Global Shipping Charges/import Duties? What The Fuk

[Whiskyagogo]

Hi Guys

 

I have read a little about this before, now it's happened to me.

 

I "won" a 45 on ebay tried to pay, realised the price didn't match and noted I had to pay $108 import charges!!

 

Not a dishonourable chap so I suppose the only way out is to grimace & wear it and stop buying rare stuff off ebay?

[Guest MissHongkongfuey]

I recently refused to pay for the GSP on a record I'd won in the US, saying that I would take my chances with customs and refused to pay for handling from a 3rd party. She removed the GSP from the final invoice. I wasn't arsey with her over it, I just explained how it affects us here in the UK and how it puts off potential buyers. None of her listings since have had that added since.

 

Maybe worth the ask in this case?

[Whiskyagogo]

I recently refused to pay for the GSP on a record I'd won in the US, saying that I would take my chances with customs and refused to pay for handling from a 3rd party. She removed the GSP from the final invoice. I wasn't arsey with her over it, I just explained how it affects us here in the UK and how it puts off potential buyers. None of her listings since have had that added since.

 

Maybe worth the ask in this case?

Thank you, I wll ask the question.

[Chris L]

Hi Guys I have read a little about this before, now it's happened to me. I "won" a 45 on ebay tried to pay, realised the price didn't match and noted I had to pay $108 import charges!! Not a dishonourable chap so I suppose the only way out is to grimace & wear it and stop buying rare stuff off ebay?

 

You really have to check before bidding, that Ebay Global Shipping is real garbage and most sellers have no idea how it impacts their final price. I have been able to get most sellers to change it, even completing the customs forms on line for one of them. There are diehards though and you have let go and allow someone else to pay the import duty. I wanted a record and just before finishing already it was totaling above $150.00, about 25% of the value of the record. Always contact the seller and offer to help him/her, explain what it means to them not to use it. Good luck.

[Kjw]

Ebay promote this as a professional service - on the few occasions I've had to pay for it, the record has been shoved through my letterbox by some scruffy old guy in a battered old car. No request for a signature or anything to confirm correct delivery.

 

Hardly what I'd call a professional service - just another money making scam for Ebay

[Whiskyagogo]

You really have to check before bidding, that Ebay Global Shipping is real garbage and most sellers have no idea how it impacts their final price. I have been able to get most sellers to change it, even completing the customs forms on line for one of them. There are diehards though and you have let go and allow someone else to pay the import duty. I wanted a record and just before finishing already it was totaling above $150.00, about 25% of the value of the record. Always contact the seller and offer to help him/her, explain what it means to them not to use it. Good luck.

Thanks Chris, I will do that, cheers. KC

[Whiskyagogo]

Ebay promote this as a professional service - on the few occasions I've had to pay for it, the record has been shoved through my letterbox by some scruffy old guy in a battered old car. No request for a signature or anything to confirm correct delivery.

 

Hardly what I'd call a professional service - just another money making scam for Ebay

Thanks, I am on it, cheers. KC

[Frankie Crocker]

This continues to plague us and I have joined the list of those badly stung, $150 on two records, badly packed and one so buckled and twisted it was unplayable. Dealer was asked if there was any way around the excessive charge but was evidently under the impression that he had to be in the GSP to participate on eBay. Dealer refused to refund the cost of the 'warped' record but has been ruled against and restitution made following a series of acrimonious emails. The Global Shipping Programme is a totally unnecessary imposition that does not benefit the buyer or seller - I now plan to boycott all sellers involved.

[Ted Massey]

It worked really well for me once got a £2500 record for £1600 total cause few bids were placed

[Whiskyagogo]

This continues to plague us and I have joined the list of those badly stung, $150 on two records, badly packed and one so buckled and twisted it was unplayable. Dealer was asked if there was any way around the excessive charge but was evidently under the impression that he had to be in the GSP to participate on eBay. Dealer refused to refund the cost of the 'warped' record but has been ruled against and restitution made following a series of acrimonious emails. The Global Shipping Programme is a totally unnecessary imposition that does not benefit the buyer or seller - I now plan to boycott all sellers involved.

