Global Shipping Program-Super-Slow

[imagine-vintage]

Many Moons ago....My international sales, were at an all-time high. Sure shipping was complicated. I often didn't charge enough. Though I lost money on shipping, my overseas sales were up. Along came the global shipping program. Ebay would put my mind at ease, and make things easy for everyone. Then the sales dropped, I mean, off the map dropped. At the time, I just shrugged it off and concentrated my efforts on North American Sales. Fast forward to today, and I couldn't be more frustrated, with a broken program. Just this evening, I was checking on my sent shipments, specifically, one to South America. I checked the tracking details and was blown away. My item transferred around so much, it was like the shipping service workers were just tossing it around the warehouse, for kicks. I pride myself on fast shipping. From Iowa to Illinois, it took 9 days to leave the country. Yep, 9 days. What a bunch of nonsense...I lose sales, because my customers don't want to pay such extreme prices, and when they do pay it, they wait...and wait...and wait. It's time for me to go old school. And it's time for the profiteers to realize, that happy sellers and buyers bring more dollars. Squeezing out chump change from a non-effective program is foolish.

[stainlessenginecovers]

The 9  days is 'customs'. Nothing unusual there.

Global Shipping is gone; by the way.

Now; it's EIS (Ebay International Shipping) which is where you sent your item.

EIS is MUCH MUCH cheaper than Global so that is NOT a reason your sales slid (no customs are charged; customer get's to pay that and country taxes when they 'pick up the item' (depending)

My advice; quit looking at tracking. Once it's in Illinois; you are done. 

[tv3bay]

I can confirm EIS is slow and very expensive to customer. I've been waiting for a small packet to Europe almost four weeks and it is still in US.

EIS pricing is the same as in expedited shipping but speed is the same as in free shipping from Asia.

[tavo-i-am]

I'm on the receiving end, Australia. Amazed at how Ebay's interference has slowed things down. I have received a parcel from Mexico last week, ordered the day after one from Indiana. Even my Mexican friends joke about how slow and inefficient Correos de Mexico is.  The Indiana parcel is still lingering around in limbo somewhere in Illinois. I'd have gladly paid double the shipping, to have it sent direct via USPS. Ebay don't seem to realize, when we order stuff, it's because we want it, and usually soon.

[sindratlaso0]

i live in iceland and ordered often on ebay. as ebay now wants to take their share of the shipping money the shipping times are way longer and cost is up. now i try to order anywhere else than ebay. as it was i could choose fast shipping as with dhl and pay extra but now i can not choose that anymore. ebay´s greed has killed international shipping. and i am pretty sure that this is going to backfire on them in the long run.

[pjcdn2005]

I'm in Canada and realize that it is expensive to have items shipped from the US. But in all fairness,  EIS is sometimes less expensive than USPS.   Some of the eBay EIS prices do seem out of whack but some are more reasonable than if USPS First Class International was used.   International shipping costs have really gone up in the past few years.

But the service from EIS is often very slow and tracking can be sporadic.  If eBay could improve on the slow processing times, it would be a much better service.

[jtucker52a]

I've ordered some things directly from a silver dealer in Scotland, and he uses UPS to ship. I've actually had things arrive in the wilds of northwest CT in less than 48 hours! I've purchased things from the U.K. on eBay that have come by the eBay Global Shipping Program (it's still called GSP on that end), and while the shipping cost is almost the same as the high-end UPS, the shipments take at least ten times as long, and the tracking is comically wrong: "Arrived at our international hub?" No way - the seller hasn't even boxed it yet. Even regular Royal Mail is faster, and considerably cheaper.

[kh-laura]

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.