Any insight on the matter would be appreciated.
There are two advantages to a seller who uses the GSP. First, seller is protected from INR claims from the internatioinal buyer once the item shows "delivered" to the Pitney Bowes center in the US. Second, the seller is protected for SNAD claims of "broken in shipment" to the international buyer.
Understand that either of these claims will come through to the seller, who must then convince an eBay CS rep that they were indeed GSP sales.
It is also very important that a seller know that there is still no SNAD protection for other claims of not as described, and the seller is responsible for funding the shipping costs with delivery confirmation in advance for a return from another country. This can be expensive, and the same applies if you use the GSP or ship directly. As with other returns, it will not matter much what is returned. It could be your item or not., but you will be refunding anyway.
A seller's choices if this should a 'not as described' claim occur are to send money to the buyer to return the item, or refund and let them keep the merchandise for free. This is the same if the GSP is used or not.
Keep in mind that for larger heavier parcels, the GSP costs to the buyer may even be less. Complaints from buyers are typically related to small parcels, and those with a cost below the requirements for additional duty/customs/etc. charges. Since the shipments typically entered the EU through the UK, German buyers were complaining that since Pitney Bowes refused to say what part of the payment was for shipping and what was for duty or taxes, they were forced to pay the related customs fees again.
This might be something to consider in light of the new economic issues related to the UK and EU happening now.
disneyshopper
