2014 9:08 am
Depart USPS Sort Facility                   CINCINNATI, OH 45235   March 1, 2014
Arrival at Post Office                           ERLANGER, KY 41018           March 1, 2014 1:35 am
Processed through USPS Sort Facility   CINCINNATI, OH 45235   February 28, 2014 4:57 am
Depart USPS Sort Facility                   WARRENDALE, PA 15095   February 27, 2014
Processed at USPS Origin Sort Facility   WARRENDALE, PA 15095   February 27, 2014 7:41 am
Dispatched to Sort Facility                   MONTGOMERY, IL 60538   February 25, 2014 6:33 pm
Acceptance                                   MONTGOMERY, IL 60538   February 25, 2014 5:14 pm

It's even listed as Priority Mail 2-Day™, which is weird because it's meant to be priority international.
I've been thinking that this is just its first leg of the journey, that it will then be sorted at the GSP terminal and continue on to me with perhaps a new tracking number? But the finality of it being listed as Delivered is worrying me. 

This is my first ever purchase using the GSP, can anyone explain if this is normal or what I should expect? Or has something gone wrong and should I contact the seller asap?

[Navi]

The ERLANGER, KY is Ebays GSP shipping center, so your package made it there - ebay will now send it on to you. Through the GSP, the seller is only required to make sure it gets to the shipping center, after that, it's all on ebay. I've never bought anything through the GSP, so I don't know how they update tracking on an item, but I've sold a couple things that way, and they all went to that Kentucky address. It should be leaving the US soon

[Tulips]

Thank you for the info Navi, I'm glad to have confirmation that it means it's at the shipping center, you've definitely helped ease my worry.

Hopefully the tracking number will update with further information or my seller may be given a new number to pass on to me. Even if it continues with no tracking I'm no stranger to not knowing where in the world my ponies are, I just hope it arrives quickly and safely. 


Edit: I've just found the info in the FAQ.

If you do not use eBay or PayPal Labels and do not manually upload domestic shipment tracking information to the US shipping center, a "global tracking number" will still be generated once the package is processed at the US shipping center. In such a case, the global tracking number will allow you and your buyer to track package status from the US shipping center to its final international destination and will be emailed to both you and your buyer. This information can also be found on the order details page and in My eBay.

Fingers crossed 

Edit #2: I've got my global tracking number, I'm so nervous for this package. Thanks for the advice.

[ponylady]

*merging and giving this a bump up*  PL

[ponylady]

I want to add this article I just read here, as I find it a bit disturbing.

http://www.ecommercebytes.com/cab/abn/y14/m02/i11/s01

If you don't feel like reading here is a short summary. A gentleman noticed items bound for buyers overseas sent through the Global Shipping Program weren't making it past a processing facility in Kentucky, and were then resurfacing on another eBay store under nearly identical listings.

What You Don't Know about eBay's Global Shipping Program.

"On occasion, items are unable to be shipped internationally through the Global Shipping Program due primarily to size, but also to import/export restrictions," eBay spokesman Ryan Moore said.

"In the rare cases that an item cannot be shipped internationally, eBay will compensate the buyer through eBay's Buyer Protection policy, while the seller will keep their payment from the buyer if no fault is found," he explained.

"In addition - and as outlined in the terms and conditions - participating sellers in the Global Shipping Program have given eBay and Pitney Bowes (eBay's global shipping and technology partner) the right to dispose of or liquidate parcels that are undeliverable. In turn, eBay utilizes various means to coordinate the disposal of items that are undeliverable, and some of these items may be re-sold by a third party on eBay or other venues in order to recover a portion of the costs of buyer reimbursement."

Moore stressed that items that are deemed undeliverable through the Global Shipping Program are infrequent, and noted that "considerable measures are taken to educate sellers on item eligibility," pointing to eBay's eligibility guidelines for the program.

"We do notify sellers and buyers in the rare event that an item arrives at the U.S. Shipping Center and cannot be shipped forward," Moore said.

[MikeysGrrrl]

That is a bit disturbing, I can't believe that they are allowed to do that

[Navi]

It sounds a little shady, but I'm not too surprised. Reminds me of how airlines can sell off lost/unclaimed baggage and items sized at TSA (pocket knives, weapons).