I will in future too, thanks

[Guest Copywrightcat]

Thanks for the heads up KC57

 

When I bid on Evilbay for records the 1st thing I check is postage and the condition..... if its not stated I ask the seller I have seen not only records but other items for sale where the postage makes up for the low cost of the item especialy on the buy it now option ...If this happened to me id send the seller and Ebay a message saying ill pay to re-list the item as its my mistake but this high postage cost is un-just and a scam ...never seen the " I Won " in 14 years of being a member ill be xtra careful now ..

[Chris L]

It worked really well for me once got a £2500 record for £1600 total cause few bids were placed

 

What's the connection to the Ebay Global Shipping program ?

[Chris L]

This continues to plague us and I have joined the list of those badly stung, $150 on two records, badly packed and one so buckled and twisted it was unplayable. Dealer was asked if there was any way around the excessive charge but was evidently under the impression that he had to be in the GSP to participate on eBay. Dealer refused to refund the cost of the 'warped' record but has been ruled against and restitution made following a series of acrimonious emails. The Global Shipping Programme is a totally unnecessary imposition that does not benefit the buyer or seller - I now plan to boycott all sellers involved.

 

Thing is if you pay import duty and need to ship the item back, then generally you'll not get that duty re-imbursed. There is a way but you'll need to know someone in shipping to walk you through it. My advice is try and change the sellers mind and get him/her o ship themselves at a low customs value. If it can't be done and it's an expensive record, walk away (unless of course you don't mind paying).

[Ted Massey]

The invoice I had was from seller and another from Pitney Bowes

[Soulboyrecords]

What's the connection to the Ebay Global Shipping program ?

Doh really ? Global shipping put people off so fewer bid = he got it cheaper as a direct result of Global shipping applying to the auction

[Frankie Crocker]

Thing is if you pay import duty and need to ship the item back, then generally you'll not get that duty re-imbursed. There is a way but you'll need to know someone in shipping to walk you through it. My advice is try and change the sellers mind and get him/her o ship themselves at a low customs value. If it can't be done and it's an expensive record, walk away (unless of course you don't mind paying).

Thanks for this. I'm still trying to get a refund of the GPS surcharge but with little success. The cost of the record has been refunded though. Trouble is, the GPS funds are with the off-shore tax duckers mentioned by Ted, namely Pitney Bowes. So having paid handsomely for a pair of records, one an unplayable dud, some Jimmy who is a second-hand dealer rather than record dealer, expects me to finance the return cost of a useless record AND kiss goodbye to funds that he committed me to paying via the GSP...

[Chris L]

Doh really ? Global shipping put people off so fewer bid = he got it cheaper as a direct result of Global shipping applying to the auction

 

Not really sure how a 2500 record becomes a 1600 one, a record is worth what it sells for, there are no fixed prices. Just seen a Joanie Sommers go for £350.00 and David & Ruben for £210.00 about what they'd go for if they were shipped "normally".

[Whiskyagogo]

Not really sure how a 2500 record becomes a 1600 one, a record is worth what it sells for, there are no fixed prices. Just seen a Joanie Sommers go for £350.00 and David & Ruben for £210.00 about what they'd go for if they were shipped "normally".

Hi Guys and thanks for all your views on this, I will be [or try to be] careful in future.

 

All the best, KC

[Jona]

I've just been charged for GSP for the first time, can UK customs still charge import duty on top as well? 

[Ted Massey]

no

[George G]

I don't see any decline in prices on records selling on ebay from the US - I wish, as I would like to be the beneficiary of a few bargains living here in the US (this includes 60s soul and 60s garage).  The good/rare records continue to go up. The cheap/common records are still hard to move, this is because of the huge postage increase, shipping one 45 from the US is now $12 and change, three years ago it was $5 and change.

 

The most recent cheap record I got was because it was shipping to US only, a clean Adams Apples "Don't Take..." for $130ish.

 

Several people overseas have the records shipped from ebay to a US address, and then have them sent resent without all the GSP or other crap.

Edited May 18, 2015 by George G

[Tlscapital]

Has the GSP FEES gone insane ? I got in touch with a seller about a $5 as a "buy it now" charging "automatically" $21 shipping to Belgium and all he could reply was that he was not aware of that. He went WOW when I sent him a screen capture of his selling page. Not worth the trouble, I just dropped out there. Now looking at another $9.99 45 RPM it's the same or a bit worse at $24 !!!

