The Ebay Global Shipping Debacle

[spacecaps]

A few weeks ago I sold six packages through ebays Global shipping program. Of course I didn't know the bidders were located internationally, it just worked out that six of my my auctions were won by people in other countries. All of the packages got shipped to that Erlanger KY address ebay uses with the name of the person who won and the reference number ebay provided me. All six packages were mailed on the same day. Now when it comes to mailing stuff out, I'm old school. I don't print ebay shipping labels and I don't have a scale. I box all my packages up and take them to the Post Office myself and have them weigh them. I take my receipt home and then type all the tracking info in on each auction. This has worked fine for me for years. Until last month. You see, when I get a receipt of twenty or so packages I sent out the only thing I have to go on is the address. So when I have six sporadic packages on the list all with the same address but different tracking numbers there's no way to differentiate between what was in one box from the other. So I typed the tracking in to each global auction. Abut a week later I get an email from a guy in Brazil telling me he got the wrong item. Followed by a guy in Canada telling me he got what the guy in Brazil is supposed to get. That's followed up by a guy in Germany telling me he got the wrong item quickly followed by another guy in South Africa telling me he got what the guy in Germany was supposed to get. Disaster. The value of these items ranged from $15 to $250. Initially I thought it was my fault for switching the Reference Numbers on the package or putting the wrong items in the wrong box. I informed all four members of the problem and offered to pay for the shipping back to me from each location and send the packages out to the correct location. Once the items came back to me I would ship the items to them or give them a full refund. The guy in Germany did this and wanted his original packages. The guy in South Africa sent me the items back but asked for a refund and the guys in Canada and Brazil told me it wasn't worth the effort to do this and I had to give them a full refund without getting my items back.

While this is going on another two of my items ended up in the wrong hands again. This time both packages were supposed to go to Canada but the guy in Ontario got the guy in Toronto's package and vice-versa. Luckily both parties were willing to mail the packages to each other instead of back to me and disaster was averted. At this point I called ebay to find out why and how this kept happening and after the run around here's what happened....When the guys at the third party global shipping site get a box, typing in that huge 0000000seventeen other digit reference number ebay provides is too much of an effort for them, so they scan the tracking number from the USPS. If a tracking number is loaded onto ebay's site BEFORE the item gets to the Global shipping facility in Kentucky they just go off of that. So if you did what I did and not know which Eralnger, KY box is destined for which country and incorrectly enter the wrong tracking number, your package ends up in the wrong country. Apparently this happens all the time too because Ebay is totally aware of the problem and is working to fix it with the third party shipping company that handles the global shipping. But as far as I'm concerned it should never have happened. If they're going to use the USPS tracking number as an indication of where the package is supposed to be sent, just do away with the reference number since they're only using it as a secondary source anyway and just go off the USPS tracking. It would eliminate the mistakes I made. Now I should have been more diligent in keeping track of which box headed to Kentucky was what but it never occurred to me they would screw this up so bad. The kicker is the one guy in Germany who wanted his packages (he of course won two auctions from me) left me negative feedback (twice) because they took too long to arrive. Thankfully when I contacted ebay about the negatives I received, they took responsibility (which may be the first time in history that's happened) and reversed siting that my previous conversation with them pertaining to what I explained above showed that as a seller I was not at fault for the error caused by global shipping. A small win for sure but the headache this all caused was epic.

[m0redaniel]

I'm really sorry you had to go through this crap. This Global Shipping Program is nothing but trouble, being from Canada if I want to buy a 200.00 item, I pay the regular shipping but then I get these insane import charges that puts the item up another 50.00. This also only happens when the GSP is being used to ship. Ridiculous and really screws with some peoples livelihoods.

[warlock664]

First, I don't quite understand why you would enter USPS tracking numbers on ebay if you weren't sure they matched the correct items? Your buyers were only able to confirm that a package you shipped reached the shipping hub, not necessarily their specific package.

Secondly, this is a perfect example of why I won't ship internationally anymore. It just isn't worth the potential headache.

Thirdly, why not print your own labels at home and drop your packages off at the post office, or have them picked up ? It will not only save you time, but you get a pretty significant discount on shipping rates as well ( I save over 30% for packages sent via Priority Mail through eBay/PayPal). Your tracking numbers are automatically entered on the auction page for you, and you don't get the irritated glares from the old ladies in line behind you as the clerk generates postage for a dozen packages.

Edited to add: you don't really need a sophisticated scale. I have a crude scale that weighs items up to 60 pounds, you just enter the weight manually along with the package dimensions. I've never had a problem with an incorrect weight resulting in an added charge, I don't think they check that closely.

[spacecaps]

First, I don't quite understand why you would enter USPS tracking numbers on ebay if you weren't sure they matched the correct items? Your buyers were only able to confirm that a package you shipped reached the shipping hub, not necessarily their specific package.

Secondly, this is a perfect example of why I won't ship internationally anymore. It just isn't worth the potential headache.

Thirdly, why not print your own labels at home and drop your packages off at the post office, or have them picked up ? It will not only save you time, but you get a pretty significant discount on shipping rates as well ( I save over 30% for packages sent via Priority Mail through eBay/PayPal). Your tracking numbers are automatically entered on the auction page for you, and you don't get the irritated glares from the old ladies in line behind you as the clerk generates postage for a dozen packages.

