eBay

453path · ‎12-26-2015

Hi, I'm writing this article from the UK. Can any sellers who ship internationally using the ebay Global Shipping Program (GSP), please tell me the advantages to you, 'the seller' of using this system?

I ask this because I've been purchasing from the U.S for a long time, but it seems more & more sellers are now shipping 'only' via ebay's GSP.

One of the things I see on such listings from sellers who use this system to ship items overseas is; all customs fees & charges are covered by the program! I just want to say, as a buyer in Britain purchasing items from America 'ALL' items we purchase from overseas go through customs.

HMRC (Revenue & Customs) subject every parcel no matter how big or small & regardless of the value, to a customs inspection. They then decide whether or not to apply a customs fee to that parcel. Having regularly purchased from ebay USA the past couple of years (also Canada & Australia too), I have found customs only apply a fee to about 1 in 3 or 1 in 4 parcels.

Obviously if I've made a large purchase they often do get hit with a customs fee (but not in every case). Just to let you know; I've never had a seller declare an item as a 'gift'. Every customs document filled out by the sellers has always stated it is a purchase from ebay, plus a description of the items & the value.

Using an n scale freight car as an example (I model U.S railroading in n-scale); with ebay's Global Shipping Program, the average cost 'per' item is around $21 to ship to Britain. That charge is applied to 'EVERY' single item when shipping via ebay's GSP. However when I purchase from a seller who ships via USPS (or a courier such as UPS), the seller can usually send 4 or 5 n-scale freight cars for about $21.

When receiving such a parcel here in the UK, HMRC sometimes charge me an import 'tax' fee, but many times they do 'NOT' send me such a charge prior to releasing my parcel here in Britain.

The way I see it; ebay is making a huge amount of money/profits from this scheme, but maybe I'm mistaken & someone could clarify that for me? I say that because I believe ebay is not only marking up the cost of this shipping option, but do they really pay a UK import tax (supposedly on our behalf) for every single item I purchase from America?

I mention America because, although most of my purchases are from sellers in the States, I do also buy from sellers in Canada, Australia & Europe. Nobody in those countries use the ebay Global Shipping Program. I don't say it doesn't exist in other countries; I simply haven't come across a seller elsewhere, who ships via ebay GSP.

Of course I know ebay now charges a commission to sellers for shipping (what we call postage & packaging in Britain; P&P). I believe that is a complete rip-off to sellers from ebay, after all, from what I've seen of shipping costs via USPS (& Royal Mail here in the UK), most sellers probably don't make any money on shipping costs after other factors such as materials & time are also factored in to the equation!

The only winner (ESPECIALLY with ebay Global Shipping Program) is ebay itself!

Just to let you sellers know; I stopped purchasing from ALL sellers who will 'ONLY' ship using the ebay GSP, soon after that system was introduced, because the cost is so prohibitive as an overseas buyer, (although it is okay if I purchase ONLY 1 item from a seller, but I don't do that very often). Now I only buy from sellers who use USPS or a courier such as FedEx etc. Unfortunately that list seems to grow smaller every few months, as more sellers seem to take up ebay's GSP.

So, I would love to know what the advantages/benefits are to you sellers in America who only use ebay GSP. I believe that even when using the ebay GSP system, you as a seller in America, still have to complete customs documents, & arrange collection of the parcel or dropping it off at some depot etc? Once again, I hope you can clarify this for me!

I look forward to your replies; especially as I would love to continue buying from ebay sellers in the States!

scga912 · ‎12-26-2015

So you're asking what are the advantages to me, the seller, for using GSP.

I know that the GSP isn't a good fit for all items. It's good for weighty and/or expensive items. I find the pricing for a 2 pound shipment to the UK via GSP or via USPS Priority to be comparable - it's often less once it goes over 2 lbs.

I very recently had a 1 lb 9 ounce (0.765 kg) shipment to the UK through the GSP - my buyer paid $26 in shipping. $9 was for the domestic leg and $17 was for the international leg. Had I shipped that directly via USPS Priority, it would've cost $51. Via USPS First Class, the price would've been $23.80. First Class really wasn't a great option due to potentially long travel time as it was a Christmas gift.