I remember it being more pricey than honest dealer charging the stamps only, like $15-16... when they started the GSP. That's almost a double-up increase !

First I was thinking that it was maybe a configuration "bug" on the seller's page, but seing other seller's 7inches where GSP is used it's always $20+ !!!

Now I understand that they are only charging more for a service that we do not want ! 

First the "internet" killed the curiosity in the record discoveries, then the EvilBay kinda killed the good old record crate digging/hunting we use to do and now they're killing one of the only way to still gather good and cheap records for reasonable money.

[Chris L]

1 hour ago, tlscapital said:

Has the GSP FEES gone insane ? I got in touch with a seller about a $5 as a "buy it now" charging "automatically" $21 shipping to Belgium and all he could reply was that he was not aware of that. He went WOW when I sent him a screen capture of his selling page. Not worth the trouble, I just dropped out there. Now looking at another $9.99 45 RPM it's the same or a bit worse at $24 !!! I remember it being more pricey than honest dealer charging the stamps only, like $15-16... when they started the GSP. That's almost a double-up increase ! First I was thinking that it was maybe a configuration "bug" on the seller's page, but seing other seller's 7inches where GSP is used it's always $20+ !!! Now I understand that they are only charging more for a service that we do not want ! First the "internet" killed the curiosity in the record discoveries, then the EvilBay kinda killed the good old record crate digging/hunting we use to do and now they're killing one of the only way to still gather good and cheap records for reasonable money.

When I see these GSP bits on a sellers page I always contact them to ask if they are aware of it and explain that it puts overseas buyers off. I try and convince them just to ship USPS Int. I appeal to their sense of greed by telling them that the less the buyer has pay on shipping the more he will pay for records, usually works. Once or twice they've come back and told me they don't know how to send overseas and I walk them through it bit by bit.

[Tlscapital]

31 minutes ago, Chris L said:

When I see these GSP bits on a sellers page I always contact them to ask if they are aware of it and explain that it puts overseas buyers off. I try and convince them just to ship USPS Int. I appeal to their sense of greed by telling them that the less the buyer has pay on shipping the more he will pay for records, usually works. Once or twice they've come back and told me they don't know how to send overseas and I walk them through it bit by bit.

I know, agree and do that also if the record is necessary. What bothers me now is more on the political, philosophical, social and economical (not practical as such) side/turn of things in this day and age; the factual growing loss of our individual autonomies...

[Guest johnny hart]

Global Shipping Programme; My Nightmares 1], live in spain buy 50 or so discs ayear at £30 ish.Gsp minimum  £11.50  Tried it on 350 disc from germanywhat happens Emails from ebay delivery service tracked to my villa no one in  parcel returned to picck up point ,a paint and decorators shop in the backstreet of our local village ,no parcel , contacted spanish courier service Seur no reply waited in behind the door for aweek no dic .contacted ebay and seller not interested computer says tracked to you ,Go Away. 2 weeks later white van man with loads of parcels driving round my estate,with my dic with gsp sticker obscuring adress! Tracking is no gaurantee of recieving the item in spain even big courier services sub contract the deliveries out to any body,they cannot find the address so returnit ,and go for next bonus item,Relayed whole story and sent incorrectly addressed parcel to ebay ireland,help centre,2 months later same response "You where not In system is foolproof" No2,£20 dic GSP £11 ,50 emailed seller before sale could i have Royalmail Standard £3.50 before i bid ,yesof course. .Then Invoices me for £11.50 Gsp sorry cant change it ,am locked int o it withebay,Did offer refund ,same guy has 99p discs with GSP shipping of £12       Beware lol John!

[SHEFFSOUL]

i recently bought two separate 45's from ebay..GSP was $20  each record and the 45's were half that value.I eventually received the discs which took almost twice as long to arrive, packing was not great so i enquired with each seller as to why the charge was so high..they were amazed as they only paid $4 each..WTF!!!...theres a pungent whiff of scam there...ive also messaged many sellers to make them aware of the UK buyers discontent..further, some US sellers insist that the cheapest airmail for a 45 to UK is approx $14..so how do sellers like Craig Moerer charge $8??  If somebody ever figures all this out..please let me know...

