Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
I have a Customer in Canada who feels he was unknowingly suckered into this Program and finds that it takes a long time to receive his Orders. In addition, he says that the Program in KY opens and repackages his Items (sometimes very clumsily). In addition, he says that I charge him $1.20 International Postage and Ebay charges him $12.99. I really know very little about the Global Shipping Program and never have used it. I implied to him that he must have signed up for it and its' best to know just what you are signing up for. He says its' difficult to get out of. I say, so just cancel the Order. Thank you.
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At some point one of the updates to eBays ‘User’s Agreement’ automatically enrolled some sellers in the Global Shipping Program. To opt out follow the instructions here https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/setting-shipping-options/global-shipping-program?id=4646
Note that the seller controls if a items gets sold under the Global Shipping Program or not.
Don
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I am interested in the topic but do not understand what is being posted here.
Can someone explain ?
Because to me it sounds like the buyer is in the Global Shipping Programme, not the seller.
Just curious.
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Hi londonbus1!
The Buyer IS in the Global Shipping Program, doesn't want to be, and isn't sure how he got in the Program in the first plave. He recently paid ME (the Seller) $8.00 for an Item he paid Ebay $20.99 for. I Shipped it directly to him. He was/is very happy, but lost $12.99 in the deal. I'd be unhappy too.
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I an also having trouble understanding. Your buyer is in Canada and you shipped it to his Canadian address ? How did it end up at Pitney Bowes in Kentucky ? I didn't evem know that a BUYER could opt into the Global shipping program - I thought it was seller generated.
Hopefully someone can clarify.
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03:53:16pm
Bob,
Buyers are not enrolled in the Global Shipping Program. That is exclusively at the seller's end.
Here is ebay's page explaining the system directed at buyers.
I checked your listings. Some of your listings make use of the GSP, others do not.
It appears to me that you have selected GSP for some of your lots when listing via the "Sell your item" form, probably inadvertently, by accepting a default value on the form.
Might want to check that out.
Roy
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Now it's even more confusing.
Who is Roy talking about ?
Webmaster was confused for the same reason as I. So who can solve the mystery ?
Something here is very wrong.
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04:35:41pm
I thought it was perfectly clear.
"Bob" is "1938324" (couldn't call him that ... sounds like a prison role call).
I have suggested that:
a) GSP is exclusively chosen at the seller's end (I am positive about that, for one reason, because it is only available to US sellers)
"To sell through the Global Shipping Program, you need to have a seller rating of Above Standard or higher, and meet the following criteria:
Your item must be physically located in the US
Your item must be listed for sale on eBay.com"
b) Bob inadvertently listed some of his items using the GSP, as shown by a screen shot of his listings above, and the detail listing of one item also shown.
Roy
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Those of us that use ebay UK have to be careful that we have opted out of the Global Shipping program.
We regularly see shipping charges from US sellers up at $30+ when it should cost a few dollars for shipping.
Never ever ever click on "Sell something similar" on ebay or try any other "shortcut" on ebay always list everything as a one off and check everything you enter, even if you are listing a 100 items!! Complacency can cost you dollars!!
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When I have used the USPS postage calculator and you put a value on it, the mailing prices start at around $15 if you select "Package" size to get International First Class Package rate. If you select large envelope. it puts you in priority mail ($$). It may be a 2 oz envelope but ships as "package".
If you put value at 0, then you see the international letter rate available (over $1)
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"i doubt if the guy that came up with Global Shipping Program is a stamp or cover collector."
As many folks have noticed, eBay has been transitioning away from listings used, lower value items for the last 6-7 years or so; they want to list brand-new BIN consumer items that have UPC bar codes. Why? The IT ‘cost per transaction’ is the same if the listing for a 20 cent used stamp or a $50 brand-new pair of sneakers. But there is much larger support costs (i.e. mediating bad transactions) associated with listings for used items (i.e. ‘not as described’).
eBay has made it very clear that they want to compete with Amazon. In the last decade, Amazon raced past eBay and is now has order of magnitude more transactions, sales, and revenue; eBay shareholders drove the change to their vision and direction and over the past few years the new direction has been rewarding for them (they still have along way to go to catch up to Amazon but are hoping that Amazon gets broken up by regulatory forces).
This has been bad news for our hobby; listing, selling, and shipping small orders of stamps/covers is getting less and less feasible. But note that this is true for any venue, not just eBay. Small online venues face the similar overhead and logistical challenges if they were to grow. There is simply no viable business plan which reads something like “we want to invest a lot of money into a world-wide online company which caters to listing and selling billions of low value transactions”.
