That Wonderful Global Shipping Program

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2d-BLUE-4...AOSwB09YOagc

The absurdities of ebay's highly touted program are amply illustrated by this listing. A stamp reproduction listing at 1.99 Sterling can be shipped to US buyers from the paltry sum of 10.35!

Does this seller have any idea how this looks? If he were selling the genuine stamp it actually might be worth it for the additional protection. For a copy it is nonsense. Bet he sells a lot over here

Its not even a real stamp, reproduction, he wants $17 post to Australia, rediculous

Postage:
GBP 10.67 (approx. AU $17.06) Express Postage to Australia

The postage rates like these killed the fun of buying more stamps, I used to buy many more till GSP came in. Totally nuts. Says he sold 25 of them to. 25 sold???

It may well be that, like others, he's followed ebay's pull to use the GSP without realising what it entails in terms of killing most overseas sales.

This seems to be getting worse. I was on this morning and noticed several one or two stamp lots on ebay from sellers in Europe with an $11.00 flat shipping charge. No thanks.

For a collection, maybe. For one stamp? The sellers probably feel they get additional security/protection using this thing. Fine, but that is not made up for by the inevitable loss of sales. In effect this erects a barrier on overseas purchases for buyers.

But Americans are just as bad with the GSP. I have seen $20+ to send 1 stamp to Canada.

Shipping is getting very expensive in all countries except from China.

Most collections from Europe are now 20€ plus to send to Canada. Our dollar is worthless so we pay about 40% on top of the going rates from the US and Europe.

I am having an order sent from Europe and postage was $120 Canadian.

What it boils down to, is if you want it, you will pay. If shipping is more than you want to pay, don't buy.

Example, I buy from the US and US shipping is $13.00 or so and if I want it sent to Canada, it is over $70 US from many sellers. I have a US address because of these charges.

Don't just pick on the Europeans as everyone is guilty of the same, including the post offices who just keep gouging.

Not only can it be more expensive, but it can also take longer because the seller has to first ship the item to the global shipping center and then the item is sent from there to the buyer.

California buyers also should be aware that the state Franchise Tax Board has begun aggressively pursuing the collection of California use tax on imported goods of all kinds. Customs brokers within California are required to report all transactions that land at ports in California to the FTB. The FTB inspects the documents and if the consignee is a CA resident and there is no indication that CA use tax was paid, the FTB will send an enforcement letter demanding the tax payment. Use tax has the same rates as local sales tax.

Don't ask me how I know. It involved the purchase of antiques at a flea market in Paris, which the French merchant then dutifully shipped to me with all proper customs paperwork via a customs broker in LA who dutifully e-reported the port landing to FTB. Six months later, I received a $250 use tax bill from FTB. My understanding is that this is FTB's response to perceived revenue losses from internet sales. In any case, it has ended all my interest in buying antiques in France, which I had done several times. Once you factor in the hassle of getting a remission of VAT at the CDG airport, and tax, it is no bargain. Now the only things I'll buy are those that I can carry home.

Chris

Anyone else reading this getting the sinking feeling that we are living the closing days of an era? That so many barriers have been erected to commerce- all with good intentions- that commerce itself will get strangled by the red tape?

Yes, I see two "barriers". On one hand, states and countries are desperately looking to recoup tax dollars lost by the demise of "brick and mortar" vendors. On the other hand, shippers (and PayPal) are cashing in on the need for secure transactions.

The international standard price from GB to the US or Canada starts at £2.27 for a small letter of up to 100 grams, which should accommodate quite a few stamps. We then jump to £3.15 for a large letter up to 100 gms, £4.75 up to 250 gms, £7.45 up to 500 gms and £10.15 up to 750 gms. Not cheap, but not ridiculous, depending on the value and volume of the stamps. The GSP increases these prices to the ridiculous.

Most of the time Global shipping is overpriced, but for heavy object, sometime they make mistake and you save a lot. I receive a box of 60 pounds last month and cost me $ 19 shipping from Utah...But $ 75 for a Scott album, come on

ebay has a strong vested interest in driving up the average sale price per listing. If every seller were to combine their listings so that ebay had no listings left under $25, they would be ecstatic. ebay is doing whatever they can to drive sellers to assemble bigger listings and transactions.

They also have a strong desire to decrease transaction mediations, this is a monstrous support and logistical cost for them.

Obviously ebay policies have been evolving over the years to meet these objectives.
Don

Which is a 180 degree turn around from ebay's days of pushing people to start auctions at 99 cents. The GSP is also one of the few ways ebay and Pitney Bowes can profit directly off the buyer.

If ebay ever made the GSP program mandatory, my international market would dry up overnight and probably would kill much of the stamp business there anyway. I would leave ebay and never look back. While the GSP program might work for large objects and some types of goods, it's horrible for small collectables that can be mailed at letter rates.

Had done the right thing sending tracked buyer claimed from his bank $159 his bank asked paypal to reverse my $159 and they took it straight out of my paypal acc. I attached proofs tracking that I sent it but online POD not good enough. Still don't have my money back. GSP is just an expensive operation to get things tracked. But I ask what is the point of tracked / registered when you will loose on any open case against you? Buyer had even left positive feedbacks. Sending tracked is a waste of time in my view for low value orders. If GSP is forced that will be the end. Be aware to that Australian Goft is now trying to force a tax 10% on all online sales. This will probably cripple many Oz ebay sellers businesses. I am already struggling with the fees and see no money in 99c sales. Good if you can be sure you get multiple bidders and a high end price, bad if you get one bidder on a high value item. The cost of running ebay is becoming really hard there is a tight margin and very little profit unless you sell high prices on everything and get buyers. Don't know what this will be like in another 5 years. I have now started putting covers up on instagram and getting noticed.

The Global Shipping Program could be useful if sellers could pick and choose which countries or items are affected. It could be useful for stamps, covers or lots selling for more than $400 or for shipping to certain countries where the postal service lacks security or is unwilling to keep mail dry. Another down side of the GSP program relates to copyrighted items. If delivery fails, the GSP vendor can "resell" the item, potentially violating copyright restrictions.

As ebay continues to promote half-baked one-size-fits-all solutions, sellers of lower cost or light weight paper items like stamps will continue to be on the losing end of the bargain. Under current ebay tracking rules for Top Rated Sellers, it costs less to mail stamps to Canada or worldwide than to addresses in the United States. Go figure.

Haven't listed anything on ebay for awhile now, but putting on my seller's hat for a moment.

This whole 'tracking' thing is getting ridiculous. I have sold a $2.00 stamp, sent it in an envelope with a Forever stamp (and charged that amount for postage), then been upbraided for 'not providing tracking'. What the heck? It is a $2.00 stamp. I am not making anything on it anyway. ebay hypes the whole tracking thing and buyers just expect it as a matter of course. On items sent outside the country, yes, I see that. A small domestic order? Put a stamp on it and drop it in the nearest mailbox.

Some folks who complain about sellers should try it themselves a few times. Not as easy as they may think. Hat off, now.

cfrhoto- You nailed it. One size fits all. apparently a seller cannot pick which shipments to assign to Global Shipping. Thus the absurdity of $11 shipping being asked for one stamp selling for a few dollars.If ebay keeps promoting this nonsense it will eventually dry up opportunities to buy items from foreign vendors.