[Frankie Crocker]

Total scam. eBay take a percentage of the postal charges so they screw more out by imposing this surcharge. Dealers somehow get conned into it and can't work out how to evade the imposition. I generally boycott dealers using the GSP as there are plenty of good value dealers around.

[Vadnochka]

All imports are liable to a 20% import duty (VAT equivalent) for all items worth over £20 so even a £40 sound sent and declared on the label  at that value will result in a card being left and a visit to the local sorting office to pay the duty - payable on the total value listed - so on £40 / duty £8  -you can pay on the door step - the Royal Mail will also charge you a further £8.50 handling charge = £56.50 - most of us will have had some experience of this. Most US exporters of long standing declare at $10-ish, keeping it below duty levels. It's when a £300 or higher buy gets declared as such clearly on the forms and a further £68.50 or more gets requested before the packet is released. Global shipping - charges + Duty - going thru' Pitney Bowes is just a further rip-off and ball-ache - everybody wants a piece of the action. Remember governments have no money of their own but have an insatiable demand and need for ever greater income streams - so the Revenue & Customs are becoming ever more diligent in conjunction with the Royal Mail in intercepting chargeable items.

As previously mentioned - a US address for forwarding is one way round this

  

[Mr Smithy]

Those US sellers that feign innocence at being in the Global Shipping BS. I'm not and never will be, mine is still regular shipping and I haven't done anything to anything. You actively have to sign into it by clicking buttons etc. So unless somehow I'm different, they're telling whoppers.

BTW I always lowball it , without being asked,  unless its a fairly large amount going to someone I don't know in some postal sink hole, and
so far only 2/3 people have ever sent a message saying thanks. I'll still do it, but it would be a real treat if someone appreciated it once in a while.
Click- Thanks for blah blah- Click - See s'easy.

 

[Frankie Crocker]

17 hours ago, Mr Smithy said:

Those US sellers that feign innocence at being in the Global Shipping BS. I'm not and never will be, mine is still regular shipping and I haven't done anything to anything. You actively have to sign into it by clicking buttons etc. So unless somehow I'm different, they're telling whoppers.

BTW I always lowball it , without being asked,  unless its a fairly large amount going to someone I don't know in some postal sink hole, and
so far only 2/3 people have ever sent a message saying thanks. I'll still do it, but it would be a real treat if someone appreciated it once in a while.
Click- Thanks for blah blah- Click - See s'easy.

 

We Brits really, really appreciate all lowballers. In fact, we hold you in the highest regard and return for repeat business as much as possible. I try to say thanks to all lowballers in feedback.

[Mr Smithy]

40 minutes ago, FRANKIE CROCKER said:

We Brits really, really appreciate all lowballers. In fact, we hold you in the highest regard and return for repeat business as much as possible. I try to say thanks to all lowballers in feedback.

Ta very much. I'd like to say it's purely altruistic but it's not.
Not only do I want to sell them, and I'm not if it adds 10/20 or more % to the price and x days to delivery time, but I particularly object to the PO getting 8 squid for having some jobsworth sit there and not be able to find your package after you've stood in line for however long. I assume that's how it is there, it is here.
Also Gladys wastes enough of your money on rubbish, he doesn't need more thanks to me.

As to that Global EB thing , it's a total con among many that EB pull. Anything that EB does is pretty much a dead cert clusterf**k. Just more jobs/ $  for the boys. I can't believe anyone gets involved nor buys from anyone who does , but they do it seems.

[Frankie Crocker]

1 hour ago, Mr Smithy said:

Ta very much. I'd like to say it's purely altruistic but it's not.
Not only do I want to sell them, and I'm not if it adds 10/20 or more % to the price and x days to delivery time, but I particularly object to the PO getting 8 squid for having some jobsworth sit there and not be able to find your package after you've stood in line for however long. I assume that's how it is there, it is here.
 

Yep, that's how it is here. But, to add to the fun, half the parcel offices in the land have been closed down so you have to travel twice as far nowadays to stand in a line twice as long as you used to. Sometimes, the card dropped through the letter box stating 'parcel not delivered - no one at home' is in fact     posted when you are in which can be infuriating. That said, we do have some excellent posties who sadly do not share the bonuses their taskmasters receive.

