For sellers on eBay

[VVV]

By now I assume that most of the frequent international buyers have noticed the Global Shipping Program on eBay.
In short it seems to be a new way for eBay to charge more fees on their transactions.
Instead of paying the import tax when receiving the blade, with the Global Shipping Program the buyer pays it in advance to one of eBay's partners and on top of that a hefty fee to cover the partner's completely unnecessary service.
Without this service you pay the same import tax when actually receiving the blade and without any extra handling fees.
Please all eBay sellers, try to avoid adding this new rip off.
I will for sure lower my max bids on eBay for sellers where I am forced to use this "service" so in the end it will also hurt the sellers.

Michael

[carlos]

The last week was impossible to bid in one sword because this service don, t allow to bid. In his rules is impossible send edged weapons to my country, but the seller allow. Finally J could, t bid !
:mad:

Carlos

[A. G. Maisey]

I don't sell keris & etc on ebay, but I do get various odds and ends that I want to get rid of listed on ebay for me, by a relative. Currently I have a couple of things listed --- a trailer and some travel gear --- and because of this I have become aware of just how ridiculous ebay has become:- it seems that they implement change simply for the sake of change.

Here in Australia it is no longer possible for a prospective buyer to read the complete refund conditions for a sale, they simply get "cash back 3 days", which is not at all any sort of indication of refund conditions.

Indication of true postage cost is another problem.

As far as I can see these couple of things can only be effectively dealt with by including explanation in the item description.

Now they have implemented this silly thing that Michael has mentioned. I have read the info on this just before I wrote this post. It seems that if a seller does not wish to use this service, he does not need to use it. For those who do buy & sell on ebay the answer seems to be simple:- sellers do not use the facility; buyers do not buy from sellers who do use the facility.

[Lee]

Here is a thread over at the NMB (http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=17794) where the eBay global shipping program is condemned.

[Sajen]

The last week was impossible to bid in one sword because this service don, t allow to bid. In his rules is impossible send edged weapons to my country, but the seller allow. Finally J could, t bid !
:mad:

Carlos

Hello Carlos,

I have had the same problem lately!

Detlef

[Sajen]

My first experience with the Global Shipping Program was a good one. This gunong: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=17872&highlight=gunong was shipped by this service, I have received it after one and a half week without problems direct at my door, so I haven't had any problems with local customs (you will know why ;) ) and I wasn't angry about the high shipping cost. But by all other statements given here and the other thread Lee have posted I have to agree, I prefer to wait a little bit longer and pay much less tax at my local customs.

Regards,
Detlef

[kahnjar1]

I recently bought an item from a seller in the USA who uses the Global Shipping Program. I would NEVER do so again. The seller was located in Colorado and my parcel destined for New Zealand left there on Sept 18th. The nearest International airports with direct service to New Zealand are San Francisco and Los Angeles so one would logically think that is where the parcel would have headed but NO......... Following the tracking details it then went on a tour of the US before finally being despatched to it's international destination on Sept 30th. Before leaving the US it went from Colorado to Grove City OH, to Indianapolis IN, to Erlanger KY, to Columbus OH, before disappearing off the tracking scope to its international destination. I finally received it on Oct 8th.
Some comments about this system. It is portrayed as being fast and cheap. In fact it is slow and very expensive compared with USPS services.
It may be a good system for US residents, but for non US residents it is a method of shipping to be avoided.
I do not for one moment blame the seller as he has signed up to a program which no doubt has been marketed to make more money for Ebay. Great for them I guess, but NOT for buyers who end up being forced to use it.
Any comments from others who have experienced poor service as a result of this system?
Stu

[A.alnakkas]

I recently bought an item from a seller in the USA who uses the Global Shipping Program. I would NEVER do so again. The seller was located in Colorado and my parcel destined for New Zealand left there on Sept 18th. The nearest International airports with direct service to New Zealand are San Francisco and Los Angeles so one would logically think that is where the parcel would have headed but NO......... Following the tracking details it then went on a tour of the US before finally being despatched to it's international destination on Sept 30th. Before leaving the US it went from Colorado to Grove City OH, to Indianapolis IN, to Erlanger KY, to Columbus OH, before disappearing off the tracking scope to its international destination. I finally received it on Oct 8th.
Some comments about this system. It is portrayed as being fast and cheap. In fact it is slow and very expensive compared with USPS services.
It may be a good system for US residents, but for non US residents it is a method of shipping to be avoided.
I do not for one moment blame the seller as he has signed up to a program which no doubt has been marketed to make more money for Ebay. Great for them I guess, but NOT for buyers who end up being forced to use it.
Any comments from others who have experienced poor service as a result of this system?
Stu

Not only that, ordering arms can be risky with that service. I had 2 knives ordered from the US (newly made) and both were seized when sent through the Global Shipping Program. I was reimbursed and supposedly even the seller kept his money. I thought its strange, until a similar thing happened to a friend too. He was reimbursed and so was the seller.. turns out all items that are 'restricted' get held by wherever this GSP gathers items and then auctioned off.

[kahnjar1]

Hi Lofty,
Hmmm............so this is not an isolated case!
I should also have added that the parcel Customs label originally applied by the seller, accurately describing the item, was replaced at some stage during it's journey, I assume by Pitney Bowes who seem to be the GSP "middleman". The item description was also changed to read different to what the parcel contents actually was. Luckily when it arrived in NZ it was not opened by our Customs. Had it been opened and found to be different to the stated contents, it is highly likely to have been seized.
Also I did contact Ebay Customer Service to express my concerns, but the reply from them did not address the actual issue, and only pointed out that the estimated delivery date had not yet been exceeded!
You know the story about the Ostrich with it's head buried in the sand............. :rolleyes:

[Sajen]

Not only that, ordering arms can be risky with that service. I had 2 knives ordered from the US (newly made) and both were seized when sent through the Global Shipping Program. I was reimbursed and supposedly even the seller kept his money. I thought its strange, until a similar thing happened to a friend too. He was reimbursed and so was the seller.. turns out all items that are 'restricted' get held by wherever this GSP gathers items and then auctioned off.


I have had the same experience, I have lost this beauty: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=17969&highlight=minasbad by this "Global Shipping Program" :mad: :(
They seems to think that weapons not allowed to import to Germany and many other countries. It was the same, both, seller and buyer were reimbursed from them. I never will buy again from sellers who use this program and let ship to Germany. I am glad that I have shipping addresses in the States.

[Sajen]

Also I did contact Ebay Customer Service to express my concerns, but the reply from them did not address the actual issue, and only pointed out that the estimated delivery date had not yet been exceeded!
You know the story about the Ostrich with it's head buried in the sand............. :rolleyes:

I have had many phones with ebay customer service Germany, States and as well with paypal because I want to get back my minasbad, they just not interested. :shrug:

[kahnjar1]

Seems to me that this "service" is NOT a service at all, and that my thoughts about it are shared with others here, and no doubt from other Forums as well.
I guess those of us who live outside the USA, have probably learned that we should carefully consider the potential problems of buying from sellers using the Global Shipping Program if we want shipping to go smoothly.
Personally I do not understand why a seller would go away from the excellent and trustworthy service provided by USPS!

[Sajen]

I just start this "auction" by ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/301765413577?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

[kahnjar1]

I just start this "auction" by ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/301765413577?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
....that could be interesting!!