I'm about mid-range distance from the GSP center. If I were much closer, the domestic leg charge could've been as little as $5.95 but it also could've been as high as $11.55

There would be many items that I wouldn't offer to ship internationally simply because of the potential loss to my pocketbook. If the buyer refuses to pay customs fees and never picks up the item - I can't prove delivery. Without proof of delivery, the buyer will likely be refunded even though it is a direct result of their inaction/refusal. The item may take several months (and yes, years) to eventually make its way back to me. And that's the ideal situation. Once refunded, buyers have been known to go collect their items.

While I know that not every package is going to get stopped by customs, that doesn't mean that the fees aren't owed. If your customs' office chooses not to enforce it on every package, that's their decision. Pitney Bowes can't make the decision to let items slide by without taxes collected on your country's behalf.

I sell many fragiles, and I like that the GSP becomes liable for the international leg for loss and damage. That's in international insurance policy I choose to use rather than insuring through the carrier or another third-party provider. Also, a claim of breakage for a non-GSP item would result in a SNAD that I'd be responsible for - and I have to cover the price of return shipping too if I wanted it back.

If PayPal and eBay weren't my financial business partners who can dip their fingers in my wallet without my input, I might feel differently. They have to have blanket policies, but not all of them are ideal for every situation.

The GSP actually really stinks for Canadians. They have a $20 threshold for items to be subject to duty/taxes/vat/customs (whichever). Australia & the GSP are quite a wonderful fit. They don't start taxing until it's over $2,000.

When sold through the GSP, I don't have to prepare any customs documents. That has no bearing on my choice though. The documents are all automated through eBay shipping and require hitting a print button for the most part.

I do not understand why they haven't created a way to allow for combined GSP shipping. It makes no sense in this day and age.

If you want multiple items from one seller, you could always message them prior to purchase and ask them to create one listing for all of them.

Just a little extra info - The United States Post Office is going to raise their rates on Jan 17. International shipping prices are going to JUMP quite a bit. First Class Int'l will see an average increase of 21%. Priority Int'l will see an average rate increase of 10%. The GSP might become a better bargain for many items.

With the upcoming price hike, you might want to re-visit your thoughts on some GSP offered items.

- Suzanne -

View Best Answer in original post

fern*wood · ‎12-26-2015

My response only applies to my experience with selling to the UK---others may have completely different reasons for what they do or why they use the GSP. I use to groan everytime I sold something there.

I sell on two separate IDs and use the GSP on one and not the other...but I block selling to the UK entirely on the non-global shipping program ID. I'm sure your country is a fine place with fine people but for some reason the majority of my transactions there were anything but trouble free due to the customs issue.

No other buyers in any country ever gave me the headaches I got on almost on every sale. They either complained that I didn't mark as a gift, complained that I didn't tell them they would have more "shipping" to pay to their country, or complained flat out that I should be the one to pay their customs.

Filling out customs forms is no problem, although not required when using the GSP, but I refuse to deal with buyers that have a problem with their country's customs fees and try to make that my problem.

say_it_slowly · ‎12-26-2015

Sellers are only responsible for getting the package safely to the US GSP center. After that they aren't responsible for shipping related issues. There may be issues with the GSP but that makes it very attractive to some sellers who might not otherwise ship international.

I don't know how much if any Ebay profits from the program (though I imagine they do) as it's actually through Pitney Bowes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May the wind be always at your back.

annindallas · ‎12-26-2015

I think I can answer your question, although I'm going to get flamed for it.

It's about the quality of buyers, above all, but also it's user-friendly.

People willing to spend an extra 10%-20%, expect better service, a better item. I like that. It's about the quality of buyer. If you sell on eBay, you know what I'm talking about.

Sometimes the GSP is less expensive than shipping Priority International.

I've had problems, the "open-the-box-and-shove-it-back-in-so-its-obvious", the woman in the red light district of Amsterdam who forged damage. (When I got it back, it was the same as I had sent it. I can't figure out how she made that picture.)

I only have to ship to a local address and when tracking shows it reached Erlanger, Kentucky, I'm out of it. I don't have custom forms, declarations. I have enough boxes and forms.

Of course, eBay or Pitney Bowes keep half the shipping costs. I dont mind. Much better than having to track down a lost package in Bosnia.

453path · ‎12-26-2015

Hi, thanks for your reply! I'm sorry to hear you've had problems with buyers in the UK. I'm sure they are not all like that! I've made more than a hunddred purchases from ebay USA this year alone; I've never had a problem with customs, & the sellers in America encountered no problems either!

