eBay Marketplaces is testing a Global Shipping Program (GSP), to make cross-border trade considerably easier for sellers and it’s believed that a pilot is already live for some US sellers.
Under the Global Shipping Program US based sellers simply dispatch their overseas parcels to a US Shipping Centre run by Pitney Bowes who then arrange for the international shipment of the customer’s order from the US Shipping Center by a third party shipping carrier (or carriers) to the delivery address specified.
The nice part about this is that Pitney Bowes process the package, complete customs forms, pay applicable import charges, and ship the package internationally making it effectively a domestic shipment for the seller. The Global Shipping Program specifies that it’s the responsibility of the buyer to ensure the import complies with all laws and regulations of their country, file customs entry documentation and pay the assessed import duties and other taxes due.
All Global Shipping Program items must be paid for via PayPal. PayPal will then split the payment between the seller and Pitney Bowes, the seller getting the item price and any shipping to the US Shipping Centre, and the balance to Pitney Bowes’s PayPal account for the International Shipping and customs duties.
I really like this program, although I don’t know what the Pitney Bowes costs would be and if it works out better financially for the buyers. For sellers however there’s not question that it cuts down on the workload as they’re no longer designated as the exporter and don’t have any international paperwork to worry about.
We’ve had a little check around on eBay to see if it’s likely this program is coming to eBay UK. Whilst the are live on eBay.com there’s nothing live on eBay UK. However we have found an equivalent holding page with the message “Coming Soon”, so watch this space for easy exports from the UK in the future.
3 Responses
… The nice part about this is that Pitney Bowes process the package, complete customs forms, pay applicable import charges, … ‘
What ‘import charges’ would Pitney Bowes be liable for?
I guess that this process would only interest sellers of larger/more expensive items.
Aprox 5/6 weeks ago I tried to buy a small “tool part” from an outfit in the USA.
cost was $4.99 for part and on checkout was redirected to an other outfit same same as Pitney Bowes. cost of shipping and handling (for a 25gram part in a small jiffy bag) was $30.00
thought I’d try 6 pieces to lower the individual cost and shipping/handling (150 grams and slightly bigger jiffy bag) was $80.00.
needless to say checkout was not compleated.