HEADS-UP: eBay buyers outside the USA, and USA-based sellers too...

[Co6aka]

HEADS-UP: eBay buyers outside the USA, and USA-based sellers too...

Under a specific circumstance, eBay buyers outside the USA are being grossly OVERCHARGED by eBay for packages shipped via the eBay Global Shipping Program:

1. The seller is in the USA and ships internationally via eBay's GSP
2. The item is listed as a multi-quantity fixed price "Buy It Now"
3. The listing is configured to use calculated shipping
4. Calculation is configured to be a base rate plus a specified additional amount for each additional item
5. The buyer purchases a quantity greater than one. (NOT different items from different listings, a multiple quantity of one item from one listing.)

For example, let's imagine some small widget is listed buy-it-now for $5.00, and for shipping to destinations in the USA the seller specified $3.00 plus 0.25 for each additional, and the buyer purchased 10 widgets...

Two scenarios:

A) The buyer is in the USA: In checkout, the buyer is invoiced for $55.25, which is the sum of: $50 for merchandise, $3.00 for base shipping, $2.25 for 9 additional items.

B) The buyer is outside the USA: In checkout, the buyer is invoiced for the cost of eBay's GSP plus $80.00, not plus $55.25 -- WTF??? Yeah, WTF!!! --- the $80.00 is because eBay's GSP multiplies the base shipping rate by the number of items purchased, which is $3.00 X 10 = $30.00, plus $50.00 merchandise, which equals $80.00.

How bad is it: For scenario "B" let's say the cost of eBay's GSP was $20, thus the buyer was invoiced $100.00 when they should have been invoiced $75.25 -- WTF!!! Yeah, WTF!!! And the qreater the quantity you buy, the more you get hosed!!!

Here's how to figure out if you have been, or would be, hosed by eBay:

1. On the item's listing page, switch to the "Shipping and payments" tab.
2. In the "Change country" selection box select "United States"
3. If you see something like "Shipping and handling US $X.XX, Each additional item US $Y.YY" then...
4. In the "Quantity" box enter the quantity you purchased, or want to purchase...
5. Enter any USA ZIP Code; use 90210 (Beverly Hills, CA) if you can't think of any cute ones...
6. Click the "Get Rates" button, and make note of the rate.
7. In the "Change country" selection box re-select your country...
8. Compare the rate for quantity 1 to the rate for the quantity you purchased, or want to purchase...
9. Is the difference between them equal to the rate you noted in step 6? If not, then eBay is hosing you!!!

I don't know if eBay has more than one forwarding depot, but I'm told to ship to Erlanger, Kentucky, 41025. Try using that as a destination ZIP code for calculating a USA-based seller's shipping rate to the GSP forwarding depot.

Before any USA-based sellers chime in to complain that they'd enjoy getting all that extra moolah from buyers, realize that eBay's overcharging is most likely causing you lost sales, which most likely totals way more than the few additional debauched-USD you'd be getting.

I learned about and reported this eBay rip-off today; it took me two phone calls and an hour to overcome the small-brain factor at eBay and get to someone with a brain just big enough to understand the issue.

If you're a buyer who's been fleeced, or an honest USA-based seller, check this out for yourself and then get on the horn to eBay. MAKE SOME NOISE!!! And if you determine that you have been hosed, demand that those bloody eBay wankers refund your money!!!

 

[Brumby]

I have long felt eBay developers do their alpha testing live.  They certainly do not run it through any form of acceptance testing.

They wouldn't want me to run their application development team..... 



and on second thought, I wouldn't want to run their application development team.

[Co6aka]

I have long felt eBay developers do their alpha testing live

I can't imagine anything actually being "live" at eBay.

[Stray Electron]

   Another little heads up for you.  For buyers in a different country than the seller, Ebay/PayPal also won't warranty your purchase UNLESS you have it shipped through their global shipping program! I found that out after another forum member here had problems with an item.  I WAS a very early E-bay member and a long time Ebay seller and I called ebay about sometime else and I asked about why they weren't helping the buyer and the Ebay rep told me directly that it  was because he had had the item shipped by another service (DHL).   E-bay is trying to FORCE everyone to ship via their over priced Global Shipping Service just like they FORCED everyone to use Pay Pal when they owned them.  I'm fed up with E-bay and their outrageous charges and rules and I haven't sold anything on there in several years.

[mrrrwhat]

I am in Hong Kong, that very easy to use group shipping service to bid item for cheaper shipping fee

[Co6aka]

E-bay is trying to FORCE everyone to ship via their over priced Global Shipping Service...

Cornering the market is good for one's bottom line. My favorite definition of "corporatism" is "Short term profit uber alles!" Hey, if I can profit much more by harvesting my employees' body parts and selling them than I can by paying them to make the widgets I sell, then why not. Never mind that my employees will all be dead, I'll just hire new ones...and repeat the process!

Anyway, if you compare the cost and service of eBay's GSP to that and those of USPS, UPS, FedEx and DHL, minus eBay's boneheaded overcharging of course, it's regrettably a better deal all around. A few months back, a single-item package I shipped to a buyer was "lost" ("stolen" likely) by eBay's final delivery contractor, so eBay refunded the buyer and I got to keep their payment. If I'd shipped via any other carrier I'd have had to refund the buyer and eat the loss. Also, if eBay's contractors mangle the package, both seller and buyer are covered. And, the package is tracked from origin to destination, a service that's typically costly and sometimes unavailable. And, "insurance" claims for damage require the cooperation of the buyer, and there's little incentive for the buyer to help the seller recover, so typically "insurance" is a waste of money; sellers are way better off "self-insuring" by charging for insurance and pocketing the money, and just refunding buyers if/when their package is mangled. Also re "insurance," one should actually experience trying to make an "insurance" claim with any of those carriers I just mentioned; it would be more productive ans satisfying to beat your head with a cement block; the last thing any of them want to do is pay out on an insurance claim, and their boneheads will offer up reasons for denial so boneheaded that no intelligent person could possibly argue with, unless of course the intelligent person first has a lobotomy. And, after all that, just go look up the frightful freight rates from the USA to the rest of the world on those carriers' websites... Yeah, and I'm the seller not the buyer, and then after "WTF!!!" I say "No way would I pay that much; FUHGEDDABOUDIT!!!" I'm not defending those eBay wankers, just recognizing bottom line service and economy.

And while I'm on the subject, here's another thought about those eBay GSP wankers overcharging buyers: Exactly how do they calculate their freight fee, which they do in advance of their receipt of the package? When listing an item, sellers are prompted to enter package weight and dimensions, not item weight and dimensions, so when buyers buy multiple quantities, and/or multiple items, how is eBay GSP calculating total weight and dimensions? The same way they're calculating the rip-off I uncovered and detailed above? Seems to me that's damned likely. SO, if the overcharging is removed, then eBay's GSP is an even better deal. BUT, maybe the overcharging is part of their business model...and that to me seems damned likely. Bloody wankers!

[Co6aka]

very easy to use group shipping service to bid item for cheaper shipping fee

I presume you mean another ("non-eBay") freight forwarding service. That's exactly my point: If a little fish can forward freight for less than eBay can, then those eBay wankers ARE scamming buyers. Bloody eBay wankers!