global shipping programme? ?

[lindsayrose1985]

I purchased a $13 pony and shipping to the uk was priority mail at a mega expensive $20.85!!! ($33.85)
Now I'd messaged the seller asking for 1st class airmail post, who then said they use this programme ...I never have before so I'm not familiar with the process at all. They said it covers import charges ( I've never had those either) they said they would ship 1st class so I bid and won....what they actually meant was they would ship to the eBay postal centre 1st class and refunded me $2
My problem is paypal only sent just over $18 total to the seller on my paypal account...is this normal?
I usually use 1st class airmail at around $10-12 shipping I'm now thinking this may of been an expensive mistake...I hope the pony is worth it
I know it was my mistake and im not blaming the seller think it was a case of no one knowing what to do.

Can someone please explain this method to me better as the seller didn't really know themselves as they were new to international postage.

[ponylady]

This is straight from Ebay and should help with any questions that you have regarding the program.

The Global Shipping Program makes it easier for buyers in some countries outside the US to purchase items from US sellers. The seller ships the item to a global shipping provider located in the US and the global shipping provider ships the item to you.

Using a global shipping provider enables sellers to offer international shipping at competitive rates and may allow items to ship more quickly. In addition, your purchase is eligible for coverage through eBay Buyer Protection and PayPal Purchase Protection.

When you purchase an item through the Global Shipping Program, you receive international tracking at no additional charge and pay any applicable import charges upfront. There are no additional charges at delivery. You'll see an estimate of the international shipping charges and any import charges in the item listing. The final charges appear at checkout.

Import charges include certain fees, such as export classification, importation risk premium, and variance fees, which are assessed by the global shipping provider as part of the services provided by the Global Shipping Program. These fees are in addition to the customs duties and taxes imposed by country tax and customs officials. For additional information about applicable fees, see the eBay Global Shipping Program Buyer Terms & Conditions.

Important things to keep in mind:


The charges that you are quoted in the item listing are not final until paid and may change if, for example, you change your shipping address during checkout or if the applicable import rules change before you complete your payment.



With the exception of shipments to Canada, delivery to P.O. Boxes is not supported by the Global Shipping Program. We also can't deliver to APO or FPO addresses.


Checkout

During checkout, you'll see the final charges which include the item cost, the shipping costs (both domestic and international), and any import charges. The shipping costs include any US domestic shipping fees charged by the seller, as well as program fees, international shipping charges, fuel surcharges, and processing and handling fees.

International shipping charges are calculated based on a number of factors including your delivery address, shipping weight, and package dimensions. A network of shipping carriers is used to provide fast and reliable international shipping at competitive rates.

When you pay for the item through PayPal, you are authorizing 2 payment transactions. The first payment goes to the seller and consists of the item cost and the domestic shipping costs. The second payment goes to the global shipping provider and consists of the international shipping costs and any import charges.

After you've completed checkout, you can review these charges on the Order details page. The Order details page shows the total charges and the payment amounts to the seller and global shipping provider.

Note: The Request total from the seller link is not available for Global Shipping Program purchases. You will see the total, including shipping, after you've purchased the item.

Shipping

After receiving your payment, the seller ships your item to a US shipping center. Professional custom processors at the US shipping center process the package, complete customs forms, pays applicable import charges, and ship the package to the address that you specified at the time of purchase. Items that ship through the Global Shipping Program generally arrive within one week after departing the US shipping center.

Tracking

Once the seller has shipped your item, you'll receive an email letting you know that the item has shipped. The email includes a global tracking number which enables you to track your item as it travels from the US shipping center to you. The global tracking number can also be found in My eBay and on the Order details page.

[bluerose9978]

There are many sellers in the U.S. who don't use the global shipping program. So if you want to save in postage, look at the shipping requirements and if they ship first class international, then they aren't enrolled in this program. Or better yet, before you buy, ask for a shipping quote. It will save you money in the end. The GSP is more of a burden to buyers than a plus but it's meant to protect sellers.

[lindsayrose1985]

I did ...or thought I did as they said they would ship 1st class. I've had sellers cancel the gsp to send my items 1st class before. Think it was a misunderstanding and I don't blame the seller at all. I should of researched it more 

Does anyone know the website to track my parcel I got a tracking number through ebay but it doesn't correspond to anything that I can see. The seller dispatched it yesterday.
The seller was from tennesse usa

Post Merge: February 02, 2014, 10:30:44 AM

I've purchased over 20 ponies from the USA but this is my first run in with the gsp  ....most likely my last!

[bluerose9978]

You should be able to track it via USPS.com

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

[ooizza]

I've only purchased from a seller who uses the GSP one time. I've had far better shipping experiences from sellers who ship 1st class (especially because tracking is included to Canada, regardless of whatever the seller is told at the post office). First class items usually take 7-10 days to get here. The so called priority shipping I paid for with the GSP took 12 days. 

I had to track the package within eBay until I received an email from Canada Post notifying me that a Canadian tracking number had been applied to the package and that I could track from there. It showed "electronic shipping information submitted" for at least three days and then all of a sudden the package was half a day away.  I hope it's the same for buyers in the UK.

I will not buy from sellers who use this program. I just wanted to try it out once and the pony that I got was completely worth the extra shipping cost, so I'm not bothered about that at all. I'm sorry there was a mixup with your seller and I hope your pony arrives safe and sound

[lindsayrose1985]

I can't seem to track the parcel...the shipping details I got on ebay are UPAAA000000043464228 it doesn't seem to work....maybe it will once ebay send it to me

Post Merge: February 02, 2014, 11:17:10 AM

Me to she's a pony I've wanted for a while

[ooizza]

I was accessing eBay from my phone app and when I did that, it showed a button that said Track Package and it went directly to the tracking. I don't usually go on eBay on the computer so I'm no help there

My item did have a long strange number like that too. I think it's a reference number for Pitney Bowes who ships the parcels internationally.

[lindsayrose1985]

I'm using an ebay app on my phone too...I only have access to a computer at my boyfriends house. It just sends you to Google with a message that the tracking is unavailable! 
Just hope she gets here safe and sound 

[ooizza]

I don't believe you will have any trouble getting your pony at all. I think the GSP is safe, but incredibly expensive and inconvenient. It duplicates a system that is already in place and is unnecessary. Of course, this is my opinion and I am biased. Why ship with USPS, then Pitney Bowes, then Royal Mail/Parcel Force? when you could just as easily take out the middleman (Pitney) and take a chance on your package not being stopped by customs?

My bias is that I work for the postal service in Canada *hides from the flying fakies*  So it bothers me when a mainly efficient system has an unnecessary middleman introduced. Hooray for cash grabs!

[lindsayrose1985]

Yes I've purchased lots of ponies from Canada and the USA it's usually only about 5-7 days with 1st class mail. ..This is supposed to be priority mail we'll see how much quicker/slower this actually is.

I'm still having trouble finding where to put my tracking number in on PB website

[ponylady]

Lindsey you need to use USPS's site to enter your tracking number.

https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction!input.action

[himmie]

Have you checked your order details, etc for a different tracking number?

That isn't a valid kind of tracking number.

[lindsayrose1985]

Yes I've checked my order details this is what shows...didn't think it was correct. I may message the seller if I do not get an update from eBay once it reaches them

[himmie]

I read a few things about people having difficulty tracking with those numbers because it is not a specified carrier. How long ago was the item shipped/tracking number provided?