Lots of Horror Stories on E-bays Global Shipping Program

[emazers]

I Advanced Hi, Ed! Daily Deals My eBay Sell Community Customer Support Cart Search|Advanced Search in Home > eBay Discussion Boards > Community Help Boards > Packaging & Shipping Global Shipping Issue BEWARE! Jan 23, 2013 02:24 PM I sold some greeting cards through the eBay Global Shipping program. It is my policy to print shipping cost on my labels and send a note to my buyer that I do not overcharge on shipping. Now with the global shipping my cost to get it to the facility is obv. only the domestic cost. eBay then charges international shipping rates My buyer sent a message about this and was distraught that she was charged $15.00!! I explained that I don't get that $$ as it is part of the eBay GS program. She then left me a LOW DSR rating on shipping charges. Seems as though this could become a reason not to use Global shipping program and cease all international shipping...Thoughts? Page: 2 of 2 . Last Post Mar 9, 2013 08:15 AM by filadelfos (2980 ) View Listings tashkenta (422 ) View Listings tashkenta (24 of 46) Re: Global Shipping Issue BEWARE! Feb 2, 2013 10:18 AM afantiques wrote: Yeah, but I accidentally zapped the apostrophe that belonged in my post... Don't chastise yourself, the possessive apostrophe after a plural is really something of an anachronism nowadays. There isn't a misplaced apostrophe in the sentence as written with "a seller's stars," since the "a" makes it singular. Had it been written as "sellers' stars" without the "a," it would have been plural, and the apostrophe would have gone after the "s." (I'm a professional linguist/proofreader. ) tashkenta (422 ) View Listings tashkenta (25 of 46) Re: Global Shipping Issue BEWARE! Feb 2, 2013 10:23 AM tashkenta wrote: afantiques wrote: Yeah, but I accidentally zapped the apostrophe that belonged in my post... Don't chastise yourself, the possessive apostrophe after a plural is really something of an anachronism nowadays. There isn't a misplaced apostrophe in the sentence as written with "a seller's stars," since the "a" makes it singular. Had it been written as "sellers' stars" without the "a," it would have been plural, and the apostrophe would have gone after the "s." (I'm a professional linguist/proofreader. ) As for the apostrophe the poster put in "fee's," that was incorrect, and the problem was rectified by mamotom! when replying. :-D artful*shopper (2866 ) View Listings artful*shopper (26 of 46) Re: Global Shipping Issue BEWARE! Feb 12, 2013 06:04 PM I sold a light jacket that will cost me $5.55 to mail at the post office (I usually print my own labels). That's what I quoted my buyers, but when she tries to pay eBay wants $23 for the shipping. I have cancelled the trasnsaction and will find another way. I will NOT rip people off so that eBay can make money on this. daneiac (5262 ) View Listings daneiac (27 of 46) Re: Global Shipping Issue BEWARE! Feb 12, 2013 06:21 PM muttlymob wrote: thallidguy wrote: But they're pushing it as a finished product that will help the very people it's hurting the most, and that strikes me as derelict at best, criminal at worst. And you know what the scariest part is, the program has not been in place long enough to see the final results. So far the complaints are from buyers upset at the up front shipping costs. How long before the complaints start coming in about how eBay handles INR and SNAD complaints from buyers through the GSP? just remember ebay believes all people are basically "good" and will not abuse the system.. books...forthememo.. (7849 ) View Listings books...forthememo.. (28 of 46) Re: Global Shipping Issue BEWARE! Feb 12, 2013 11:18 PM muttlymob wrote: The Global Shipping Program is a dangerous combination of eBay promoting a program that was not well thought out and sellers jumping into it without reading the fine print. Even the large print convinced me not to touch GSP with a ten-foot pole. No way will I let a third party get its clumsy hands on my merchandise, charge higher shipping and slow down the delivery time. Especially when that third party has the worst customer service in the known world... :| thallidguy (5712 ) View Listings thallidguy (29 of 46) Re: Global Shipping Issue BEWARE! Feb 13, 2013 12:10 AM muttlymob wrote: thallidguy wrote: But they're pushing it as a finished product that will help the very people it's hurting the most, and that strikes me as derelict at best, criminal at worst. And you know what the scariest part is, the program has not been in place long enough to see the final results. So far the complaints are from buyers upset at the up front shipping costs. How long before the complaints start coming in about how eBay handles INR and SNAD complaints from buyers through the GSP? And voila, there's a thread on the International board started by some unfortunate seller who got hit with an INR even though she could establish delivery to eBay's distribution center. I'm willing to accept that that case is a glitch; i.e., an error in execution and not in conception, and that it's the sort of thing that will be ironed out in time. But, like I said, the GSP was sold to her

[emazers]

Ebay is getting tons of Complaint's from Sellers and Buyers on there Global Shipping Program, Since I am a Power Seller and Top Rated Ebay called me about signing up for the Program Months ago, I told them there is no way I am sending hundreds of dollars of Lego's to a Hub station and then it has to be mailed to Japan, a process that takes alot of extra time, or I charge for Express Mail, I mail it within 24 hours and the buyer has it in 3-7 days, no problems everybody is happy.