The problems you have encountered are with the buyers though, & not with Royal Mail/ParcelForce or with HMRC (UK customs service)

In fact I've purchased several times from the same sellers; (as mentioned, the list of sellers not shipping via GSP is growing smaller). I've checked on other country sites, mainly Australia, Canada & Germany, as I deal with sellers in those countries too; & it seems to be only America that uses the Global Shipping Program.

You mentioned about buyers complaining about items 'NOT' being listed as a gift etc. I know the sellers I purchase from, ALL state very clearly in their listings, that items will NOT be marked as a gift etc on customs documents. I know some of them also state quite clearly in their listings, that shipping costs also take into account other factors such as; packing materials (boxes, styrofoam beads, tape etc). Even such things as the cost of printing an invoice & customs document (paper/ink) & also a modest cost for the time/effort/packing to get it ready for shipping. Some even state the time & cost involved for those who take the parcels to their post/collection depot in person.

I know many of those sellers print the customs documents on their computers prior to dispatching the parcel. I believe in many cases, they even pay for the shipping costs via the Internet, so all they need to do is simply hand over the parcel to the driver from USPS/Courier or hand it over the counter at their local post office/depot!

Surely those buyers who moaned & **bleep**ed about costs/delay in delivery time/paying import tax etc; they can still do that to you as a seller even when you ship using the GSP?

After all, the buyers moan to you the seller & not ebay; it is they the buyer who leaves negative feedback or less than 5 stars to the seller! They don't do it to ebay, or can they?

I must admit, I've been very fortunate in so much as, I' have not had any problematic sellers! In fact, all those I've dealt with have been very good, which is why I always sing their praises in my feedback! Unfortunately I guess there are buyers who like to get something for nothing & swindle the system/**bleep** & moan & make life harder for the rest of us!

NB: Earlier this year I did purchase three n-scale freight wagons from a seller in the States who shipped using the GSP; when I asked for an invoice the seller informed me he couldn't give me a combined invoice as the GSP won't allow it! I don't know how I missed that (Global Shipping Program) in the item's description? It was fairly soon after my mother had quite ssuddenly passed away, so I guess my mind really wasn't with it at the time. Anyway, I didn't ask for a cancellation or **bleep** & moan about it; it was my mistake, so I went ahead with the purchase & paid him! The cost of the freight cars was $16 each (total cost for freight cars was $48). The cost of shipping via GSP was $22 for each freight car (total cost of shipping was $66).

I know however, that when buying items from sellers who ship via USPS/Courier, I would not have paid any more than $22-$24 for the shipping & in most cases would not have paid a duty on them in the UK

Another point to note; although HMRC can apply a customs fee/tax to any item regardless of size/value etc, they rarely apply it to an item/s with a value of $50 or less!

This leaves me wondering whether ebay really does pay the import duty for each & every parcel? It is very difficult for me to find out, because I'm not charged an import duty on most of the parcels I receive.

I've made several purchases this year that were in excess of $350-$400 from individual sellers & another for more than $700. Of course I was subjected to import duty on those parcels! But, I've made further purchases from the same sellers for $50-$100 & HMRC here in Britain cleared the parcels without charging me the tax? It doesn't make sense at times!

After all of this, I just want to know why so many sellers in America are turning to ebay GSP to ship items, when the cost of that is so expensive to us buyers!

453path · ‎12-26-2015

Hi & thanks for your reply!

10%-20% extra? Please read my respnse to the first member who replied to my post!

I buy U.S n-scale (obviously I buy more freight cars than locomotives). They are quite small & fairly light in weight!

If I buy five items from a seller who ships via USPS (or courier), the most I've been charged for shipping was $27 (usually it is around $21-$22). I'm hardly ever charged an import tax/customs fee for that amount here in the UK

If I buy the sme five items from a seller who ships only via ebay Global Shipping Program, then I am charged an average of $22 per item. That is $110 for the same five freight cars.

Where does 10%-20% extra come in when comparing $22 to $110 ?????

After all, according to my math skills 10%-20% on top of $22 is: $24.20 - $26.40.

I understand about user friendly, but in my reply to the first member, I mentioned most of the sellers I have dealt with, print & pay for their shipping costs/labels at home! That is fairly user friendly! Even shipping via GSP, you still have information to input into the system prior to the item's collection/dispatch.

You say you are out of it when the tracking shows it has reached Erlanger, Kentucky? As I mentioned earlier in my first reply to the other member; it is you the seller whom the buyer leaves feedback for (positive & negative), not to mention a buyer can still leave less than 5 stars to a seller, & this is regardless of whether you as a seller shipped via USPS/UPS or ebay GSP. A buyer still leaves the seller feedback/stars for the shipping!

