Issues with Global Shipping Program for combined shipments

[curiouserandcuriouser]

I'm having a serious problem with the way eBay handles Global Shipping for combined purchases in one shipment.

Had a buyer in Germany purchase 4 posters at auction, which I combined into one shipping tube. eBay would not allow me to send a revised invoice for a combined shipment. The only way to process the transaction was to have the buyer pay shipping 4 times (one for each poster) to the US Global Shipping Center, and I then had to go back to PayPal and refund them the difference. I then had to call eBay to ask them to credit fees associated with the additional shipping charges.

Further, the buyer advised that they were being charged customs on each listing, rather than as a single shipment. Here is his description:

"I have to pay customs of 19 % also on the shipping costs and when I pay 4 times shipping I have 4 times to pay customs and when you send back on the difference with paypal I lost 3 times of customs."

"I often buy posters in the US and never have these problems ... If I bought something, the seller from the United States shipped the goods and gives the value exactly (outside on the package) ... then the package automatically goes to German customs and I get a notification. Then I have to submit a customs application and pay import tax (no customs, because art is duty-free in Germany). if i original Chagall or Picasso posters bought so I have to pay only 7% single tax (reduced rate on original art) ..... if I had received these 4 posters as a normal program (without this stupid "ebay program") then I would have for the entire shipment only have to pay 1 time shipping and only 7% tax !!! that means I have lost a lot of money by choosing this program .... Other Ebayers in USA can sell without the program.
o.k .... I have made the payment and will not buy anything next time what is set with this "International Program"

I find this to be a flaw in the Global Shipping program, and it's making me consider opting out of it altogether. Is there no other way to handle this issue? Can the policy be altered to make combined shipping possible?

[missjen831]

You can’t really give combined shipping discounts if you use the gsp. If there are any discounts, they will be shown in the cart. The only way to avoid this is is to not use the GSP. eBay has no plans to change this. They make more money this way. They do sometimes give combined discounts when the buyer uses the cart and checks out in a single transaction but not always. There’s no way to avoid this other than opting out of the GSP.

[pjcdn2005]

If the buyer uses a cart, the shipping will automatically be combined for the gsp.  If they pay for each one separately then they are charged separately and there is no way for you to change that. I suppose that you could cancel and refund and put all the items in one listing for the buyer to purchase but other than that, I don't see a solution.

Aren't auctions automatically put into the cart so that a buyer can pay for them all at once?

[pjcdn2005]

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@missjen831 wrote:

You can’t really give combined shipping discounts if you use the gsp. If there are any discounts, they will be shown in the cart. The only way to avoid this is is to not use the GSP. eBay has no plans to change this. They make more money this way. They do sometimes give combined discounts when the buyer uses the cart and checks out in a single transaction but not always. There’s no way to avoid this other than opting out of the GSP.

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Jen as far as I know they always give a discount for shipping when the cart is used. I've never seen an instance where they didn't.

[curiouserandcuriouser]

That is not my buyer's experience. They wouldn't pay shipping and customs fees 4 times if it wasn't necessary. I called eBay twice about this issue and they said there was nothing that could be done regarding the Global Shipping program. So I am taking Global Shipping off as an option, and trying to advocate for my foreign buyers to change the policy.

[missjen831]

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@pjcdn2005 wrote:

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@missjen831 wrote:

You can’t really give combined shipping discounts if you use the gsp. If there are any discounts, they will be shown in the cart. The only way to avoid this is is to not use the GSP. eBay has no plans to change this. They make more money this way. They do sometimes give combined discounts when the buyer uses the cart and checks out in a single transaction but not always. There’s no way to avoid this other than opting out of the GSP.

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Jen as far as I know they always give a discount for shipping when the cart is used. I've never seen an instance where they didn't.

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I am pretty sure they don't always give a discount because I have seen instances where it hasn't given one. On OP's listings for example, there is no combined discount when multiple items are in the cart. even the domestic shipping is not discounted.

[ekwahyuajinugroh0]

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@curiouserandcuriouser wrote:

I'm having a serious problem with the way eBay handles Global Shipping for combined purchases in one shipment.

Had a buyer in Germany purchase 4 posters at auction, which I combined into one shipping tube. eBay would not allow me to send a revised invoice for a combined shipment. The only way to process the transaction was to have the buyer pay shipping 4 times (one for each poster) to the US Global Shipping Center, and I then had to go back to PayPal and refund them the difference. I then had to call eBay to ask them to credit fees associated with the additional shipping charges.

Further, the buyer advised that they were being charged customs on each listing, rather than as a single shipment. Here is his description:

"I have to pay customs of 19 % also on the shipping costs and when I pay 4 times shipping I have 4 times to pay customs and when you send back on the difference with paypal I lost 3 times of customs."

"I often buy posters in the US and never have these problems ... If I bought something, the seller from the United States shipped the goods and gives the value exactly (outside on the package) ... then the package automatically goes to German customs and I get a notification. Then I have to submit a customs application and pay import tax (no customs, because art is duty-free in Germany). if i original Chagall or Picasso posters bought so I have to pay only 7% single tax (reduced rate on original art) ..... if I had received these 4 posters as a normal program (without this stupid "ebay program") then I would have for the entire shipment only have to pay 1 time shipping and only 7% tax !!! that means I have lost a lot of money by choosing this program .... Other Ebayers in USA can sell without the program.
o.k .... I have made the payment and will not buy anything next time what is set with this "International Program"

I find this to be a flaw in the Global Shipping program, and it's making me consider opting out of it altogether. Is there no other way to handle this issue? Can the policy be altered to make combined shipping possible?

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I finally realized that GSP doesn't do combine shipping. It is not available for GSP, I must conclude.

Too bad, I must say.

[kh-ornesh]

Hi everyone,

Due to the length of time that has passed since this thread began, we have locked it from future replies. If this is still an issue that warrants discussion, don't hesitate to begin a new thread HERE

Thanks.