eBay Global Shipping Program mandatory 'Opt-In'
 

This is just a heads-up to those members who sell on eBay that they might find they've been 'opted in' to the Global Shipping Program (GSP) without their knowledge.

I handle online sales for a local antiques/collectables shop and noticed whilst packing items which had sold over the weekend that several were listed for dispatch under the GSP. This was unusual, as for several reasons we don't touch it with a bargepole; on raising the issue with the guv'nor he found that our eBay shop had been opted in without his knowledge (as he has an even lower opinion of the GSP than I) and then had to opt out of it. Having little choice but to honour those sales already made the items have been shipped as required to the "Global Shipping Centre" so we wait with bated breath to hear if the buyer/s receive them in good order - i'll keep you posted if there are any repercussions.

I hope this is of help to someone, all the best

Graham

Graham,

That has happened to me in the past. I deliberately opted "out" when the system was introduced and then later found that I had somehow (not by me) opted "in". I suspect that eBay may be having difficulty in getting people to use it and are (perhaps) engineering its use by other means. That said, its a commonly used system (I notice) by sellers in the US.

I concur with you, steer well clear of it. Its another money making eBay "rip off", which from what I see, does not favour seller or buyer.

Best wishes, Dave.

I don't sell much on eBay, but learned that unless you select no to that option, it is the one automatically selected. Doesn't seem ethical to me, because that option is a TOTAL rip-off!

Terry

On a related theme I have noticed that eBay has recently dropped their internal tracking system introduced last year which placed an alpha numeric code in the middle of the buyers UK address. In 'Print labels and post - print postage label' this caused addresses to become confused with eBay suggesting that the postal town should come before the area or village etc.

Tim

Hi Tim

Yes, I noticed the introduction of that, it seems to have dropped off sharply although not entirely. They've also recently made it mandatory for payments, after deuctions, to go straignt into a bank account largely cutting out Paypal. No skin off my nose as I'm only an emplyee so do as I'm directed, but a massive headache for my boss.

Graham

I once emailed a dealer that I was about to bid on one of his items when I noticed that he used global, I would not bid. I explained that I trusted the Royal Mail at their at that time 8.75 GBPs for a tracked and signed for delivery. At over 24.0 GBPs, global claimed they looked after any import duties or associated costs. I knew immediately that that was a load of rubbish because the item was NOT subject to duty. He replied that he did not realise what he was getting into and would gladly ship my item via R.M. If I were a successful bidder.
Plainly, Global are a RIP-Off! D.J.

For purely personal reasons [I haven't got to individually do international postage rates & customs docs.] it is the only method I will use to send overseas.
The biggest plus, is that once an item has arrived at the hub, they assume all responsibility for its onwards journey. Pushing providence here, but the only issue we have had [so far] is if an item is lost by Royal Mail between here and there.

I do agree that the need to 'opt out' is annoying, but not half as annoying that all business sellers must now use the 'managed payments' programme.
T

Have you considered how much overseas business you may be loosing by using this dubious GSP system? I know that a large number of potential UK buyers (myself included) will not buy from (for example) anyone in the US who uses the GSP. That being the case, its reasonable to assume that there will be overseas buyers who look at your listings, see mention of the GSP and are immediately disinclined to buy from you. What concerns me more than anything else is the apparent ease which this system "collects" customs duty, which in many cases is not even payable on the goods in question, but which is paid by the buyer. What happens to that cash - into whose pocket does it disappear?

Dave.

Dave
Actually I have, and to be honest, as someone who is ‘on the wind down’ (yeah right) it is not my greatest concern at the moment.
T

I agree - I'm one of these buyers who avoids all sellers who only ship via GSP. As a buyer its a monumental ripoff and adds no value at all to me.

Mick

I also avoid sellers who use Global Shipping. I don't mind paying a fair amount for shipping, but never like being ripped off. I figure another badge will come along and if not, then I wasn't meant to have it.

Terry

I reluctantly agree to use GSP (this has a term that I and my friend describe in somewhat vulgar terms that I will not divulge...).

By and large, items have arrived in fairly good order but I had one item take nearly three months AND it bore a large tyre mark across it, with the package being torn. Contents still intact! Must have been that old ex-RN anchor that I bought....:rolleyes:

OK, we can't blame this one necessarily on GSP but it seems odd that most other postage involving private sellers has never had this treatment (ok, one utter dreamer who sent a lovely enamel badge overseas in an ordinary envelope surrounded by a sheet of writing paper- badge barely contained within "packaging":mad:)

Maybe like others, I will be a lot more careful about bidding on lots...

Hi,

as an Ebay buyer, I did have a few strange/unwelcome cases with this GSP: e.g. for some low value items, GSP cost was worth 2,5 times the purchase value of the item. Consequently, I did not bid, as I always paid attention to pay only reasonnable (packaging+)shipping costs (even before GSP was introduced).

I missed quite a bunch of interesting auctions due to this new GSP.

Cheers,

JD

Hi JD

Yes, I see that we have "shared experiences". For me, it is the historical value of the object as opposed to what it is "worth".

That being said, buying something for 10 pounds and paying 15 pounds for GSP, not to mention the "sales tax" that is added, makes no sense...

I see someone else is wondering where that "sales tax" ends up. # Me Too!
:confused:

Hi Dumdum,

Welcome aboard! :(

Another interesting issue with this GSP is that once ‘selected’ by seller, once the auction is closed & won by someone, there is no way to then agree between seller & buyer on an alternative shipping (typically cheaper, at buyer/my pre-shipping agreed full risks) mean. About ~ one year ago, when this new stuff was introduced, I won an auction w/i having noticed the GSP shipping was On & very expensive. Once auction was won, the seller accepted to try to reduce the shipping price by re-putting the same auction for sale on Ebay, with different shipping method, on Buy it now mode this time @ the price I had won the auction. Guess what happened? Someone else was faster than myself to bid & win the auction? I was grey...

Cheers,

JD