You mentioned of buyers complaining of faulty goods? Apart from dodgy buyers who are being less than honest, then regardless of how you shipped an item, you as a seller still have to deal with the problem? After all ebay are not going cover/compensate the goods, all they are doing is acting as an intermediary between the sellers & shippers (& charging a firtune for it too).

Regarding tracking an item in some back woods of Bosnia, as a seller it is up to you which countries you ship to. I haven't sold anything on ebay in a long time, but I believe sellers can still refuse to sell to specific members as well?

I think ebay (?? Pitney Bowes ??) is keeping a lot more than half of that payment! Of course, you as a seller are not making that payment, it is us the buyer who pays for it! In a sense, you haven't lost anything! Or have you? Think about it for a moment!

Besides charges/fees/commission (call it what you like) that ebay imposes on sellers, there is another point! If ebay keeps increasing these costs, then it stands to reason less people will purchase? Obviously I'm talking about international buyers here.

I'm a U.S n-scale model railroader. It doesn't take a genius to realise, America has the lions share of items for this particular branch of the hobby. Therefore it also stands to reason I buy a considrable number of items pertaining to my hobby, directly from the States! By the way, I also purchase from hobby shops in the U.S as well. I buy in multiples! By that I mean, I'll buy 5, 10 or more, freight cars/locos at a time. I do that because of costs. All retailers in the U.S ships via USPS or major couriers such as UPS/FedEx etc. I try to find sellers on ebay who also do the same, as in my particular case, it is far less expensive to have the parcels shipped via USPS or a courier, than it is to have it shipped using ebay GSP.

When it comes to ebay Global Shipping Program then 1 item .................= no real difference in costs to ship.

2 or more items = GSP is almost double the cost to the buyer.

3 or more items = Do the maths!

fern*wood · ‎12-26-2015

I don't blame you a bit for trying to find sellers that offer what you wish to buy at a cheaper shipping cost. I would too. It's just a shame that so many others in the UK have not acted appropriately, as you have, when purchasing from the US and this created the problem for me.

Also, many of the unfair feedbacks based on customs fees are removable. Ebay sends the notice to each buyer that custom fees are the buyer's responsibility, but just as stating this in the listing (no longer required by the way), it is usually ignored.

say_it_slowly · ‎12-26-2015

If you're trying to convince people not to use the GSP I'm not sure that you'll have that much luck. There are probably more choices available to you because many who use the GSP wouldn't offer international shipping without it. The program isn't set up to allow combined shipping but you may find a seller who will set up a listing just for you combining the item you want into one purchase or some other creative ways to make it less expensive for you. Heavier items usually are more appropriate for this program anyway. One sure fix, if you don't like the program buy from sellers who don't use it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May the wind be always at your back.

453path · ‎12-26-2015

Hi say_it_slowly thanks for your reply!

I would like to mention several points regarding your reply!

You said sellers are not responsible after an item reaches a GSP Depot? That may be true, but only partially the case. A buyer still leave feedback & a star rating for a seller, including the shipping section. A buyer can leave negative or neutral feedback (rightly or wrongly) & leave less than five stars (< 5*****) for the shipping section, even if an item is sent using the ebay Global Shipping Program. I know this because I have made a couple of purchases from sellers who shipped using ebay GSP.

As I mentioned, rightly or wrongly because there are unscrupulous buyers who try to con the seller/system, as well as honest & decent buyers!

Ebay DOES make a profit from this system! How? As I mentioned in my earlier thread, ebay charges a commission on the cost of ALL shipping fees!

I mentioned in an earlier reply, I purchased three n-scale freight cars by mistake from a seller who shipped using the ebay GSP.

Just to let you know under the ebay GSP scheme, the buyer (& seller) pays the cost for every INDIVIDUAL item shipped! I received the three freight cars in ONE package. It was less than a third the size of a shoe box & weighed well under half a pound! It was also sent via USPS, although I had paid for the shipping via the ebay GSP, which I've since learnt is via Pitney Bowes!

Anyway, I was charged almost $70 for that parcel to be sent to the UK. If it had been sent directly with USPS it would have only cost $21-$24.

