So trying to make a long story short here, but I recently sold an item that was won buy a guy in Scotland, but on the ebay invoice it had a Kentucky address. Since I had $15 for shipping domestically, and he paid in full, I assumed that's where he was. So as I am packing up another box, I see the same address, but a different reference number, and I reach out to both asking if this is really their addresses.

So the Scotish guy replies back with a different address I don't see in Ebay, nor Paypal, and I had already sent off this package so I called ebay. After going round and around with the rep trying to make me understand what the hell is going on, it turns out now that all international sales are supposed to go thru the Global Shipping Center in Kentucky, and I am only responsible for domestic shipping to that address. Once they get it, they will weigh it, and then contact the buyer for a payment from there to their country.

I was like, WTF. So basically you thru in a middleman who wasn't there before, which will only slow down the process, and worse, cost more for the buyer, as these Global Shipping fools aren't working for free.

And I asked, "What happens if the buyer doesn't pay that, or never gets back to you, does the package get sent back to me?"

"No" he replied, "you already got paid right? All items that are not paid for will be auctioned off on ebay themselves."

I am not making this shit up. I cant believe the scam they are pulling off. In reality, it doesn't really hurt me, I think it f's over the buyer a little more than before. No doubt slows shipping, and will cost them more.

I've been on ebay since 2000. This is the dumbest shit I have seen them pull since I've been using them.

You have the option to not use that program when you list. I suggest going that route.

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That's the weirdest, most nonsensical position I've heard on the program. It protects the seller at a cost to the buyer. If you don't want to use it, don't use it. Meanwhile, the rest of us no longer have to worry about being penalized for international packages being "lost".

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Opt out or don't use eBay's international shipping deal. They have been running something like that out of Asia for a few years and it has led me to block nearly all Japanese buyers.

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Ah I guess its defaulted to be used when I set up the sale, I havent changed my info in forever and didnt think they would sneak something like this in. Honestly I think its a terrible program and dont understand who its supposed to be helping. It's not like packages cant get lost at that staging area and from there to the buyer.

Good grief that sounds mad, sorry you had to deal with that KTG!

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Again, it protects the seller. Once the item arrives at the staging area it becomes the responsibility of eBay. In the US you can't get a tracking number that guarantees delivery to the buyer unless you go with a courier service. The best you can hope for is registered mail, which only records arrival at the destination county.

With the GSP all you have to prove is delivery to the program (ie, via a domestic tracking number) and you're protected. It doesn't matter if it get's lost at the staging area or on its way to the buyer.

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As a UK buyer I avoid all US auctions with GSP (On the rare times I buy from the US) as it costs both a arm and a leg in extra postage and slows down shipping to a near crawl.

I guess I'm not the only one to avoid them as theres been a number of thread on various forums and that has to hurt the seller more then the benfit of easy/lazy postage.

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I tend not to use it but I've had pretty good luck on my buyers and I specifically don't ship to Italy. But it is an excellent program for international sellers of small, relatively valuable/rare items to ensure they don't get scammed.

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Lets see -

Option 1 - I get an estimate on shipping to country x, get payment, ship out via USPS. Done.

Option 2 - I get paid to ship domestically to a staging area, where it sits, get weighed and a second invoice gets sent to buyer, who pays again, and then the package is sent... by what? USPS again?

Both have the ability to get 'lost'. Actually, throwing a middleman in there adds another step for it to get 'lost'. it might confirm to ebay that a package was sent to them, but it doesnt mean its any safer from not making it to the buyer had it been sent straight thru the USPS.

It also no doubt increases the cost of the shipment to the buyer, as well as delays the arrival time. I sent this package via Priority Mail. All that did was rush it to Kentucky, to sit at the mercy of the guys running the shipping center. This doesnt mean its going Global Priority to Scotland. They have to determine shipping, contact the buyer for the funds to ship it to them. Actually it makes it pointless to even rush the package, since I dont see any garantee from Ebay stating a turnaround time. So might as well send it the slowest and cheapest way possible.