[kevinsoulman]

had a message from ebay uk a few days ago asking if i wanted to join it ,so obviously rolling it out here ,i just deleted the message

kev

 

 

Edited November 25, 2015 by kevinsoulman

[Mr Smithy]

16 hours ago, FRANKIE CROCKER said:

Yep, that's how it is here. But, to add to the fun, half the parcel offices in the land have been closed down so you have to travel twice as far nowadays to stand in a line twice as long as you used to. Sometimes, the card dropped through the letter box stating 'parcel not delivered - no one at home' is in fact     posted when you are in which can be infuriating. That said, we do have some excellent posties who sadly do not share the bonuses their taskmasters receive.

We have a different approach here, same number of POs but they are giving out early retirement deals to everyone and anyone, so less people.
So you can go to the same place and look at more empty counters. We have a regular postie, 20+ years, who knows his stuff but if we have a replacement for some reason all bets are off.

[Guest johnny hart]

Mysteries of Global Shipping programme  Part 2 ,Following my post about alost itemfrom UK to Malaga ,guess what its happened again,incorrectly adressed parcel spent all afternoon wandering about accostinng various UFO white van mans , this a[pemiumservice 3 times Royal mail! What has happened / Well my innocent seller has signed up tp GSP 1] he sends his world wide disc to a central collectio point {Alfreton ?} for acost to hom from ebay of £1,25 end of his problems ! Ebay then sort it re lable it,disperse it off to cheapo courier service and charge me import duties and maximum postage 3 times royal mail.  Beware !

[Sutty]

On 24 November 2015 at 11:46:27 p.m., vadnochka said:

All imports are liable to a 20% import duty (VAT equivalent) for all items worth over £20 so even a £40 sound sent and declared on the label  at that value will result in a card being left and a visit to the local sorting office to pay the duty - payable on the total value listed - so on £40 / duty £8  -you can pay on the door step - the Royal Mail will also charge you a further £8.50 handling charge = £56.50 - most of us will have had some experience of this. Most US exporters of long standing declare at $10-ish, keeping it below duty levels. It's when a £300 or higher buy gets declared as such clearly on the forms and a further £68.50 or more gets requested before the packet is released. Global shipping - charges + Duty - going thru' Pitney Bowes is just a further rip-off and ball-ache - everybody wants a piece of the action. Remember governments have no money of their own but have an insatiable demand and need for ever greater income streams - so the Revenue & Customs are becoming ever more diligent in conjunction with the Royal Mail in intercepting chargeable items.

As previously mentioned - a US address for forwarding is one way round this

  

Good points but I think your sums are a bit out there? It's 20% above £15, so on £40 that's 20% of £25 = £5, plus a handling charge of £8 is £53. I've had to pay a couple of times and I certainly can't pay at the door, the postie is not allowed to collect payments, they get given a card and drop it through the door, they don't even have the package to give you, you have to pay and collect from the sorting office.

cheers Sutty

[Frankie Crocker]

5 hours ago, conchitta said:

Mysteries of Global Shipping programme  Part 2 ,Following my post about alost itemfrom UK to Malaga ,guess what its happened again,incorrectly adressed parcel spent all afternoon wandering about accostinng various UFO white van mans , this a[pemiumservice 3 times Royal mail! What has happened / Well my innocent seller has signed up tp GSP 1] he sends his world wide disc to a central collectio point {Alfreton ?} for acost to hom from ebay of £1,25 end of his problems ! Ebay then sort it re lable it,disperse it off to cheapo courier service and charge me import duties and maximum postage 3 times royal mail.  Beware !

And the scam thickens... They don't have managers at eBay, they have crafty plotters. The more funds that head offshore, the fatter the bonuses. GSP is an unfair trading wheeze geared to screwing more money out of sellers as well as buyers. 

[kevinsoulman]

taking a cut on the postage fees too sounds illegal to me

kev

[Chris L]

You have to take into account the average American culture where anything outside their own state is akin to the Moon. Most Americans will have no idea what shipping abroad means. For them it's some strange black magic carried out by wizards. I really ask anyone before you bid make sure the seller will ship to you direct, do ask for that low value, most will oblige. Failing that hopefully you'll have a friend in the US that can accept it if not walk away. 

