GLobal shipping program seller wants Express mail

[sngnl]

I have a potential buyer from a foreign country asking me for an express mail shipping price on an item I have listed. I use the Ebay global shipping program for foreign deliveries. How do I answer a question like this? I checked the shipping details to his country on the listing and it has no option I can see to upgrade the shipping to Express mail or a button to ask the Global shipping program a quesiton. I checked the USPS website and Express mail is available for the item to his country.

Thanks

Steve

[a*river*runs*through*it · Accepted solution]

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@sngnl wrote:

I have a potential buyer from a foreign country asking me for an express mail shipping price on an item I have listed. I use the Ebay global shipping program for foreign deliveries. How do I answer a question like this? I checked the shipping details to his country on the listing and it has no option I can see to upgrade the shipping to Express mail or a button to ask the Global shipping program a quesiton. I checked the USPS website and Express mail is available for the item to his country.

Thanks

Steve

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Simple answer: "Thanks for your interest, but since this item is being shipped via the GSP, that is not an option for me."

[sngnl]

OK makes sense. Apparently there is no way to select what type of shipping the GSP will or can use.

Thanks

[a*river*runs*through*it]

There is no telling how long an item could sit at the GSP location. Express mail wouldn't work.

[missjen831]

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@sngnl wrote:
OK makes sense. Apparently there is no way to select what type of shipping the GSP will or can use.

Thanks

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No. Neither you or the buyer has any say in how the GSP will ship and they don't give the buyer any options. Whatever is shown on your listing is the only option. 

[postingid2017]

@missjen831 - if the item is not paid for, can the OP edit the listing for Express Mail?  That may be an equitable resolution, no? 

[missjen831]

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@postingid2017 wrote:

@missjen831 - if the item is not paid for, can the OP edit the listing for Express Mail?  That may be an equitable resolution, no? 

 they can only add express mail as a domestic option. They don't get to choose the international part. They could also end the listing, opt out of the GSP and relist with international express mail. I'm curious if the buyer realizes how much express mail is going to cost them.....

[arun7500]

It's a scam. Express Mail is anything but. Sure it will leave the US promptly, but once it arrives in most countries it is treated as ' registered, ' mail and moves at a snails pace to it's destination. We found out about this one when mailing to Italy, package sat in customs and then when cleared moved around to a few destinations until it was delivered. Meanwhile, 14 days earlier, the buyer had already filed an INR.

[missjen831]

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@morty14 wrote:

It's a scam. Express Mail is anything but. Sure it will leave the US promptly, but once it arrives in most countries it is treated as ' registered, ' mail and moves at a snails pace to it's destination. We found out about this one when mailing to Italy, package sat in customs and then when cleared moved around to a few destinations until it was delivered. Meanwhile, 14 days earlier, the buyer had already filed an INR.

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That could be the case with express mail from your country--Malaysia. But that's NOT the case on USPS priority express mail. 

[arun7500]

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@missjen316 wrote:

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@morty14 wrote:

It's a scam. Express Mail is anything but. Sure it will leave the US promptly, but once it arrives in most countries it is treated as ' registered, ' mail and moves at a snails pace to it's destination. We found out about this one when mailing to Italy, package sat in customs and then when cleared moved around to a few destinations until it was delivered. Meanwhile, 14 days earlier, the buyer had already filed an INR.

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That could be the case with express mail from your country--Malaysia. But that's NOT the case on USPS priority express mail. 

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That could be the case with express mail from your country--Thailand. In most SE Asian countries, EMS isn't delivered to the home address, it's sent to a distribution center where the recipient can pick it up, and pay the appropriate taxes. Problem being that the center may be 100's of km away. The EU just let these sit for excessive amounts of time in customs. Brazil and the rest of S.America is just a basket case to begin with, anything goes there.

[srs-webstore]

Seems to me that you have two options: first is to simply decline the business from this buyer, saying that the options they see on the eBay item listing are all that is offered- they will either use it, or walk away.

    Second option would be to create a listing for this item, and opt out of the global shipping program when creating the listing, and offer express mail shipping as the only option, and then forward the item number of this listing to the potential buyer.

    Do yourself a favor- calculate the cost for international express mail including insurance for full value, and add a few bucks to that for a handling fee, as you will be doing the legwork to get this shipment out to a buyer who wants special handling. The insurance will help against damage claims and lost shipments...

[zanadoo_56]

If the parcel is going to Australia the GSP is appallingly slow....and expensive. I don't know how long Express Post might take but it's got to be faster than GSP's snail's pace.

I asked a seller if they would consider changing the shipping from GSP to USPS 1st Class International (small item, not expensive) and the seller agreed and changed it in a matter of minutes, so it's not only possible, it must be pretty easy.

[srs-webstore]

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@zanadoo_56 wrote:

I asked a seller if they would consider changing the shipping from GSP to USPS 1st Class International (small item, not expensive) and the seller agreed and changed it in a matter of minutes, so it's not only possible, it must be pretty easy.

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Did the seller have to create a new listing, or were they able to offer additional shipping options on the same listing as GSP? As of yet, we have not been able to accomplish that...

[zanadoo_56]

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@srs-webstore wrote:

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@zanadoo_56 wrote:

I asked a seller if they would consider changing the shipping from GSP to USPS 1st Class International (small item, not expensive) and the seller agreed and changed it in a matter of minutes, so it's not only possible, it must be pretty easy.

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Did the seller have to create a new listing, or were they able to offer additional shipping options on the same listing as GSP? As of yet, we have not been able to accomplish that...

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Does it make any difference what kind of listing it is?  The item I bought was a BIN.  After I agreed on a postage (shipping) cost via USPS 1st Class International the seller changed it in a matter of seconds which I saw on the item in my watch list.  I'm assuming it wasn't a relist, simply that the GSP info was replaced with the USPS one.  It shows up on eBay Oz in Revisions under Revised Information as Postage Terms.

Some Oz buyers and sellers with more experience than me (I know nothing about selling) have suggested this step to US sellers who might be willing to change the shipping:

Go to

(My eBay summary page)

account > site preferences > shipping preferences > Offer the Global Shipping Program > edit > no

I don't know if that is what my seller did but whatever it was it worked.  GSP is the Shipping Process From Hell at the buyer end, especially for any inexpensive or small or lightweight items.  Good luck.

[lja440]

I would answer like this after dry packing the item to get accurate weight and measurements and checking the shipping cost.

" I usually use the GSP, but per your request, I have looked into shipping it directly using Priority Mail Express International. The package will weigh XXX and will require $XX.XX in postage. NOTE PLEASE, this will not include any vat taxes or Customs fees that are charged by your country I have no way of knowing what if anything this will be. I also can not control the time it will take to make its way through customs in your country. That is something you will have to research on your end. Please get back to me within 48 hours as to your decision if you think this is the way you want to go. Also note that I can still ship it through the GSP, that also is an option."