[grackleflint]

eBay sellers should also avoid the Managed Returns program. It essentially forces sellers to pay for return shipping no matter the reason. As a general rule of thumb for sellers, if eBay wants you to do it, then you should avoid it if possible.

[emazers]

You are right I forgot they ask me why I am not doing that, I said no way, all they worry about are the buyers, there theory if a seller quits Ebay there are always somebody else to take your place. So so join the Ebay Global Program and there new return policy.

[Jackson]

GSP is for amateurs.

[Snowcrash]

I'm shocked eBay didn't handle this properly and rolled out another ill conceived program allowing people to commit outright fraud against each other with little recourse. Shocked, I tell you. As with most things if you want something done right you have to do t yourself. Ship it via a traceable medium and avoid sending to countries with a history of fraud. Even then you're going to occasionally end up eating a sale if you get a dishonest buyer.

[StarCityBrickCompany]

eBay sellers should also avoid the Managed Returns program. It essentially forces sellers to pay for return shipping no matter the reason.

As a general rule of thumb for sellers, if eBay wants you to do it, then you should avoid it if possible.

But if you want the 20% fee reduction (which could be pretty substantial) - you must jump through the hoops. My biggest issue is that there are policies that are vague at best, & never made clear. One example was when they started the handling time policy, where you only would recieve the fee discount if a certain % of your sales tracking was updated within the listings time. I always ship the next day, with the exception of vacations. I literally spoke with up to 20 different people about this. Sometimes I was assured that there was an exception for vacations (absolutely) & other times I was told there was no exception for vacations (absolutely). So - to this day, I do not know which answer is correct (I had to find a workaround on my own). I suggested that there should be something in writing somewhere, & I was told that yes - that would make sense.

Here is another example - I was horrified when they somehow thought it made any sense to not allow a buyer to view the photos of completed listings (they only showed 1 thumbnail sized photo, with a sold banner accross it). This change lasted maybe a week, before they changed it back - but made it impossible to verify that purchases made were correct. What happens if you purchased a large lot of Lego with different minifigs/sets that were shown in many photos??? I literally halted purchases during that week - but the fact that such a functionaly impossible decision took place left me shaken. Who would have the power to make such a dumb decision??? How could a huge company like ebay not have a system in place where something so ridiculous would be stopped from ever happenning???

[gregpj]

The GSP literally doubles the cost of shipping to Canada from the US. I won't ever buy from someone who is using it, period. I don't buy from sellers who ship UPS because they charge $35 to broker packages across the border (that the seller did all the paper work for),why would I pay eBay? USPS Is excellent... Canada Post not so much, but good enough.

[dunkers97]

Wow!!

[hxckid88]

Ive been doing fine with gsp...until yesterday. They said they have not recieved item and are being very polite and through communications I believe them. However, tracking shows the item was deliveerd on February 1st. Ebay has gone down hill so much I hate how I can't leave neg feedback for buyers, rember those days? and how no matter what let me say it again...NO MATTER what ebay and amazon as well will always side with the buyer. My first negative feedback in 2 years came with a buyer didn't liek the video game, "this game sux and isnt good". Somehow that is my fault and amazon agreed.

[Fcbarcelona101]

Ive been doing fine with gsp...until yesterday. They said they have not recieved item and are being very polite and through communications I believe them. However, tracking shows the item was deliveerd on February 1st.

Ebay has gone down hill so much I hate how I can't leave neg feedback for buyers, rember those days? and how no matter what let me say it again...NO MATTER what ebay and amazon as well will always side with the buyer. My first negative feedback in 2 years came with a buyer didn't liek the video game, "this game sux and isnt good". Somehow that is my fault and amazon agreed.

Not to go to much off topic here, but something that bothers me a lot is the amount of buyers/sellers that don't leave any feedback. I leave feedback as soon as I can, and my reputation would be much higher if the other end of the transaction did the same.

I don't really know how Ebay was a few years ago, but I would like if they required both parties in the transaction to leave feedback before it is actually counted on the accounts. So, if I take the time to leave feedback for a buyer it won't be reflected in his account until he leaves feedback for me as well.

[stephen_rockefeller]

Its all good because EBay won't be the only website of its kind forever and when they aren't they will be sorry that treated buyers the way they do. Its only a matter of time before a bigger and better EBay type site pops up and then eBay will be kicking themselves in the arse. Mark my words, eBay's years are numbered!

[Rich B]

Its all good because EBay won't be the only website of its kind forever and when they aren't they will be sorry that treated buyers the way they do. Its only a matter of time before a bigger and better EBay type site pops up and then eBay will be kicking themselves in the arse. Mark my words, eBay's years are numbered!

I completely agree, it's only a matter of time before someone figures out how to use the ebay concept, but charge sellers less to sell. Essentially an ebay with lower fees.