At least they reimburse the buyer.

[ButtercreamDream]

Uhg.  I detest this global shipping program.  The expensive shipping and bogus import charges would have more than double several purchases, so I ended up not buying them.  Things that cost $20 suddenly became $45!

Anyway, I broke down and bought my first lot using the GSP.  I received it, and the box says "reboxed by *person's name*, and a date", and the box is closed with eBay branded packing tape.  There are 2 ponies missing from the box!  I wrote to the seller, and they double checked.  They said they don't see them anywhere.  They even contacted other people they sold to to see if they got mixed in, and they didn't.  It was a lot of bait, but 2 of the 4 that I bought the lot for are the ones that are missing.

Has anyone had their stuff opened and reboxed, or stuff missing?  I'm not sure if this is the norm, or if I'm just unlucky.  The seller said she is going to send me replacements, but I hope she can take it up with ebay.  It honestly sounds to me like it's not her fault, and she has 100% feedback.  I don't think I'll be buying anything through the GSP anytime soon.

[hathorcat]

Hmmm...I wonder whether thats going to be an issue when it comes to what some countries allow to import. Such as toys going to Italy and the like? Will ebay stop them at Kentucky rather than ship them on if they suspect what is in the parcel. And as they are ebay after all, the people listing the items, they will know whats in a corresponding package.

[Navi]

Hmmm...I wonder whether thats going to be an issue when it comes to what some countries allow to import. Such as toys going to Italy and the like? Will ebay stop them at Kentucky rather than ship them on if they suspect what is in the parcel. And as they are ebay after all, the people listing the items, they will know whats in a corresponding package.

It's an interesting question - I'm not sure how I feel about it. On one hand it seems like it shouldn't be up to ebay to decide, but on the other, I had a few packages to Italy go "missing" (I assume they were held at customs) before I knew about the non-wooden toys rule, and I would have appreciated a heads up that I wasn't supposed to be mailing plastic ponies over there.

[Taffeta]

Everywhere I go I hear moans about this system.

So yesterday I was looking at stuff (complete other community, Jem items) and I found something that in conversion cost was about 3p below the threshold that Uk customs starts charging. And sure enough, there's the GSP charge of $13.06 slapped in there DESPITE the fact the auction price is below the threshold.

That's not paying UK customs anything, so obviously it's paying handling charges for Ebay's chosen people.

I'm really glad that a lot of sellers have been opted into this without having a choice in the matter. I've been buying and selling with the US since 98 and I remember getting frustrated with people not shipping to the UK but honestly, I'd prefer "US Only" auctions to "Shipping abroad with GSP" options.

So essentially it lets a seller ship an item without leaving their home, at the financial expense of the buyer who then has to pay customs duty, handling and commission for ebay, shipping cost - (every auction I was looking at for Jem had top whack shipping cost so no reductions there) and the item price?

I'm fine taking my chance with import duty. Kinda used to it by now. But I really don't want to pay extra so that a seller somewhere doesn't have to go write three or four words on a customs form and physically visit a post office. Maybe I'm just unsympathetic but over here, in general, you have to visit a PO to send anything, UK or otherwise, so it's pretty much the same. I also know most US sellers aren't like that, so that's why the prevalence of this disturbed me. But if it was an automatic opt-in, that explains tons. (I'm specifying US because far as I know only US ebay is imposing this).

Saw one auction where postage was $50 and import duty $102. I'd rather be charged import duty by the proper authorities at UK C&E, not by an auction site's estimation. It's like they choose your courier service then demand you pay for it on top of your postage charges - as opposed to giving you the right to have it posted domestic mail.

Hopefully it will prove so unpopular it will get phased out. I heard of one buyer in Canada who got charged customs fees on receipt as WELL as paying this, too - so it's by no means foolproof. And I've heard countless claims of items coming a week later than they normally would via the ordinary method, too.

Basically, if sellers don't want to ship out of country, then let them ship US only. It's fine that way. No reason why we international buyers should pay more money for a seller to make a wider profit if they're not happy to go to the trouble of posting the item themselves - and IMO after reading this thread I can see even less reason to wrap internationally friendly sellers up in all this silly red tape when it's really not necessary...

/end rant mode >.>.