[Guest johnny hart]

While waiting in for my Global ship package spent an hour googling Consumer Forums ,Page upon page of complaints aboutGSP.One recurring feature {alledgedly} that Pitney Bowes {the company who run it for ebay} not only re-lable items but also employ staff to RE-pack them in smaller parcels to squeeze more reductions in size and weight from couriers ! Beware

[Mr Smithy]

13 hours ago, Chris L said:

You have to take into account the average American culture where anything outside their own state is akin to the Moon. Most Americans will have no idea what shipping abroad means. For them it's some strange black magic carried out by wizards. I really ask anyone before you bid make sure the seller will ship to you direct, do ask for that low value, most will oblige. Failing that hopefully you'll have a friend in the US that can accept it if not walk away. 

That's not fair, they know where the moon is, they can see it. The rest is true.

[Kris Holmes]

yeah the problem as a US seller is that all of a sudden for some stupid reason when i list, GSP is now the default & I have to physically unselect it, which i inevitably forgot to do in my last round of auctions, nice one for making it default ebay, shake my head.  Probably catching a lot of US sellers out, i had it unselected forever & relisted & listed stuff where all of a sudden i just notice GSP is turned back on.

Edited November 28, 2015 by Kris Holmes

[Guest johnny hart]

Gsp  part 3 ; from buyers point of view buying multiple items from one seller,under GSP system ,it is impossible to wait for invoice from seller and have a combined postage total you must commit to the GSP price on each item { What a Clever wheeze PBand ebay!] 

[davidwapples]

cant you just pay them the winning amount and postage via paypal not via ebay so it misses out the gsp costs? , after all its paypal that covers your money not ebay

[Kris Holmes]

nope, there is no contact between seller & buyer until the buyer pays the GSP total & only then does the seller get the reference number & address of the GSP "megacentre" to post it to.  you could possibly message them & ask them to complete the transaction outside of ebay but mostly the overseas buyers just pay to total.  There is no option to send a corrected invoice before they pay & there is no way to unselect GSP as default on an auction as the seller once bidding has started.

[Mr Smithy]

On 11/27/2015, 10:18:38, Kris Holmes said:

yeah the problem as a US seller is that all of a sudden for some stupid reason when i list, GSP is now the default & I have to physically unselect it, which i inevitably forgot to do in my last round of auctions, nice one for making it default ebay, shake my head.  Probably catching a lot of US sellers out, i had it unselected forever & relisted & listed stuff where all of a sudden i just notice GSP is turned back on.

Should I feel ignored? I knew it existed, I got enough emails about it, but it never showed up as an option and never in my shipping.
What am I doing right?

[PatricioJ]

Typical of Ebay, they presume we are too lazy to do our own customs forms and make GSP the default (for US sellers, anyhow). You can opt out by going here: https://ocsnext.ebay.com/ocs/sr?&query=3171

I can fill out my own forms, thank you very much!

 

-PJ

[Kevinkent]

On 28/11/2015, 11:04:23, conchitta said:

Gsp  part 3 ; from buyers point of view buying multiple items from one seller,under GSP system ,it is impossible to wait for invoice from seller and have a combined postage total you must commit to the GSP price on each item { What a Clever wheeze PBand ebay!] 

I don't think that has anything to do with the GSP system though.  I am forced into doing that with any (non GSP) multiple purchases, and then have to rely on the goodwill of the seller to provide multiple refunds for part of the shipping costs. I'm presuming that the same can be done under the GSP system - with a final combined postage price arrived at. Nothing would surprise me though.

- Kev

[Guest johnny hart]

Kevin Kent,With respect KK your comments illustrate how little people really understand the Whole ebay buying systemGSP eepecially .Why should you have to wait humbly ,for refunds which can take up to 5 days to return to your account. Postage ,Shipping  option type charge You Pay as a buyer..non profit its your hard eared dosh, Beware read the small print it really does matter ,LOL johnny hart

[Kevinkent]

2 hours ago, conchitta said:

Kevin Kent,With respect KK your comments illustrate how little people really understand the Whole ebay buying systemGSP eepecially .Why should you have to wait humbly ,for refunds which can take up to 5 days to return to your account. Postage ,Shipping  option type charge You Pay as a buyer..non profit its your hard eared dosh, Beware read the small print it really does matter ,LOL johnny hart

You're right. Point taken.

- Kev