I've just had a look on ebay's costs calculator (ebay USA), regarding the 3 freight cars I purchased, that were shipped via ebay GSP. I'm not sure what the original insertion fees were but I know the final cost was $16 for each freight car. They may have been buy it now items! The final cost was $48 purchase price plus $66 shipping!

Final purchase price $48 - No shipping cost = Final Value Fee from ebay to the seller = $4.80

Final purchase price $48 - Shipping fee $66 = Final Value Fee from ebay to the seller = $11.40 ($6.60 commission on shipping fee)

If the seller had shipped via USPS & the shipping cost was around $24 then the Final Values Fee from ebay to the seller would have been = $7.20 ($2.40 commission on shipping fee))

Therefore ebay made an additional $4.20 in commission, for doing nothing other than burdening us with additional costs, simply to line their pockets!

Now let us look at Pitney Bowes! The total cost for shipping was $66. Ebay took a commission of $11.40. The parcel was sent via USPS; similar parcels cost me about $24 to ship, so therefore I assume Pitney Bowes paid that to USPS? Although I daresay they get a substantial discount from USPS for being a large commercial customer dealing with large amounts of freight. Anyway, assume Pitney Bowes paid USPS $24. It leaves me with this equation!

ebay GSP shipping charges..................= $66

ebay commission for shipping charge = $6.60

USPS handlinf fee ..................................= $24 (based on same size/weight parcels)

Total costs to ebay & USPS ..................= $30.60

Therefore based on that calculation, Pitney Bowes made $35.40 from the transaction. Of course they have some costs involved, but more than £30 worth of costs? Really? For doing not much at all?

So as you can see; ebay does make more profit from it ($6.60 commission via GSP as opposed to $2.40 commission if the item was sent directly with USPS).

I'm not sure about you guys, but this all smells like a rip-off to me! Large companies simply getting richer & fatter, making the rest of us pay for it!

As I said, the 3 freight cars was sent in the one parcel & it had a USPS stamp & clearing documents on it.

That is why I won't buy (in most cases), from sellers who only use the ebay Global Shipping Program!

say_it_slowly · ‎12-26-2015

Ebay fees for sellers are only based on domestic shipping.

Seller fees

There is no fee to join the Global Shipping Program.
Your final value fee is based on the final price of the item, shipping charges to the US shipping center, and any other amounts you may charge the buyer. Sales tax is not included.
Standard eBay selling fees and PayPal fees apply, including PayPal'stransaction fees for cross-border payments.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May the wind be always at your back.

453path · ‎12-26-2015

say_it_slowly go in to the ebay fees calculator & you WILL see that ebay DOES charge a commission on ALL shipping fees both domestic & international.

You can try several different claculations using the ebay fee calculator! I have done this on the ebay USA site. I've been a member for many years & I've read articles on this forum in the past from ebay sellers in the States who bemoaned (quite rightly) the commission ebay charges on shipping fees.

You are correct in saying it costs nothing to join the ebay Global Shipping Program! But, ebay does charge a commission on ALL shipping fees, when it calculates the final value fee!

As a seller, you input the cost of shipping (what you will charge the buyer). If the seller uses ebay's GSP, then that system will input the fee automatically, but it still shows up as a shipping fee regardless; & ebay then charges a commission to the seller.

Ebay introduced this very sneaky commission a while ago on ALL shipping fees. Do you really think that simply because ebay arranged this system (GSP) in league with Pitney Bowes, that ebay will walk away from making (?? hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not a six figure sum??)

You can try the calculator on final value fees both with & without a shipping fee added to it. And when adding a shipping fee, you can try it with both domestic & international shipping!

By the way, the commission ebay charges on shipping has nothing to do with sales tax!

You are correct, international buyers don't have to pay sales tax in the States. But then a buyer in one state, doesn't have to pay sales tax if he/she is purchasing from a seller in a different state, so that rule has some application in the U.S as well.

aristotles_id · ‎12-26-2015

One of the things I see on such listings from sellers who use this system to ship items overseas is; all customs fees & charges are covered by the program! I just want to say, as a buyer in Britain purchasing items from America 'ALL' items we purchase from overseas go through customs.

This is true, just not accurate.

HMRC (Revenue & Customs) subject every parcel no matter how big or small & regardless of the value, to a customs inspection. They then decide whether or not to apply a customs fee to that parcel. Having regularly purchased from ebay USA the past couple of years (also Canada & Australia too), I have found customs only apply a fee to about 1 in 3 or 1 in 4 parcels.