I think that there will be more and more smaller online venues including ‘grass-roots’ types of Zoom-based live auctions. We have been doing these at my local club and they have been great fun, are 100% free of any real costs, and offer a way to buy and sell philatelic material. I volunteered to develop the ‘back end’ auction database which allows members to upload there own listings (including high resolution images) that automatically builds an online auction catalog. Other clubs have noticed this approach and I am in-process in implementing the same thing for them (I do not charge them for this).
Don
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02:07:04pm
The Global Shipping Programme is a grand money grab and I would avoid all sellers who adher to it.You are paying for registered mail regardless of the value of what you have purchased.In Canada since the pandemic all registered mail is simply placed in your mail box as ordinary mail.I was told that the individual mail person would sign for it to authenticate its arrival.I see no evidence of this as I have received about 6 registered letters over the last six months.When you track them they show the proper records of leaving the host country but none of them were ever picked up by Canada Post Tracking;they all fall into the category of expensively delivered ordinary mail.In my case all these registered letters come from a new issues dealer in Lithuania.Because the material is valued at 100 to 200 Euros he sends them registered at his cost and charges me the regular ordinary rate for the delivery so I have nothing to complain about.
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I want to wholeheartedly thank everyone who responded to this. I think I demonstrated in spades how I didn't have a clue how this works. Roy - thank you. I have revised a couple of Listings. BrechiniteUK - I HAVE hit "Sell Similar" to expedite a Listing. The GSP box then got triggered. I do have to say, be very careful when Listing on Ebay. They'll get you one way or another. Again, thank you.
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There are still some sellers with large stores that keep their shipping charges reasonable. Back in the late 90's listing was cheap on ebay...then they realized they could keep raising the fees and then added the paypal fee..no fun.
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"I thought it was perfectly clear."
OK. So Bob is in the Global Shipping Programme even though he states in the initial post that he is not.
The GSP is chosen at the sellers end. So how did the buyer get charged so much ? Is it because he is also a seller and in the GSP ?
I am just trying to understand how this system works.
Before anyone replies with some wisecrack remark, please read ALL the posts carefully.
Many thanks.
Londonbus1
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05:56:20pm
Let's take these one at a time:
"Bob is in the Global Shipping Programme even though he states in the initial post that he is not."
No, Bob is correct that he was not enrolled in the GSP, neither by "opting in" nor ebay automatically opting him in (which some people have reported happening to them). Opting in to the program simply means that ALL of your listings will automatically be flagged as being part of the GSP. That could be seen by the fact that not all of his listings were subject to the GSP.
"So how did the buyer get charged so much ? "
It is because Bob made the (easy to do) error of checking the "use GSP" checkbox on SOME individual listings, enrolling THOSE LOTS into the GSP. Bob attributes this to clicking on the "Sell similar" shortcut on an ebay item, and not verifying ALL the fields. Those items got listed with the "Use GSP" checkbox checked. The buyer bought one of those items.
"Is it because he is also a seller and in the GSP ?"
No. The buyer's status has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not the item goes through the GSP. (Other than the fact that he is in a different country). It is exclusively controlled by the sellers' choice to use GSP for international shipping or not ... whether that is through a complete opt-in enrollment on his part, or selecting the GSP option for an individual lot, which was the inadvertent choice Bob made on some of his lots.
As a seller (if you are) in Israel, it won't matter to you, because GSP is only available to USA and UK sellers. As a buyer, just check the shipping details on any lot you are going to bid on and look for the GSP notice that you see in the screenshot of the lot above. If you don't like the shipping, pass on the lot. If you buy it, the seller cannot change the terms because ebay charges the GSP shipping separately and the seller will have no control over the charge (see the link to the ebay buyers page in the previous post).
I hope that helps.
Roy
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OK thanks.
I see now it was the initial post that was confusing to me and (at least) one other.
The initial post looks even more odd now I know more about GSP. Why didn't Bob state that he clicked on GSP by error when listing ?
But no matter.
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Have we ever had a discussion about Ebay's Global Shipping Program, if so, I'd like to read it.
I have a Customer in Canada who feels he was unknowingly suckered into this Program and finds that it takes a long time to receive his Orders. In addition, he says that the Program in KY opens and repackages his Items (sometimes very clumsily). In addition, he says that I charge him $1.20 International Postage and Ebay charges him $12.99. I really know very little about the Global Shipping Program and never have used it. I implied to him that he must have signed up for it and its' best to know just what you are signing up for. He says its' difficult to get out of. I say, so just cancel the Order. Thank you.
