WARNING: eBay Global Shipping Program

[Hunter4752001]

I recently bought a secondhand holster through eBay. The seller was based in the US and for shipping used eBay's Global Shipping Program. Today I received a message from eBay that Global Shipping have deemed the item as restricted and wont forward it to me, nor return it to the seller. On querying eBay customer service I received the following advice as to the reason "we have set-up our policy and leather is part of them as leather have came from animals." What planet are these people from?

Payment for the transaction was via eBay's subsidiary Paypal. They have provided a refund, except that due to exchange rate calculations the refund in local currency is less than what was originally paid (only a few dollars but the principle aggravates)

The only advice I can give is for buyers and sellers to avoid any transaction involving the Global Shipping Program if not avoid anything to do with eBay.

 

[Brent in Az]

Wonder how many of the eBay policy makers wear leather products?

 

[sestoppelman]

I recently bought a leather holster off ebay, no problems. They have hundreds of them on there, so it appears to be solely the shipping company's issues.

 

[Red Leg]

Never had an issue buying anything from ebay and much of it purchased from abroad (I am in the US). I also have never had a communication written in pidgin English like yours. In fact, I have no idea what the "Global Shipping Program" might be. I have simply paid the international post and have always had a timely delivery usually through US Postal Service or DHL.

As a data point, I just checked, and I have made 890 ebay purchases to date for which I have received feedback. I would guess at least 15 -20% of those were from foreign vendors.

 

[Hunter4752001]

The Global Shipping Program (GSP) is an eBay program operating in the US for export consignments. It is chosen by the seller not the buyer. I don't know if it is a default setting for sellers or whether it has to be selected by the seller. Basically the US seller ships to the GSP center in Kentucky after which it is processed and then shipped internationally. https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/shipping/global-shipping-program.html

On the surface a good idea, but in practice it has many problems. Using USPS etc would have far less issues.

 

[sestoppelman]

"Using USPS etc would have far less issues."

Well.....these days? Hmmm, I have two piece of mail missing USPS right now. One, a money order shipped via Priority, gone. Another is a rifle shipped retail ground with tracking, seemingly gone, hopefully just delayed. Been 3 weeks without a scan, sitting somewhere waiting for some postal drone to trip over it in a PO facility somewhere....
I needed to ship another rifle today, it went Fed Ex.

 

[krish]

USPS is very unreliable. I have lost packages and never recovered. One time I received open empty box with a red note on the box saying content missing. That content was 30 boxes of 358 winchester brass. For one RT ifle it took 40 days to arrive. All it said " your package is in transit to next facility."

 

[sestoppelman]

All of a sudden today, the rifle I shipped was found, got moving and was delivered!! Don't know if they looked harder due to my constant harassment or if it was just sitting somewhere or what, but thank goodness it got found and delivered!! Was last scanned on the 4th!!

 

[Brent in Az]

USPS, lost $8.8 billion last year. I think it is time for an overhaul.

 

[leslie hetrick]

for me e-barf-play pal can go pound sand in their unlighted areas.

 

[Fastrig]

Haven’t had any issues with shipping from eBay or Amazon outside of the ones where they say “in stock” and fast shipping, only to find out that it’s being shipped from China (no disclosure on this) and it takes three months for it to get to you.