There are two routes through customs, one is the postal packet or letter route and the other is the freight route.

Although the same laws and regulations apply to both, the treatment of individual items is very different.

Postal items are treated on a pretty casual basis. Items sent by basic airmaill, being the least likely to have any value worth taxing are usually just whisked past a drug sniffer dog and occasionally x-rayed as they pass, but are very frequently examined no further, the cost of collecting a few pounds tax is more than the amount collected. USPS Priority and Express items, and larger parcels over 4 pounds weight are more likely to be assessed, since on average thay are more valuable and hence better use of a limited workforce. In theory all items valued at over 18 Euros are subject to import VAT at 20% plus either an £8 fee from Royal Mail or a £12 fee from Parcel Force for collecting the tax (which may mean the fee exceeds the tax) but buyers usual experience is that some things get taxed and some don't. It may appear random but with a large enough sample patterns reveal themselves.

Freight procedures are very different. Almost always, no one in UK Customs looks at any incoming package. Instead they rely on the freight or cargo manifest sent by the shipper in order to collect tax due, and in fact the shipper pre calculates the taxes and a customs broker used by the shipper pays the taxes. This is all done elctronically nowadays, so a container of thousands of widgets of dozens of types and values can be off the ship or plane, customs cleared for entry and on the road to distribution in a matter of hours. It would be exceedingly unusual for a freight container to be physically inspected. This is the case with containers from known and trusted logistics companies, who take care to get things right because losing status as a trusted shipper would cost them millions in business.

Most importantly, this is how GSP items arrive in Europe. THis is the big difference that so confuses people used only to postal imports.

Containers or consignments from 'strangers' or where intelligence reports lead to suspicion are the prime target of a limited workforce but this is irrelevant here.

Obviously if I've made a large purchase they often do get hit with a customs fee (but not in every case). Just to let you know; I've never had a seller declare an item as a 'gift'. Every customs document filled out by the sellers has always stated it is a purchase from ebay, plus a description of the items & the value.

As stated, postal enforcement is near random.

Using an n scale freight car as an example (I model U.S railroading in n-scale); with ebay's Global Shipping Program, the average cost 'per' item is around $21 to ship to Britain. That charge is applied to 'EVERY' single item when shipping via ebay's GSP. However when I purchase from a seller who ships via USPS (or a courier such as UPS), the seller can usually send 4 or 5 n-scale freight cars for about $21.

As you have found out, in general GSP cannot handle combined purchases. If the shopping cart feature is used combined shipping is possible. The reason for this is the way the shipper calculates due taxes.

The way I see it; ebay is making a huge amount of money/profits from this scheme, but maybe I'm mistaken & someone could clarify that for me? I say that because I believe ebay is not only marking up the cost of this shipping option, but do they really pay a UK import tax (supposedly on our behalf) for every single item I purchase from America?

You are mistaken. PB makes a service charge of about $5 per item. All import taxes collected are remitted to the UK Customs. As a bonus, UK Customs collects and keeps the import taxes on items sent to most of Europe.

I mention America because, although most of my purchases are from sellers in the States, I do also buy from sellers in Canada, Australia & Europe. Nobody in those countries use the ebay Global Shipping Program. I don't say it doesn't exist in other countries; I simply haven't come across a seller elsewhere, who ships via ebay GSP.

No other country apart from UK and USA have any ebay GSP.

Of course I know ebay now charges a commission to sellers for shipping (what we call postage & packaging in Britain; P&P). I believe that is a complete rip-off to sellers from ebay, after all, from what I've seen of shipping costs via USPS (& Royal Mail here in the UK), most sellers probably don't make any money on shipping costs after other factors such as materials & time are also factored in to the equation!

US sellers pay commission of their lowest domestic shipping charge, GSP shipping is not subject to the ebay charge on shipping.

The only winner (ESPECIALLY with ebay Global Shipping Program) is ebay itself!

Ebay gets a very small referral fee for each item. Think about 2 cents in the dollar. They do make more overall if they get more sales, of course.

Just to let you sellers know; I stopped purchasing from ALL sellers who will 'ONLY' ship using the ebay GSP, soon after that system was introduced, because the cost is so prohibitive as an overseas buyer, (although it is okay if I purchase ONLY 1 item from a seller, but I don't do that very often). Now I only buy from sellers who use USPS or a courier such as FedEx etc. Unfortunately that list seems to grow smaller every few months, as more sellers seem to take up ebay's GSP.