Login to Like
this post
re: Ebay's Global Shipping Program
At some point one of the updates to eBays ‘User’s Agreement’ automatically enrolled some sellers in the Global Shipping Program. To opt out follow the instructions here https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/setting-shipping-options/global-shipping-program?id=4646
Note that the seller controls if a items gets sold under the Global Shipping Program or not.
Don
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re: Ebay's Global Shipping Program
I am interested in the topic but do not understand what is being posted here.
Can someone explain ?
Because to me it sounds like the buyer is in the Global Shipping Programme, not the seller.
Just curious.
Login to Like
this post
Approvals
re: Ebay's Global Shipping Program
Hi londonbus1!
The Buyer IS in the Global Shipping Program, doesn't want to be, and isn't sure how he got in the Program in the first plave. He recently paid ME (the Seller) $8.00 for an Item he paid Ebay $20.99 for. I Shipped it directly to him. He was/is very happy, but lost $12.99 in the deal. I'd be unhappy too.
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03:53:01pm
Auctions - Approvals
re: Ebay's Global Shipping Program
I an also having trouble understanding. Your buyer is in Canada and you shipped it to his Canadian address ? How did it end up at Pitney Bowes in Kentucky ? I didn't evem know that a BUYER could opt into the Global shipping program - I thought it was seller generated.
Hopefully someone can clarify.
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BuckaCover.com - 80,000 covers priced 60c to $1.50 - Easy browsing 500 categories
02 Nov 2020
03:53:16pm
re: Ebay's Global Shipping Program
Bob,
Buyers are not enrolled in the Global Shipping Program. That is exclusively at the seller's end.
Here is ebay's page explaining the system directed at buyers.
I checked your listings. Some of your listings make use of the GSP, others do not.
It appears to me that you have selected GSP for some of your lots when listing via the "Sell your item" form, probably inadvertently, by accepting a default value on the form.
Might want to check that out.
Roy
2 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
re: Ebay's Global Shipping Program
Now it's even more confusing.
Who is Roy talking about ?
Webmaster was confused for the same reason as I. So who can solve the mystery ?
Something here is very wrong.
Login to Like
this post
BuckaCover.com - 80,000 covers priced 60c to $1.50 - Easy browsing 500 categories
02 Nov 2020
04:35:41pm
re: Ebay's Global Shipping Program
I thought it was perfectly clear.
"Bob" is "1938324" (couldn't call him that ... sounds like a prison role call).
I have suggested that:
a) GSP is exclusively chosen at the seller's end (I am positive about that, for one reason, because it is only available to US sellers)
"To sell through the Global Shipping Program, you need to have a seller rating of Above Standard or higher, and meet the following criteria:
Your item must be physically located in the US
Your item must be listed for sale on eBay.com"
b) Bob inadvertently listed some of his items using the GSP, as shown by a screen shot of his listings above, and the detail listing of one item also shown.
Roy
3 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
06:23:18pm
Auctions - Approvals
re: Ebay's Global Shipping Program
Those of us that use ebay UK have to be careful that we have opted out of the Global Shipping program.
We regularly see shipping charges from US sellers up at $30+ when it should cost a few dollars for shipping.
Never ever ever click on "Sell something similar" on ebay or try any other "shortcut" on ebay always list everything as a one off and check everything you enter, even if you are listing a 100 items!! Complacency can cost you dollars!!
3 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
re: Ebay's Global Shipping Program
When I have used the USPS postage calculator and you put a value on it, the mailing prices start at around $15 if you select "Package" size to get International First Class Package rate. If you select large envelope. it puts you in priority mail ($$). It may be a 2 oz envelope but ships as "package".
If you put value at 0, then you see the international letter rate available (over $1)
Login to Like
this post
re: Ebay's Global Shipping Program
"i doubt if the guy that came up with Global Shipping Program is a stamp or cover collector."
As many folks have noticed, eBay has been transitioning away from listings used, lower value items for the last 6-7 years or so; they want to list brand-new BIN consumer items that have UPC bar codes. Why? The IT ‘cost per transaction’ is the same if the listing for a 20 cent used stamp or a $50 brand-new pair of sneakers. But there is much larger support costs (i.e. mediating bad transactions) associated with listings for used items (i.e. ‘not as described’).
eBay has made it very clear that they want to compete with Amazon. In the last decade, Amazon raced past eBay and is now has order of magnitude more transactions, sales, and revenue; eBay shareholders drove the change to their vision and direction and over the past few years the new direction has been rewarding for them (they still have along way to go to catch up to Amazon but are hoping that Amazon gets broken up by regulatory forces).
This has been bad news for our hobby; listing, selling, and shipping small orders of stamps/covers is getting less and less feasible. But note that this is true for any venue, not just eBay. Small online venues face the similar overhead and logistical challenges if they were to grow. There is simply no viable business plan which reads something like “we want to invest a lot of money into a world-wide online company which caters to listing and selling billions of low value transactions”.
