DANGER GLOBAL SHIPPING PROGRAM IS SEIZING AUDIO VACUUM TUBES AND DESTROYING THEM

[hipofomoco406]

Hi everyone, My name is George and I have been selling and buying on ebay for 20 years with several accounts, selling mostly vintage Audio Equipment, Vintage Tubes and vintage Ford parts and always with excellent feedback ratings.

I am now down to one account and trying to sell off my remaining excess since I am now in my 70s.

I have been through the good and bad and dealt with all of it but this time I cannot let ebay and the Global Shipping Program get away with what they are doing.

I sold a very nice pair of Amperex Bugle Boy 12AX7 tubes to a gentleman in Australia as I have done hundreds of times in the past but this time I sent them through the GSP (Global Shipping Program), 3 day after I shipped them I got notification that they arrived at the GSP warehouse, Later that day I got an email from an upset buyer and then the emails from someone at GSP,....

I telephone ebay and got the usual runaround but all day I kept calling and finally got a hold of a young man who stated he would investigate and call me back which to his credit, he did.

What he told me was this:

There is now way to get in contact with anyone at GSP and they will not contact me.

Now here is the important information that was told to me on a recorded line so it is there for anyone to hear it direct from ebay.

He also told me that in the communication from the GSP he was told that since these were Audio / Vacuum Tubes they were made with MERCURY and therefore cannot be shipped and have to be destroyed!

YES, YOU DID READ IT RIGHT!!!

 Sellers beware, you can no longer sell tubes on ebay safely!!!

What if they extend it to anything that has TUBES in it????

Is anything with Tubes in it going to be safe????

Here is the email from the GPS in full;

" RESTRICTED ITEM

Dear George,
We are writing to inform you that your recent transaction sold through the Global Shipping Program to [tse-audio-visual] cannot be completed.
The item in question has been deemed restricted. This could be due to import/shipping restrictions or eligibility requirements within the Global Shipping Program. The item will not be shipped forward to its final destination and will not be returned to you.

Don’t worry! Your buyer will be notified and refunded automatically by eBay within 72 hours. You will retain the buyer’s original payment. At this time, the transaction is considered complete, and no further action is needed.
Visit our help page to learn more about item eligibility, dimensional requirements, and prohibited items.

Two Amperex Bugle Boy 12AX7 ECC83 Audio Tubes Tested Excellent Good Graphics Sold for: $100.00 Item number: 133051140585 Item sold on: Jun 12, 2019 06:10 PDT Quantity sold: 1 Buyer: tse-audio-visual

• We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. If you need additional assistance, please visit the Seller Center..
  As always, thank you for selling on eBay.
  - The Global Shipping Program  Team "

• That's it How are we to sell tubes and gear with this new **bleep** imposed on us????
• Ebay had better take notice of this as there are MILLIONS of Audio / Vacuum Tubes sold on here, it is probably at least 25% of their business.
• Am I the first this has happened to or am I just the first to be **bleep** enough to put it in writing?

[orangehound]

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@hipofomoco406 wrote:

He also told me that in the communication from the GSP he was told that since these were Audio / Vacuum Tubes they were made with MERCURY and therefore cannot be shipped and have to be destroyed!

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Mercury can't be shipped ... GSP Personnel are not trained to distinguish tubes with mercury and those without ... so they block all tube shipments.

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 Sellers beware, you can no longer sell tubes on ebay safely!!!

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You can sell them (at least those that don't contain hazardous materials), just not through the Global Shipping Program.

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Am I the first this has happened to or am I just the first to be **bleep** enough to put it in writing?

---

Others have experienced and reported the same thing over the last couple of years.

[lastfairdeal]

You were able to keep the buyers payment?

[anthology-of-treasures]

They would probably call in the nuclear bomb squad if opened the box and found this vacuum tube grain tester.

[scga912]

Since they can be sold, just not through GSP, Pitney Bowes will not destroy them but likely liquidate them instead through one of their vendors.

You kept your money.  The buyer was refunded.  Because of restrictions, they never should've been allowed to be listed through the GSP, but since they did get through, that's why they took financial responsibility.

We've read posts similar to yours regarding tubes.... and other items as well.

You can list them without the GSP.