Well the first part...I was think like if Joe Smith buys 3 packages from me and I ship to the home address in 3 different boxes. It didn't occur to me that they ever be using the Tracking number to determine the destination of the box. Thats what the reference number is for. Yes I should have been more aware of what item was in what box but the Post Office makes this very difficult since they handle the tracking no instead of the little green individual slips that made it so much easier.

As for third...I know I have to step up to the 21st century but I'm dragging my feet on it. I'll get there eventually.

[CAZAFANTASMA]

I'm really sorry you had to go through this crap. This Global Shipping Program is nothing but trouble, being from Canada if I want to buy a 200.00 item, I pay the regular shipping but then I get these insane import charges that puts the item up another 50.00. This also only happens when the GSP is being used to ship. Ridiculous and really screws with some peoples livelihoods.

Totally true! what used to cost 10 bucks to ship now costs $30!!!! and not shipping internationally just cuts away a huge market for your sales. But there are places i will never ship because of their terrible customs and that is Brazil, Italy and Spain!
I once shipped an item to Brazil, after a month the guy told me he didn't get it, and wanted a refund. The tracking confirmed he got it, but since I didn't pay for signature confirmation, the guy got his refund. Sucks.....

lol.

[warlock664]

As for third...I know I have to step up to the 21st century but I'm dragging my feet on it. I'll get there eventually.

I find there are 2 huge advantages to printing my own shipping labels:

- the discounted rate allows me to recoup some of the eBay & PayPal fees. Both charge fees, one based on final value fees, the other based on the amount of the transaction. If the buyer pays a retail price for shipping but I pay a wholesale/discounted rate, it means more $$ for me.

- almost as important, I save a ton of time since I don't have to stand in line. My local post office clerk just directs me to leave everything at the counter, and I'm on my way. I've even handed packages to my carrier on occasion, and apparently you can schedule a pick-up if Priority Mail is used.

[luclin999]

And this is why I have never agreed to the "new terms" memo in which hides an opt-in to the GSP 40 paragraphs down, that Ebay has been popping up on my account for the past year.

I have zero interest in participating in the headaches which come from most international transactions.

[megozilla13]

does the seller save on shipping costs by using the global thingy? I tell international buyers I only ship using express which usually runs about $60.

mikej

[FETT1]

And this my friends is why I have cut wayyyy back on buying from EBUTT!!!...Many sellers will not ship to WESTERN CANADA anymore ...its a cash grab for EBUTT here ...the reason it all started (I BELIEVE)was to inliminate parcel's not showing up...or then again the greater minds @ ebutt needed to make more money somehow!!!
Which ever it is ,it still is a terrible way to conduct business these days . I have had a few sellers be more than willing to go down to the postal outlet and charge me the exact s/h amount and this is indicated on the mailing tag.Unlike GLOBAL which does not indicate any amount causing me to think ...dang its like old ebutt and some sellers are making extra off postage ...whew !!

SPACECAPS I feel for you and feel the buyers ,well some of them should of been less excessive in their feedback !!

I think this will be the start of ebutts downfall...maybe !!!???

luclin999 headaches meaning from buyers or ebutt???

lastly,THANK GOODNESS for forums like this as "some " here are more than eager to ship to WESTERN CANADA...BIG THANKS TO THEM !

[starsky]

sorry to hear about the screwups. but thanks for reconfirming my decision to not join global shipping program.

[ubermanx]

As a Canadian I hate buying from folks using GSP.

It is more expensive and all of a sudden eBay Canada is flooded with a whack of auctions from sellers inexperienced with selling to Canada.

- Marty

[Vinny0026]

I find there are 2 huge advantages to printing my own shipping labels:

- the discounted rate allows me to recoup some of the eBay & PayPal fees. Both charge fees, one based on final value fees, the other based on the amount of the transaction. If the buyer pays a retail price for shipping but I pay a wholesale/discounted rate, it means more $$ for me.

- almost as important, I save a ton of time since I don't have to stand in line. My local post office clerk just directs me to leave everything at the counter, and I'm on my way. I've even handed packages to my carrier on occasion, and apparently you can schedule a pick-up if Priority Mail is used.

first sorry you had all this trouble

2nd I agree - you get the discount and the tracking when you print yourself.
I do not send anything without tracking. I dont care if it is a 2 buck item. to many shady people try to get over and are dishonest.

The scale is cheap - the 5lb scale is like 20 bucks at staples and well worth it.
for me its only a few megos at a time I really ever go over 5lbs.

Just sorry to hear you had this trouble all the return shipping and reshipping must have cost you an arm and a leg. the average price outside the USA is like 40.00 - that is just crazy.

I hope you rebound quick and it all works out.

[thunderbolt]

I got a scale at Aldi that is dead perfect accurate

[Gorn Captain]

The global shipping program is a nightmare.
They charge you at every turn, making it all too expensive to begin with.
Whenever I see a seller (and notice that import duties are already to be paid in advance), I move on.

Ebay is ruining its international appeal, and in the end us collectors outside the US will be unable to get anything anymore without paying through the nose.
And I don't know how some people decide on shipping, but some sellers will ship a Mego at $10, others at $35, using exactly the same shipping method!

[cjefferys]

Man, I never even wanted to try that program, it just looks like trouble waiting to happen! Sorry, at this point it's not even worth it to ship outside of US and Canada for me on ebay these days, due to their policies. I'll always ship internationally when I sell stuff here though.