Yeah, thats really the opposite of being "most sensical position" on the subject.

To each his own, but this is stupid. All it does is add a layer for where Ebay and this Global Shipping Center benefits. The buyer gets hosed.

I've seen auctions specifiying Italy before... why? I dont remember off-hand ever sending anything there, but I have bought things from there. Heck, I got a Codex Titanicus from Italy once. no problems.

Every time I try to get back into the e-Bay market again, I hear another thing like this. I want to sell stuff off there, and buy there, but it just doesn't seem worth it. Far too dangerous. No way I can buy for a fair price unless I watch the whole set of auctions all day, and no way I can sell for a fair price unless I'm willing to relist it every 10 days 'buy it now' until it sells.

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Their postal system is...interesting. Ask Khronos sometime about them

Just a note KTG17, yes the system is opt in and no, they don't do a great job of making that clear. Unless you actually read their emails or are a hawk when it comes to reading forms (the lawyer in me) it is easy to be missed.

However, eBay has been so far buyer protecting that it's a serious case of caveat venditor for international shipping, to the point that many simply don't allow it. The benefit to YOU the seller is that, assuming USPS tracked, is that you're guaranteed you money if you have a package that confirms the USPS acknowledged acceptance of it. You don't get that when you ship directly otherwise.

for instance, I've had a package hyperspace to UK. I could cough up the stamped customs form from the postal service proving I've sent it. Even then eBay refunded the buyer and I was ass out on a huge lot of OOP stuff. Anything over $10 I simply don't ship international until they started this. Sucks but there's too much risk otherwise. A few bad apples...

So yes this may cause some international bidders to not bid. But no one can bid if the seller simply does ship international, period. Some, no matter how small is > than none. Ultimately more steps and complexity provides more opportunities for something to go wring. The purpose is not to streamline the process in toto but instead provide a strong chain of custody for the parcel, indemnifying the seller provided they opt into their secure / vetted handling system.

The reactions here are more about elucidation of the process and options and a wee bit incredulous about the statement / belief that this is somehow a money grab by eBay to "gets your stuffs oh noeeees" to sell themselves.

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Yeah I know ultimately this is my fault for not reading the details better, but in my defense I've been using Ebay for over a decade, and can't remember the last time I changed my selling details, and for Ebay to stick this option in as a default is lame. I just assumed, especially through the mobile app, that everthing was as I left things. And the phone rep didnt tell me I could opt out of the program.

I've got over 1000 transactions on ebay as a buyer and seller, and I guess have been fortunate to never have any problems. I've never had a shipment get lost as a seller, but there's been a random time here and there that a package wasnt delievered when I was a buyer, or the item was not as described, and I got my money back. I always consider those isolated events. I can't imagine putting all my buyers through this Global Shipping program to avoid an outlier here and there. Then again, I am not trading in diamonds either. And even still, there is no garantee whats in the box, ebay isnt opening them up to check. I could call it Mk 0 Warlords and stick in a brick. All Ebay knows is that it delivered a package.

Funny about Italy. I have met some japanese sellers who wont ship to the USA, as apparently we have a crappy reputation, which sucks, as there's a whole bunch of stuff I would love to get off yahoojapan.

I think its worth it. I have spent $1000s on ebay for random stuff I can't buy locally, or even on online sites. I have a few hobbies where everything is out of production, so I have to rely on other people who don't want their things anymore to be able to get them.

As far as selling, I tend to sell only what I don't want in my collection anymore. Not really into it to make money per say, just try to get my money back. And its a crap shoot. One time I sold a model kit I bought for about $11 for $103. Then sold another of the same one a couple of weeks later for about $20. So its kind of random, and totally dependent on who sees the auctions and how badly they want it.

Regardless of my rant, I still love Ebay. Still think the Global Shipping thing is a waste.