I think that there will be more and more smaller online venues including ‘grass-roots’ types of Zoom-based live auctions. We have been doing these at my local club and they have been great fun, are 100% free of any real costs, and offer a way to buy and sell philatelic material. I volunteered to develop the ‘back end’ auction database which allows members to upload there own listings (including high resolution images) that automatically builds an online auction catalog. Other clubs have noticed this approach and I am in-process in implementing the same thing for them (I do not charge them for this).
Don
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
02:07:04pm
re: Ebay's Global Shipping Program
The Global Shipping Programme is a grand money grab and I would avoid all sellers who adher to it.You are paying for registered mail regardless of the value of what you have purchased.In Canada since the pandemic all registered mail is simply placed in your mail box as ordinary mail.I was told that the individual mail person would sign for it to authenticate its arrival.I see no evidence of this as I have received about 6 registered letters over the last six months.When you track them they show the proper records of leaving the host country but none of them were ever picked up by Canada Post Tracking;they all fall into the category of expensively delivered ordinary mail.In my case all these registered letters come from a new issues dealer in Lithuania.Because the material is valued at 100 to 200 Euros he sends them registered at his cost and charges me the regular ordinary rate for the delivery so I have nothing to complain about.
Login to Like
this post
Approvals
re: Ebay's Global Shipping Program
I want to wholeheartedly thank everyone who responded to this. I think I demonstrated in spades how I didn't have a clue how this works. Roy - thank you. I have revised a couple of Listings. BrechiniteUK - I HAVE hit "Sell Similar" to expedite a Listing. The GSP box then got triggered. I do have to say, be very careful when Listing on Ebay. They'll get you one way or another. Again, thank you.
Login to Like
this post
Auctions
re: Ebay's Global Shipping Program
There are still some sellers with large stores that keep their shipping charges reasonable. Back in the late 90's listing was cheap on ebay...then they realized they could keep raising the fees and then added the paypal fee..no fun.
Login to Like
this post
re: Ebay's Global Shipping Program
"I thought it was perfectly clear."
OK. So Bob is in the Global Shipping Programme even though he states in the initial post that he is not.
The GSP is chosen at the sellers end. So how did the buyer get charged so much ? Is it because he is also a seller and in the GSP ?
I am just trying to understand how this system works.
Before anyone replies with some wisecrack remark, please read ALL the posts carefully.
Many thanks.
Londonbus1
Login to Like
this post
BuckaCover.com - 80,000 covers priced 60c to $1.50 - Easy browsing 500 categories
03 Nov 2020
05:56:20pm
re: Ebay's Global Shipping Program
Let's take these one at a time:
"Bob is in the Global Shipping Programme even though he states in the initial post that he is not."
No, Bob is correct that he was not enrolled in the GSP, neither by "opting in" nor ebay automatically opting him in (which some people have reported happening to them). Opting in to the program simply means that ALL of your listings will automatically be flagged as being part of the GSP. That could be seen by the fact that not all of his listings were subject to the GSP.
"So how did the buyer get charged so much ? "
It is because Bob made the (easy to do) error of checking the "use GSP" checkbox on SOME individual listings, enrolling THOSE LOTS into the GSP. Bob attributes this to clicking on the "Sell similar" shortcut on an ebay item, and not verifying ALL the fields. Those items got listed with the "Use GSP" checkbox checked. The buyer bought one of those items.
"Is it because he is also a seller and in the GSP ?"
No. The buyer's status has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not the item goes through the GSP. (Other than the fact that he is in a different country). It is exclusively controlled by the sellers' choice to use GSP for international shipping or not ... whether that is through a complete opt-in enrollment on his part, or selecting the GSP option for an individual lot, which was the inadvertent choice Bob made on some of his lots.
As a seller (if you are) in Israel, it won't matter to you, because GSP is only available to USA and UK sellers. As a buyer, just check the shipping details on any lot you are going to bid on and look for the GSP notice that you see in the screenshot of the lot above. If you don't like the shipping, pass on the lot. If you buy it, the seller cannot change the terms because ebay charges the GSP shipping separately and the seller will have no control over the charge (see the link to the ebay buyers page in the previous post).
I hope that helps.
Roy
Login to Like
this post
re: Ebay's Global Shipping Program
OK thanks.
I see now it was the initial post that was confusing to me and (at least) one other.
The initial post looks even more odd now I know more about GSP. Why didn't Bob state that he clicked on GSP by error when listing ?
But no matter.
Login to Like
this post