The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

As a buyer in Canada, it seems like a simple money grab. I've never been charged customs or brokerage fees for anything I've purchased from the USA using USPS. UPS on the other hand always charges brokerage fees.

I simply avoid sellers who use it as it adds no value and is often more expensive than the actual shipping fees.

I have used it twice now. Both transactions went well and the buyer was happy. I recently compared shipping costs on an Home model A to the U.K. eBay wanted $450 to ship it using the global shipping program. USPS said the same box through them was $150. There would be fees (import tax/duties) on the buyers end if I use USPS, but I doubt they would triple the cost of the shipping. I was floored, as was the potential buyer. Buyer opted not to bid. Mixed reviews from me. Twice flawless, once WAY too much cost to the buyer.

Matt

Mr Grumpy wrote:As a buyer in Canada, it seems like a simple money grab. I've never been charged customs or brokerage fees for anything I've purchased from the USA using USPS. UPS on the other hand always charges brokerage fees.

I simply avoid sellers who use it as it adds no value and is often more expensive than the actual shipping fees.

As a Canadian collector, I will have to agree with all the above. Ebay's use of a private third party "Pitney Bowes" as a "tax" collector is very questionable as to being even legal.
The only collectors of taxes in this country are Canadian Government agencies and their officers.

Ebay, nor Pitney Bowes (although they claim to be) are not collecting any of the outrages taxes for Revenue Canada. they are in fact keeping them for themselves.

Most of the "so called" taxes they are claiming do not even exist in these applications in this country. Remember "Free Trade"...???.

It is frankly the biggest rip-off/scam going.

As a buyer, I stay away from any listing trying to offer this. However, that in itself is a scam....sellers are not even notified they are placed into this program unless they read the fine print.
So, the burden is on the seller to insure they opt out while making their listing and not the other way around.

An example: I bought a small item for $30. Normal USPS shipping with insurance was $18. If we had gone with this GSP....the shipping and "taxes" was $125...!!! . I'm sure you which way we went... .

Sellers that like to sell outside of the USA to Canada please note........you will lose many potential Canadian bidders using this.

I still cannot figure who would be responsible for damage in transit from the GSP center to the customer.

If one "opts in" to the GSP program, does that require using it in every case?

I'm trying to keep an open mind about this, but from what I've read here and researched on eBay, this is not a program that would be of any benefit except to an occasional shipper who doesn't want to fuss with many details.

Raphael

I just looked at what eBay said about this. Here is what I found:

You aren't responsible for item loss or damage that occurs after the item is forwarded by the US shipping center. Once an item has been forwarded by the US shipping center, you won't be responsible for refunding the buyer if an eBay Money Back Guarantee or PayPal Purchase Protection case is filed against you for one of the following reasons:
A buyer claims an item isn't received or
A package is damaged in transit

Rich Gordon

Hello, I to am a Canadian collector who sells once and awhile.
From my perspective this is an Ebay money generating program and nothing more.

To keep many of my purchases simple I drive across the boarder (only 10 minutes away) and pick up items shipped from USA sellers. But sometimes it is just as easy to ship directly to Canada.

We have "sales taxes" referred to as GST collected by the government whether items are shipped across or driven across. There is no customs duties any more.
Generally the vast majority of less expensive items are not even processed for taxes. If USPS is used and some boarder agent decides to charge the taxes they will also add on a processing fee for the more expensive items but generally even this is not charged. Both of these items I the purchaser pays for when I pick up my parcel - the seller has nothing to do with this charge!

UPS and FedEx charge a brokerage fee which means they charge about $ 40 to volunteer your item to be taxed.
USPS on the other hand does not charge a brokerage fee and my experience is that 9 out of 10 times I do not pay the taxes this way at all.

Ebay with their fantastic service charges a brokerage fee then hires a courier, FedEx, to ship the item and they in turn charge their own brokerage fee. This is why we non USA buyers find Ebay Global Shipping to be 3 x the cost.

This all may sound complicated but if you have an overseas buyer, even us in Canada just ship it USPS with confirmed deliver and insurance and things will go very smoothly. Some buyers may wish to use a courier to attain better service (confirmed delivery in countries where their postal system is questionable) but that is their choice if they wish to pay more.

I would recommend to all our USA friends to not use Ebay Global Shipping and you will access a larger number of buyers, and as an occasional seller the more bidders the better.

Bruce

I've only had a half-dozen or so such sales but all have gone smoothly and with happy buyers. And a very happy seller: it's a piece of cake to ship to KY and be relieved of any further responsibility. But I have only sold very small items that way, I'm not sure if it works as well with phonographs.

So, if I understand the program correctly, a seller could poorly pack an antique, or pack an already broken one, and without inspecting the shipment in Kentucky, eBay would stand good for any claims by the buyer for damages? That just doesn't add up, there must be some major fine print that we are missing.

Raphael

This program has been good for me. I don't ship outside of US/Canada but have been able to sell all over the world due to this program. All i do is ship to a domestic address and it's done. I just been selling my banners and my packing is very good. Have not sold anything else like phonographs.