Global Shipping Question

[FABphones]

Has anyone from the US/Canada shipped to the UK via eBays Global Shipping? Am curious as to how it works.

Who/what is 'global shipping'?
Does the seller pack the item?
Do the 'global shipping' people unpack, check contents and repack?

And is the global shipping price quoted on the eBay listing actually the shipping price the buyer pays, or does that change after buying the item?

Thanks for all info.

ETA: If anyone in UK has purchased as per above, would be interested to read your experiences too please.

[tubaman]

@FabPhones,

I've had mixed luck with eBay Global Shipping - a particular disaster was this - http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=20361 .
When I first approached the seller about it he offered to refund me, but when I mentioned the refund amount we then got into a bit of an argument as the seller claimed he had only paid for postage as far as Kentucky and that the international part was nothing to do with him.
When I then checked the Paypal invoice I could then see that the shipping was indeed in two parts, one domestic and another international.
The seller also claimed that he had had the phone professionally packed and that it must have been repacked at the shipping centre, but I don't know if that was right or not.
In the end eBay refunded me in full, and I believe the seller kept his money too, but it was all a rather stressful experience.

However, after saying that I have also had other Global Shipping purchases go without a hitch so I would certainly not dissuade you from using it.

[Doug Rose]

Agreed....that is why when we sold on eBay, Global shipping was great for us. eBay was responsible for it getting to it destination as long as we got it to Kentucky in one piece. Before Global shipping we had way too many I never got my package issues.....Doug

[Stubbypylon]

I dislike the ebay "Global Shipping".  Being from Canada, it takes longer to get here.  I purchased something in Michigan just across the border.  It was shipped south to Kentucky before being shipped north to Ontario. I could have driven across the border quicker.  Also the price is usually outrageous and has substantially reduced my ebay purchases.  I saw some rotary dial fridge magnets recently.  They were something like $3.50 for two.  Global shipping was $25 so I didn't purchase them.

[dsk]

My experience ware: parcels from north America works well. The only difference is the cost. Usps are not as expensive, and that is why I prefer USPS.  Shipping costs (customs and vat) are pretty often a reason to not buy.

dsk

[ma_xyz]

my experience is also: reliable (to switzerland) but expensive

[tubaman]

Interesting that a couple of you have noted that Global Shipping is expensive as I've usually found it cheaper (US - UK) than from US sellers doing their own international postage.

[LarryInMichigan]

Several years ago I shipped a heavy phone to an ebay buyer in Scotland with the Global Shipping Prog..  Ebay payed me for Priority Mail shipping to Erlanger, KY and billed the buyer a shipping fee plus an additional amount which was supposedly only to be charged to him on his first item .  He asked me why he was being billed as much as he was, and I responded that I did not know how much he was billed, nor did I have any control over the amount.  His total was however, noticeably less than USPS shipping from here to Scotland would have cost.  I didn't hear anything more from him after I sent the phone, so I assumed that it arrived safely.

Larry

[FABphones]

Interesting that a couple of you have noted that Global Shipping is expensive as I've usually found it cheaper (US - UK) than from US sellers doing their own international postage.

Thanks for the replies.

Was the shipping fee quoted the fee you paid, or were you billed extra after the purchase?
And did you have to pay the customs charge on top once it reached the UK (as per usual eg via USPS/Parcelforce)?

[tubaman]

I've only ever paid the quoted shipping fee.
The customs charge is added at checkout but has always been pretty much that shown in the eBay P&P section.  I've not had to pay again before receiving a parcel, although there are incidents on eBay's forums where people say they have ended up paying the customs fee twice.

[dsk]

I just ordered a small parcel with some essential oils her is the alternative shipping costs from N.Y. to Norway 0.56LB or about 2 transmitter elements.


dsk