Very sensible, GSP is only good value for shipping heavy and or bulky items. Using Fedex rather than a postal service could be very expensive for your small items and involvehigher customs brokerage charges.

So, I would love to know what the advantages/benefits are to you sellers in America who only use ebay GSP. I believe that even when using the ebay GSP system, you as a seller in America, still have to complete customs documents, & arrange collection of the parcel or dropping it off at some depot etc? Once again, I hope you can clarify this for me!

For the US seller it's a hands free experience, they neither know nor care how much the buyer is charged and they treat shipping the same as any other domestic sale, no forms to fill, nothing unusual , and no responsibility for damage or loss after the item is reshipped. What's not to like, for a seller?

They could achieve the same objective much, much cheaper for the buyer, but the people who know how to do this have probably been exporting for years and know what they are doing.

Your typical GSP seller is clueless, uses the GSP quite inappropriately, and often for items that cannot be shipped that way anyway. The reason for this is that ebay is co-opting sellers into the program unless they either have international shipping rates listed or have both no international shipping listed and have all international shipping blocked in their seller preferences.

Both these options are the sort of thing a very experienced user might know, but are a mystery to amateur or new or occasional sellers. Hence the widespread misuse, sometimes by sellers who do not even know they are enrolled. It is small wonder that so many US sellers are involved and so often for lightweight, low value, low fraud items that could travel faster and far cheaper by basic airmail.

_____________________________________________________________________________
ari

" You can't lose the item and the money, you never own both.”.

say_it_slowly · ‎12-26-2015

It's not me saying it, it's Ebay. Here is a link and you can review all the ins and outs of the program, what they do and what the fees are. All I can suggest is that if you don't like the program just buy from those that don't use it. If you have particular items you would like from a seller who uses the program, ask if they will ship direct and send you an invoice for shipping instead of using GSP. If you dislike the program complain to Ebay. You won't be the first or last I'm sure.

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May the wind be always at your back.

fern*wood · ‎12-26-2015

I think there is some confusion for you with what ebay charges US sellers for international shipping. Yes, we are always charged on shipping costs but not on the international dollar amount.

For instance, if I sell an item internationally that would cost me 3.00 domestically to ship and it costs 50.00 international shipping I am charged the percentage on the domestic cost of 3.00. We are not charged for the international costs whether we are in the GSP or not.

sayanora · ‎12-26-2015

I ship to UK and I do not use GSP.

US GSP is for US based sellers, there is also UK GSP for UK based sellers.

I ship USPS first class which is US post office and it is trackable to UK and most shipments arrive with no problem,UK customs fee is the responsibility of the UK buyer.

When you complain about the fees collected by US GSP,please keep in mind besides shipping cost from USA to UK,there is also customs fee PLUS GSP handling fee.

See, GSP is a joint program of Ebay and a company called Pitney Bowles and they have set up operation in Kentucky to handle all these overseas shipments,prepare shipping label,customs form and repackaging,so there is a fee they charged for doing so,no one works for free.

If the seller does not describe his item correctly,GSP could end up using the wrong table to figure the customs fee.

For example, antiques going t o Italy has a high customs fee,last time I heard was 20%,and we all know most antiques on Ebay is not antique so woe to the ITALIAN buyer if the seller described his item as antique!

In 2016,I may consider shipping overseas packages with DHL,instead of USPS as I am a member of a DHL organisation called INXPRESS.

USPS priority mail small box going to UK cost me $25.25 with no tracking and no signature confirmation, but shipping with DHL,as a member of INXPRESS,I enjoy a discount and I will only pay $25.65 with faster delivery ,tracking and signature confirmation since like UPS,Fedexp, they have their own local offices and delivery ..

Although first class USPS work fine for small packages, I sometimes need faster delivery ,so I use USPS priority small box but DHL beats that, for 4o cents more, I will get tracking and signature plus faster delivery to UK, Eastern Europe would cost more ,like Ukraine 1 lb will be $52.

I dont understand why Ebay does not consider offering DHL overseas shipping ,it shoould get a good discount from DHL consider the volume Ebay can generate for DHL and it will solve your problem of customs duty, as DHL makes it an option for the seller, either customs can be included in billing or leave it to buyer to pay upon receipt.

You can go to INXPRESS site and check out the rates,being a member is free.

DHL is much bigger than FedExp or UPS when it comes to worldwide delivery !