[glgenterprise]

Yet another reason I won't use GSP. I have sold many tube audio pieces and sent them overseas. Europe, Asia - no issues. I remove the tubes and wrap them separately, but they ship in the same box. I've never had a single one get confiscated.

I did have a Chinese repair shop buy a whole box of tubes from me - I would only sell to him if he used a freight forwarding service. I wasn't going to take the risk of losing a high dollar sale to the Chinese import office.

They are telling you they are destroying them - but as someone else said, I'd be surprised. They sell abandoned shipments off in lots, I'd almost guarantee.

[electrola_man]

I would have figured certain tubes like the mercury rectifiers would not be allowed, but I'm surprised at 12AX7s.  I've heard enough about the GSP that I never use it, and I never ship internationally anymore, either.

[wogd0g]

Hi, I have just had the same problem, bought about 160 tubes in 2 different lots, now my 3rd different lot has been stopped, with a email notification today. All of them have them stopped by their Pitney shipping program. Absolutely ridiculous. Tried to contact them about it, and as anyone would find trying to contact eBay, it is as well ridiculously hard as well. Had no luck & lost the lot of them. Tell me eBay, why can any other postal service ship them with no problems (no deaths, plane crashes, explosions from a single tube ever in transit), except your eBay's shipping program? There is a major ill advised idiot in their department somewhere?
Regards,
A very peeved off buyer.

[wogd0g]

Hi eBay, well you better start some more dangerous goods restrictions of your tube Mercury fear. Here are more items that contain Mercury, probably a lot more then some rare tubes;

Includes fluorescent bulbs, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), high intensity discharge (HID) lamps, ultraviolet lamps, neon lights.
antiques such as barometers, clock pendulums, mirrors, vases and organs contain mercury.
Older model electric appliances including chest freezers, space heaters, clothes dryers, clothes irons and washing machines may contain mercury switches.
Switches are products or devices that open or close an electrical circuit, or a liquid or gas valve. They are used in trunks and hoods, heated car rear windows, acceleration sensors for air bags and seatbelts and anti-lock braking systems. Automotive relays are products or devices that open or close electrical contacts to control the operation of other devices in the same or another electrical circuit.
Some batteries.
over-the-counter and prescription pharmaceutical products. These include: antibiotics; blood pressure cuffs; contact lens solution; dental amalgam; diuretics; ear and eye drops; eye ointment; hemorrhoid relief ointment; Mercurochrome; nasal spray; and thermometers.
The recoil suppressor unit of rifles may contain mercury to absorb and dampen shock. Mercury is also used in stabilizers in archery bows, and in switches in fishing tip-up lights.

So seriously drop the Vacuum tube restrictions. 

[access-2]

Hello Everyone,

I wanted to add my voice to this very sad situation.

I'm a regular tubes buyer on eBay since several years now.

Since the introduction of this fabulous Global Shipping Program by eBay, I have seen more and more tubes or tubes related equipment being seized and destructed by the GSP!

It now became a real plague with about one shipment out if five that is ending up this way when going through this shipping program and things just seem to worsen than ever; I just saw one of my order for audio TRANSFORMERS being trashed and refund by them.

So, if you are a serious vacuum tubes seller and/or tubes lover, I therefore strongly suggest you to opt out from this program that seems so appealing to the sellers … but that is, in reality, a real scam and source of frustration for the buyers. Moreover, it’s a real shame for eBay to trash those tubes or tube related rarities!

I'm now trying to avoid sellers that use the Global Shipping Program when purchasing tubes to avoid such frustrations. USPS International is working so well for shipments to Canada! I NEVER had shipping problem with USPS. NEVER.

[simba6]

There is no mercury in a 12AX7 or any consumer vacuum tubes for that matter.  GSP has always been clueless.  After all what does the shiny getter spot look like?
You think they would hire anyone that would know? That would cost more than untrained workers.

[kmauseth]

I swear they have taken my VR valve index controllers, because they think they are valve vacuum tubes. 

[pepal_2007]

Looks like eBay is going to loose a lot of business on this issue and to think that the theft by the GPS seems to be immune from any prosecution makes my blood boil. Since my old vintage radio was stopped and disappeared into the ether they have lost all my business forever -  good by eBay

[kh-gary]

Hi everyone,

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

Thank you for understanding.