Thread: Global shi**ing strikes again.

I was going to bid on a razor this evening but the seller would not forgo the Global shipping rip off despite my telling him there are no duties to be paid on razors from the US to Canada and almost never are assessed tax. I did place a bid but reduced my max by what the Pitney Bowes profiteering fee might be (at the auction it was listed as $10 on a $30 dollar item or 33%). I don't know what magic they use to make up estimates of fictitious fees but that's what I used. I was out bid by one other buyer so we'll never know how high it might have gone if I had used the full amount I was willing to pay.
What I was wondering if it's worth it to point out to the seller that the money I set aside to pay Pitney was money (potentially) out of his pocket? I was outbid automatically so I'd have to admit it could have been as little as a dollar but if the other bidder was as keen as I, another 33%.

I don't know why that someone thinks that this is such a great plan between Canada and the US. You think Pitney has stupid charges you should try having something shipped from the US by UPS. They charge 50% of the value of the item for brokerage fees. UPS makes more off the good than the sellers do. It is a ridiculous system for sure. I often don't bid on item that have the global ship. It costs a little more for the shipping but then there is the made up import charge that get under my skin, but it also takes longer, and travels by post anyway. I've had my mini rant. Deep relaxing breaths now

Don't waste your time if they are unwilling to use any other shipping method when asked, simply buy elsewhere. All you're doing is whizzing into the wind trying to explain and just getting wet for your efforts.

Bob

Originally Posted by RezDog

I don't know why that someone thinks that this is such a great plan between Canada and the US. You think Pitney has stupid charges you should try having something shipped from the US by UPS. They charge 50% of the value of the item for brokerage fees. UPS makes more off the good than the sellers do. It is a ridiculous system for sure. I often don't bid on item that have the global ship. It costs a little more for the shipping but then there is the made up import charge that get under my skin, but it also takes longer, and travels by post anyway. I've had my mini rant. Deep relaxing breaths now

Try explaining that to most US shippers.

Bob

I have stopped bidding on items that have that stupid thing altogether. And I swore off UPS a while ago too after I had brokerage fees that actually exceeded the declared value of the goods. When I called UPS to complain and asked what would happen if I simply refused to pay the fee, they cut it by over 50%. It's a complete racket and I refuse to take part.

This is an option I have used too: https://www.kinek.com/ It works pretty well in my limited experience, but it's really only feasible if you live near the border. Everything is still declared at the border and I pay the duty as per normal. I don't have an issue with that. It's the blatant profiteering of companies like Pitney Bowes and UPS that get my knickers in a twist.

The other day I was trying to order up some new heat deflectors for my weber grill.
I found them online at Amazon for a fair price of about $28.
Shipping, as calculated by Amazon was a whopping $83.

Such is life when not near the behemoth of consumer goods

It is not the shipping cost per se that is the problem, it is the damned brokers fees etc that get piled on and included as part of the shipping cost. There is no need of it as straight USPS will do nicely. People are just tired of being hosed for no good reason.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

It is not the shipping cost per se that is the problem, it is the damned brokers fees etc that get piled on and included as part of the shipping cost. There is no need of it as straight USPS will do nicely. People are just tired of being hosed for no good reason.

Bob

That's exactly right. The auction listed the "import charges" as a separate amount from shipping which was still over priced.
I'll share with you the final outcome:



I was willing to overpay for the blade because I have two more of the same model and started dreaming about a seven day set.
Here's what a proper invoice from a professional seller looks like, sale from the same evening. Combined shipping, tracking included.

Yea, USPS First Class Mail Intl/First Class Package Intl Service with tracking is all most need and is reasonable too. Any duties or taxes, if owing, are taken care of at the buyers end quite easily. Unbelievable how many can't grasp that.

Bob

I've commented to a few sellers that they could be loosing out, but now when I see the GSP I don't even open the link

We should request Ebay to have NO GSP in their search engine