Global Shipping Program (GSP) and eBay Recommendation For Only Items Over $50?

[mangorunner]

I have found numerous references in forums and discussion boards that eBay recommends (recommended?) that the Global Shipping Program (GSP) only be used for items valued/worth over $50.  However, I can't find any such wording from eBay itself.  Is that eBay advice now obsolete?  Or is that still the current recommendation?  I was just about to dip my toe into the international arena when I came across that.  As of now, I haven't used the GSP at all, so please forgive me if this is old discussion.  I did research it but couldn't find an answer. 

Thanks in advance for the great help I always get here!

[Anonymous]

In many cases the shipping and fees to the buyer are much more expensive with GSP than when a seller ships direct. It's usually not worth it for items less than $50, however there is no rule preventing you from using the GSP on lower value items.

[mangorunner]

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@Anonymous wrote:

In many cases the shipping and fees to the buyer are much more expensive with GSP than when a seller ships direct. It's usually not worth it for items less than $50, however there is no rule preventing you from using the GSP on lower value items.

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Right, I've seen what it costs.  I've read a number of articles on it.  But I can't find where eBay ever said that they recommended it for only items over $50.   Did they (do they) say that?

From what I've learned, I think that I may ship things myself using First Class International plus insurance and skip GSP.

[Anonymous]

https://pages.ebay.com/buy/globalshippingprogram/

Does global shipping make sense for inexpensive items?

The Global Shipping Program works best for items with an average sale price of over $50. There are times, with less expensive items, where sellers may feel that the Program fees are out of proportion to what the items sells for. However, the Program provides the same easy international shipping solution for any eligible item, regardless of the sale price.

[mangorunner]

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@Anonymous wrote:

https://pages.ebay.com/buy/globalshippingprogram/

Does global shipping make sense for inexpensive items?

The Global Shipping Program works best for items with an average sale price of over $50. There are times, with less expensive items, where sellers may feel that the Program fees are out of proportion to what the items sells for. However, the Program provides the same easy international shipping solution for any eligible item, regardless of the sale price.

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Sure, I understand the concept.  The only question I have is: did eBay ever say that?

[joesoucie22012]

I have shipped Alot of stuff with the GSP for even under $10.00 ( scarce stuff) so at least try it and do not believe everything you read. Good luck....

[myjunqueyourtreasure]

Erm that's a direct quote from the ebay GSP page, so yes, they did say exactly that.

[gracieallen01]

I think ebay would recommend using GSP for everything going out of the country.

It is the sellers who have found that they have less problems, in general, with items over $50.00.  The cost to the buyer for something less than $50 seems to be prohibitive for many buyers with GSP.  Also, many countries don't charge VAT of lesser priced items/under a certain value, where GSP seems to charge it all the time - from the things I've read about it.

[femmefan1946]

@myjunqueyourtreasure 

Yes. That was the recommendation when GSP was first introduced.

And as a Canadian whose government gives us a duty-free allowance of only $20 ($15USD) you will hear a lot of complaints about GSP charges on quite low priced items.

Because our public servants (CBSA) realize that it costs more to assess low-value items than could possibly be collected, they have been ignoring most postal shipments valued under $100Cdn.

But GSP, like any courier, cannot legally do this.

The main anti-GSP thread on the eBay Canada Board was over 5000 posts long last time I looked. It is even longer than the anti-UPS thread.

[nodr-45]

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@mangorunner wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

https://pages.ebay.com/buy/globalshippingprogram/

Does global shipping make sense for inexpensive items?

The Global Shipping Program works best for items with an average sale price of over $50. There are times, with less expensive items, where sellers may feel that the Program fees are out of proportion to what the items sells for. However, the Program provides the same easy international shipping solution for any eligible item, regardless of the sale price.

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Sure, I understand the concept.  The only question I have is: did eBay ever say that?

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Click the link @mangorunner 

[mangorunner · Accepted solution]

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@nodr-45 wrote:

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@mangorunner wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

https://pages.ebay.com/buy/globalshippingprogram/

Does global shipping make sense for inexpensive items?

The Global Shipping Program works best for items with an average sale price of over $50. There are times, with less expensive items, where sellers may feel that the Program fees are out of proportion to what the items sells for. However, the Program provides the same easy international shipping solution for any eligible item, regardless of the sale price.

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Sure, I understand the concept.  The only question I have is: did eBay ever say that?

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Click the link @mangorunner 

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Ahhh.  I did - I clicked the link the before and I clicked the link again.  It is easy to miss.  Thanks for the nudge.  For anyone like me, it is in the sixth section, the one labeled, "MORE ON BUYING GLOBAL SHIPPING PROGRAM ITEMS", third paragraph of that section:

"Does global shipping make sense for inexpensive items?

The Global Shipping Program works best for items with an average sale price of over $50."

[relaxintowealth]

I just did global shipping on a 33 dollar item.....no problems.

[nodr-45]

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@mangorunner wrote:

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Ahhh.  I did - I clicked the link the before and I clicked the link again.  It is easy to miss. 

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Press Ctrl + F at the same time to enable the Find function. Type in a key word, in this case the key word would be $50, and it will take you to the spot on the page that has what you're looking for.

[marnotom!]

While the fifty-dollar recommendation is useful to a point, it's an oversimplification.  A heavy, bulky $20 item may well be less expensive to ship via the Global Shipping Program than through the mail, particularly if the seller somehow manages to offer "free" domestic shipping on it, which means that the buyer would only have to pay for the item, import charges (if applicable) and the shipping charge to Pitney Bowes (administrators of the GSP).

I think a more useful guideline is that if the item is one that the seller is comfortable sending by First Class International, it's not likely going to be a good fit for the GSP.

[femmefan1946]

@relaxintowealth 

just did global shipping on a 33 dollar item.....no problems.

There is no problem for the seller.

The problem is for the buyer.

If the value of the shipment is more than the buyer's duty free allowance (which for us Canadians is $15US/$20Cdn) we will be charged appropriate duty, sales taxes up to 15% of the value plus a ~$5US/$6Cdn service fee.       

Tax and service fee alone could be nearly $11Cdn on what appeared to be a $33 US purchase.     

Plus shipping. 

That's where the buyer gets annoyed. 

No body likes to pay shipping. It's why Free Shipping (really just including the cost of shipping in the asking price) is such a successful sales tool. 

And when shipping appears to be more than 25% of the cost of the purchase.... well.... it's a good thing FB about duty is removable.       

[femmefan1946]

just did global shipping on a 33 dollar item.....no problems.