Global Shipping Program - Sending To Canada Not Available

[startac_fan]

This post is to inform and elicit feedback from the eBay community by bringing attention eBay's response and attitude which, to put it mildly, has been inadequate.

There is a problem which has been going on since late April, for past 2 weeks, as best I can tell. This affects the majority of GSP listings even though not intended by seller. When a seller enables GSP, Canada (and possibly other countries) do not appear in the Ship to countries (should be right after United States which is the case among the few GSP listings not affected) nor drop down selection from the buyer's perspective. Every other country you never heard of is in either the inclusion or exclusion list. Please refer to this post in the Technical forum under the same Subject for details.  https://community.ebay.com/t5/Technical-Issues/Global-Shipping-Program-Sending-To-Canada-Unavailable... (That's for technical problem solving. The post here is to discuss eBay's attitude to the problem.)

I am a buyer who is unable to be so. I brought this to the attention of eBay CS 7 days ago. As you may be aware, they cut service to email only. The first rep wrote back I needed to be on eBay.ca, not .com. That was not the problem. Second rep wrote that indeed it has nothing to do with .ca or .com but that seller has control, suggested making some convoluted arrangement involving invoicing me or that I find another seller. After sending another set of screenshots, the third rep FINALLY acknowledged this is already a KNOWN problem. It's as if the ones before were trying to avert attention until presentation of mounds of proof and my own research comparing listings and shipping methods was irrefutable.

I wrote back that not only is the holding transactions at risk of  buyers losing item they want, sellers have fewer pool of buyers. If that wasn't bad enough for eBayers, I pointed out a larger problem the longer this goes on that trade between Canada and the US (each others' largest trading partners) is restricted at least in this corner of e-commerce, and that in these  extraordinary times, every little bit of help to the economy is needed.

They said their IT department has been made aware if not already aware. Yet the response from eBay has been lack of concern, or at the very least not of high priority. The customer service department isn't willing to escalate is matter to higher administrative level - the fourth CS rep, a department manager, while seemingly friendly told me so to that effect.

Buyers may get the impression sellers are snubbing Canada or other countries affected. Sellers whom I've been in contact were completely unaware. Hence there is this additional problem of misunderstanding.

It is my belief this attitude of indifference is causing losses to eBayers, both buyers and sellers, as well as to eBay corporation let alone to international trade.

[stuff4divas]

Hello, this is one of the Seller News Announcements re shipping changes >

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/Advising-you-about-shipments-during-COVID-19/ba-p/308179...

don't know it helps, but thought you might want to read it over

thank you for the info you provided

[atikovi]

Just ship to Canada directly with USPS.

[pjcdn2005]

The op is a buyer in Canada.

[atikovi]

OK I didn't read the entire novel but then how is it his problem? It would be on the sellers that have to ship direct to Canada with USPS instead.

[pjcdn2005]

I imagine that they consider it a problem because a lot of sellers won't ship directly so there are items that they want to purchase but they can't. 

I have noticed some gsp listings that aren't shipping to Canada that I don't think are restricted but I'm not sure if that is glitch or intentional.

[atikovi]

They can always use a forwarding company in the U.S. to ship it to. Not ideal because of the extra costs but I've done that in Germany when a seller won't ship to the USA and it was an item I couldn't find anywhere else.

[startac_fan]

To add to my previous posting, the forest over the trees is that a couple hours outage would hardly be noticeable, couple days may be tolerable, but seriously TWO WEEKS without resolution (on what seems to be a simple problem) by a world class company?! Simple problem because all they have to do is compare the few GSP listings with shipping to Canada enabled.

It's not IT department incompetency as much as will which I think it's coming from management. Hence when I wrote of "indifference", it's really their attitude towards what is in fact a serious problem for buyers, sellers, eBay itself because of fees they don't get to collect and, in the bigger picture, that little bit of the economy. Despite 3 requests in emails over the past week, they have not posted a reply to my post in the Technical forum (link given above) let alone broadcasting in a Seller News Announcement despite wide effect of the problem.

stuff4divas: one of the Seller News Announcements re shipping changes
Thank you. Only, it's not directly applicable to the subject matter of this topic. When I received a USPS and GSP package recently, both arrived later than usual. Aside from that, business as usual with USPS. Canada is not among USPS's no go countries because of the virus thing. And GSP uses USPS any ways.

atikov: sellers that have to ship direct to Canada with USPS instead
pjcdn2005: a lot of sellers won't ship directly
That is correct. Of 4 sellers contact, 2 stated they will not change from GSP, 1 was reluctant to do so, 1 was willing to send by USPS instead. I said it the other post, and should have mentioned here, that this affects ONLY GSP listings, but USPS International is fine as always.

pijcdn2005: I have noticed some gsp listings that aren't shipping to Canada that I don't think are restricted but I'm not sure if that is glitch or intentional.
Exactly what I've been saying. But it's not "some" but rather most if not almost all now. It's that severe but issue does not seem to be priority with eBay. Not intentional on part of the shipper from those I contacted, regardless whether they are willing to switch to USPS or not.

atikovi: use a forwarding company in the US...not ideal because of the extra costs
You've just described GSP which uses USPS as its carrier.