Boycott Ebay GSP exorbitant pricing

[Al_The_Man]

I would encourage all Canadians and anyone else importing an item on ebay to boycott the Pitney Bowes Global Shipping program (GSP),
This can be done by contacting the seller that you are interested but wish the item to be shipped USPS, the contact should be made before bidding.
The latest example for me was a $10.00 US item, the shipping and brokerage is listed at US$17.50, the item can fit inside a small padded or regular envelope, so shipping should be minimal, also on items less than CAN$20.00 there is no import fee needed.
If enough people endorse this, Ebay will have to change their policy somewhat.

Al.


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[KOC62]

Yes, I use USPS where possible.

I had a recent case I was going to buy a $40US book, but didn't because they wanted ~$17US to ship. It wasn't an Amazon distributor.
For things like Mouser, I often wait until I reach the free shipping quota of $200US or more. Hence no quick repairs in my hobby.
Sadly, not all allow USPS shipping for foreign purchases and use UPS, or the like. A recent purchase for a $130 USB HD TV device still cost me $21 shipping, all in US funds of course. "Local" Wal-Mart, BestBuy and the like don't stock the model I wanted, hence the online order.

[Al_The_Man]

For books I always look first on the AbeBooks clearing house, you can get really good deals with low shipping, all over the world, I have purchased the odd one where the accompanying CD was not only there, but still sealed in the pocket.
Al.

[KOC62]

The book I was looking to get was one from the author's publisher, if I remember correctly. I had Google searched but it didn't show anywhere.

And the other annoying thing is the brokerage fee. I had forgotten about that so when my USB TV tuner came in today I had to pay $39.25 plus $5.10 GST brokerage fee to UPS. That particular item didn't have a USPS option. I have to remember to avoid the UPS option for international purchases. My purchases from Asia, like DealsXtreme have no shipping and no brokerage fess. Go figure.

[Al_The_Man]

Not many know that if you have a CBSA office close to you, you can clear your own, what you can do is tell the UPS guy when he comes to the door to take the item back to the UPS depot and that you clear your own customs.
You then pick the paper work up from them the next day and take it with a copy of a B3 form which is downloadable from the CBSA site or you can pick up a dozen or so from their office, then take both forms into them and pay the sales tax only.
A bit of a hassle but you save the brokerage fee.
If the parcel comes USPS/Canpost, the CBSA intercept a small number for checking, but they only charge a $5.00 broker fee and sales tax if they do.
Al.

[dharmic]

Jeez - you guys do ok.

So many times in Australia we'll spot an item for sale for, what, $20 or so? And the shipping ends up being $80 because the vendor won't send anything by USPS but insists on UPS/FedEx/DHL

[KOC62]

Well, maybe not as bad as your situation, dharmic, but another recent purchase I was interested in was from Parts Express in the USA. The total cost was around $50US and the shipping was free in the continental US. However, to get it to my home and because they considered my shipment as being international, the USPS charge was going to be $110US. But since I live reasonable close to a UPS Store in the USA, I went and picked it up at the UPS Store for a $5 US fee. But for many Canadians that is not an option.

[twr]

I was going to buy a book off ebay with GSP and shipping was $60 plus the import fees and tax. I got it sent to my brother's ups box in NY and he brought it back for me. I don't buy very much off ebay in the USA anymore because of the GSP and exchange it costs way to much.